So lets talk Mini Vans

Too much?

Meanwhile in the UK, this is a stock Transit Sportvan!

pinchvalve wrote: Too much?

That's just wrong...

In reply to DrBoost:

Dang... looking at my local CL I could grab a clean 4 cylinder Voyager with a bad engine and a wrecked, low-miles 3.8 Grand Caravan for under a grand! Very tempting....

jstein77 wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: Too much?

That's just wrong...

In all the right ways...

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/5458054573.html

If anyone's interested in a manual Mazda5 hit me up, mine will be for sale soon, but full disclosure there's no easy path to add power. Pre-2000, I'd recommend the 95-98 Honda Odyssey/Isuzu Oasis twins. Accord/Prelude platform so it will take H22s and turbo F23s and all of the other cheap paths to power that '90s Honda aficionados have already forged.

No sliding doors and they're somewhat hard to find, but very mod friendly for a minivan. Much more so than the V6 Odysseys. You can even get OEM manual transmission parts, so you don't have to futz with a custom center console like you would for the later models.

DrBoost wrote:

Toyman01 wrote:

DrBoost wrote: I had a very fast Caravan. It ran One Lap years ago. IM me for more info if you want.

I'm pretty sure that doesn't need to be a private conversation. Inquiring minds want to know.

I was thinking I didn't want to hijack the thread, but I guess this isn't a hijack. Ralph Giles (yes, that Ralph) did most of the work, I did some of it. 1999 Caravan, not grand (SWB) transplant the 3.8 from the grand caravan port, polish, and match-port the heads lightened flywheel 2.75 exhaust all the way back, stock manifolds though 4-wheel disc brakes from the grand caravan 18" wheels lower it 4" in back, 3" in front limited slip (I don't know where he got that, I wasn't able to find out) bigger sway bars coil-overs camber plates Ralph had seats and brakes from a 99 Viper, but I didn't get those with the van It was amazing! It revved quick, sounded great, and would stomp all over that generation Mustang GT with kids and groceries on board. I might be forgetting a mod or two. Most of that stuff is off-the-shelf Chrysler stuff. Could be duplicated cheap. I can't remember the issue, but it's in GRM in a 1-Lap coverage article. I think that van is why Honda entered an Oddy a few years later

This was pretty much the same idea I had for my next daily. Except for the limited slip and engine swap.

Stow and go for the win!

I'd want mine in black, with 20% tint and polished aluminum wheels.

In reply to Robbie:

Details on this?!

codrus wrote:

I hear they mostly use the back of that thing to carry spare transmissions from venue to venue.

Duke wrote:

codrus wrote:

I hear they mostly use the back of that thing to carry spare transmissions from venue to venue.

That van uses the TL 6spd manual. The base engine also just won the 24 hrs of Daytona.

java230 wrote: In reply to Robbie: Details on this?!

No idea. Google image search is how I found it.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

Duke wrote:

codrus wrote:

I hear they mostly use the back of that thing to carry spare transmissions from venue to venue.

That van uses the TL 6spd manual. The base engine also just won the 24 hrs of Daytona.

Is that an updated version? My understanding was the original had a stock Oddy automatic, or more accurately, a series of stock Oddy automatics. I could well be mistaken.

There's mine, 137k on it now and no real issues.

A large percentage of the vankulture crowd go with sienna's or odyssey's. They also seem to have the most aftermarket support.

http://www.vankulture.com/

a mazda 5 is a fine mini-minivan as long as you are ok with the smaller motor and smaller size of the van.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/toyota-strafes-the-streets-of-willow-with-sienna-r-tuned-concept/

Duke wrote: Is that an updated version? My understanding was the original had a stock Oddy automatic, or more accurately, a *series* of stock Oddy automatics. I could well be mistaken.

When they took it to Pikes Peak it used a TL manual, dunno what it used in One Lap. Considering that it's making more than double the stock horsepower, I'm not at all surprised it hear it had issues with the stock transmission. :)

I like this way more than I should

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

Stop making me want a mini van. Is not the vehicle I need. Would a mini van be eligible to rally cross???

In the spirit of the Road trip starting today:

In reply to Rusted_Busted_Spit:

I'm currently searching through the owners manual I just downloaded to see if I can manipulate the air suspension to hard park it.