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B14boy
B14boy New Reader
9/26/12 2:28 p.m.

I'm trying to brainstorm a project involving a van. I'm looking for a van that can be turned into a decent handling transportation machine. Not sure where to start looking but VW vans caught my attention 'cause of some old video with this flatblack Porsche swapped van ripping up a race track.

Travis_K
Travis_K SuperDork
9/26/12 2:32 p.m.

If you look at pics of how that black van was built, only the body is actually old vw. There are vanagons (what the black van was built on) that seem to do fairly well though.

JohnInKansas
JohnInKansas HalfDork
9/26/12 2:34 p.m.

Search youtube for "transit supervan".

Klayfish
Klayfish Dork
9/26/12 2:40 p.m.

How about an old Toyota "van" or early Previa? Mistubishi van would be a kicka$$ project too.

mndsm
mndsm PowerDork
9/26/12 2:42 p.m.

Define "van".... Mazda5 is a Mazda3 with slidey doors, and all the suspension bits fit. I know those can be made to handle quite nicely....

Adrian_Thompson
Adrian_Thompson SuperDork
9/26/12 2:49 p.m.
JohnInKansas wrote: Search youtube for "transit supervan".

He said 'handle the turns', not beat them into blood submission!

Bobzilla
Bobzilla UltraDork
9/26/12 2:51 p.m.

/THREAD.

dculberson
dculberson SuperDork
9/26/12 2:57 p.m.

I think a vanagon with a WRX swap and suspension work would be a ton of fun.

JohnInKansas
JohnInKansas HalfDork
9/26/12 2:59 p.m.

mndsm
mndsm PowerDork
9/26/12 3:02 p.m.
JohnInKansas wrote:

This does not look safe. Sure as hell looks like fun though.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/26/12 3:12 p.m.

Any JDM micro-van like the Suzuki Super Carry. Engine below floor level, mid-engined, RWD:

Also available as pickups, 2WD and 4WD, that will be lighter and have an even lower center of gravity:

Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic Reader
9/26/12 3:22 p.m.

Suzuki Every Joy Pop Turbo?

noddaz
noddaz GRM+ Memberand Reader
9/26/12 3:27 p.m.

Lowered Astro..

Let me amend that...

Tastefully lowered Astro...

Appleseed
Appleseed PowerDork
9/26/12 3:32 p.m.

Dajiban/thread.

Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic Reader
9/26/12 3:41 p.m.

You could lower an econoline and take advantage of the swing axle's camber curve up front.

Twin_Cam
Twin_Cam UltraDork
9/26/12 4:10 p.m.

The guys at Honda NA made an Odyssey to run One Lap of America...couldn't have handled too badly.

Strizzo
Strizzo UberDork
9/26/12 4:18 p.m.

surprised nobody has mentioned the xj220 transit

Strizzo
Strizzo UberDork
9/26/12 4:20 p.m.

the oddysey van, iirc, was to get around the no support vehicle rule in the one lap, but it did turn out that it did better than expected.

Flight Service
Flight Service SuperDork
9/26/12 4:26 p.m.

Mazda5 for the win, as long as you don't need ground clearance

mndsm
mndsm PowerDork
9/26/12 4:31 p.m.
Appleseed wrote: Dajiban/thread.

God I love me some dajiban.

Mazdax605
Mazdax605 Dork
9/26/12 5:20 p.m.

I could be talked into selling my 1990 Mitsubishi Delica van.

fast_eddie_72
fast_eddie_72 UltraDork
9/26/12 6:02 p.m.

Pretty cool. We used to have one- same color but not as cool.

driver109x
driver109x HalfDork
9/26/12 6:04 p.m.

Search youtube for drift previa or estima...

White_and_Nerdy
White_and_Nerdy HalfDork
9/26/12 6:10 p.m.

The Race Taxi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK0v--XPNxU

Though I'm also a fan of the A-Team van. Good luck making it handle.

irish44j
irish44j SuperDork
9/26/12 6:28 p.m.
Bobzilla wrote: /THREAD.

beat me to it.

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