Vannin' Home Forums General Discussion Readers Rides Stumpy! My new 86 Dodge shorty!

Okay, so it is only one picture, but I will post some more ics of the interior later. I am the third owner of this 1986 Dodge shorty van. It has 145,000 miles on the 225/904 combination and has working A/C. It has a rather nice conversion inside that is in very good shape. The downsides are those rims, the tired motor, and the lame lean-urn spark control computer and feedback carb. I have gotten the van to the point where it will actually do 65 MPH on the freeway, but it takes some time to get there I am about to swap out the ignition and carb for HEI and a two barrel carb. Future plans include replacing the motor with a rebuilt and built up 225 (possile stroked to 260) and replacing the 904 with a A-500. The van has a rear axle ratio of 3.54, so the overdrive should help on the highways. Oh yeah, the van has the 32 gallon gas tank. I get 8.5 miles per gallon! Woo-hoo!

nice lookin van there paint job looks good

Very nice Reed! More Pics please. Got to see the interior

The interior is a bit faded since the van spent the first 28 years of it slife in sunny california. THe side windows in the side doors and the driver's side middle were added by the second owner. The windshield was not tinted from the factory, but it was cracked so I replaced it with a new tinted one. The rear bench is a 60/40 split and each part reclines independently. The rear bench also has a VERY study frame, the most sturdy frame I have seen in a conversion van. Best of all, NO SUNROOFS! The paneling/carpeting is similar to what I wanted in the interior of my van anyway, plus it slooks like the conversion company shot the body recesses full of expanding foam so the van is quiet and well insulated. Future plans include a sunvisor, slotted mags (with the weird 5 on 5.5 bolt circle since the van is an 86) some mudflaps on the back, addditional guages on the dash, a sound system upgrade, and the above mentioned engine swap/igniution/carb upgrade. I need to put a free-flowing catalytic converter on there too. [ January 15, 2006, 05:03 PM: Message edited by: Reed ]

Sweet. I would love to have the 60/40 bench/bed. Never seen one before.

Me either. There is a plaque on the side step that says "City Van". I think this was a conversion model option from the compay that converted it.

A hopped up 225 a van?? Not to state the obvious... but...
ever think about a 360 swap? Pretty easy to do =) and cheaper in the long run.
Sharp looking 86!

I actually just sold my 74 Dodge shorty that HAD a 360. I like slant sixes and I like vans so there you have it.

Yay! Van pics! Looks like a nice clean ride Reed, and I wish you many years of vanning with it. BTW- are those Aerostar seats in the middle row? [ January 15, 2006, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: Cap'n Scurvy ]

Thanks Cap'n! I think those seats in the middle are the original conversion seats. THis van should last a good many years, especially with a slant six....

Looks nice Reed, good luck with it.

Yeah those middle seats look exactly like the ones in the old Aerostars. Looks like a pretty clean van. At least your seats will stay dry.

Real sharp interior! Another Late Dodge owner, Woo Hoo! Maybe we should start our own thread, LOL!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by Vantravlrs:
<strong> A hopped up 225 a van?? Not to state the obvious... but...
ever think about a 360 swap? Pretty easy to do =) and cheaper in the long run.
Sharp looking 86! </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Reed is the slant 6 MAN! With all the info he's got, he could make a /6 run cirlces around a 360!

Probably not around a 360, at least not naturally aspirated. I have to say that I am not crazy about the steering wheel of the single square headlights, but they work fine for now. I still think the mid-dodge is the best looking dodge from the outside, but the late dodges are much easier to work on in the engine bay and I like the accessibility of the instrument cluster. Plus parts are still plentiful and cheap.

I actually like that steering wheel. It's real similar to the one that was in the 83 I had. Retro-fit some quad lights in there!

Tell you what, I might switch to the same Grant deep dish steering wheel that I installed in Marty (6 inch diamete, 8 inch dish) and if I like it I will send you the old steering wheel. I do have plans to swap in a quad headlight setup, just need to find the parts and the time. Both 79s I used to own (a shorty and an extended) had the quad headlight setup : Now I just need to find a good sunvisor...

You're not looking for a baseball cap style one, are ya?

Not really, I was trying to find something like this one (but hopefully cheaper):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...m=4594944040&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

But is suppose if the price was right I might consider a baseball cap style.

i think you can buy that new for $175. and that will include the shipping

Good luck with the new toy Reed!

Looks good Reed. Keep us updated on the mods.

Well, first and foremost is dumping the Lean Burn Spark Control Computer and feedback carb. Once I get the new HEI ignition system and two barrel carb installed and dialed in then I can start on the fun stuff. Hopefully I will be able to swap the ignition and carb this weekend.

Nice van Reed.

Thanks! As soon as I get the lean burn crap sorted out I am going to be starting the restoration of my 84 Ford.