Any Oppos in Iowa?

"Long-Voyager" (long-voyager) 05/23/2018 at 16:09 • Filed to: Unnecessary Car Shopping

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Thinking about going to pick this up: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

I would like to know more before making the trip to get it. Assuming the body/inside is what they claim, I would definitely pick this up.

Hopefully someone is in the area that could check it out for me.

Update: Talked to the owner today. He said it got all new brakes and suspension last fall. Shortly after the engine started losing coolant at an alarming rate, so he took it to his mechanic. The mechanic told him the engine needed to be replaced at the cost of $1500. He said he would fix it himself if he wasn’t 82. He also said the trans was rebuilt when he bought it 5 yrs ago, receipts included for all the work. One rust bubble on the driver’s rocker, otherwise clean body with factory undercoating still on the underside.

Definitely going to be leaning on the wife harder to go get this this weekend!

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 10:21

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RUNS, NEEDS ENGINE

if it needs an engine can it truly run? lol

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 10:25

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CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 05/22/2018 at 10:30

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Disregard this, keep buying vintage mopar.

jimz > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/22/2018 at 10:30

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it’s probably billowing blue smoke, the 6G72 was well known for bad valve guides and seals. the seals leak and the guides drop down out of position.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 10:32

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I did a quick check for local models ($CDN = massive savings)

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/d/7-passenger-van/6583641623.html

Pretty mint actually. Kinda shocked.

shop-teacher > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 10:34

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Birdog is in the Quad cities. He hasn’t been on Oppo in a while though. Are you on the book of faces?

PartyPooper2012 > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 10:44

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I used to stand in the shadows of mechanics that worked on my car in my younger days. Watch how and why they do things.

From time to time, there would be some sort of a van/minivan in there. I was always turned off by where the engine was - in the firewall. How in the fuck do you get to anything there.

Can you explain the attraction to these things? Other than driving to get a jug of milk, what are they good for? Not particularly good offroaders. Not particularly sports cars. Not particularly good at towing much. Not particularly attractive. What am I missing?

LOREM IPSUM > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 11:50

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Hold out for a turbo one. Potential 10 second minivan.

Long-Voyager > LOREM IPSUM 05/22/2018 at 11:58

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The want for a Turbo/manual is strong, but $300 for a clean 1st gen is a steal I don’t want to miss.

Long-Voyager > PartyPooper2012 05/22/2018 at 12:10

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You’re thinking 3rd gen and up. The 1st/2nd gens are wide open under the hood, with easy access to everything.

The attraction is in their ease of use, ease of modding, vast parts availabilty, and lack of weight.

Swapping tires for example makes them very capable off road.

Swapping suspension makes them very tight/responsive handlers.

They can tow as much as modern CUVs, while offering more comfort combined with the same real world mileage.

Attractive is relative.

They are extremely simple/easy to work on, take extremely well to simple mods, and are damn reliable when taken proper care of.

Long-Voyager > shop-teacher 05/22/2018 at 12:11

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I am not.

Long-Voyager > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 05/22/2018 at 12:12

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They easily break $2500-3000 around here in good shape.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 12:13

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This is $2190.55USD

Long-Voyager > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/22/2018 at 12:14

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I talked to the guy about 6 months ago on it (when he was asking $700 for it). It ran and drove but was leaking coolant heavily IIRC.

Very likely it’s simply the Crossover hose from the water pump to the lower intake as they were notorious for being about 1/2" too long causing them to rub, in turn leading to a hole the looked like a bad water pump or HG. At worst it’s HGs, which are about a 4 hr job if I’m lolly-gagging. ;)

shop-teacher > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 12:16

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Alright then, that’s where he’s active. Hopefully somebody else is local.

Long-Voyager > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 05/22/2018 at 12:16

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Long-Voyager > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 05/22/2018 at 12:18

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That’s only $1,890.55 more than this one......;)

PartyPooper2012 > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 12:18

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touche. Did not know this.

I wasn’t referring to any one model. Just vans/minivans in general.

Long-Voyager > shop-teacher 05/22/2018 at 12:18

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If not I may just load up the trailer and go this weekend. For $300 the parts are worth it.

Long-Voyager > PartyPooper2012 05/22/2018 at 12:22

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Under hood for reference:

They’re something you have to experience and toy around with to understand.

PartyPooper2012 > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 12:34

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something like this...

or this

jimz > PartyPooper2012 05/22/2018 at 12:58

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Not particularly good offroaders. Not particularly sports cars. Not particularly good at towing much. Not particularly attractive. What am I missing?

They have a lot of room inside, can carry a ton of stuff (e.g. kids and all their crap,) newer ones have very flexible seating options, and they’re comfortable to get in/out of and to drive.

you know, what 99% of car buyers care about, unlike the silly stuff you just said.

LOREM IPSUM > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 13:05

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It’s probably worth more than $300 at the scrapper. You pretty much can’t lose.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 15:12

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I’m Southeast MN but it would be a 4 hour drive for me to check it out.

Long-Voyager > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! 05/22/2018 at 16:05

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It’s about 3.5 for me, which is worth it given it’s actually what the guy claims.

Going to talk it over with the wife tonight, if she goes for it I’ll be dropping the Acclaim project and snagging this up this weekend.

Long-Voyager > PartyPooper2012 05/22/2018 at 16:06

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Here’s a 3rd gen Caravan:

They got significantly more cramped with the body change.

Long-Voyager > LOREM IPSUM 05/22/2018 at 16:07

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That’s pretty much where I’m at. If it is what the guy says, I’ll steal the engine from my current project, stuff it in here, and recover my money scrapping the car.

I’ll end up with a clean vehicle for essentially free.

PartyPooper2012 > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 16:19

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Yeah. I’m sure I wasn’t looking at this particular one. just generic.

Long-Voyager > PartyPooper2012 05/22/2018 at 17:34

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Ya, most vans/minivans are a PITA to work under the hood of.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Long-Voyager 05/22/2018 at 23:33

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Good luck and God speed.