Well, recently had a post on here recently about people carriers, and it made me realize i want to do one of my alltime wanted cars... A 1st/2nd gen turbo caravan... maybe not as a dedicated people hauler, but yeah... Ive always wanted one
Tbh, i cant find any good solid info and havent found ONE 1st gen period... CL and all Any sources on info and parts? I know real turbovans are unicorn poop, figured swapping one would work best...
Is doing this even still realistically feasible?
I can't contribute any hard info, but I remember asking about a Shelby Charger on here about a year ago; the general opinion was that a lot of the old turbo Dodge stuff is getting super hard to find these days, with some parts being pure unobtainium.
I see turbo Caravans on my local CL probably once every three months, though, so there are at least a few still around...but most are non-runners 
I half-heartedly apologize for my laziness but i recommend you do a search as there have been at least one and maybe several good threads where caravans were covered in depth by me and others.
As for is it feasible to get a van and put a turbo motor in it? Pfff, it's super feasible. Of all the k-car stuff built, there are more vans left than anything else. Getting your hands on a van is not that hard. Now, getting your hands on a '1st gen' factory turbo van may require some patience, but that basic platform was sold from 84-95 and to my knowledge the turbo four cylinders have been swapped into every year in that range. Ive personally done much of the work on a swap (including 5spd swap) into a 95 with the newer interior, dual airbags, 145mph speedo cluster from a daytona, etc. The 3.0 mitsu v6 and the chryco 3.3/3.8 have also been turbo'd in the vans as well.
Also, only the short wheelbase vans came with a turbo motor (other than a handful of extremely rare specimens) but there is no reason you cant swap into a long wheelbase. Ive had long and short caravans and if you intend to actually USE the space i majorly prefer the long vans. Having said that, the short ones are still fairly cavernous if you only run 2 rows of seats instead of 3.
How hung up are you on getting a factory turbo model?
Ive been watching this one locally for a few weeks. It isnt turbo yet but it's in the ideal year range for a completely drop-in engine harness to do the swap.
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/3503729453.html
DIG IT
Turbo vans have been scrap for years, so yeah they are pretty much gone. They do have some of the more common parts, although pretty much all of the used stuff in the junkyards has disappeared too. A van will be much better than a Shelby Charger as far as discontinued parts, you can certainly find ways to get stuff to work, but Shelby Chargers are already impossible to use anymore without at least some modifications.
go on the turbo-mopar site and you'll see plenty of the things-buddy of mine uses a nice one as a daily and has three more good ones in reserve.
plenty of the turbo vans have been appearing out here on the west coast
Travis_K wrote: Turbo vans have been scrap for years, so yeah they are pretty much gone. They do have some of the more common parts, although pretty much all of the used stuff in the junkyards has disappeared too. A van will be much better than a Shelby Charger as far as discontinued parts, you can certainly find ways to get stuff to work, but Shelby Chargers are already impossible to use anymore without at least some modifications.
I have Three Shelby Chargers, two turbo vans and I forget how many other daytona's and whatnot around the house..
What are you trying to say exactly.. 
I use my turbo vans as dedicated work vans. I have found them super reliable because I take pretty good care of them..
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/turbo-5spd-1990-dodge-caribou/55856/page1/
Just keep looking.. They are out there.
Oh.. and if you find one you would like to convert... I have several complete engine bay harness's pulled from daytona's and shadows... ect... all pretty much ready to go. Pick your year...
Damn you Dodge people keep sucking me back in to modify something completely and utterly useless, like say a dead 2.7 Sebring convertible and put in something besides another POFS 2.7 or even a 3.2/3.5......
Theres a 3.5/5spd swapped 2g sebring vert out there somewhere. It has a horrendous home-made hood tho. 
Ive kept a dead 1g 3.5 in my backyard for years waiting to mock it up in a k-car engine bay with a 3.3 604 (several of those sitting around) but have never gotten around to it. About to strip down a 3.3 car, so maybe soon?
Also, OP, you may think you are in this for performance, but let me also say that a nonturbo 2.5L/5spd manual caravan is, in my experience, one of the best all-around vehicles on the entire planet, and im being completely serious. So if you find a tbi/5spd, dont hesitate to buy it now and turbo it later. That's what ive done with my current van. On the other hand, the tbi/auto is pretty horrendous as far as being unrewarding to drive. It still retains its utility but you dont have any fun deriving it without the turbo.
Heck. Doing a 3.5 into a 2.7 intrep next week sometime if the engine shows up.
ronholm wrote: I have Three Shelby Chargers, two turbo vans and I forget how many other daytona's and whatnot around the house.. What are you trying to say exactly..
Well the problem with turbo vans is there is no way to intercept them between their current owner and the crusher. The problem with shelby chargers is that you have to like monthly replacement of autozone junk (or upgrade the whole car to use parts you can find easier), because they have discontinued pretty much everything many years ago.
Travis_K wrote:ronholm wrote: I have Three Shelby Chargers, two turbo vans and I forget how many other daytona's and whatnot around the house.. What are you trying to say exactly..Well the problem with turbo vans is there is no way to intercept them between their current owner and the crusher. The problem with shelby chargers is that you have to like monthly replacement of autozone junk (or upgrade the whole car to use parts you can find easier), because they have discontinued pretty much everything many years ago.
baloney. They show up from time to time. Everytime there is a thread about turbo dodges you pop in to tell everyone that they are unreliable and that parts are unobtainium. Obviously, either you and your dad got the world's worst example or you have no clue about the cars. There are plenty of us on this site and many hundreds more on the various sites devoted to the turbo mopar that have no difficulty disproving your claims.
I'm sorry for giving the wrong impression. My comments on the turbo van were because I used to want one, and every time I went in pick and pull there was one that had been really nice before it got there. I know they show up sometimes, but most of them dont get offered for sale. As far as reliability, I still say the early ones are awful, but if its a project you can fix all that.
Travis_K wrote: I'm sorry for giving the wrong impression. My comments on the turbo van were because I used to want one, and every time I went in pick and pull there was one that had been really nice before it got there. I know they show up sometimes, but most of them dont get offered for sale. As far as reliability, I still say the early ones are awful, but if its a project you can fix all that.
Every turbo dodge thread, we hear that from you. After owning, driving and racing the hell out of turbo dodges (both early and later ones) for the years, I still can't figure why you seem to think they're unreliable. Like everything out there, certain ones have certain weaknesses (like the A525 transmissions) but if used in a reasonable manner, even the weaknesses are not that much of an issue. You may have had a lemon...that's very possible, but in general, the 2.2/2.5 turbo cars are incredibly stout, overbuilt from the factor and with the proper repairs/maintenance that suits a 25 ish year old car, can still be incredibly reliable.
If I could fine a older turbo dodge near me for a reasonable price I'd own it... Caravan, spirit, shadow, etc... They are no less reliable than any other vehicle of the same age. Oh and I have an extremely low mileage 2.5 turbo engine and trans sitting in my garage. If only I could find something to put it in.
I just have two questions:
1.- Anyone have a thread or three on MS-ing the 3.3/3.8 or even the 2.4? I'm finding lots of everything else...
2.- I know this is a shot in the dark, but besides the Neon trans and probably the Caliber 5spds, are there any limited slip diffs for the FWD's? Or am I stuck with welding the spider gears together?
I don't have anything to add to the technical side of things here, but I did want to state that a long wheelbase turbo Caravan would be awesome.
Ranger50 wrote: I just have two questions: 1.- Anyone have a thread or three on MS-ing the 3.3/3.8 or even the 2.4? I'm finding lots of everything else...
Obx has a unit which works quite well after upgrading some cheap hardware
Wow, alot to process here... I've always wanted a TC ever since hearing of there existence... But now I've got (ithink) the ability to make it happen and also 4lil reasons to try...
What i meet when i said fesiable is that im still wanting to keep it a budget build... But it seems like all the cars are gone and no more parts left... I just wanna know that should something goes wrong with the van, im not sol like with my fj20et... Or that im paying 2k for a 5speed swap or a clutch kit... Just wondering what kind of buget i should plan for realistically. I know swapped ones and real ones go for premium. Thinking on planning for a 2nd gen with a v6 and a broken slushbox for a base... Is the swap the same between gens 1&2?
At first i just wanted something "WTF!!!" to basicly troll the redneck streets around here, suspecting no one knows of the tc. But tbh id just like a cheap, reliable good on Gas minivan. Tbh id id probably be h happy with a 5speed swap... But i doubt I'd be happy there for long :D
If any of you have hook ups on parts and what not, lmk, i won't be able to move for about another month or two but better to get a game plan going I wana make this happen lol
GRM turbovan takeover 
Everything I'd say, has been said already. With that, I need to go out in the garage and work on mine.
A buddy had a turbo 5-speed caravan to go with his 4 turbo dodges (GLH, GLH-S, CSX). He used it to tow our ChumpCSX to the track. We scavenged engine parts off of it during the race.
At the same event, I brought my Dad's Caravan ES Turbo to sleep in (24-hour race). He still has the van and uses it to haul building supplies for his house. Just did a head gasket in it so he could drive it daily while tries to fix his effing Audi A4 Avant (huge POS).
There are more of those wagons here in the NW. If your willing to travel a bit, you can get some rust free ones here. One of our local club members had two of the fastest vans in the US (Terry Ryan).
The lack of a limited slip really hurts these cars. Corner balancing helps a lot, but you're still limited. Phantom Grip, OBX, Quaiffe and the SRT-4's are the options for limited slips. The SRT-4 only works in the SRT-4 transaxles.
1.- Anyone have a thread or three on MS-ing the 3.3/3.8 or even the 2.4? I'm finding lots of everything else... 2.- I know this is a shot in the dark, but besides the Neon trans and probably the Caliber 5spds, are there any limited slip diffs for the FWD's? Or am I stuck with welding the spider gears together?
There is a thread on neons.org about a guy who put a 3.3 and a 5spd from a 2.7 into a neon and Megasquirted it. 3.3/3.8 MS search should start there.
As for the limited slips, luckily almost all the 80s/early 90s FWD transaxles used dimensionally similar diff carriers other than the lateral location of the ring gear. There have been at least 5 or 6 diff options over the years but currently the only consistently easily available diff is the OBX helical diff that's sold for the neon t350. It will drop into some of the k-car trannies, and will require a custom ring gear spacer and minor case mods to work in others. But with enough work it will go into most if not all of the manuals AND autos.
What i meet when i said fesiable is that im still wanting to keep it a budget build... But it seems like all the cars are gone and no more parts left... I just wanna know that should something goes wrong with the van, im not sol like with my fj20et... Or that im paying 2k for a 5speed swap or a clutch kit...
Well, where im at there's still plenty of them hitting the yards and for sale on CL. For the 2.2/2.5 and 3.0 trannies, you can get a stock clutch for $150 and all the clutch you'll ever need for <$500. If you wanted to stick a 5spd on a 3.8 (what comes in town and countries) you WILL spend $1-2k on the swap in all likelihood as the trans is fairly rare and semi-expensive for what it is.
Well the problem with turbo vans is there is no way to intercept them between their current owner and the crusher.
I actually think that's an astute observation and largely correct. Although, i would change it to ALL 'old' caravans.
Vigo wrote:Well the problem with turbo vans is there is no way to intercept them between their current owner and the crusher.I actually think that's an astute observation and largely correct. Although, i would change it to ALL 'old' caravans.
Yeah I didn't mean that as anything bad about turbo dodges, there are actually a lot of cool cars that are in the same category.
Vigo wrote:1.- Anyone have a thread or three on MS-ing the 3.3/3.8 or even the 2.4? I'm finding lots of everything else... 2.- I know this is a shot in the dark, but besides the Neon trans and probably the Caliber 5spds, are there any limited slip diffs for the FWD's? Or am I stuck with welding the spider gears together?There is a thread on neons.org about a guy who put a 3.3 and a 5spd from a 2.7 into a neon and Megasquirted it. 3.3/3.8 MS search should start there. As for the limited slips, luckily almost all the 80s/early 90s FWD transaxles used dimensionally similar diff carriers other than the lateral location of the ring gear. There have been at least 5 or 6 diff options over the years but currently the only consistently easily available diff is the OBX helical diff that's sold for the neon t350. It will drop into some of the k-car trannies, and will require a custom ring gear spacer and minor case mods to work in others. But with enough work it will go into most if not all of the manuals AND autos.
That is what I was trying to convey was a LSD for a 41TE. Figure it could use a up/down logic shift box and eliminate the factory crap and still maybe be "fun"....
I have that thread saved as a "favorite" to read later. I could only stomach the first page of the 9 posted....
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