Vehicle Description
1995 GMC Safari Van
Not since the A Team television series have vans been in the
cultural zeitgeist. As thedailyyonder.compondered in 2022, "There's
the recreational vehicle and then there's van life: a niche nomadic
lifestyle movement reserved for travelers who access wild,
beautiful places via vans converted into homes on wheels. Whether
they've spent $5,000 or $350,000 to retrofit their rootless abodes,
van lifers seek the same things: flexibility, fresh air, and
freedom."
For consignment, a 1995 GMC Safari van showing 144,058 miles, but
the true miles are unknown. Even if this isn't the basis for a van
life conversion, it's one heck of a show truck, with custom body
work and paint, and basically a blank canvas in the cargo area.
Exterior
Throwing it back to the custom vans of the 70's, this windowless
wonder is covered in bright red and while it's missing the iconic
porthole windows of the era, it does have the boomerang antennae of
the 80's on the roof sharing the space with a spoiler, all color
matched. Full monochromatic coverage includes the cowled hood, the
grille and headlight bezels, all bumper covers, hinges, and side
mirrors. The flared rear fenders blend to surround Cadillac style
tail lights that flank barn door style doors with rear tinted
windows. An extended rocker panel houses an exhaust tip before each
back wheel while those wheels are Billet Specialties with 17-inch
in front and 18-inch in back with false knock offs and staggered
size tires. Shaved door handles all the way around complete the
custom look and imperfections are limited to some mismatched touch
ups and thin paint in a wheel opening.
Interior
Door panels are standard GMC with gray plastic over a carpeted
lower, showing a bit of patina with scratches in the switch plate
and soiling on the plastic. Gray and light gray alternative in
bands is on the bucket seats, which are in nice shape, featuring a
spun metal plate on each of the bases. Up front we find a three
spoke, leather wrapped steering wheel with Chevrolet branding ahead
of the standard dash with the typical five gauges, speed, temp, oil
pressure, volts, and gas level. A pod on the right holds the heater
panel while the center houses an AM/FM/CD radio over a protruding
cupholder and glove box. Gray carpet covers the floor nicely and a
charcoal headliner finishes the cabin. In the cargo area, sound
buffering panels are attached to the ceiling while an elongated
speaker box travels down both sides on the floor which is
uncovered. Wood fiberboards cover the sidewalls.
Drivetrain
A 5.7 liter LS1 V8 is shoehorned under the hood and our consignor
tells us it was installed 14,000 miles ago, along with the
transmission, a 4L60E 4-speed automatic sending power the 10 bolt
rear axle. Power brakes are standard configuration with discs in
front and drums in the back.
Undercarriage
Minimal surface rust and dry conditions are found on the
undercarriage where headers lead to dual exhaust with FlowMaster
mufflers after which a custom bend takes the tailpipes to the
sides. Suspension is coil springs in front and leaf springs in the
back.
Drive-Ability
The back window appears at the end of the tunnel and allows rear
visibility as we crank the V8 up and roll this custom van out the
door. 45 series tires create a lower profile and some good
handling, but it's still a van on stock suspension. Meanwhile, she
tracks straight and has plenty of power to get you across town or
across the country. Things that don't work include the passenger
power window, the power locks, and the reverse lights. All other
features, standard GM stuff, work as they should. While Classic
Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time
of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be
working at the time of your purchase.
We'd call it the Mystery Machine, but that's probably trademarked
by Hanna Barbera. But this van does have an allure and mystique and
a wildly unique outward appearance. As for the inside, the sky's
the limit and there's plenty of room to set up a van life
conversion behind the standard cabin. V8 power and some smooth
exterior lines make this a worthy contender for show and go and
this would have been the natural progression if the A-Team had
stayed together through the 90's.
1GTDM19W1SB510609
1-USA
G-General Motors
T-GMC Truck
D-5001 To 6000 GVWR
M-Small Van, 4x2
1-1/2 Ton
9-Van
W-4.3 Liter L35 V6
1-Check Digit
5-1995
B-Baltimore, MD Assy Plant
510609-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
