[FabricGATOR]

Thread will most likely be inactive until I can get a breaker bar for the lug nuts and replace the shocks, then start working on the brakes.

Did you look in the cubby where the scissor jack gets stowed, my 2002 has it driverside inside behind the rear wheel Maybe a wheel lug iron in there. Use a 'cheater pipe" can even be pvc to extend the handle and get more leverage

I also often smell exhaust inside the vehicle, up by the front seats

the fresh air enters the vehicle through the windshield wiper cowling, I would check around there first

 

[Mopar-Mofun]

Perhaps related to this, I also get slightly poor fuel economy. Most people here on the forums seem to say these vans can easily get 18MPG, but I'm only getting around 13. So I need to look into that as well.

Your van has the 2.4L, it should be pulling ahead of the pack for MPG. I just broke the 28+ MPG hwy last week on the interstate with no tail wind.

 

[BrendanK]

Your van has the 2.4L, it should be pulling ahead of the pack for MPG. I just broke the 28+ MPG hwy last week on the interstate with no tail wind.

View attachment 79953

Any suggestions on what I should be checking for the poor economy, then? I already changed the spark plugs back in April. My next step is going to be checking the fuel injectors, PCV valve, and the exhaust system upstream of the muffler.

 

[BrendanK]

Did you look in the cubby where the scissor jack gets stowed, my 2002 has it driverside inside behind the rear wheel Maybe a wheel lug iron in there. Use a 'cheater pipe" can even be pvc to extend the handle and get more leverage
the fresh air enters the vehicle through the windshield wiper cowling, I would check around there first

I didn't even know there was such a compartment. I would have assumed I didn't have it, honestly, either because of how cheap this van was (base trim, no extra bells or whistles, not even remote entry or anti-theft), or because the previous owner just didn't include it. I'll check when I get home from running errands this morning.

 

[Groosalugg]

Any suggestions on what I should be checking for the poor economy, then?

13ish MPG? That's gotta be something more extreme like sticking brakes

 

[BrendanK]

13ish MPG? That's gotta be something more extreme like sticking brakes

They do need to be bled, and pads and rotors is on the itinerary. So we'll see how she does once I get that done. I'll check the rear drums too when I get the wheels off for the shocks.

 

[Groosalugg]

They do need to be bled, and pads and rotors is on the itinerary.

Personally, I'd do the cylinders, calipers and hoses if you actually have sticking brakes. Others disagree, but I've fragged enough brand new parts taking that advice to just do everything, and brakes is the last place a cheapskate should be involved in anyway.

 

[FabricGATOR]

13ish MPG? That's gotta be something more extreme like sticking brakes

After a drive or short trip, CAREFULLY feel the rims for temperature... a dragging brake is going to become hot

Start out near the tire and cautiously feel closer towards the center hub.

Are any of the wheels hot or hotter than the others? This is not to say that all the wheels are "dragging brake"
All wheels warm is expected but 'hot' to the point where one might get a serious burn is not normal.
AND of course smoke and/or an acrid odor is another indication.

 

[Derrick1971]

You might consider adding up all the time and money it would take to patch up the rust and look for a truly rust free van from down here in the south.

I can tell you that here in North Florida we just take it for granted that a 30 year old vehicle will have no rust at all. I can go to the you-pull-it and take the entire suspension system out of an old van and not touch one bolt that isn't still silver or gray. Every part will still have the factory paint as well.

You'll still have mechanical issues of course but they're much easier to deal with when you know everything's going to come apart and go back together easily. We also have less corrosion issues in electrical systems, braking systems, fuel lines etc....

I see rust free 4th gens on Marketplace all the time for pretty cheap.

 

[BrendanK]

Personally, I'd do the cylinders, calipers and hoses if you actually have sticking brakes. Others disagree, but I've fragged enough brand new parts taking that advice to just do everything, and brakes is the last place a cheapskate should be involved in anyway.

I think there's a small brake leak somewhere anyways, because as far as I understand, your brake fluid level should never go down, since it's a sealed system. And when I finally got the van up and running after I pulled it out of storage (sat for two years after I bought it because the battery and battery terminals were shot, and the car stopped starting after a month, and I didn't have the experience or money to diagnose back then), I found out my brake fluid was dangerously low...I topped it off a few months ago, but never did a proper bleed. So tearing the lines out and replacing everything probably isn't the worst idea.

 

[BrendanK]

You might consider adding up all the time and money it would take to patch up the rust and look for a truly rust free van from down here in the south.

I can tell you that here in North Florida we just take it for granted that a 30 year old vehicle will have no rust at all. I can go to the you-pull-it and take the entire suspension system out of an old van and not touch one bolt that isn't still silver or gray. Every part will still have the factory paint as well.

You'll still have mechanical issues of course but they're much easier to deal with when you know everything's going to come apart and go back together easily. We also have less corrosion issues in electrical systems, braking systems, fuel lines etc....

I see rust free 4th gens on Marketplace all the time for pretty cheap.

That's the dream eventually, but as it stands right now, I don't quite have the time to drive all the way across the country (not to mention I'd be worried about the Bucket making it that far in her current condition). I might look into getting one shipped on a flatbed, but then how long is it going to take to get here, and how much would that cost me would be the biggest questions...

 

[FabricGATOR]

Your van has the 2.4L, it should be pulling ahead of the pack for MPG. I just broke the 28+ MPG hwy last week on the interstate with no tail wind.

View attachment 79953

No tail wind perhaps...
... but coasting down the backside of the rocky mountains?
I doubt all the hyper driving with an oversized throttle body and pure white gas, that I could achieve those remarkable results on 'flat earth'

 

[BrendanK]

I never got too good of a look under the passenger side, because we have a shared driveway, and the way I park makes it difficult to get onto that side. Finally decided to pop under there and, well...

These are, or I guess the better word would be WERE, the rocker panels and the section of the frame just behind the rocker panels for the front and rear passenger doors. This is by far the worst on the entire vehicle, and I'm honestly genuinely reconsidering how I approach this whole project now. I don't even need to ask, I know there's no salvaging this.

So, with rust remediation off the itinerary, I need to rethink how much I actually want to fix on this car. I'll definitely still fix the brakes, suspension, etc because I can't quite afford to dump her at the scrap yard yet. I might even still replace the sliding doors and hatch door. But if the transmission goes, depending on where I'm at in terms of being able to afford a new car, I think I'll probably let her go.

Side not, one of the pictures appears to be showing a metal tube of some kind that's mounted to the frame, and it looks like the outer portion of the tube just rusted completely off. What is that, and am I understanding that picture correctly? I'm really worried about the possibility of that being my brake line...

 

[Derrick1971]

That's the dream eventually, but as it stands right now, I don't quite have the time to drive all the way across the country (not to mention I'd be worried about the Bucket making it that far in her current condition). I might look into getting one shipped on a flatbed, but then how long is it going to take to get here, and how much would that cost me would be the biggest questions...

Yeah, it's always the same calculation when restoring a car. I've been involved in a bunch of them both mine and working for a shop. It's always best to start with the best body and spend the time and money on mechanical repairs.

The way to do it would be a one way plane ticket then rent a truck and tow dolly or trailer. Rentals leaving Florida have been cheap over the last few years. A lot of people moving here lately.

I'm not saying you should buy this one and these people may or may not be FOS. It's just an example of whats common here. If it's typical of what's here the underside looks just as good as the top and it has way less mechanical issues than yours. You could spend top dollar getting one to you and still be way ahead of getting yours patched together with the rust cancer still below the surface. If you don't care about nice paint on top you can get one for $1,000 or less.

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[443k3.3]

Your van has the 2.4L, it should be pulling ahead of the pack for MPG. I just broke the 28+ MPG hwy last week on the interstate with no tail wind.

View attachment 79953

At what speed?55mph?

 

[443k3.3]

I never got too good of a look under the passenger side, because we have a shared driveway, and the way I park makes it difficult to get onto that side. Finally decided to pop under there and, well...

View attachment 79964 View attachment 79965 View attachment 79966 View attachment 79967 View attachment 79968 View attachment 79969 View attachment 79970 View attachment 79971

These are, or I guess the better word would be WERE, the rocker panels and the section of the frame just behind the rocker panels for the front and rear passenger doors. This is by far the worst on the entire vehicle, and I'm honestly genuinely reconsidering how I approach this whole project now. I don't even need to ask, I know there's no salvaging this.

So, with rust remediation off the itinerary, I need to rethink how much I actually want to fix on this car. I'll definitely still fix the brakes, suspension, etc because I can't quite afford to dump her at the scrap yard yet. I might even still replace the sliding doors and hatch door. But if the transmission goes, depending on where I'm at in terms of being able to afford a new car, I think I'll probably let her go.

Side not, one of the pictures appears to be showing a metal tube of some kind that's mounted to the frame, and it looks like the outer portion of the tube just rusted completely off. What is that, and am I understanding that picture correctly? I'm really worried about the possibility of that being my brake line...

I would call social services on my kids if they allowed my grand children to ride in your van.
that's a lot of rust and a lot of weak & missing structure that would not hold up in an accident. I just was talking to my neighbor who is a firefighter, about an accident where the vehicle wrapped around a tree, front bumper touching rear bumper and had to get the vehicle info off the inspection decal to tell what vehicle it was. the driver went on to the afterlife in a standing up position in the wreckage. I can see that happening here.
the line is parking brake cable, not hydraulic line. 06 & 07 all seem to rust bad.

 

[Groosalugg]

I'm really worried about the possibility of that being my brake line...

It looks like a parking brake cable to me.

But if the transmission goes, depending on where I'm at in terms of being able to afford a new car, I think I'll probably let her go.

Personally, I'd still spare no expense to have great brakes if you NEED that van, but otherwise I'd look at replacing it and not bothering too much with anything else.

Before I make this suggestion, understand one important thing... not all auction cars are bad, but all bad cars go to auction. I've bought 4. All needed work. 1 I couldn't save the transmission on, and that's obviously the biggest risk with these vans. This is the dumbest way to buy a car, but also is actually the most convenient and probably the cheapest way to buy a Southern car. You give people money and a car shows up at your house on a trailer in a few days. Ezpz, unless it's completely broken like my last one.

2003 DODGE CARAVAN SE for Auction - IAA

Because I'm not a dealer, I have to use a broker to buy from IAA, but they make arranging shipping a car fairly easy. Not the cheapest shipping you probably could get, but Memphis TN to Grand Rapids as an example is just about a grand. Not awful.

I think it is possible to pay an "inspector" to go look it over for you too, but IAA cars can't be test driven by anyone before buying them. They're all a gamble, but this one as an example, if I were you, I'd buy it. Again though, all the VIN runs and checks you can think of won't tell you if it's got a bad transmission.

 

[BrendanK]

It looks like a parking brake cable to me.



Personally, I'd still spare no expense to have great brakes if you NEED that van, but otherwise I'd look at replacing it and not bothering too much with anything else.

Before I make this suggestion, understand one important thing... not all auction cars are bad, but all bad cars go to auction. I've bought 4. All needed work. 1 I couldn't save the transmission on, and that's obviously the biggest risk with these vans. This is the dumbest way to buy a car, but also is actually the most convenient and probably the cheapest way to buy a Southern car. You give people money and a car shows up at your house on a trailer in a few days. Ezpz, unless it's completely broken like my last one.

View attachment 79972

View attachment 79973

View attachment 79974

View attachment 79975

2003 DODGE CARAVAN SE for Auction - IAA

Because I'm not a dealer, I have to use a broker to buy from IAA, but they make arranging shipping a car fairly easy. Not the cheapest shipping you probably could get, but Memphis TN to Grand Rapids as an example is just about a grand. Not awful.

View attachment 79976

I think it is possible to pay an "inspector" to go look it over for you too, but IAA cars can't be test driven by anyone before buying them. They're all a gamble, but this one as an example, if I were you, I'd buy it. Again though, all the VIN runs and checks you can think of won't tell you if it's got a bad transmission.

Since my van's engine is still pretty healthy (as far as I can tell), I could also just grab a lemon with a dead engine and swap it over...I just got tie rods done last September, so those should still be good enough to move over if need be as well. And since I'm doing brakes on the Bucket, if the new one needs them, those could be transferred as well. So all in all, not a bad idea.

I think what I'll do is take the bucket to a mechanic and have them tell me what's good on this van, and I'll make a mental list of everything, and pick off what I need, that's actually salvageable...which probably won't be much. I'll also look for a 2001 or 2002, since everyone says those had the best features. But an '03 with 100k miles isn't anything to scoff at. I've definitely got things to consider...might be getting myself a new car for Christmas this year 😁

 

[Derrick1971]

It looks like a parking brake cable to me.



Personally, I'd still spare no expense to have great brakes if you NEED that van, but otherwise I'd look at replacing it and not bothering too much with anything else.

Before I make this suggestion, understand one important thing... not all auction cars are bad, but all bad cars go to auction. I've bought 4. All needed work. 1 I couldn't save the transmission on, and that's obviously the biggest risk with these vans. This is the dumbest way to buy a car, but also is actually the most convenient and probably the cheapest way to buy a Southern car. You give people money and a car shows up at your house on a trailer in a few days. Ezpz, unless it's completely broken like my last one.

View attachment 79972

View attachment 79973

View attachment 79974

View attachment 79975

2003 DODGE CARAVAN SE for Auction - IAA

Because I'm not a dealer, I have to use a broker to buy from IAA, but they make arranging shipping a car fairly easy. Not the cheapest shipping you probably could get, but Memphis TN to Grand Rapids as an example is just about a grand. Not awful.

View attachment 79976

I think it is possible to pay an "inspector" to go look it over for you too, but IAA cars can't be test driven by anyone before buying them. They're all a gamble, but this one as an example, if I were you, I'd buy it. Again though, all the VIN runs and checks you can think of won't tell you if it's got a bad transmission.

This is a good point. New car dealerships won't put older or high mileage cars on their sales lot for several reasons. Finance companies won't finance them. The cost of sending them through their shop and fixing everything is too much in relation to the cars value. Most dealers have other money (pac) that they add to the "cost" of the car as well as dealer fees etc... that push the price out of a reasonable range on cheap cars.

When I sold cars I watched lot of nice cars, and some junk, go to auction. The places I worked for would let us sell them but wouldn't advertise them or display them. They were parked in the back of the lot until being picked up for auction. I actually made good money being one of the few people who payed attention to them and kept a list of people who came in with a few thousand in cash but were turned away. I would walk the back fence every day and if something caught my eye I'd drive it, go over it and hit the phones.

 

[Groosalugg]

I could also just grab a lemon with a dead engine and swap it over

My opinion, don't buy any van that doesn't "run and drive" at least, from anywhere really, but especially an auction. IAA and Copart are about a hair above basically being a junkyard. Whether everyone will admit it or not, the transmissions in these vans are garbage, and often the reason they end up in places like these

However... if you're careful about getting a good titled car, make sure the state and insurance won't give you a hard time (probably won't if the title's good), you can get a good cheap car from a "bad" place. Also if you were to use the same broker that I do, it can sometimes take up to or even more than a month to get the title. For me, typically that works out, because I can fix up the brakes, steering, tires, etc to make it road safe while I'm waiting anyway.

All of that having been said, it's still the dumbest way to buy a car you intend to use as a daily. If you're willing to roll the dice on 2-3k worth of a risky buy, definitely post a link and let us scrutinize it. I'm more than happy to tell you what a good or bad idea any car is the best I can see, and I know others are too.

Another possibility is buying something from facebook, but the logistics get annoying to the point of near impossibility. It's cheap enough to get a rental car and drive yourself where you've made a deal to buy a car, but you have to trust the seller. It's technically legal supposedly to drive a car home you don't have registered in your name yet, but legal and "legal" are 2 different things. I'd personally also never drive a car with essentially unknown history that far before taking it to a mechanic, and in a strange place, good luck finding a good one. They're like hen's teeth these days.