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Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: elmor] #731347
06/25/10 10:14 PM
06/25/10 10:14 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,077
Oklahoma City
Jwilli500 Offline
top fuel
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Oklahoma City
Did you try contacting him? There was an email addy included in that link I posted previously.
Quote:

I'd sure like to see how he mounted the engine and trans, so I could duplicate it. As far as I recall, non of the mopar minivans had trans tunnels.



Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: Runnin74] #731348
06/25/10 11:52 PM
06/25/10 11:52 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,319
Chicago Burbs
sthemi Offline
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Chicago Burbs
Quote:

I don't know about the earlier model Caravans, But the 2001 and up models have no tranny tunnel - just flat floorboards. I suppose if one was going to the effort to put in a small block that wasn't a mid mount you could graft in a tunnel.




Start with an AWD minivan, they have a driveshaft, rear axle and flat floors..

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: Jwilli500] #731349
06/26/10 11:37 AM
06/26/10 11:37 AM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 293
salem, oregon. usa
E
elmor Offline OP
enthusiast
elmor  Offline OP
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salem, oregon. usa
I tried contacting him through that website. No response yet.

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: elmor] #731350
06/27/10 03:47 AM
06/27/10 03:47 AM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 293
salem, oregon. usa
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elmor Offline OP
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salem, oregon. usa
What type of rear axle did the AWD Caravans have in them? That does sound like an interesting concept. I would love to build a mid-engine rig, but I'm concerned with having enough room for a good pinion angle. If I set the engine/trans in back of the front seats, that doesn't leave much room for a driveshaft, if any. A 3 inch driveshaft doesn't make for very good angles or allow for rearend movement.

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: Dakota_Don] #731351
06/27/10 03:58 AM
06/27/10 03:58 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,131
Canada -- Posts: 4034 -Registe...
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5thAve Offline
Doesn't care what this says anyway
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Canada -- Posts: 4034 -Registe...
Quote:

somone here had a van wit a SB, if i remember right he used a dipy k frame, and the rear axel.




I guess you missed the other replies that mentioned that and the engine picture

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: 5thAve] #731352
06/27/10 06:04 AM
06/27/10 06:04 AM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins Offline
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Joplin, MO USA
That's kind of cool, talk about sleeper......wow.


Moparlee
Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: elmor] #731353
06/27/10 11:53 AM
06/27/10 11:53 AM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 12,481
Chino Valley
RodStRace Offline
I Live Here
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Chino Valley
Quote:

What type of rear axle did the AWD Caravans have in them? That does sound like an interesting concept. I would love to build a mid-engine rig, but I'm concerned with having enough room for a good pinion angle. If I set the engine/trans in back of the front seats, that doesn't leave much room for a driveshaft, if any. A 3 inch driveshaft doesn't make for very good angles or allow for rearend movement.





Just thinking out loud here, but one way to deal with that is to run an IRS and have the center section solid to the unibody. It would not be a wheelie machine or a dragstrip terror, but you could make it handle.

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: elmor] #731354
06/27/10 12:00 PM
06/27/10 12:00 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,366
Michigan
MarkZ Offline
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Michigan
Quote:

A 3 inch driveshaft doesn't make for very good angles or allow for rearend movement.




It does if the rear end, transmission, and motor are mounted solid to a sub-frame, independent of the body.

6056606-MVC-370S.JPG (27 downloads)

1987 Fifth Avenue - 512/518/D60
Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: MarkZ] #731355
06/27/10 12:02 PM
06/27/10 12:02 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,366
Michigan
MarkZ Offline
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Michigan
The sub-frame is for a 440 powered A100 wheelie stander. You could use this concept for a mid-engine mount in a Caravan.

6056611-MVC-368S.JPG (25 downloads)

1987 Fifth Avenue - 512/518/D60
Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: MarkZ] #731356
06/27/10 01:21 PM
06/27/10 01:21 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,680
Raleighwood
2Bad360sfromNC Offline
top fuel
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Raleighwood
Sounds like a whole lot of work when the 4 cylinder turbo Caravans can do this with a lot less work...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhcOBrsk0nc

...but it would be kinda neat and sound better.


1968 Charger project. I don't have a fender tag or a buildsheet, so it's getting a 440. Help me decide on a color--most everything looks great! (NOT white. My Challenger is white. Need some variety :D)
1974 Challenger 360
2012 Challenger R/T
1991 Dakota 5.2
Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: MarkZ] #731357
06/27/10 01:28 PM
06/27/10 01:28 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,111
Bowie, MD
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Reggie Offline
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Bowie, MD
That's a mean looking setup Mark!

Here are a couple of tweaked minivans...

12 second turbo Caravan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haPCQKOyMTo&feature=related

440 Caravan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4GUiu8nDPE

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: RodStRace] #731358
06/27/10 02:16 PM
06/27/10 02:16 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,533
Indiana
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Fury Fan Offline
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Indiana
Quote:

Quote:

What type of rear axle did the AWD Caravans have in them? That does sound like an interesting concept. I would love to build a mid-engine rig, but I'm concerned with having enough room for a good pinion angle. If I set the engine/trans in back of the front seats, that doesn't leave much room for a driveshaft, if any. A 3 inch driveshaft doesn't make for very good angles or allow for rearend movement.





Just thinking out loud here, but one way to deal with that is to run an IRS and have the center section solid to the unibody. It would not be a wheelie machine or a dragstrip terror, but you could make it handle.




My suspicion would be that whatever rearend an AWD Caravan would have would be too weak. I'd stay with my recommendation of a Ford Explorer 8.8 - cheap, Locker can be prelim-identified on the door tag, and has disk brakes.

Midship mount does not leave much room for a driveshaft. I wondered if a motorhome 727 would help, but it's probably not much different than a 904.

My 'new idea' would be to install an 8.8 IRS from a Lincoln Mark 8. Solid mount it into a subframe as Rod St Race and Mark Mullins have mentioned.

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: RodStRace] #731359
06/27/10 02:39 PM
06/27/10 02:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,168
Vancouver, WA
MoparMarq Offline
super stock
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Vancouver, WA
Quote:

Just thinking out loud here, but one way to deal with that is to run an IRS and have the center section solid to the unibody. It would not be a wheelie machine or a dragstrip terror, but you could make it handle.




3rd Gen Supras ('86.5-'92) are IRS rears mounted on subframes which have the whole shebang - pumpkin, suspension, a-arms, springs, struts, the works. Might not be too difficult to adapt to the existing structure. And the rear end is quite stout. LSDs can be found and gears available are 3.73, 3.91, or 4.30. Some guys have run 600HP at the crank through that diff.

Probably wouldn't be too hard to find, since most of those cars are wrecked in the front.

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: elmor] #731360
06/27/10 04:10 PM
06/27/10 04:10 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,349
warfordsburg, PA
dirt Offline
pro stock
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warfordsburg, PA
I put smallblock V8's in dodge daytona's and use the factory front suspension and it works fine. sometimes people use minivan springs because they are heavier so i would think the minivan would hold the motor up front easy. its similar to the daytona any way , the suspension crossmember bolts in a little different but similar.

Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: RodStRace] #731361
06/27/10 09:43 PM
06/27/10 09:43 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,077
Oklahoma City
Jwilli500 Offline
top fuel
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Posts: 2,077
Oklahoma City
With that in mind, what about a rear axle from a Magnum Or a Viper(narrowed)? I think it'd be easier to use a solid axle and add the floor board hump if needed though.
Quote:

Quote:

What type of rear axle did the AWD Caravans have in them? That does sound like an interesting concept. I would love to build a mid-engine rig, but I'm concerned with having enough room for a good pinion angle. If I set the engine/trans in back of the front seats, that doesn't leave much room for a driveshaft, if any. A 3 inch driveshaft doesn't make for very good angles or allow for rearend movement.





Just thinking out loud here, but one way to deal with that is to run an IRS and have the center section solid to the unibody. It would not be a wheelie machine or a dragstrip terror, but you could make it handle.



Last edited by Jwilli500; 06/27/10 09:46 PM.
Re: Smallblock in a Caravan [Re: Jwilli500] #731362
06/27/10 10:31 PM
06/27/10 10:31 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,349
warfordsburg, PA
dirt Offline
pro stock
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Posts: 1,349
warfordsburg, PA
i would run a solid axle and make a small hump if i had to for the drive shaft.

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