It's getting progressively harder to watch these videos in a non-empty house without the headphones.

The digital gauge cluster is greatly offset by the universal GM steering wheel.

"I'll buy you a surge" That takes me back. Marching band in the late 90s... Pop machine in the cafeteria had surge in it. Thanks for that memory.

The taillights are JDM, the reverse light was relocated to the bumpers in JDM models, along with a rear foglight to meet Japanese safety standards. And then the Astro in Japan went to inspire the Toyota bB, which we got as the Scion xB.

I truely believe Mr RCR went full method acting for the intro, and I honor his work ethic for this

I heard that every time Mr. Regular gets in a Chevy Astrovan…He busts.

I've been waiting for the longest time for RCR to bring in an Astro/Safari van to the show. These cars are everywhere in the background.

The weird thing about the 4300 is how much they improved it over time. My family owned 3 of them. While it was horrible in the Blazer, mated to a 5-speed manual in the C/K it got good mileage (around 23mpg mountain driving), and could drift up to third gear. Still going strong, if not a bit lopsided at 220k miles

That monologue at the end was peak RCR and I absolutely love it

This is ideal for someone like Matt Foley to live in.

I miss your wistful, nostalgic monologues. This one was a gem. Almost had me weeping. Bless you for that tonal shift at the end, had me laughing my arse off. Oh the joy and pain of being in your 40s.

The official car of “Rolling Probable Cause”

I can smell this van through the internet. Or maybe that is Mr. Regular. Not sure.

First vehicle i ever accidentally got on two wheels in a curve and also recovered. My parents freaking safari.. That color and those wheels exactly. Shit 25 years later i still relive seeing the street get closer to the driver window for the half second. Good shit.

My connection to these is *just a bit* more innocent. When we were about nine, my buddy and I used to draw superheroes and little comics during the church service that our families put on for the local correctional high school. It was the late ‘90s, so of course we were both into Captain Underpants, and decided that we needed a name for our little outfit like Harold and George’s Treehouse Comix from the books. We somehow eventually settled on Safari Comics, after the minivan his family came in every week. I still use it on and off when I’m drawing something, like for a comics class I took as an elective in college. My mom’s brother had an Astro for a while too, he was in construction and it was basically his work truck.

With the prevalence of "nut" in this day and age, "bust" has become an underappreciated gem

Kunkleman sold these with a $400 gift certificate to Sterns.

There really is no feeling quite like being horny in middle/high school. You bust, but in a matter of hours, you're right back to feeling like you've abstained for weeks

Parents had one of these beautiful beasts. Captains chair option for the second row was godly, they swiveled 180 degrees to face the rear bench seats!

I 100% believe that Mr Reguar was really cranking it and busted in the intro of this video..

I hope "Thanks Frankie Mindcavage" becomes a the next "busting." Any time Mr. Regular needs a quick grab for something seedy, there's Frankie willing to lend him "X thing" for 5 minutes and a Surge.

I really like how at the end you associated this car with a romanticized bohemian lifestyle, on par, or even more than the westfalia video, that and “adults make it up as they go” are themes that really knocks out of the park

The 4.3 is a relatively decent engine. My dad at one point had an S10 with one (and a five speed!) that would rip sick burnouts in first without half trying, then shift to second, and continue the burnout. He never saw me do that to his truck, and he died a happier man not knowing that.

The 1992 ASTRO is awesome with a 350 swap. Relatively easy to do and they are a great sleeper.

My mother had a GMC safari back in the day. Put an inverter in it with a 27inch zenith TV and a VCR. Forgot to bring all the movies on a road trip except a boot leg copy of Spaceballs. Driving from upstate NY to Florida watching that movie the whole time has ingrained that movie in my mind. I can still recite that movie by heart along with the Winslow noises haha. Fond memories of that thing

The last 60 seconds and hearing Mr. Regular cracking up made me crack up more than I have in a few weeks. Thank you Mr. Regular!

This intro felt the most like a confession

Parents had an 88 Astro, that engine killed 3 transmission and still ticked away when we drove that thing in 1st all the way to the scrap yard. Miss that thing

Don't throw shade at the 4.3 Mr. Regular. I had a 84 S-15 Jimmy 4X4 with the 2.8. Gave new definition to "Worthless" . Thank God I at least had a 5-speed behind it; in 1990 I would have thrown a old man down a flight of stairs to have a 4.3 instead of the 2,8. Cheers.

It's interesting that the Astro evolved into the generic white van in the second gen. The first gen was an oddball and it was rare to see them used like an actual minivan. For as long as I can remember, I've only ever seem them driven by low-wage contractors, always overloaded with ladders. As an aside, I've always loved those rectangular sealed beam headlights. They make cars look serious and determined.

I have to confess that I have always had an "It's Complicated" relationship with the Astro/Safari. I LOVED how roomy & comfortable they were, how smoothly they rode, & how quiet they were.........& that 4.3-liter V6 is a TORQUE MONSTER, but fit & finish left A LOT to be desired. I will NEVER forget that it was an Astro which brought me to see Home Alone for the first time, however. I will NEVER forget cruising to Showcase Cinema in Woburn, MA in a blue 1986 Chevy Astro full of kids, BLASTING C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)".........ON THE CASSETTE PLAYER (Man, I'm old!!!!!)!!!!!!!

That was a beautiful finale of an ending, starting from the digital dashboard. Thanks for another Masterpiece Regular Car Review, Regular Cars Team. Thanks to all followers who support this wonderful channel.

Once had a 92 Blazer with a .60 over 4.3 mated to a 700r4 with a B&M shift kit. It was surprisingly quick and the shift kit made it feel super agressive. Ill always love the 4.3

RCR actively trying to trigger the algorithm at this point. *AND I LIKE IT*

This is the best car channel on KZfaq, and it’s not even close.

The epilogue was truly amazing

Definitely one of those episodes to have your earbuds in.

Your intro is so raunchy. I am watching this with my windows open from Saudi Arabia. I can't tell you how much more wrong this sounds here. All I can say is, Keep up the good work!

The first 2 and a half minutes justifies this video's existence...and is also the reason I LOVE this channel. Have been since that Caprice video so long ago til now. I haven't laughed so hard in an incredibly long time....long like my di-

It's funny because my 2004 Blazer 2-Door (2WD) would always kinda kick down and buck like that when I tried to give her the beans. I personally certified on multiple occasions that the old, rusty, minutes from death suspension, no weather seal, slippy transmission, dodgy wheel spinning, wheel hopping, caliper sticking, crappy alignment, oil leaking, EVAP leaking, BEAST; was electronically limited to 95 mph and I loved that old truck anyway. It had a charm about it and I still regret getting rid of it because as bad as that particular example was, it reminded me of the nice one I took many a road trip in when I was a kid, and that's what owning older cars is all about it my opinion. Recapturing a moment in time where this vehicle brought joy, excitement, and sparked a love the things you care about. I hope to get another someday but maybe a 4x4 this time so it can hold up to adverse conditions a bit better and won't be one bump in the road away from violently falling to pieces.

They drove those screws _everywhere_ in these conversion vans. Including into all kinds of wiring. Sometimes you could get one where you turned the lights on and the heater would come on too.

I love the Astro. Vans are good at doing almost everything a Pickup can do but with an enclosed space for people or things, in a more maneuverable package. The Astro in particular had amazing visibility, outstanding comfort and great if bouncy ride. It's the opposite of everything sporty and European but it's what GM was good at making. So comfortable. Your butt sinks a solid 3" into the seat with inches to spare. The seat legit assisted the suspension at improving the ride.

Would love to see something like a 2002 zr2 sonoma. It has the 4.3 and a 3.83 locking rear end. It will roast the tires but if rear axle suddenly locks, it will shoot you into a ditch. The 4.3 turned into a fantastic engine over the years.

When I was a freshman in HS I was over at my friends house, playing “man hunt” (hide and go seek for teens) in the neighborhood at night. I see this van parked at the church and get the bright idea to hide inside (they usually left it unlocked, very small town). To my surprise and horror I saw two LARGE bodies just slapping and smashing together like I was back at wrestling practice. I ran far far away from there but I can’t run away from the memories

all this creative energy in this narrative suggests a border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, heading into Kevin Smith's world of Quick Stop Convenience.

As a longtime viewer and fan, I have to say you’ve hit a new low. And it’s fantastic.

I like how he'll talk about the car itself for 10% of the video and then dips into a deep monologue for the rest of it

Ah something to watch while I poo before going to my dead end job

Hilarious! I had a 1994 AWD. Ugly silver. Thank god it wouldn't die. Bought it with 117k miles and sold it at 318k miles. Never once was it good looking. Never again will I buy a silver anything. But it went everywhere. Creeks, hills dirt roads, blizzard covered interstates. Pulled trailers like a mule. Not trouble free but always repairable.

Ever seen crash test videos for these vans? They tend to “arch” upward upon impact over 30 mph.

I grew up in a 1994 Astro van and a 99. They were comfortable vans. The first one was loaded and had too many miles on it before the rear went and the second one got wrecked. So much nostalgia was remembered in both playing SEGA Game Gear with my brother while making a trip 300 miles weekly to my grandparents house.

You can still see tons of Astros on the road today - All in all a reliable and durable vehicle

My parents bought some crazy one off kinda thing astro in 92. Had a raised roof with a rear ladder as if anyone could be acrobatic enough to mount the top without sliding off. Rear captain chairs and a third row bench, with the TV mounted in the top center garage door cubby facing the rear captains. All my best road trip memories were in that van so thank you RCR for the trip. The digital fuel display was nostalgia incarnate

the non-US astro vans had reverse lights in the bumper instead.

I like these minivans bc they were exactly as labeled: a mini van. A boxy, rwd, short nose, van - but smaller than the full sized ones. The Chrysler minivan was a fwd car stretched in every direction to make it the size of a small van. The conversion Astro van makes for a perfect platform to make a 90’s Boogie Van!

I had a ASTRO van cargo with 4 on the floor it was awesome I bought it from a local hardware store it was a delivery van had like 40k on it got it for 650$ and less than 10 yr old too I basically stole it lol only problem was driving around nyc in a cargo van right after 9/11 I got stopped every block

I teared up and laughed hard watching this. My dad (now deceased) had an Astro van growing up, and everything you said about believing in the process of adulthood just hit so close to home for me.

There was a notable (if not all that sizable) customizing crowd for this in Japan. It was simple enough to DIY, small enough that it still fit on Japanese Roads. Quite a few of these ended their days blinged to the nines overseas. The other big user, contractors. A LOT of these ended up as work trucks, apparently most of the issues were cosmetic, the powertrain would last a LONG time (it wouldn't be GOOD, but it would last). I think of this as the ancestor of Ford's little work van.

The fingertip less gloves, are a perfect aesthetic to driving this van around.

I love Astros I've owned two of 'em! The second one I owned had over 300,000 miles on it! It was a mystery to science how it was still running!

I loved my 4300 in my 01 ZR2 S10. It was mated to a 5 speed. Got good-ish mileage for what it was at the time and was fun to drive. Keep bustin.

you have no idea how much i want to own one of these but at a good price. They're so sexy, I remember when I was 10 years old in 1999 I thought they looked so good and there were so many of them on the roads.

I love the look of those 80's - early 90's digital dashes so much. 😎👍There is a fantastic "vibrant" quality and bit of glow to them that you just don't get in the modern digital displays that cars are now getting. When the modern digital ones aren't exceptionally well designed, it just leaves me wanting analogue gauges.

My father had two of these. I could never understand how gutless the engine was for having such a large displacement.

Oh boy, the Chevy Astro. Those things can take more loads than teenage twinks!

We finally got Bobby Bustamonte!!!! I heard him and Roman make it up in a livestream like 3 months ago 😂 let's go!!!

My parents had a brown version of the one in the video. They said it was one of the best vehicles they ever owned. They also had a Dodge Caravan high top conversion van. It was dark blue it looked like the dark green one from one of the previous videos. Had the TV and the VHS player. Great memories...

Okay. Now you need to try.the 4.3 backes by a manual, on the C model truck. Short bed, regular cab. Actually makes it fun to drive.

I remember some guy around me had one and I thought it was the coolest thing. Mostly because it had an incredibly 90s paint job with yellow as the base color. It was lowered, tubbed, and had 454 swap. The idea of a drag raced minivan was the coolest thing to me in the 90s

Yesss my dad has an Astro van and I can smell the Budweiser

I remember when Mr. Regular used to talk about the cars. Now it’s just repressed sexuality and euphemistic stereotyping.

Their are pretty easy and cheap lift kits and 4x4 conversions for these too, so you can jack it in the wilderness too!

2023 is the year RCR makes the Avenger review look tame in comparison.

I spent all 4 years of highschool wasting away in marching band, first trumpet Ill have you know. And man you are bringing up some accurately close memories......

The last 2 minutes of this video are some of your finest work to date, Doug.

Burned into my memories I can still hear the "k-KLUNK" sound of all the driveline slop on a used Astro van banging around when shifted into reverse.

I think about busting during every Mr. R video, the commentary was just a bonus

I loved this video particularly your philosophical analysis. This brings back so many memories for me. My parents had Safaris all through my childhood in the 90's and into the early 00's. I remember dad changing the front rotors on our AWD and they were different, he also said they were built on 3/4 ton truck chassis. They pulled his 18' Tracker fishing boat with ease up to our trailer and got my sister and her friends through the worst Canadian winters to go skiing. Reliable workhorses. With the rear seats out it easily swallowed the Adirondack chair I built in shop class.

I kind of remember the first generation of these vans while growing up, but it's the second generation that I really remember. It's beenearly eighteen years since these vans went out of production and they are becoming increasingly rare in Oregon.

About time you covered one of these

@12:00 I am literally in class and studying for Cyberspace Operations when this came up. I'm trying to hide that I'm in tears right now.

I’ve always loved Astro Vans. Someday I’d like to get one, strip it entirely, swap in an LS, and turn it into a slide out food truck.

My whole family grew up in Astro vans. We had so many over the years that we divide our childhood into "The Red Van Years," "The Green Van Years," and "The Blue Van Years." Sadly Mom and Dad got a Trailblazer and a divorce, in that order, right when I got my permit. That red van was an '88 or '89 with a 5 speed stick; it was regarded as so rare the dealer we traded it to thought my dad swapped it in.

That opening bit was one of the funniest things you've ever written. Bravo, Mr. Regular. Bravo.

the car fits a vibe but the digital dash is what really got me going i fucking love oldschoool digital dashboards mmmmmm

I bought three of these and used them as work vans. Pretty convient as they were the only vans that had truck frames, meaning they would carry more weight than other mini vans that all sat on car frames. Found that the "load" had to be centered though, in the van, still better than the ford or dodge versions as far as weight bearing was concerned, and both others were front wheel drive. Had transmission problems in all three of the Chevy minivans, and eventually had to use a full size quarter ton van for work. Great engine, though, had two Chevy trucks with same engine, and was Very dependable, without the transmission problems. Neighbor has a long bed Chevy with this engine, over 30 yrs old and runs dependably.

I thought it was odd my van had a GMC Truck steering wheel. It's like they threw random overstock parts together to make these things

"And I will use the compu-tor... TO BUST" had me stifling laughter at my desk at work

Mr regulars just really good at pulling out old nostalgic feelings that you can't really remember. Talking about riding in the back of a car content in knowing the person who's driving knows everything. Only to once you're to the age the person who was driving is you realize that you just put on the air of knowing everything and adulthood begins and ends with the facade of knowing what's happening at all times

I have a recurring nightmare that I send one of these reviews to a co-worker because I remember how amusing I found it, but forget how much Mr regular talks about “busting”, “hot piss”, or any number of reasons for me to have my Personal affects mailed to me because I’m no longer allowed in the office

I drove an Astro Mini Van in the early 90's for my business in Conshohocken Pa. It was a workhorse for a good 5 or 6 years until it one day decided to die in my driveway. I thought I loved that van, but I really didn't care that much about it. It was a box with wheels, nothing special. But I do regret not "busting" in it while it was in my possession. I owed that van so much.

Van enthusiast here- those wheels are wider than stock (to better fill the fender flares) cast aluminum things fitted by Explorer to their conversion models, pretty sure they weren't OEM. They also came on other Explorer conversions.

Out of all the cars I've owned in my life, the Astro van was my favorite. I lived in a '92 Safari in Gatlinburg TN in '03-'04, and I bought a low mileage '93 Astro in '04 with the settlement money I got from a car accident. Bought it off a car lot from a guy who looked and sounded like Buck Strickland from "King of the Hill". I drove it until 2014, when the engine finally blew. I put over 200,000 miles on that van. I've been looking around trying to find another one, but haven't had much luck.

This channel never gets old. Lol

Felt you slip off into Dr Weird toward the end, as every ex-VCL user who says compuTOR should!

I kind of love the styling of these, especially the first gen

Sorta fun fact but if I remember correctly the only game you can drive a Chevy Astro in is a 2004 racing game by Konami called Enthusia.

The official dad van of 80s and 90s kids. One of the most vivid childhood memories was of my dad's 93 Astro EXT that he had through the mid 2000s. He put 225k miles on that thing with nothing more than oil changes before he sold it to get something newer. It's probably still out there somewhere driving around. Years later, he would get a 99 conversion that was equally as reliable. My brother had a 98 and a 2004, and I had a 1995 that I won in an auction for under $500. I put that thing through hell and back, and it just kept asking for more. The 4.3 V6 wasn't powerful, but the torque let you do just about anything you wanted. I towed cars with that thing. The extended models would perfectly fit a 4x8 sheet of drywall or plywood. It was truly my "truck". They haven't sold these new since 2005, but there is a reason that you still see them routinely around town. They are rudimentary, but they just won't die. As a note, the one in this video had the TBI 4.3 with the lower power rating. Starting in 92, you could option them with a central port injection 4.3 that made a much better 190hp. That's what mine had. Starting with OBD2, GM switched to multi-port injection with the same power rating. Also, fun fact, they first sold these in the 80s with an optional Iron Duke 4-cylinder and a manual transmission option on both models. I can't imagine how gutless one of these would be with an Iron Duke.

God damn your Marching Band experience is EXACTLY like mine. Bass drums & constant horniness.

You did this van a disservice by not reviewing one more put together on the inside. The rear bench seat will flip around so you have a little living room in the back. The AWD version is a beast in snow and rough weather. It has 2 sun visors, so you never get sun in your eyes! I love vans, and the Astro/Safari vans are on another level. Just fantastic vehicles, I wish they were still in production.