My Dream Van Garage

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 07/13/2020 at 09:40 • Filed to: Dream Garage

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Thank you i86hotdogs for this amazing idea.

So, if I had all the money in the world but only wanted to drive vans, here’s what I would buy:

UAZ Classic/452, AKA “Loaf Van” or “Buhkanda”

It may not be legal to own a brand new one in the US, but !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . The UAZ Loaf Van is legendary for off road capability. Not to mention two and four door chassis cabs with numerous factory upfits are also available.

Jeep FC Station Wagon

I have an inexplicable love for the Jeep FC. It is just an offroad beast that made more sense than most people would admit, resulting in extremely poor sales.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

I just love this spaceship of a rear engined van. It just makes so much sense!

Ford Transit Connect passenger van

The daily. Focus ST drivetrain swapped obviously. A practical car that can totally rip if need be.

Citroen HY van “glamper.”

Bigger than a Westfalia and just as slow. Also, Citroen.

Fiat Multipla

Sometimes you just need a really really small van.

Imagine all the vanning I could do with these vans! Did I leave anything out?

i86hotdogs > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 09:48

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Great choices across the board! With all the totaled FoSTs and FiSTs out there, an ST swap might be very doable on a reasonable budget. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > i86hotdogs 07/13/2020 at 09:54

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That really would make a vantastic daily. I can’t help but think a Transit Connect would make a great family hauler. 

Long_Voyager94 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 09:59

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Drivetrain swapped Transit Connect would definitely make my list, although I’d go for a smooth NA V6 instead.

Otherwise, I still need a 1st gen Turbo/manual Caravan/Voyager.

And a Dajiban build would have to be in there as well.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 10:02

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Fiesta van with st swap. Ideal dd and dog transport

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/13/2020 at 10:08

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I do for some reason like the two door Fiesta more than is really reasonable. It is like the new HHR SS but cooler. 

A Dajiban would be great. I think I would spend so much time explaining it it might get tiresome. That last generation body on frame Dodge van is seriously uncool when not drifting. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 10:08

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Pinterest is a PITA and that’s all I’m going to say about it.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Long_Voyager94 07/13/2020 at 10:09

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A Dajiban would be great. I think I would spend so much time explaining it it might get tiresome. That last generation body on frame Dodge van is seriously uncool when not drifting.

Would a V6 even fit?

I should also have thrown in a Kei van and a Delica. Kinja was being stupid though and I lost this article like 5 times.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 07/13/2020 at 10:11

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Google image searches are polluted by that website. For the life of me I don’t get the appeal. I’ve also never tried it for fear of getting the appeal. 

i86hotdogs > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 10:11

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It’s a lot smaller than current minivans. Mine looks like a compact car next to the new Pacifica. But they can seat up to 7. That smaller, lighter body paired with a boosted 4cyl pushing 2 50 horses would be tons of fun.

i86hotdogs > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/13/2020 at 10:13

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This with an ST swap would be killer around cones.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > i86hotdogs 07/13/2020 at 10:19

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Small footprint with lots of room and relatively lightweight means they are probably more fun to drive too. Still, you would be thought of as a little strange to buy one.

I saw a passenger version of the Ram Promaster City the other day. What an oddball. Most compact passenger vans  I see are transit connects.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 10:24

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“ Breenbrier”

I am unfamiliar with this model of Greenbriar.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 07/13/2020 at 10:27

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Well, you done got Greenbri e r wrong too. Kinja really did not want this information leaked and so I had to redo this entire post about 5 times before it would work.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 11:15

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I tried it for a while and it was a PITA. You make collections of pictures of things that you like and people follow you.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 11:19

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Green Briar:

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 07/13/2020 at 11:22

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Ouch. Not a good namesake either .

Greenbrier sounds like an average subdivision in an average part of town populated by average people of average age. Not suitable for a revolutionary van.

i86hotdogs > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 11:37

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I almost bought a passenger ProCity years ago. They are hard to find on lots. Salesman would n’t budge on the price, and I did not want to spend nearly $30k, so I moved on.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > i86hotdogs 07/13/2020 at 11:56

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You can’t even find the cargo versions on dealer lots, much less a passenger configuration.

I just realized I don’t think I’ve ever seen a passenger version of the Mercedes Metris. I’ve seen maybe a half dozen cargo variants but the thing is just too expensive for anyone to buy them. Why on earth did they think people would pay $5,000 more over a Ford or a Dodge?

I actually think the Promaster City is one of the best looking vans on the market. Shame, since they have not sold well at all.

Long_Voyager94 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 12:01

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OOOOOOOO, Delica!

i86hotdogs > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 12:03

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I do like the euro-styling of the ProCity. Especially the higher trims that eliminate all the unpainted bumpers. They seem to have it built well too. The TC just runs that market, I once read TC’s sell about 4:1 to ProCity’s (think it was a Jalop article). I’ve also read that parts for the ProCity are hard to come by with the exception of the powertrain since that Tigershark is used in about every entry level FCA vehicle. 

I’ve only seen passenger Metris’s in limo fleets. Otherwise I have not seen one on the road.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > i86hotdogs 07/13/2020 at 12:17

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I feel like America has largely gotten over the small van fad of circa 2015. The Nissan NV200 (and Chevy rebadge) , Promaster City, Mercedes Metris (larger, but still), the new Transit Connect, all launched around the same time and most suffered poor sales. They are still all uncommon.

Also the Metris is overpriced and underperforms. Mercedes is not associated with vans at all too, which doesn’t help its case.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 12:23

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“Greenbrier” makes me think of plaid upholstery and camping for some reason. Luckily, that’s exactly what I want out of a Corvair van!

i86hotdogs > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 12:24

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For the consumer, yeah they never were popular. But companies and fleets eat em up. The NV200 had advantages like the tight turning radius and narrow width, but never offered a passenger option, and the CVT powertrain stunk. It won’t be missed.

The only advantage the Metris has over the rest is the mantra that it’s built in the states. Looks sharp too. Otherwise I have no interest. Maybe a pre-owned version for pennies will catch my interest.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 07/13/2020 at 12:33

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Because that describes the van by the same name. It just reminds me of the vaguely pretentious and aristocratic names often given to subdivisions when dissociated from the Corvair.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > i86hotdogs 07/13/2020 at 12:48

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NV200 was interesting but has basically no appeal outside of fleets and the CVTs are usually uneconomical to fix after a certain amount of years and miles. It was perfect for the NY taxi. There is actually a NY Taxi edition still with the livery intact that has been sitting in a fenced in lot on the south side of town for years. Probably stolen but those are only worth something in NY so it doesn’t sell.

Taylor Martin > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 13:54

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Ooooooh that glamper is amazing. Incredibly practical, outlandishly odd. Also I noticed a slight trend in terms of circular headlights, which I absolutely agree with. Why they went out of style baffles me still cause they’re just so dang cute.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Taylor Martin 07/13/2020 at 14:28

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Modern cars sometimes have oval headlights like minis. Few of them are perfectly circular but I do like how they look. The lower circular pod design I think it particularly fetching.

HY vans for l yfe.

Taylor Martin > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 14:49

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Yeah, they’re alright, but if I had to pick I’d certainly go for perfectly circular headlamps  any day of the week.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 21:12

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A. Citroen HY vans are awesome, so that camper is amazing....but ungodly slow :P

B. YAY MULTIPLA!

C. I LOVE UAZ the ‘Breadloaf’....they’re just ridiculously capable for what they are and look hilariously awesome! :D

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/13/2020 at 21:21

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A. Just as slow as a Westfalia so get to admire the scenery, but you have room to move around and are big enough for people to get out of your way. Plus, I am a sucker for G allic charm.

C. The   UAZ (ooh-az) Loaf is just such a fantastic name for a vehicle.

Surely I've missed something. I think a 2CV van would round out the collection nicely with perhaps a Honda kei van for a more modern experience.

Also, I think you’ll like my 4CV post.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/13/2020 at 21:57

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Oh yes, I love Dyane and 2CV vans...Renault 4 vans are awesome too! :D

But if you really want to be in the ‘it’ crowd, you need an Alfa Romeo Romeo! :P

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Romeo

Did you post the 4CV already? I’ve been really busy the last few days and might’ve missed it!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/13/2020 at 22:20

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https://oppositelock.kinja.com/dioccusa-a-not-at-all-rust-proof-renault-1844367548

It got buried in the Bronco hype.

You might call me a hopeless romantic but the Romeo really strikes the right notes for me. So many vans, so little funds. . .

S uch is life. Unless you are Jay Le no.

i86hotdogs > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/14/2020 at 07:59

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If I remember correctly, those things had only 130 horsepower. Talk about 0-60 in minutes.