took my 95 astro in for scrap

it was inevitable. miles, a life of hard work, and road salt had taken their toll. for the last couple months my 95 astro has been off the road and used as a shed. i aired up the flat tire, hooked up the jumpers, shot some starting fluid into the throttle body, and it popped and caught on fire, trying to tell me "please do not take me there to die, i'll probably be turned into a new honda." put out the fire, sprayed more fluid, another pop and another fire. i think it started crying at that point, or maybe that was melting snow from the fire. one last blast of starting fluid, and it started up for me. it smoked for a while but settled down to its normal rough idle. i pulled it over to the garage and cleaned out the stuff being stored and all my loose change and tools, cut off the converter, and went inside to get the title. nowhere to be found. i think the van hid it while i was sleeping so i could not take it in. an hour later i arrived home with replacement title, $16 lighter in the wallet. i called my mom to follow me to the recycler and while i waited for her i pulled off the new heater fan and wiper motor. it barely had enough gas to make the 15 mile ride, and tipped the scale at 4,280 lbs with the scrap i tossed in the back. i drove off the scale and parked it next to a dumpster, went in and got my check, all the while feeling dirty for selling off my companion for the last 3 years to be attacked by madmen with torches and giant machines with claws. but there comes a time when every good van gets sore, tired, and needs to rest. as i walked out the gate i looked back to see my trusted partner being carried away by a large forklift, my pocket $513 heavier, my heart exponentially emptier.

stay thirsty, my friend.

$513? time to start searching Craigslist for a replacement!

Touching. Very touching. My condolences.

hey, now you're $513 closer to finishing the Monstro, right?

actually right now im that much closer to making my february house payment if i do not get any more work this month. and i took $100 of it and picked up a th400 for the work truck last night. need to get that fixed before i can do any serious work that requires my trailer.

I got a bit choked up when I hauled 2 1st gen RX7's to the scrap yard.

I was little choked up when this happened last year....

rust is an evil thing. If car didn't rust we might never get rid of them.

Curmudgeon wrote: I got a bit choked up when I hauled 2 1st gen RX7's to the scrap yard.

Oh my Gosh!! Are you insane man!!!?? Tell me it is not so!!

I had a sad watching my first car, a '92 240SX coupe, take that last trip on a flatbed. I felt deflated for about a week. Rust is an evil, evil thing.

z31maniac wrote: I was little choked up when this happened last year....

Please tell me it was rusty beyond belief...

Or did you only scrap it because it was bronzit?

Wow, $513, that is pretty good chump change.
I have never scrapped a car (van) and I did not realize it paid that much.
That got me thinking and look what I found. Here is another Cleveland Astro running for a $600 asking price.
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2162940499.html

I had to scrap the first car I ever autox because of rust. Donated the engine, sold the transmission and axles, so I guess you could say it's still running out there somewhere.

jrw1621 wrote: Wow, $513, that is pretty good chump change. I have never scrapped a car (van) and I did not realize it paid that much. That got me thinking and look what I found. Here is another Cleveland Astro running for a $600 asking price. http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2162940499.html

its hard not to go look at all the $600 astros, but i want to hold out for a nice AWD late 90's one when i get a couple grand together.

funny thing about the 95 - i bought it for $300 off the $200x classifieds. i offered it back for $400 a few months ago as a running driving work van, but when i sent out pics i never heard back from the one interested person. they could have given me $400, driven it to scrap and made instant 25% return on investment.

the 96 4x4 project got slowed to a crawl due to winter and van being outside, but i have almost all the parts i need to get it done. i want to pick up another astro/safari by spring.

Wow I got $700from my rusty 98 (I think it was ) awd running about 6 months ago... did need a fuel pump but a little starter fluid and off she'd go

Er that was me selling on Cl

Note to self. Buy many cheap, ratty, rusty old clunkers for $200-$300 (the heavier the better!!) and sell for between $500-$600 to scrap yard, then buy fancy vacation house somewhere warm with a 5000 square foot detached garage with many tools and devices of creation.

Pat i got a really nice Astro for sale...

Surprised you had to take a driver to the scrap yard. Seems like around here, any running van is worth at least $1000 to some carpet installers.

Feedyurhed wrote: Note to self. Buy many cheap, ratty, rusty old clunkers for $200-$300 (the heavier the better!!) and sell for between $500-$600 to scrap yard, then buy fancy vacation house somewhere warm with a 5000 square foot detached garage with many tools and devices of creation.

Heh, I have about 6000lbs of "scrap" I paid a total of 250$ for in the form of a Taurus and a Chevy Prizm, so you may be onto something there.

Feedyurhed wrote:

Curmudgeon wrote: I got a bit choked up when I hauled 2 1st gen RX7's to the scrap yard.

Oh my Gosh!! Are you insane man!!!?? Tell me it is not so!!

and a 3rd gen two, I helped him do it. But, I wasn't the one that wasted the mailbox with the trailer...

Did you get the battery ?

I scrapped a running and driving 1980 Accord hatchback for $100 in 1990. I got t-boned so the drivers door, roof, and sill were all buckled in. Got tired of climbing in from the passenger side. The straw that broke the camel's back was that some fool broke into and stole the radio...by smashing out the passenger side window. I woke up one Saturday and saw the pile of glass and loose wires and drive to a junkyard. It was our only car at the time.

Sorry man. I feel your pain. One time I had rebuilt the front end of my pickup with some parts from a front clip. I took the remnants of the front clip (rad support and fenders and some other stuff) all bolted together nice to the jy to scrap it. I idled the truck up to the booth and shut it off. Guy came over, looked out the window (couldn't see the stuff in the back because of the cap) and said "does it still run?". "I just quietly replied "can't have it yet, I have a load in the back". I've never seen someone turn so red.

Murderer.