This was my primary vehicle for 14 years (1994-2008), during which I drove it at least 600 miles/week commuting between SW Virginia and Washington DC (mostly Interstate miles). I have maintained the vehicle myself, including a complete engine rebuild at 330,000 miles (it didn't need it then, but I chickened out and decided it was time). See Maintenance below for details. I've used only synthetic oil (Mobil 1), and never had a problem with the turbocharger. My goal was to drive it to 500,000 miles and then find a new primary vehicle. At slightly under 497k I noticed a distinct change in the engine, as it was running rougher. At the time I make a quick diagnosis of a blown head gasket, parked it, and bought another vehicle. That was in January of 2008. My intention was to repair it and then decide what to do with it. Now, in Sept 2010, with a driveway full of mostly older vehicles, I'm realizing that day may never come. It was a faithful and reliable friend for many years, and now I want to find a home for it with an owner who will appreciate it's special capabilities. So, in the last few days I changed the oil and did a compression test. The #3 cylinder is about 10 psi lower than the others, but I'm no longer sure that the problem is a blown head gasket. It might be something as simple as a bad plug wire or a bad injector. I simply don't have the time to do any more with it. I put tags back on it and it passed Virginia state inspection on the first try.
What's so special about this mini-van? - Perhaps a few links will illustrate. Note that these two mini-vans are still street legal, without major engine modifications:
Mean Mini turns Quarter miles in the 13's, while being used as a family car during the week.
Dad's Turbo Minivan is another daily use mini-van that turns in the 12's
Check out the links - it's pretty funny to see Corvettes and Camaros being blown away by Minivans!!
Now, this van certainly isn't running that well now, but I don't know of any reason why a knowledgeable mechanic and a little TLC could not do the same thing with this van. When I first bought this van in 1994, I had not had a speeding ticket for over 20 years. The first year I owned it I had several tickets and warnings. Even my careful-driving wife got a ticket with it. It was just too much fun dropping the hammer on it!! If it was an 'ordinary' mini-van, I would probably just send it an auto graveyard, dry my eyes, and move on. But I'm really hoping the right person comes across this and gives it the home it deserves.
No clue, except for the gold letters on the front fender |
I haven't gotten around to taking off the hang gliding rack yet (pipe on front) |
Paint still in good shape, very little rust |
Upholstery still in pretty good shape |
Mini-van with a clutch pedal! |
Rear Seat |
Chrysler Turbo |
Engine Compartment |
496,963 Miles! |
This is the worst of the rust |
5 speed Turbo! |
Interior Still Nice |
I have maintained the vehicle myself, including a complete engine rebuild at 328,000 miles (it didn't need it then, but I chickened out and decided it was time). The factory hone marks were still visible in the cylinders, with less than 1 mil of wear, so, on the advice of the machine shop, I did not bore it but simply put in new pistons and rings. The crank took only a 10 mil grind to restore it. Exhaust valves were replaced, as they showed some evidence of starting to dish. The cam looked good, but was later replaced at 424,000 miles when it started to pit.
Most Recent Major Parts Replacement (working backwards)You can email me at: rec (at) wind-drifter.com