I might see one aero a month where I live now . Used to see em all the time. Another few years and buy buy no more..Makes me want to stock up on some parts like intake set and rear brakes etc..Rear springs LOL

Dick

 

I agree Dick
mine runs as well now as it did when i got it almost 15 years ago.
don't know of a single rig that will replace it well. lots of convertable passenger/cargo room, low-easy to load, comfortable to drive long distances, easy on gas, etc
if it lasts another 5 years, probably won't need this type of rig again.

sure don't want nor need one of these fake SUVs that think they're a 4wdr.

 

yeah, and Ford offer no small RWD/AWD van now. Transit and E-series are too big to be daily drivers, FWD Windstar, Transit-connect and sold in EU Kia Carnival (it is clone of Windstar, but they offer diesel engine) are not so tought and are not good for towing.

seems to me truck chassis weld in body was the good idea, more tought we may exipetete, but what vans ususlly used for? pass mover and not more, so they build car like a van.
The only one company discontinued FWD van project and introduced RWD with the same name, Mercedes Vito WDB638xxx was FWD, but now Vito is RWD ore AWD on Mercedes S/E class powertrain/suspention. Mercedes say to build RWD van is more expencive, but they say they can reduce expenses using the same powertrain parts they use for E and S class and do not make parts for one vehicle only.

so seems to me Aerostar will be the rare van. so who can keep them on road, save them!

anyway later we will get another class of vehicles. Electric power, heavy batteries, fuel cells, CNG ore H2 tanks need more room. The best way to get - use no tranny, axes... and electric motors will be inside wheels ore near weels driving them with short CV.

Looking inside taurus trunk and comparing with RWD Volga trunk I see how much room solid axe needs. CrownVic has a half of trunk, becouse axe and spare. So later we'll get vans of other designe.

 

Talk like this makes me want to look at an Astro.

> The best way to get - use no tranny, axes... and electric motors will be inside wheels
> ore near weels driving them with short CV.

I like the second idea. My friends designed and built the hub drives on the Mars rovers, but even they know that they would not be practical for general automotive use. Those things crawl along at a few centimeters per minute, so they do not have to be very powerful, nor do they really have to worry about unsprung weight.

I recall a very old experiment Ford did with a pickup truck (Ranger?). They integrated 2 electric drive motors into a live rear axle. They replaced the differential, but the whole assembly was still heavier than the original live axle. That must have been a rough ride.

 

the other idea - dual rotor permanent magnet drive motor, low speed, to have no gears, 2 CVs to wheels and no diff.

 

I wonder how much suspension travel CV joints would be able to support.

Along that line, I think any vehicle with significant suspension travel is going to need big wheel wells, regardless of whether it's live axle or independent. The IRS will save you some trunk space near the center of, but it still has to allow for wheel motion, usually with big wheel wells.

Anyone ever seen the suspensions under a HMMV? The use rim drive at the wheels, so the diff sits a few inches higher relative to the axle centerline, for a little more clearance. It has some stout independent control arms that must weigh a lot. I'll bet they will make great mud boggers, if you can put a little more power into them.

 

tein rotor electric motors reqouring no gear are ruther big, a bit bigger 8.5" diff, else smaller but faster motors may be used with build in planetary gears, but for over 75 kwt per side motor with planetary gear cooling is reauired (oil cooling and air cooling for rotor). So clearans will be better, but the weight the same. But anyway less torq. motor is more reliable, but more complicated. Well, there are people here who convert old trucks and cars to electric. They use only one motor (50-75 kwt) mounted on tranny place. but "faster" motors from fork trucks are cheapper and more reliable and they make a plate to fit motor on stock tranny. But 2 ore 3 gears are required as slow, normal and fast and to make tranny lighter they remove some gears (aluminium case is light).

Photos 1

????????????? ?????? ?????? ? Opel Monza ???????

so U can see how big are batteries for 40 miles range cars. Room for tank is not used.

So for electric power van ore car will be redesigned, the will get another age chassis.

 

I find around here (West coast of Canada) the majority of Astros are cargo vans, (was seriously looking around to replace my van with an Astro for a while) and there are still a lot of people who are Aerostar-faithful. There's a duplicate of my van a few years newer in the junkyard. I don't need much trim pieces but they're there if I do.

In my townhouse complex of about 200, there are at least 7 Aerostars. Over the years I've talked with many of the owners and they just keep on running...and with this economy the way it is I (and they) don't want to go into major automotive debt -- at least not until I pay off my townhouse which will be a few years yet.

I will keep socking in money into my old vehicles for the time being.

Now, my other 1992 car - a Nissan NX, is becoming as rare as can be. No real parts at the junkyard available around here (body wise) but lots of oily parts (engine, etc) as the Sentra was numerous.

 

This is my second Aero. I had the first one about 9 years ago, an 89, and is was a real rust bucket, but never failed me. I sold it after a year because the wife and daughter were embarrassed to be seen near it. After a couple years I found a 94 extended that came from Florida and it was about 9 years old in GREAT shape. The wife approved, and even today rides with me frequently. I go underneath every year and spray with rustolium white paint (Van is white) and it still looks and runs mighty fine at 144,000 miles.

I just replaced all brakes last month and also discovered why there is a right and left front brake rotor. The air vanes are facing in opposite directions to enhance cooling!

I live close to work and ride a bike to work in the summer and let Aero idle over 5 minutes, 10 minutes in winter when driving to work (1 mile away) and drive in 3rd to blow any water out of the exhaust. Oil doesn't get dirty any too fast this way and drive it 2000 miles a year now.

Just replaced the rusty oil pan too and left that info on a previous thread. There are a few Aeros left in West lower Michigan, but almost all of them have cancer, mine appears to be in the best shape of all that I see.

The battery is an Interstate that is 8 years old. The pictures on Ebay with the Aero hoods open show Interstates. Maybe there is a lesson as to what batteries are trustworthy?

I see a real nice Aero on Ebay once in a while and on Edmunds, but for now am very happy with this. I considered the Astro before getting this, and am glad to have gone with Aero instead.

 

Still plenty around here..................I even saw a Vega and 2 Pintos the other day!

 

still plenty in Oregon too, but I agree, the numbers are shrinking, every time i go to the junk yard they are stock piled with them, atleast two full rows if you put them next to each other... and they crush once a month.
overall i'm impressed with them. i'm considering replacing my rusty rockers and bashed up rear end sheet metal and getting a macco paint job to freshen mine up. it's funny, my mom bought an 08 ford escape recently... it's OK. but when i drive some where with here in my van she's like oooooooooooohhhhhhhh these seats are so comfortable!!
too bad i found another reason to pull my motor... two major rust spots on my oil pan, to go with a side serving of coolant leaking into my exhaust, but only enough to make it run hot, not steam like crazy or instantly over heat. oh well, i'll just fix it. i have the title in hand, only 146,016 on the clock as I type this, and it is just like the energizer bunny... just keeps going n going n going... lol