2001 Chevrolet Express Van 1500: Regular Car Reviews 

My dad drove a van like this around for 30+ years as a mobile mechanic. He was able to accumulate enough money to retire in a large house on the panhandle and buy a couple cars that he had always wanted. He said he could’ve bought a garage and expanded his business but there was something about riding it alone, that gave him a sense of peace. You described him perfectly in the last quarter of the video.

Chevrolet Express van: The official van of the underdog business. Not the flashy expensive advertising business and not the throat slicing razor thin profit margin of over seas labor.

When this pulls in my driveway, I know the compressor is getting fixed and I'm keeping the pink copy of the receipt.

"Niether does this badge that says LS mean LS."

Oh my God, that commercial. I haven’t laughed that hard during an RCR ever, and I watch these because I chuckle every week. I love you guys.

Chevy Express van, the official car of: "let me get a meat lover's pizza, 16' with a 2 liter coke"

Chevy Express Van: the official vehicle of gas station breakfast.

As someone who letters commercial vehicles, I *LOVE* when the customer says "It's an Express Van". Sure it's ancient, but they are the only vehicle left with horizontal/level body lines to measure from. The Ford & Dodge vans have whacked out body lines that'll make us say, "Fuck it, I'm eyeballing it."

The Chevy Express Van: The official road trip vehicle for mormon families

This reminds me again that there's so many small businesses that rely on beat-up old vans or trucks to put food on the table. I see worn out vans like this rolling around all the time. Some have business decals on the side, others are just a solid color. I gotta respect 'em. They're invaluable to a lot of people.

Chevrolet Express van: The official van of "I'm not buying a bulkhead. I don't care if everything in the back turns into projectiles if i'm in an accident."

My dad passed away some time ago, he had a 2001 Chevy Express 3500 with the 6.5L diesel, before that an E150 extended. His work vans not only defined him and his work as a general contractor, but they defined my childhood. Both where panel vans, no windows, but he had a bench seat out of a passenger van fitted for my brother and I. We went camping with those vans, visited friends with them, went grocery shopping with them. They where as much a part of our lives as the house we lived in. I remember I cried when the E150 was written off by a driver that fell asleep and side swiped it in his big SUV, it was a part of the family, and so became the Express 3500 that replaced it. When he passed his brother kept the van, and I still saw it parked in the driveway for a long time. I haven't been by that house in years, but I bet it's still there even. I've thought about asking about it, but I couldn't drive it anyway, there's to many memories tied to it.

I’m in love with that “Tool Chest.” That’s some real “making it work” type stuff there. And the whole thing about the $10 radio was on point. No luxury here, just a simple van that works hard for the man who works harder.

I see Kunkleman's is now under the umbrella of the Bill Hell Automotive Group. Do they still do challenge pissing?😶

The official car of the "I"M GETTIN THE QUADRUPLE BYPASS TOMORROW SO I MIGHT AS WELL FILL UP NOW!"

This was facelifted in 2003, and has been built for 17 years straight since with virtually no additional changes

"The Elder Scrolls 350" lol

4:07 " I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Gimme five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones..."

For the Cast-iron-skillet of a man: hardened and dignified by routine

Thanks for mentioning Australia and our love of the Toyota Hiace 😊 You would not believe this but my father took us right around Australia (in the outback) towing a 15" caravan with a 1978 Hiace. It crossed crocodile-infested rivers without bridges. All he did was put a bullbar, extractors and 8 ply tyres on it. 3000km and the only thing that went wrong was a blown headlight! Sorry for the long story...

Welp theres the feels trip. My grandpa was the hardest working man I ever met. He had a light duty 99' 2500 express with the 305 vortec. When he went downhill and retired and couldn't drive anymore, I emptied it out and sold it for him (315k original miles) I think it's still being driven around somewhere. I miss you gramps.

Ah the rolling probable cause.

I’m 41, my van is 18 and yes, we both have to work everyday to keep a family fed. It pays off.

My immigrant grandparents had one of these as their last work van. Janitorial service for offices. I still remember getting rides home as a kid in that van. My grandfather driving 10mph under the speed limit and my grandmother diligently keeping me secured in her lap. Childhood memories of when hard work and an honest life would lead to the american dream.

The official car of that kid in your Boy Scout Troop’s dad who has 7 children and always gets worked into going to the campouts because of his van.

Never stop the parody commercials. You are onto something with these. I laughed my ass of at the last two.

The only 90’s vehicle still on sale in America.

Chevy Express Passenger, the official van of: “Wife’s pregnant again. Yup, baby number six.”

Kunkleman Chevrolet ad is the new Big Bill Hell's Used Cars ad and I love it.

"Every van can be a work van." I know someone's dad who got a first gen Fit with a stick and in black (Not unlike Sally) and loaded it up with tools in the back and uses it as he work "van".

I love old Chevy vans from the early 2000s. The seats were so soft and the seating position was upright and ergonomic. I could drive one for hours on end.

one of the other uses for these types of vans, the one that I've used them for, is hauling a bunch of geology students across the country to Wyoming and trucking them up and down sketchy washboarded BLM land oilfield roads so that they can learn how to map rocks. These vans are tough as shit, and they make the best/worst noises when you're in the L gear creeping down a crazy steep 4000 ft. mountain pass at like 15 mph loaded up with students, gear, and more rocks than you really want to think about.

As the son of a man who's livelihood for 20+ years was held aloft on a passenger van hauling a business to and fro, this speaks to me. I miss the '87 and '91 Econoline 150's that got the job done.

I see RCR has been taught by the Jay Leno’s Garage school of late night RU-vid uploads.

When you hire someone to do work and an ancient, rusted out beat up van like this pulls up, you know for damn sure you're getting the job done well in a timely manner.

"Is this vOrE?" freaking sent me man 😂

what the heck no more monday mornings, this epic

"Any van can be a work van" One of the electricians that I work with uses an early 2000s Toyota Sienna as a work van.

The official van of "I could rent a room, but I rather live in a van."

Chevy express van: the van that hasn’t changed since it was created

The official car of Cadillac badges and fake chrome. And ugly pin-striping, and body kits, with blinds in the windows. And a BROWN interior. Edit: I forgot about the crt hanging from the ceiling in the back

Kunkelman Chevrolet license plate frames that look like the ones that come on dealership cars. Could be 3d printed.

Kunkleman Chevrolet: Our markups are so high that we have a Cadillac Sign for our Chevy Dealership!

I love how a every europeam van has a 2 litre 4 cylinder while this thing has a 5.7l v8 and is just sloghtly more powerful

"this tie an onion on your belt engine" perfect.

I know a guy at work who has like 23 kids. He had this when I started 20 years ago. Still has it. It won't die.

Chevy Express. Official van of "Yeah, in the ad I said I had the title but...."

I rented one of these one time to haul some furniture. It felt like a 10 ton iron slab on wheels made of marshmallows.

You guys need to review the Astro van!

Chevy Express Van, because someday you'll realize that your dad wanted to be millionaire rockstar too before he accepted reality.

"The important thing is, I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time." -- Grandpa Simpson.

"His favorite line..." Simultaneously shows video of brake line.

Kunkleman Chevrolet! We've got used rav 4s out back!

Ah the official van of going 10mph under the speed limit and still brakes when it sees a cop.

The official car of people with business names of “We fix Garage Doors” that you’ll find dumped in the back of a Walmart parking lot

That chassis looks pretty good for an 01 in the rust belt. I love the Vortec family of engines. Other than having to change the factory intake gaskets at around 150k miles and change the fuel pump every 10 or 15 years they are fantastic reliable high mileage engines. My Dad and I towed a 4 place sled trailer with his 98 C2500 with 275k miles from CT to Northern Quebec without a problem. It wasn't fast but it got the job done.

"There's no LS in the Champaign Van" I understood that reference :)

This brought back a lot of memories for me. When I was a kid, we had one of these that was also an LS. It had vinyl seats, vinyl floors, manual windows but for some reason had power locks (?) and a 305 under the hood. It was gutless but it ran good and we drove it from Texas to Arizona with no issues. They're good vans and the fact that this one in particular has 258,000 miles (which are probably original) doesn't surprise me in the least. I bet it would make it to 300,000 no problem, 350s are known for that

Chevy Express van: the official van of 'I've got killer gear in the back that I gotta offload for super cheap, you interested?'

These videos truly are a work of art, your writing fills me with emotion and appreciation. Thank you.

OH HE WAS SO CORRECT WITH THE JOBSITE RADIO! No one actually buys a jobsite radio unless you really like one or its on sale. Plus, those shit box CD players have the good juju

The official vehicle of a family that just didn’t stop producing more and more and more kids

"Sometimes the trash puts out itself" is such a truly beautiful sentence

There's just something amazing about your guys' videos. I can never understand why I just love them!

Very nice to see this vid while pulling the motor on my dads '05 express. These plain vans mean a lot to me as they've put me through many years of my life. The under appreciated workhorse

Sleep: Broke Mr. Regular covering a Chevy Van: Woke

The Kunkleman Chevrolet ad is the 21st century version of Big Bill Hell’s cars!

That is seriously one of your best and most hysterical videos. You knocked it out of the park.

I'm still cracked with that 24 yo mistress, but you summed up a personality that i never understood. Since being a reasonable boy i was surrended by this type of men, and never catch their drift, always thinking they were work dogs alienated by the system. And now i can feel them, they put their pants on and try to turn around things day by day. They seem more revolutionary than most artist, they don't criticize, they just live and work. And more and more, i feel like thanks to them we're the spoiled generation, who knows, who are more educated and have opportunities to choose. Thanks to his hands, thanks to his mind, I can choose. I don't think you're watching, but thanks dad! And thanks RCR to made me realize this, jokes aside, you show car by car a different reality, teaching respect (or not) beyond preconception.

6:40 Ah, I see Pennsylvania has its own version of Big Bill Hell’s Automotive.

A taxi and shuttle company I drove for had two 2005 Express vans. They were 3500s with the 6.0 LS. One had a pretty good exhaust leak, so it sounded pretty good when you put your foot in it. The other van would death wobble if you hit pretty much any bump. By the time I was ready to quit that job, I'd tell alarmed passengers that, "we'll be okay as long as the tie rods don't snap." I wonder how much business my boss lost because of me...

Dude, the AWD models are effing amazing. And these vans are cheap tanks that last and last. One of the few things GM did right.

And if my manager is a middle-aged single woman who only hires the ladies?

Chevy Express, perfect for living in down by the river.

I work for Carlisle Events, saw your Corvettes at Carlisle review from 2014, and instantly became a big fan of your work. This video multiplies that fandom. Subcsribed!

My grandfather still has this truck. 400,000 miles. Painted for years. Painted SKYPAC, The National Corvette Museum, and tons of other places. It's still to this day his work/paint van

Something about the front end of the van along with C/Ks of the same era have a nice vibe to it but I don't know what.

The important thing was I had an onion on my belt; which was the style at the time, They didn't have white onions, BECAUSE OF THE WAR

Holy crap Regular, was this at Lindenfield park? I used to live not even a five minute bike ride from there and used to play soccer there growing up. You also drove through Chalfont?! I can't even tell you how happy I am to see where I grew up in a car review, thank you so much Mr. Regular you just made my week! :)

You guys Friggin geniuses! That commercial! This is why I always come back to You guys

NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS TO THE KENNEDYS

New upload time! Cool!

Sounds like I need to go to Kunkleman Chevrolet.

Blew a tire going 75 fully loaded in an express. That was fun.

As somebody who drives one of these, i am so happy this video exists Edit: by the way My grandad has 3 of those One blue 1996 Chevy Express conversion van that has all the seats removed One White 2001 GMC savanna pannel van One 2006 GMC savanna which has the ever holy LS Funny thing is the Chevy express My grandad got is extremly cheap, it has a V6 its a 1500 and it normaly tows 3000 pounds worth of watermelom trailer

My favorite part of monda- oh well, my sunday night just got a whole lot better anyways

Chevy Express Van: the official vehicle of “back in my day, we had this and that”

That minute monologue from 9-10 is a gem and one of the reasons I keep watching

Great video guys! But you missed some of the coolest oddball things about these vans The rear doors can open a full 180° to allow it to back right up to a loading dock It had the largest magnesium casting in a vehicle behind the dash, helping to reduce body flex, and these were one of the best selling vehicles GM ever had (but was still quite a ways back from the amount of Econoline vans that Ford sold) Oh and the Vortec insignia does make quite a bit of difference. It refers to the cylinder heads (GM did this to all its V8 and the 4.3 V6 in the 90s) Vortec heads are a much better flowing head than the regular heads on these engines. For example the 350 gained 50 HP with the Vortec heads The 454 (7.5L) big block was the last of the old school engines to be fitted with Vortec heads and pushed it to 290 HP, and that was I believe 1996 if memory serves me right lol. GM kept using the Vortec nomenclature for years and used them on the LS based engines, but at the point it was nothing more than just a name. (Haha yeah I have faaar too much general knowledge of 90s vehicle lol)

gonna call it. this is the best video ive seen since the dodge avenger review years ago.

This is one of my favorite episodes. So real, so regular, so American.

My father is a semi-retired upholsterer that has his own business. He's owned 3 vans. A 76 Dodge Tradesman, an 87 GMC Vandura, and a 99 Chevy express, and the express is a former passenger van with the rear two benches removed. He left the first bench seat in because it sometimes did double duty as a family vehicle/towing a camper. This story hits home, even the bit about the thrift store radio. Dad needed a new stereo for his workshop, so I put one together for him out of parts from the thrift shop, $20.

I can already tell this is gonna be a great week.

Just get in the van...

Sounds like "A decorative cookie tin filled with buttons and sewing needles" ...This is why I watch this cannel. Love it

"No LS in the champagne van." This is why you're my favorite reviewer. Love the channel, sir! Please don't ever stop being awesome.

Damn the last time I was this early I made my girlfriend cry

My dad used a 1998 Ford Escort Zx2 as his work vehicle for a couple years, using it to haul tools and bandsaws and whatever else he needed to haul in it That Zx2 was supposed to become mine but I can't drive stick so I ended up with the 2006 Scion xB that he had started using as a work vehicle instead because he bought a Savana

Van: Starts up Gas Gauge: AAAAAAAAAAAA Okay we good

Oh yeah this van back in early and late 2000's when i was a kid. My dad used to have chevy and ford van back in the day.