Considering a 93 Safari XT...

I'm selling my 93 Protege with it's flaky automatic transmission tomorrow and I am looking for a van. I spotted a 93 Safari XT in the classified ads today. 500 bucks, registered til May but the inspection runs out at the end of the month. It's got a ton of miles, around 230000 but it seems to run good. The frame looks to be good and the body is ok except for one spot on the left rear fender that'll have to be patched up. The interior is all dusty but the seats aren't torn up and none of the plastic seems to be cracked. I took it for a short drive (no insurance on it) and it seems to shift and drive pretty good but the knuckle on the steering shaft is worn so there's a fair bit of play in the steering, the owner told me that before I drove it so I'm ok with it. It needs 2, maybe 4 shocks, it could use a tuneup and it needs a battery. The cruise control works, BOTH power windows work, power locks work, power hatch release works but I don't know if the AC does because it was too cold to test it today. There's some oil dripping down onto the filter, the oil doesn't seem to be coming from the filter itself though. Brakes seem good but the pedal is a bit firm, parking brake works too. The tires are decent and there's a tow hitch too. The owner said he had the heads done, I don't quite know what he means by that, I wasn't paying attention. What do you think? I can't decide between this and a 94 Lumina apv which is 350 bucks, not registered or inspected, has something wrong 'underneath' and has some electrical bugs. I'm leaning towards the Safari, even with the fuel economy penalty that it would bring. I might try to offer the guy a little less than 500 for the van but if he won't budge on the price I'll probably just fork over the 500 anyway. How reliable are these vans? Do the engines and transmissions have any horrible problems?

The 262 V-6 is a far better engine than the likely 3.4L V-6 in the Lumina APV. The 4L60 transmission in the Safari is very reliable. However, at 230K on the clock, there is no one who can say that you won't have trouble with it. Either is a risk, but I'd lean toward the Safari given that choice.

In my experience with the Lumina APV (Pontiac Trans Sport, Olds Silhouette), they are less maintenance friendly and more maintenace intensive, especially as the mileage accumulates. The body is also less substantial. The transmission on the wrong-wheel-drive Lumina is barely adequate for the mass and size of the vehicle, and the steering and front suspension systems are weak points.

The fact that the Safari has a valid safety inspection and everything works is a good sign. The oil leak could be a minor problem, or something more significant. If it holds oil pressure and doesn't leak out a quart a week, it may be worth checking further. Common leakage points on that engine are the 'O' ring on the oil filter adapter/oil cooler line set. They are relatively easy and inexpensive to repair if you have only basic tools.

As for having the "heads done" I would suspect the valves were ground, stem seals replaced, and hopefully the springs replaced or at least shimmed.

Just for comparison, I can't even buy a used engine and transmisison (running) around here for $500.

At 230,000 miles and 14 years, I would expect that it would need shocks, an idler arm (loose steering), and probably several other things. Since we aren't there to inspect it, only you can determine whether it is worth the price. Still, $500 for anything that runs and is complete is less than the going rate around here. What was known years ago as the "Hundred Dollar Beater" is now the "Thousand Dollar Beater" in these parts.

I'd definately go with the Safari. I've had many Safaris and never really had major problems with them. A buddy had a Lumina and got rid of it due to the cost of parts and problems he had. It's well worth spending a bit more on gas than spending a lot more on repairs.