Star Tech Journal

Rebuild That Old Truck Or Buy New?
Bill Johnston
Johnston's General Store
Buffalo, New York
PROBLEM
I've got an '81 Chevy pickup with 95,000
hard miles. It's in good shape except for the
worn out engine. I can have it rebuilt for
$1500, but I'm afraid other things will start
to fail. Is it worth it or should I just buy a new
vehicle?
SOLUTION
Buy a Chevy pre-conversion van which you
special order stripped but with all power ac-
cessories and doors and windows where you
want them, at invoice plus $99.
Give the dealer 99 bucks and
sign a purchase offer but with
a mandatory deadUne which
Chevy dealer meets or you
may opt to drop out of the deal.
You can delete all seats and
radio and interior trim, but
add all mirrors and consider a
driver side cargo door as an add-on as well as
air. (Let's face it, you might as well be com-
fortable while you're stuck in traffic, in the
big city, in the summertime).
Then you add your alarm system, safe, cel-
lular phone, cb, radar, am/fm/cd or what-
ever, and then you take it to a conversion
place and pick out your best insulation and
interior panels, seats, lights, running
boards, and that big oversize cap that turns
your van roof into a six-foot double sleeper if
you put the attic hatch thru the roof in the
right spot.
Add your storage bins and racks and use the
rear attic area for your spare tire and jumper
cables and other seldom-used items. The
racks near the back cargo doors can hold the
extra parts like power supplies and Joys-
ticks, but keep them close to the wall so you
can easily slip in two videos lying on their
backs.
CONCLUSION
Everything stays clean and warm in a van
and out of the weather. (Just
watch those wheels on the
back of the Xevious cabinets
when you tip them up on
their backs.) That's how I'd
do it. So sell that 9-year old
and start depreciating (and
appreciating) the new van!
Only thing that'll beat this
van would be your 27-foot
Winnebago with the rear bedroom converted
to game moving/repair area, overhead door,
power liftgate, and a kitchen table where you
can serve fresh coffee and collections to your
customers!