Rwd Caravan street strip.

[Haibach boys]

so i want to build another "different" vehicle. i have a 92 grand caravan (nice body) with a bad trans and 235k on the engine. and i have a 11.5:1 compression 340 (built for braket racing) and a good running 400 big block.

now i have part A, the caravan
and i have part B, a nasty small block/ or a nice street big block.

now the plan.. convert to rear wheel drive and install a 9 1/4 or 8 3/4 rear, custom drive shaft, and figure out how to install a v8 in the front of the caravan. and beat the snot out of it with the family.

has any one swapped a v8 in to a caravan? i have seen a few first gens but never a 2nd generation.

whats your guys input? yay? or build somthing else?

[1BADVAN]

Cool i don't have any tips but would love to see it done!

[raccoon]

its a good idea, lots of room for the driveline.

[Haibach boys]

thats what i am thinking, brake out the plasma cutter and cut off wheels and see what happens. also thought of building like an A-100 style mid engine subframe and rear mount the engine, i just have to decide how practical i want this thing.

wild mid-mount (fathers idea)
not so wild front engine and drive it more daily.

[RoadWarrior222]

I have heard, that they share dimensions in common with the Diplomat, which were built at Windsor before they went over to minivans, hence some things like the frame rails were spaced the same to save tooling conversion costs.... hence it is rumored that things like the Dippy K frame are close to fitting....

So... you might wanna source an M body parts car, and see what can be done.

[Haibach boys]

thanks for the heads up. luckily i have 2 out back, ill look into that!!!

[MILKCARTON]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dragzine.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2011/10/23761485-423-Chopped-dodge-caravan-drag-racer.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dragzine.com/news/racing-junk-find-chopped-top-dodge-caravan/&usg=__anpMhSpzwJra3BnFZblLpir8qqs=&h=450&w=600&sz=55&hl=en&start=3&zoom=1&tbnid=l6J9z5Ezy16xAM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&ei=rTCYT7PkFc7UiALasPHLDw&prev=/search%3Fq%3DDRAG%2BRACE%2BCARAVAN%26hl%3Den%26gbv %3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1

[turbovanman²]

Many have done it, just need to fab up some kind of engine mounts. I would reuse the front suspension and just run the outer CV joints to keep the bearings together, :nod:

[guyd_15]

Switch to a 1st gen mini, they used leaf springs in the rear. This should save a lot of work! Search thru google there have been several 1st gen v8 conversions.







Guy

[turbovanman²]

Switch to a 1st gen mini, they used leaf springs in the rear. This should save a lot of work! Search thru google there have been several 1st gen v8 conversions.

Guy

So does a 92, its basically the same van as a 1st gen, :thumb:

[MILKCARTON]

+1 on the first gen van, put everthing from the drivers side on the pass side, pass to drivers side, strut to hub, to get the steering in front, 1st gen dakota manual rack, cut and box crossmember for oil pan.

[Haibach boys]

the reason for the 92 2nd gen van is because there is a 5 of them out back. i just wanta use old stuff that i have laying around, try and use my old junk, and not scrap it. plus nice small block in a daily caravan, would be cool. i think atleast

[moparman76_69]

Switch to a 1st gen mini, they used leaf springs in the rear. This should save a lot of work! Search thru google there have been several 1st gen v8 conversions.

Every minivan up until at least 2001 use leaf springs in the back.

I'd reinforce the area the leaf spring hangers mount to with a plate on the inside. You'll be putting forces on those mounts that they weren't originally designed for. You could borrow a page from the AWD van and run a diff mounted to the frame and the rear axle with CVs. Run a Thunderbird 8.8 diff and an AWD rear axle on the factory leaf springs.

As for the front, as mentioned before flip the spindles and run a dakota rack and run a mid sump pan so you don't have to cut the k-frame to bad.

[ShelGame]

My personal all-time-favorite V8 caravan conversion...

39085390863908739088

[turbovanman²]

Awesome. I don't know if I'd call that a conversion, looks like they just dropped the body onto a 4x4 frame, :eyebrows:

[moparman76_69]

Not to mention if I remember correctly it is a 4wd s10 blazer frame.

[ShelGame]

Not to mention if I remember correctly it is a 4wd s10 blazer frame.

I think it is, but I did check and both the SWB and LWB Minivans match the SWB and LWB 1st gen Dakota's within a 1/4 inch. So, it should be just as 'easy' with a 4x4 318 Dak chassis...

That and a 4BT swap and you'd have one hell of an unstoppable turbo mini...

[ATaylorRacing]

Heres a v8 pt for sale... http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2010/08/2003_pt_cruiser_v8-5_speed_bu.jpg
If I was doing a minivan I'd go rwd AND midengine for more traction!
Here is a pic of my old 81 Eurosedan Horizon (547 made) that was sold to a guy that made it a 440 mid engine car! He had four frame rails sticking out behind the car with a 9" rear....looked like a Horizon towing a rail when you were behind it. The zoomie headers stuck out where the rear tires used to be. It had a funny car style roll cage in it. The car was built for his daughter to race and run 13.0 back then...stock truck 440 with low compression smog motor, under 200 hp. His daughter learned how to bracket race it and shortly afterwards he cut off the rear end and took out the roll cage and built her a real rail dragster.
3911939120

[turbovanman²]

That PT is pretty cool, very well done, :nod: