Stuff happends. She was reliable and very fun to drive. Now her faith it's not in my hands anymore.....

Just over 125.000 miles....

http://www.web-carage.com/aerostar/


Let's all hope that I find a good used Aerostar for sale before my wife finds good used Chevy (Van / Astro)....

 

my condolences,
too bad, a nice Aero in nice shape with the see thru headrests, been looking for a pair of those, but not with smoke damage.
what started the fire? i didn't thing there was anything in the right upper dash that would ignite a vehicle fire? what year?

your mechanic's shop will just love that Astro, will pay for a new motorhome for the owner. engine rebuilds every 80k miles.

 

Actually She is -91 Eddie Bauer

I suspect heater's blower or wiring harness beneath it. Everything inside the dashboard has vanished...

The Astro was a joke. If possible I buy another Aerostar, difficult it might be because here (Finland) are not much of them available. And even less of them are for sale... Just wondering why...

Chevy van might be an option for Aerostar, or perhaps Econoline. She was my first Aero but definetly not the last one....

 

Sorry about your loss. But how can you afford a van in Finnland? I have a friend visiting from Denmark, and he told us that a Honda Odyssey will cost 200,000 US dollars including taxes, and the annual registration fee is close to 20,000 US dollars. I would think Finnland has similar policy regarding minivans, but then you Finns might be more sensible

Regards

 

I don't know about Odyssey, they don't sell it here. Perhaps too pricey.

But new Volkswagen Multivan is about $80.000 (best model with all options). and annual tax is about $100. And if runs with Diesel another tax for fuel is $400/yr

So we have cheaper cars than danish...

Several decades normal family sedan was standard car here. People buyed STW only for good reason. Not to even mention about RV. And 4x4 or van only to circumvent normal (125% + 22% V.A.T) taxes. On late 80's and early 90's people buyed lots american STW's and shipped them here. Backseat out, registered them as 3passenger van and got cheap taxes. (Only 25% + 22% VAT if I remeber right). Only drawback was 50mph speedlimit. And the same tax reason here is not many Chevy-vans or Econoline's or Dodge Ram's registered as normal passenger cars. Even if they were build originally to 9-seaters.....

Aerostars and Chrysler Voyagers seems to be only models which stay normal passenger cars here, thanks to the 4x4 technic. (4x4 is here always off-road vechile = 25% tax)

But used prices what most people on this particular forum is intrested can be found here: http://www.nettiauto.com/simpleSearc...4&id_model=333


And afford a van? Its not the price of the car or fuel consumption...its a question of style... My Aero gave to me the best rides I ever had, and always bring me back home.

 

Eddie Bauer Aero, nice but rare as hen's teeth now.
how about a junk yard for used parts out of Aero and rebuild dash.
smoke removal companies do wonderful jobs now removing the smoke and odors, probably rebuild for less than another used Aero, maybe $1000 US

here's a couple Aero's for sale in Finland

http://www.cars.autopiste.net/results.php?make=Ford&model=&milage=5000000&yearmi n=&yearmax=&bodytype=tila-auto&enginetype=bensiini&transmission=&color=&prov ince=&city=&pricemin=&pricemax=&sortresults=Price& submit=++Search++

do you have to pay VAT and high vehicle taxes on used cars/vans?
here in Washington St, we pay a 6% purchase tax and $32 US per year vehicle road tax plus some areas pay $15 every 2 years emissions testing fee/tax, fuel tax is about $0.35 a US gal. fuel now about $2.60 87 octane US gallon.

do NOT buy a Winstar, Ford's answer to the Yugo.
I like all the selection you have for vans in Finland that are not available here, Mercedes, Citrogen, Renault, Alhambra, all with avail diesels.

my grandmother was from Vaasa, moved to US when she was 19, alone with no relatives on ship

<!--StartFragment --> Näkemiin

 

Wow that is a bit to replace this. Have you considered rebuilding it? Are we talking much more than dash, wiring harnesses, headliner and some other upholstery needs? Oh yea, there are also the windows that are gone? Just a thought. You still have the body, and drive train. I still consider myself a shade tree mechanic and I have done hotrod builds by taking an old '40s style body & frame, then going from there.

 

I realize that this ia a Ford Aerostar forum but have you seen what they are doing with Astros at JTR?

Is anyone modding Aeros like this?

 

I know that too well

Aerostars are rare here. So no possible targets lurking on any junk yards.

Might be possible. Her faith depends on Insurance-company's decision. Propably ends up to junk yard to salvage somebodyelse's Aero...


If company sells a car, company takes care of all taxes. VAT is paid everytime company sells anything. If I sell something as privat person I don't have to pay any taxes. Unless i buy a car with $100 and sell it about $100.000. (You got the picture?) High car-tax is paid only once, when the car is first time registered here. Then the $100 annual tax and the diesel tax (if applicable). After 4 years all cars are inspected every year. In the same process emissions are tested too. Costs together about $35.

Lowest octane-rating here is 95 and it costs about $4 per US gal. Price includes all taxes again. So when filling my Aero up, the pump has so biiiiig numbers that next guy with some Toyota usually faints when he/she sees the pumps numbers

I might be a crazy but not stupid

PERKELE suomalaiset sukujuuret ja kaikki.
(trans. [CENCORED] finnish roots and everything)
<!--StartFragment -->
So actually You have finnish blood in You veins, quarter-finnish. Nice to meet You.

 

Finnish translation of Astro's and Winstars>Rekkamiehen pastilli

 

LOL !

Hope You really know what 'Rekkamiehen pastilli' is...

 

Harri,
Perkele! the Finn in me made me say it

Hyvää yötä

 

Hi Harri,

there's a nice 4.0 Aerostar for sale on Ebay Germany. Plus a large number of Aerostars on www.mobile.de - just search for Ford Aerostar. An import within the union shouldn't be a problem and there's no import VAT for used cars. Specs are identical.
What happens to your star? Junkyard / shredder? If the car is going to the waste, could you please pry off and send me (on my expense) the front plastic cover of the right mirror to CH? No US junkyard and no Ford dealer will sell me this part, they want me to buy a complete mirror. Sorry for being so direct, but since we're both in Europe with no Aeros on junkyards, this looks like a possibilty to me.

Best regards
and good luck finding a new Aerostar!

 

Junkyard

I'll see what Insurance company does. But i'm not going to do any small disassembly jobs...You get the whole mirror or nothing. But I have to watch what the Insurance company is doing with it first.


And for buying a Aero from EU area....it's only good for parts-only car. Othervise i have to still pay taxes... And what is the amount of taxes I don't know. And to what car to compare Aero because it is not produced anymore....

 

Sorry, just a little update.

Few days ago insurance company offered for the Aerostar her last trip....

http://www.web-carage.com/aerostar/