1997 Chevy G30

Seller's Description

I revived this van last winter while my truck was in the shop. It was a locksmith van, and when I bought it, it was still full of locks and keys, simply being used for storage. It was parked when they upgraded their fleet right before the Joplin tornado. I believe it was the only van in their fleet that didn’t lose a window that day, so it got used for a few months after the tornado, then it was parked ever since. The cabinets on the inside are ridiculously solid hardwood. Very practical. They all lean outward slightly and close tight so they never come open while driving. I can fit all of my camping gear in the cabinets, with some cabinets remaining empty. The floor is a very durable and practical rubber. It has been excellent for taking my dogs to the creek this summer. *It is clean right now, and I can clean it again to show or sell it, but I do not intend to deprive my dogs of going to the creek to keep it clean* I just feel like it isn’t the most practical second vehicle for me. I think I’d be better off with something that got 20+ mpg, or a truck with a bed. My daily driver is a Yukon. Got it in December with 137,977 miles on it, I have put nearly 5k miles on it so far this year, it now has 142,687 miles, and will keep climbing until it sells. I bought a battery and tires, and fixed one wire and got it to run and drive. Since then I’ve changed fluids, replaced the alternator, water pump, brake pads, distributor cap, wires, and coil, some fuses, bulbs, wiper blades, as well as added a roof rack (actually a ladder rack with a basket and ladder attached), fixed a cracked exhaust pipe, and gave it two oil changes and a new paint job. The whole thing is covered in bedliner, even the blueish grey parts. It was white, with their locksmith logo and whatnot, but it had tiny pinholes through the paint all over from sitting so long, exposing the tiniest bit of metal, and thus a tiny rust spot… all over. It also had a spot on each side panel where it was just starting to rust out, and a small hole in the back door (probably from the tornado) but all of that has been FIXED! I sanded, filled and patched the few small holes and pulled out small dents, sanded some more, applied rust treatment all over, then painted it with rustoleum bedliner, gave it a bit of creativity with snow and clouds, and finally, applied a clear coat of paint all over for protection and shine. Old school stereo, leather captain seats, heat and a/c, electronic power locks, anti-lock abs brakes, auto interior lights, and an electronic passenger window (I have no idea why the drivers is manual, but you can roll both down easily while driving so it’s handy). It has enough room for two to sleep, and it fits in a regular parking spot just fine. A cot fits nicely in the center aisle. I’ve got one stored in there that can go with the van. I could easily see a sink, toilet, air conditioner, heater, TV and/or bed installed - whatever you need to make it home. (I also have a row of van seats that came out of a newer ford van, if you want to get crazy with it, but I think it would be a crime to take out the cabinets. Other notable perks: - Spare tire is 10/10. And it still has the factory Jack and handle. I can throw in another if you’d like, and a 4by4 block is stored under the cabinet by the side door. - Interior is 9.5/10, and a good portion of that 0.5 is the drivers seat which has a few small tears in the leather, which you can’t even really feel, but we all know they’ll get worse over time. - SUPER solid custom made steel craft side steps! - I’ll throw in some of its old tires if you’d like. I tried a larger size but it was rubbing up front when I turned. It had larger tires in the back because of its original purpose, but it bothered me so they’re all the same now. - I bought some handles for the cabinets, never installed them because I kinda like using the old key pegs as handles. They’ll go with the van. - The cup holders are a joke so I added a little center console which has cup holders and usb ports. - I don’t have the doghouse bolted down right now so we can easily pull it off and show you, and bolt it down if we make a deal. Here are a few things I would consider “downsides” of the van: - It pulls to the right if you brake hard, which unfortunately we all gotta do sometimes. I’ve investigated multiple times, but I’m not an expert. I replaced the pads and one of the steering arms (the other was less likely to solve it but I have it and it will go with the van). Could be as simple as an alignment issue, or more complicated, I honestly don’t know. - It kinda wobbles on me occasionally. Could be the same issue, I’m not sure. It usually doesn’t happen, and when it does it usually isn’t bad, and can be stopped if you pull over and turn the wheels and get back on the road. - Only 3 of the original hubcaps came with it, I took them off because it bothered me, and when I painted the van I did the wheels, too. I wish they were more perfect. I’ve been keeping my eye open for a cheap matching hubcap, I would prefer to get one at a flea market for $10 than to buy one on eBay for $150. - The hole in the back door caused the handle and lock to not work - which I fixed!… but it just isn’t perfect. I don’t believe it locks/unlocks automatically with the other doors, but can be done manually! - It doesn’t have a ladder on the back door like most do, which you can probably find one, I just haven’t made it happen yet. I put a ladder on the roof rack and can easily let that go with the van. - The seal on the windshield was totally shot, but an oem replacement was going to be very costly. I got one on amazon and it didn’t work, so I just caulked the windshield because I needed to drive it. I don’t think it looks that bad, most people don’t notice until I say something, but it’s certainly not ideal and could look better. - It WAS set up for regular wall outlets and other appliances to run off another battery, but I think they took the inverter out before I got it. It has wall outlets in the back, so that’s a perk. - The passenger mirror won’t stay where it needs to, I can’t think of a way to fix it without duct tape or super glue, so I’ve just ignored it and used the other two mirrors. - The spare tire on the back door broke the tail light cover, it hits if you open the drivers side back door real wide. - The side access door sags just slightly while open. It closes just fine, and doesn’t sag while it’s closed, only when it’s open. I am trying really hard to think of things, if you can’t tell… It is older, and it sat for a while, so things do end up needing replaced on occasion… but I have done my best to keep it on the road, and I think it is time for someone who needs it more to take over. You can get parts for these things at salvage yards OR auto parts stores ANYWHERE. If you have some tools and some know-how, you could live in this van and take it everywhere.

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