1988 GMC Safari SL

- Classic Van
- White over Blue Cloth Interior
- 3rd Row Seats with Captain Chairs
- Factory AC
- Moon Dish Wheels
- Clean, Highly Original Example

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1988 GMC Safari SL on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the van due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 165 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to its accident and damage-free Carfax history, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“The van that's new-sized outside, and you-sized inside” – 1988 GMC magazine advertisement for the Safari

The GMC magazine ad was headlined “Express yourself” and noted the many applications for which a Safari van was so well suited. “Safari's roomy interior lets you carry… passengers or up to 151.8 cubic feet of cargo. Even two up to 5,000 pounds, properly equipped. So Safari's always ready to go fish with you. Antique with you. Whatever you want to do, our new van will eagerly do, too. And Safari's new size lets you slip easily through traffic or slide into a parking space, garage, or car wash.”

“Express yourself in a Safari from GMC. It's new. It's you. With more uses, more comfort, more fun than any new-size van yet.”

Offered here is a 1988 GMC Safari SL van in white- over blue, comfortably outfitted for six or more passengers. Showing “33,434” on its five-digit odometer (which as its Carfax history shows, has rolled over), the van has actually traveled 133,434 miles, fewer than 4,100 miles per-year on average since new. Its overall condition is excellent with few signs of wear, and no damage.

The van's exterior white paint retains excellent gloss overall. There are no dings or dents on the body, and the finish on the rear chrome bumper (the only appreciable chrome on the timelessly classic van's design) is very well-maintained. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, please be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) Black trim—including the front grille with air deflector, window surrounds, body-side moldings, mirror caps, and rear-bumper cap—remains in excellent condition free of damage. Cabin glass and lighting lenses are clear and uncracked; factory badging remains properly mounted. Moon-dish 15-inch chrome wheels are mounted with Michelin® Defender LT 215/75 tires.

Inside, the appealing blue theme is easy on the eye. Blue, tweed-weave upholstery accented with matching velour covers the four high-back captain's chairs and the single rear bench seat. Overall, the fabric is clean for its age and entirely free of damage showing only limited wear-indications. Blue panel-trim on the front doors, rear doors, and right-side sliding door includes hard-plastic and carpeted panels. Blue carpeting (protected by rubber mats in front, covers the cabin floors. A dark-gray GMC-branded, 4-spoke steering wheel frames the Eighties-GM square-design dashboard with the original air-conditioning and audio systems in place. The shift lever for the automatic transmission is mounted on the steering column.

Under the front hood, the 4.3-liter GM V6 commands a clean and orderly engine bay. All components—including air conditioning—are properly mounted. Viewed from below, the van's chassis is straight and complete.

The Safari's factory-mounted identification, build, and information tags remain in place.

While the more than 165 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '88 Safari Van in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

The Safari ad quoted above concluded with an owner's exclamation: “This GMC is me!” If you're looking for a properly outfitted, nicely sized, well-maintained, comfortable, road-trip conveyance, you may have just uttered those very same four words.