1998 Chevrolet Astro AWD
4.3L Vortec V6
"Silvermist Metallic", according to Chevy; gray according to anyone with eyes
I have put some work into this van using OEM parts, giving it the upgrades it might have had if it hadn't been a fleet vehicle in its past life. Keeping the equipment factory, I have added an AM/FM/Cassette/slave CD from Delco and an OEM dome light with map lamps. Additionally, I have repainted the factory grille black, which vastly improved the look of the base model grille. I also decided to repaint my bowtie, which was gold and cracked near the center; it is now silver, and the paint covered the crack very well. Below, you can read about how I prepped and painted the grille. My next project is going to be to paint my steel wheels black. Thanks for checking out my van--check out the exterior on page 1 and the interior on page 2.
My father affectionately dubbed this van "Dumbo" when he bought it for work in 2001. With its gray paint and wide mirrors, I thought that was an accurate description until I painted the grille black. Once the paint dried and I put the grille back on, I thought it looked more like a raccoon.
These were some before and after shots I did back when I first thought I should repaint the grille months back. On the left, you can see the crack in the bowtie and the chips in the gray paint, which was flaking off every time I drove in rain or washed this beast. On the right is a photoshopped pic of what I predicted the van could look like if I repainted the grille and kept the badge. Below is a photoshopped version in which the badge was deleted.
In the end, deleting the bowtie was not practical since I would have had to fill the badge cavity with epoxy and try to match the contour of the grille; plus the cavity extends a bit above and a bit below the crossbar, which I thought would leave the illusion of a square and make it obvious that I shaved the badge. So I sanded the badge lightly with 400-grit sandpaper and painted it with an aluminum-chrome paint made by Dutch Boy (I would use Krylon if I had to do it over). As for the grille itself, I sanded it with 400-grit sandpaper, lightly but thorough, and then hosed it down to get all the plastic dust off it. I then wiped it down with paper towel to get it clean. For paint, I used Krylon Fusion for Plastic (glossy black), which is inexpensive and readily available just about anywhere. I got it from a local hardware store for about $4 per can, and I used an entire can plus a tiny bit of the second one. It does not require primer, which is awesome, and it is really well-reviewed for its bondage to plastic. After talking to the owner of the hardware store, I painted the grille in two coats, following the drying instructions on the can. Unfortunately, the paint requires seven days to become chip-resistant, so I did not use the van for a week after painting the grille. It did not come out perfect because if you look up close you can see where the plastic did not take the paint for some reason, although it did exceed my expectations for simple spraypaint. If I had to do it over, I would not use a glossy black becuase it does show the imperfections in the plastic more than a flat black might have.
The grille on the base model Chevy Express was sort of the inspiration for my Astro's black grille.
The photo on the left shows the All-Terrain tires that were on the van when my father gave it to me. They were dry-rotting, so I purchased a set of Michelin X-Radials from Costco. If you look at the manufacturer's photo on the right, you can see how good these are for preventing hydroplaning; there are several channels for the water to escape the rubber. I love the handling with them, but they really are just a light truck tire. I have yet to see how they perform in the snow with the AWD.
I actually like the dog-dish hubcaps on this truck, so I am going to repaint the hideous steel wheels black to keep with the silver-on-black color scheme.
