All this time I thought they just looked at them. DAJIBAN!!!

I'm speechless. I knew they built them, I never knew they raced and drifted the.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7U2BC5sOltU

Still not enough to make me want to buy a Dodge van though.

Also, I had a customer who had us put a 410 in his van of that vintage. I don't know how much power it made, but I had to put 50 break-in miles on it. It was extremely easy to accidentally break the tires loose... on the highway.

Headers for a pickup do not fit the van without serious floor and doghouse surgery.

I thought there were like two or three guys that did it. I'm impressed. It is enough to make me want one but not right now.

I daydreamed about picking up one w/ a blown motor, stuffing a stock newer "hemi" in it, then bringing it for this year's theme vehicle.

Paint job? Domokun, including bumper edits and "teeth".

FWIW, most automatics can be rev-matched with practice. Some of the electronic ones will hold off a manual downshift until you match revs.

and now i want one really bad.

Is the dodge one better suited for track driving than the ford/gm? by 'better' i of course mean 'less worse'? I have an old econoline and that thing seems to have too much wheelbase and too horrid handling to even attempt a quick lap!

In reply to Rufledt:

The twin I-Beam in the Ford is left over from the Flintstone Mobile. I don't think you could make it handle if you had to.

The GMs use a upper and lower A arm IIRC. I don't see why a proper set of drop spindles wouldn't work on them. Maybe the truck parts fit.

As a daily driver of a 2003 Chevy 3500, I can say it does handle well for what it is. I've.... Uh... "Done stuff" a van shouldn't do. Plus that engine is so far back... It's like 50/50 handling man! Ok... I'll show myself out.

I gather the only reason Dodge vans are the most prevalent is because the US military brought over a metric crap-ton of them. I'm sure if Chevy had won that contract, it'd be "Chebiban!" instead.

In reply to Toyman01:

That makes sense. i've driven many different body styles/chassis econolines, not a single one could 'handle' anything smoothly. The newer Chevy we had was far better handling/smooth riding/quieter than any of them, but the dang thing needed suspension parts all-the-time.

Ian F wrote: I gather the only reason Dodge vans are the most prevalent is because the US military brought over a metric crap-ton of them. I'm sure if Chevy had won that contract, it'd be "Chebiban!" instead.

Way back in the SCC days, they did some article about some Japanese culture thing and said that Chevy Astros were insanely popular for some reason.

I am guessing that it's a combo of having walk-through design at a time when Japanese vans didn't, plus not being freaking huge. All the same, I felt a pang of guilt over all those poor Japanese people who were inflicted with those nasty, sloppy things.

Of course, a Dodge van is just like an Astro in a lot of ways. Sloppy dual idler arm steering that constantly wears out, crappy front brakes that, in theory, are sliding caliper but in practice are not (either way, design dating from the early 70s), extremely rust prone unibodies...

It's like finding out that the Dodge Mirada is something a whole populace knows your country's products by.

One of these times dajibans will come up on these boards and there will be a non clapped-out one locally on CL and you wankers will have to live with an awful build thread from yours truly.

SnowMongoose wrote: One of these times dajibans will come up on these boards and there will be a non clapped-out one locally on CL and you magnificent wankers will get to bask in an overwhelmingly glorious build thread from yours truly.

FTFY

So now I wonder where I have to go to find watanabes in 5x5.5.

I've been on the Dajiban rag for a looooong time.

Here's the other "mini-documentary" on the Dajibans!

Van Racing

In reply to Chadeux:

They exist, but $$$. I'd just go with 8" wide Diamond Racing steelies with zero offset. You'll probably have to roll the fenders a little for clearance, but it would work and provide that snug fitment everyone's looking for.

Looks dangerous.

I have an export business idea.

Chadeux wrote: So now I wonder where I have to go to find watanabes in 5x5.5.

Have them Made?

In reply to Shaun:

It sounds like fun but I think the real money is going to be in shipping them to Cuba.

As to the wheels, just swap front hubs and rear axle with one from before 86 or so and you get 5x4.5.

Ford 8.8 gets the rears 5x4.5 AND yields an impervious axle.

Knurled wrote: FWIW, most automatics can be rev-matched with practice. Some of the electronic ones will hold off a manual downshift until you match revs.

The 90s vintage Chrysler autos most of those vans have (old school torqueflites with an OD unit on the back for the most part) are particularly easy to rev match (and don't get confused by the throttle blip when you do it).

The first video makes them look hateful to drive. I know the weight balance is kinda of irreparably screwed up but there must be some way to loosen them up. Looks like cut springs all around and understeer city