That thing got a hemi? Actually, it does.

6500... If it's a true california car rust wise and the suspension and brakes are in good shape, I'll call it a fair deal. It'll need a carb and probably maintenance things, but if it runs and drives good, yea that's not a bad price.

 

I suppose I just do not know enough .... I always thought the early versions had a crap transmission.
Just too small and light duty for the heavier vans .... while they worked fine for the K car sedans.

Not trying to be a Debbie downer, I was talking to a car salesman looking to buy something different.
I was driving the wife 80's Caravan and we started to talk about them.
The salesman pointed to the back row and they had 4 or 5 Caravans there with a bad transmission.

I quickly got rid of my 4cyl 3spd auto while it still ran good.
Was not til the 2nd gen with the V6 and 4spd that I thought they were worth investing time in.

 

I suppose I just do not know enough .... I always thought the early versions had a crap transmission.
Just too small and light duty for the heavier vans .... while they worked fine for the K car sedans.

Not trying to be a Debbie downer, I was talking to a car salesman looking to buy something different.
I was driving the wife 80's Caravan and we started to talk about them.
The salesman pointed to the back row and they had 4 or 5 Caravans there with a bad transmission.

I quickly got rid of my 4cyl 3spd auto while it still ran good.
Was not til the 2nd gen with the V6 and 4spd that I thought they were worth investing time in.

Mostly a symptom of lack of maintenance and/or incorrect fluid use, same issue the 2nd gens have.

They require 15k fluid changes and ATF4 fluid. People didn’t service them or the shop dumped their bulk fluid in and they went to crap. 2nd gens had the exact same problem, it’s WHY so many people think these transmissions are junk.

 

Run for the hills, it has the 4-banger 2.6L with the EVIL Mikuni carb! I too would choose the under-powered 2.2L over the 2.6L if that was the choice.

Sharp looking van otherwise.

 

I too would choose the under-powered 2.2L over the 2.6L if that was the choice.

I think I'd rather have a 2.6 instead from what I've seen of them anyway.

I think they don't mind getting beaten on more than the 2.2/2.5, but I haven't driven one myself.

 

Would've been an '87 with the EFI 2.5L. Big composite headlamps as well, which replaced the quad vertical headlamps.

 

You get used to it...

Not really.

Not gonna say you guys are wrong, but...

The lemon van engine was running fairly decent when I first drove it. Then I made a bit of a booboo driving and floored it to avoid a problem, and that's when I think one of the wrist pins decided to loosen up all of a sudden. It seriously felt like the timing somehow magically retarded itself on one cylinder it ran so crappy. What I mean is, you can feel 3 cylinders fire fine and 1 a little off. It's kinda stupid I even attempted to drive that thing home like that.

All I'm saying is, sure beat on it probably be fine, but they're more likely to break if you do.

https://rumble.com/v4sdfrc-lemon-van-engine-noise.html

 

Not gonna say you guys are wrong, but...

The lemon van engine was running fairly decent when I first drove it. Then I made a bit of a booboo driving and floored it to avoid a problem, and that's when I think one of the wrist pins decided to loosen up all of a sudden. It seriously felt like the timing somehow magically retarded itself on one cylinder it ran so crappy. What I mean is, you can feel 3 cylinders fire fine and 1 a little off. It's kinda stupid I even attempted to drive that thing home like that.

All I'm saying is, sure beat on it probably be fine, but they're more likely to break if you do.

https://rumble.com/v4sdfrc-lemon-van-engine-noise.html

The lemon van was also clapped, abused, and rode hard before you got it, along with unknown maintenance.

For all you know it would have hatched idling around town.

 

I am not going to complain about the 3.8l. 500k between two of them with no internal work.

 

I’ve lost 3 of them all under 100k. 1 launched bearings at 78k after sitting for a week. 1 launched a rod at 98k getting on the interstate. 1 broke the rocker pedestal and destroyed a head at 88k.

They’re fine cruiser engines, but once you start pushing them they’re trash.