I've got my eye on a 5spd Caravan from 1994. Low miles, great shape. Thinking of using it as a backup daily driver and camper/adventure van.
I imagine its a 2.5l with balance shafts, TBI, with the A523. Thinking this might get pretty decent MPG while being slow as molasses, but would allow me to sleep inside (platform with bins underneath) and keep my bike in with me as well.
How are the aftermarket parts doing for the Turbo Dodges anymore? Does Koni still make struts for these?
Koni doesn't make struts specifically for these vans anymore but they do make struts that can be made to work in these vans. Im 95% sure that a Koni STRT for the rear of a 1g Neon is 95% drop in for that van.
You can also mod 2g Neon front Koni struts to work as well.
Then if you want to get into real effort you can put koni double-adustable Neon inserts into stock van housings and do a coil-over spring conversion while you're at it.
There's a few rear shocks for other apps that can be made to work.
Having owned a 5spd tbi van i SUPER HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!! They are amazing vehicles. Mine got 27mpg @ 75 mph. 33mpg @ 55mph!
In addition to bicycles it can also carry scooters/mopeds and some sportbikes.
Vigo wrote: In addition to bicycles it can also carry scooters/mopeds and some sportbikes.
My basketcase 1990 CBR 1000 just fits inside my 1992 Voyager. I love mine, it makes a great truck.
Vigo,
Any suggestions on how to rig these things up for even better reliability than they already have? I probably wouldn't be interested in many mods outside of those that will make the van run forever and not leave me stranded. In fact, I may look into keeps some spare parts on board just in case something happens out in the wilderness.
Reason I asked about struts was that I may be interested in doing some light gravel road driving. Maybe installing some bigger (taller) tires, that kind of thing.
The van I'm interested in may need a head gasket soon, but still runs and drives fine. Perfect way of talking the guy down. It's clean too. 1994 with no rust and a perfect interior. Great base for a camper.
Polyurethane motor mounts, new rubber (belts/hoses), tune-up parts (plugs, wires, cap and rotor), new fuel pump, new fluids and filters should get it plenty reliable.
There really isn't much to go wrong internally on the old 2.5 SOHC block that wouodnt have already shown itself for repair.
A new distributor pickup isn't a bad idea for the glove box.
If you're going to be pushing it hard, I'd recommend a new radiator and an oil cooler (SBF/Dodge V10 filters and cooler adapters fit and add oil capacity) along with some new axles from raxles.com, wheel bearings, pads and rotors.
BTW, my buddy, Lorin Mueller and his co-horts have been racing a 5-speed TBI van in LeMons/ChumpCar for years as The Soccer Moms without much issue:
http://youtu.be/jbapgisSygc
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/10/and-the-real-winner-is-23/
So I'd say, properly cared for, it will be plenty reliable and parts are still readily available for repair.
Yeah, id say the tbi/5spd combo in the cavernous van engine bay is an amazing blend of reliability with ease of service if you ever DO have to do anything.
Motor mounts, alternator bushings, water pump, in this case headgasket.. it should be pretty bulletproof after that.
The bottom end in my TBI van came out of a 220k mile dodge daytona i pulled out of the mud in someone's yard for free just to get it out of their way. It lived in my aries getting beat for every last one of its 100 hp for a long while before making it to the van, where i did another 30k miles before turbocharging it whereafter it's survived 16psi pulls from 0-100 and short bursts of 20 psi.
If that tells you anything about reliability. 
If you want to lift it, that'd be pretty easy for the first few inches. Spring spacers on stock front coils, fabricated longer rear shackles and maybe some longer rear shocks.. should be able to fit ~29" tires no problem. But that's going to cut into the acceleration with 100 hp you know.
This one in particular seems to be exhibiting signs of a weak head gasket, it blows white smoke for a bit when cold.
At 92k miles I'd think it'd be fine, and I've driven a Escort with a bit of a "white smoke when cold" problem for years that never got any worse.
Will the 2.5 do the same thing? Loosen up as it drives?
Turbo motors typically need rings and bearings around 150k. A TBI engine should run to 200-250k without issue.
If the headgasket has failed, fix it. It's not hard on these, plus you need to get acquainted with how this thing is put together so that you can replace any paranoia about stuff breaking with 'whatever, if it ever does break itll be cheap and easy so i dont care'.
^+1 HG is a wear item on motors with aluminum heads and steel blocks and typically lasts around 60-80k
Guy told me he couldn't show it yesterday and it sold this morning. Ok though, as it sold for more than I wanted to pay.
The tough part is the turbododge forums only seem to have interest in the vans that are turbo, and I don't want a turbo. I'm sure it'd be good fun, but I'm in it for the MPG.
If anyone sees a newer one for sale in PA/MD, hit me up.
Yes, noone pays attention to the 2g vans because very few are willing to convert them to turbo (although i helped a local guy convert a 1995 v6/3spd to 4cyl/turbo/5spd) because you actually have to be able to read a wiring diagram and do a lot of soldering.
One thing that most people don't even consider or talk about is that the 3.0L 2g vans can be 5spd swapped using all factory parts from other vehicles and the 3.0/5spd combo is a FUN combo. Then you can turbo on top of that and make a lot more power than the turbo 4 cyls if you want to.
To put it one way, one of my vans has an SRT4 engine in it, and i plan to swap it out for the mitsu 3.0 and boost that instead. So if that tells you anything about how people undervalue the 3.0s...
I seem to remember reading that the 3.0 (in all forms) takes boost very well, like doubling stock power is no big deal on the stock SOHC longblock.
In reply to Kenny_McCormic:
Considering it's the same basic block as the one used in the Stealth R/T/3000GT, I'd say that it could entirely be possible. They also made that engine in larger disolacemnents for their trucks. Jus' sayin'
What kind of MPG will the 3.0 v6 get?
~28 hwy according to the only person who's done it that i've actually asked about it.
I seem to remember reading that the 3.0 (in all forms) takes boost very well, like doubling stock power is no big deal on the stock SOHC longblock.
Correct. A friend of mine with a turbo'd stock-longblock 3.0 in a spirit recently dyno'd 280whp before running into detonation on stock na ignition timing (!!!), which is slightly more than double the stock output. But that's on an na timing curve!
He also made over 500whp with a more serious but still objectively mild build.
So basically, if you buy a $300 AEM FIC and actually adjust timing for boost, you should be able to make well over 300whp with an unopened bottom end. Stock 3.0/auto puts down ~123-130whp.
BTW, the stock timing curve pulls timing bad at higher rpms. Kills the power a bit.
Getting a proper timing and fuel curve goes a long way to waking them up.
Of course a turbo or two doesn't hurt as well :)
28 hwy 3.0 (not turbo'd) with automatic?
Heck no! Only with manual. If you don't want to swap to 5spd then none of them will do great, although my cousin has a 94 3.8L that will do 26 empty with the ac off at ~70mph (which is not how most people drive minivans in texas..). Towing a car on a dolley it gets 17hwy.
Great, now I'm looking in my Montero's engine bay (same 3.0 as the Dodge, just different heads I'm assuming?) and wondering if a turbo will fit in there.
In reply to Vigo:
How well does that 3 spd slushbox most came with stand up to 300+hp?
In reply to Kenny_McCormic:
It's a Torqueflite and holds up pretty well with some work. Biggest issue is the governor gets clogged easily and hangs up the shifting. Fabricating a deeper pan would help, though a manual valve body wouldn't hurt.
Later 3-speeds come with a lock up converter which helps on the highway a bit.
Differential is a weak point and some have adapted the Quaiffe and OBX limited slips to them.
Torque converters like to balloon sometimes and stronger ones are available.
The lockup converter started the same year as the 3.0 (1987) so ALL 3.0 vans have a lockup torque converter.
As for the 3spd, if it's rebuilt/modified to have tight clutch packs and quicker shifts, it will hold a whole lot of power on stock parts. The diff issues mentioned are in my opinion mostly related to tire shake on slicks and brake boosting 450+lbft engine setups in the staging beams. Not a 'street car' problem, period.
There is a fairly simple way to build up a 3spd that will hold a basic boosted 3.0 very well. It doesn't require the extreme stuff some people are doing for faster setups. Some people are trapping 170mph in the 1/4 mile through this transmission. Those people have different problems then minivan owners. 300whp is no problem after basic mods.
I had a 3.0 montero and thought about turbo as well. There is video of a 14-second turbo/5spd 3.0 montero in puerto rico somewhere on youtube. But now i have an older 2.6 Montero so im thinking about turboing that instead.
Vigo wrote: There is video of a 14-second turbo/5spd 3.0 montero in puerto rico somewhere on youtube.
Sheesh! I just wanted her to be a little less gutless on the freeway! I don't know what rear end is in that thing, but I don't see the hi side of 70mph without feeling like I'm taxing the motor.
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