Seeings People Have been Asking

"Long-Voyager" (long-voyager)
03/21/2018 at 12:49 • Filed to: wrenching, wrencheveryday, build, Mopar

I figured I’ll do a quick write up on my van’s journey.

This is the day I brought her home (parked next to our 95 SW):

It was in great shape other than needing a coat of paint (yay paint peel) and valve cover gaskets.

So I started in:

Started sanding her out, smoked out the lights, and had my friend airbrush a set of Spirit wheels I had painted to match:

I kept on with body work, getting everything prepped, then built the push bar and laid on the black:

With the black laid on, I finished prepping and pulled her in to finish the paint work:

Believe it or not, the paint was originally Ford Shadow Gray and Jet Black. We added Blue pearl to the clear coat, which completely changed both colors.

Then got my bar back on, cut down the roof rack cross bars, and painted it to match:

Then I (the wife actually) decided it needed a snorkel to complete the look. Not being one to have anything that isn’t functional, I set to building my Snorkel:

Made a “mold” out of hardware cloth, then wrapped it in parchment paper, and coated it with fiberglass (I will use fiberglass mesh instead of filler next time):

Snorkel was sorted outside, so I got it mounted:

I don’t have a good pic of the intake, but it was routed like this, minus the cone filter:

The engine got redone shortly after buying the van, when it needed HGs replaced at 167k.

I drove it like that for over a year, daily to work, out on weekends, beating on trails, etc when the transmission finally started acting up at 195k. I was going to have it built, but then I stumbled across this (107k original):

So I tore the driveline out, freshened it up with some newer top end parts (more power), mild porting, all new gaskets, and a new look:

With the drivetrain ready, I set to work tearing mine apart for the transplant:

Which also required swapping the complete engine bay harness (which we did not save from the donor):

Got the harness swapped and set to work installing the new drivetrain:

I completed the whole drivetrain swap in a day. I drove it to work Monday, took Tuesday off, drove it to work Wednesday!

Since then we’ve been enjoying driving it. It’s an absolute riot with it’s newfound power, while still being a perfectly reliable daily. I’ve been adding things here and there ever since, most recently adding lights:

I still have to rebuild my snorkel, as my old setup won’t work with the new drivetrain, but I already have a plan for that.

I finally have some rust poking up after this winter, so I will be fixing that this summer after I get the car done and truck painted to sell.

Otherwise, I just plan on enjoying the hell out of her as I always have and keeping her on the road as long as possible.

DISCUSSION (10)

Mercedes Streeter > Long-Voyager
03/21/2018 at 13:17

Man, this post needed a NSFW tag on it! Thanks for the build update. I absolutely adore these vans and what you’ve done to them!

WilliamsSW > Long-Voyager
03/21/2018 at 13:25

I was really impressed until I got to this:

I completed the whole drivetrain swap in a day. I drove it to work Monday, took Tuesday off, drove it to work Wednesday!

After that I was just dumbfounded. Awesome!

DipodomysDeserti > Long-Voyager
03/21/2018 at 13:45

This is awesome. What I never got is why the 3.8L is seen as such a turd by Jeep guys, but as a very reliable engine by Caravan guys (who probably put a lot more miles on them). I have one in my Jeep and it seems to be holding up very well and has a good amount of low end torque.

So Shiney. So Chrome! So Frunky > Long-Voyager
03/21/2018 at 13:47

Until your posts I’d never considered modifying these older vans. I’ve always had a soft spot for them though. My Dad flipped cars all my life and has owned I would guess 150 Caravans, Voyagers, and Town and Countrys through the years. Those things kept food on the table and a roof over my head not to mention ferried me around my entire childhood

CalzoneGolem > Long-Voyager
03/21/2018 at 14:00

Easily the most impressive Plymouth minivan I’ve ever seen.

10/10 would DD

Long-Voyager > CalzoneGolem
03/21/2018 at 16:08

I’ll do one for the other van soon. That was the auto-x/ “race” van.

Long-Voyager > So Shiney. So Chrome! So Frunky
03/21/2018 at 16:11

I would have never considered it until I owned one. Then I did simple intake/exhaust, more for a laugh and economy boost than anything. After noticing how much simple intake and exhaust brought it to life, I started playing more. By the time the 1st one was done I would guess it had around 250hp/270ft-lbs, was lowered and tightened significantly, and would hold its own out auto-x’ing.

After that one, they’ve been an addiction.

Long-Voyager > DipodomysDeserti
03/21/2018 at 16:12

I can’t answer that unfortunately. I love the 3.8L, it’s a good combo of torque monster while still being able to rev out to it’s 5800rpm limit and deliver respectable mileage.

Long-Voyager > WilliamsSW
03/21/2018 at 16:14

When you know these 90s Mopars “hard” jobs become an afternoon’s work.

I used to drop the trans out of my Acclaim after work, install whatever I broke, put it back together, and test drive it in 3 hrs.

i86hotdogs > Long-Voyager
10/23/2018 at 16:26

You’ re living my dream. Just wanted to tell you that