GMC G series Vandura

Hello, I'm looking at buying, some time in the future, an old 1983ish GMC G series van, a G15. Small problem is I live in the UK, so they're not easy to come by. Some things I'm not quite clear on - what's the difference between a Chevrolet Vandura and a GMC G15? Are they one and the same? I guessed that it was just the usual GMC badge engineering.

I am looking for the windowless cargo van type. How long did the 1983 model run for? And I don't mean one year ;) I mean when did it change/get revamped? If I could buy a later model which was basically the same that would be ok and hopefully it'd be in better condition. Is there a web based equivalent of

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I could use? I have searched for a while but don't find any results on the various sites. Anyway, on the plus side there seems to be lots of parts for these old vans, which is handy.

Reply to
Jeffrey Spoon
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The G series of vans from GM started in 71 and went to late 1995 with only very minor changes to the sheetmetal (headlights and grills changed and the side doors were altered). The Vandura is the longer wheelbase and the Rally is the shorter one. The Chevy vans and GMC are identical except for some option package and styling differences. Parts are easy to get. One thing I will mention I like the looks of the 95 I have with the small quad headlights BUT they are not the best in the world. The models with the large single lights can be upgraded to EU. standard lights easily and that is a plus. Other than the fact that the bottom of the doors like to rot out along with the quarter panels they are a solid vehicle. I'm waiting for repair panels for mine to show up so I can get the bodywork done.

Reply to
Steve W.

In message , Steve W. writes

Thanks Steve, much appreciated. Are the grills and side doors interchangeable then?

Reply to
Jeffrey Spoon

It depends. On same year vans the only difference between the GMC/Chevy is the grill and trim tags. The headlights you have depend on which front end you have. BUT if you had an earlier one and wanted to make it look newer it's easy, the entire front end sheetmetal will interchange. You just unhook the radiator and wiring unbolt it and swap. The doors are a bit different. Some have a sliding door others have equal size standard doors and the newer (91-95) have 60/40 side doors. They are not easily changed out but they are easy to get replacement for. Oh and don't be surprised if the rear barn doors are hard to open/close they have the worst design hinges I have seen they collect dust and water and get stiff, but it isn't hard to repair them so they work like new.

Reply to
Steve W.

In message , Steve W. writes

Okay, that sounds promising. I've been doing a bit of searching and seen some likely candidates. The G15 seems quite hard to come by, though admittedly searching on the net is a bit limited. There are a lot of G20s about though. Anyway, thanks again for your help.

Reply to
Jeffrey Spoon

The G15 is the 1/2 ton then G20 is 3/4 ton. In GMC they are the 1500 and the 2500. Mine is a conversion 2500.

Reply to
Steve W.

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