Don't ask why as I do not have a rational explanation. I just want a Gen I Caravan. Yes, a turbo would be nice, but I would be happy with a good 3.0 or even a 2.5 for that matter. A manual shift cargo edition would be best. I would even consider a Gen II cargo edition. I do not want a Grand Caravan. Must have 5x100 bolt pattern wheels. Again, don't ask.
No. You DO want the turbo one. 
EastCoastMojo wrote: No. You DO want the turbo one.
Yes, you do. Not only was this thread not titled "i want a gen 1 turbo caravan" but you actually said....I'm not sure if I can type the words.... a turbo would be nice.
You might have to turn in your GRM card 
You're delusional from a Cadbury Creme Egg overdose.
You do NOT want an early Caravan.
I know because I've had one.
Get the non turbo 2.5 (no factory 5spd with the 3.0, after all..) and then turbo it later. That's what i did. 
My non turbo 2.5/5spd van averaged 27 mpg at 75 mph and would get 33 at 55mph. It ran 18.2@73mph like clockwork but felt significantly faster for some reason. It was EXTREMELY easy to work on. I thought it was fun to drive, even with 100 hp. More fun with turbo, but i digress..
I would counsel against a 4cyl auto unless it's turbo. They're just soul-sucking without the boost making up for the 3.0:1 ring and pinion ratio. The pre-87 vans are mechanically less desirable because they have carb 2.2s and 2.6s (a mitsu motor) and weaker 5spds and autos.
The non turbo 2.5 can be turbod. That's what is in mine. I've done full 1/4 mile passes at 16 psi with mine without blowing it up, and spiked to 20 once or twice. Most cowards will tell you they will melt at 7 psi, but they are cowards and also don't understand that the issue is not heat but avoiding detonation. The turbo motor is good for at least 450hp on a stock bottom end assuming perfect tuning and no detonation ever. The fastest fwd 4 cyl 1g caravan ran 11.6 with stock pistons, rods, and crank, but it's widely acknowledged that that van was limited by the top end at that time and could have gone further on the same bottom end with more work on the top end.
The 3.0 is a sweet motor but you will have to do the 5spd swap yourself. It is all factory parts from 4 cyl 5spd vans bolted to a v6 5spd from the midsize cars, so it's completely plug and play once you get the parts. Supposedly those can hit basically the same MPG numbers as the 2.5 non turbo. It ought to run 16 flat to high 15s in the 1/4 with a stockish 3.0/5spd. If you turbo it the sky is basically the limit, except the sky is ~600 hp because that's when you start running into serious issues with the engine like head and crankshaft flexing.
1g cargos are extremely rare now. Ive seen quite a few 2g cargos for sale over the last few years. One point in favor of the 2g vans is better sound insulation (which means they are heavier) and more/better airbags. I have a friend who switched from 1g to 2g after totalling his 1g and having no airbag for his significant other. It matters to some people.
I thought all 1st gen Caravans were 4-lug. We're talking about the ones that were K-car underneath (not even beefed up, so they ate wheel bearings) and had the stacked sealed-beam headlights, right?
Having had the distinct displeasure of driving a pre-87 carb'ed 2.2 with the 5-speed, I can attest to the fact that it is mind-numbingly slow and no fun. Thankfully, I don't remember much else about the car.
Good luck in your quest!
Yes... 1st gens are the best... and with a turbo... Simply damn near the most fun you can have on four wheels..
There's one here that was for sale for ever. I think it was an 84. Has a 90's 2.4 twin cam swapped in. Not bad for a grand.
In reply to Trans_Maro:
I had one too. That is why I want another one.
In reply to Knurled:
Nope. 5 lug Daytona wheels are a common swap. I have some 8 inch wide auto x wheels I want to use. G-body suspension parts can be made to work. Not looking for a rocket ship, just a cool (possible Plum Crazy Purple) parts carrier.
My Dad has one. An 89 Caravan ES Turbo/auto white with red pinstripes and blue interior, peeling paint on the hood and roof, otherwise its pretty straight. Probably needs a HG, but otherwise it is stock. Dual bench seats, no rust underneath. If you're seriously interested, I can put you in touch with him, but it is located in Portland, Oregon so you'll have to figure out transpo.
I need to learn more about these vans. Are there any places that are a good resource for people that don't want to have to ask a billion questions. I'm seriously interested in a 5 speed turbo AWD, if that's a possible combination. Have welder, will make anything required.
What can the SWB models tow? My guess is a very modest amount, possibly under a ton.
Derick Freese wrote: I need to learn more about these vans. Are there any places that are a good resource for people that don't want to have to ask a billion questions. I'm seriously interested in a 5 speed turbo AWD, if that's a possible combination. Have welder, will make anything required. What can the SWB models tow? My guess is a very modest amount, possibly under a ton.
Start here:
http://turbominivan.com/
http://www.allpar.com/model/m/original-minivans.html
Basically it was a stopgap from Chrysler for a few years while Mitsubishi was having issues producing the required number of 3.0L V6's for Chrysler. They were supposedly only ever found in the SWB 'vans and only with FWD. However there have been a few LWB turbo vans found that were factory built. The AWD option only came on the later vans with the V6 (whether Mitsu or Chrysler) and the 4-speed transaxle. There has never been a manual/awd option in any Chrysler produced vehicle. The DSM's didn't count since they were Mitsu chassis, not Chrysler.
That said, I think Ronbros? was building a 5-speed AWD minivan with a later SRT4 DOHC turbo engine for his minivan and it appeared that it was mostly just combining the right parts from the salvage yard with a little machine work needed to get the right differential installed.
Tow rating is fairly low from the factory, but you can get Class II hitches for the vans and they can certainly tow that much weight with a little work to add a engine oil/transmission fluid cooler and some helper springs or air bags/shocks in the rear.
Nothing new about peeling paint on a Chrysler product. Pretty sure that was a standard feature.
1988RedT2 wrote: Nothing new about peeling paint on a Chrysler product. Pretty sure that was a standard feature.
Certainly in the late 80's early 90's, stupid EPA required change in paint and PPG dropped the ball in the changeover. White and blue were hit the worst :/
I thought all 1st gen Caravans were 4-lug. We're talking about the ones that were K-car underneath (not even beefed up, so they ate wheel bearings) and had the stacked sealed-beam headlights, right?
That was only 84-86. 1st gens continue with some updates up to 1990.
I'm seriously interested in a 5 speed turbo AWD, if that's a possible combination. Have welder, will make anything required
Well, the SWB awd donors are much harder to find than the LWB, but if you can find one you will have most of what you need. Different fuel tank, different rear axle, different leaf springs, different front crossmember, maybe different steering rack, front transfer case, and you will need at least the diff carrier from the 4spd auto that all the AWDs came with.
From there you have to pick whether you want to use one of the mitsu v6s or one of the chrysler 4 cyls so you pick the right trans. Once you've got the trans, you have to make the auto diff carrier fit into the 5spd case which requires machining some stuff (ring gear spacing, ring gear bolt pattern, driver's side diff bearing race retainer), and make the transfer case bolt to the 5spd (redrill 3 or 4 holes in the case) and make the transfer case clear the block (block grinding) and maybe make a support bracket between the t-case and the block.
The 5spd part adds a lot of work.
What can the SWB models tow? My guess is a very modest amount, possibly under a ton.
An AWD-swapped van would have the AWD's brakes and tow 4-5000 lbs easily and potentially even more depending on how you modify the suspension. The AWD rear axle has some massive 11" drums on it and the 11" front brakes are decent. Your basic un-modded 87-90 SWB van will tow a little less just based on smaller brakes, but they all have pretty decent brakes for their weight and with the 5spd the towing capacity of the drivetrain is mostly limited by your ability to not roast a clutch. They do have smallish radiators but it's fairly easy to swap bigger ones in, and adding an oil cooler would be an even easier and in some ways better approach to heat management.
I've towed 3500-4000 lbs numerous times with the non-AWD brakes and stock suspension. As long as you dont have much tongue weight it works fine. If you are going to put a lot of tongue weight on it, either add leaves or buy the $200 airbag kit for it or add air shocks or swap on the nivomat shocks from the newer vans or one of the many other possible fixes. They also have an adjustable load-sensing proportioning valve from the factory so if you need more brakes make sure it is adjusted to use as much rear brake as you can.
True story: Back in the day, the GRM first-gen Caravan wore Revolution five-spoke mags.
Speaking of SRT4 Caravans, this one is from a local shop, although it's certainly no first gen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78InPT4iqlw
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