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Is it time to part ways with (one of) my vans?
#725407 July 06th 2017 1:49 am
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 663
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Vanner friends I need your advice!

DISCLAIMER: I am *not* leaving, or intend to leave vanning. I'm one of the original members of this site and if you know who I am, you'll see me at the Nats this year with my 77.......hear me out (as this is a somewhat long post)

10 years ago I bought the following '93 Dodge Hi-Top (the one you see in my signature) to rebuild to replace another van and spent a good three years getting it road worthy and customized with my own handywork.......here are some of my threads (I never updated the last one with any recent pics....)

https://www.vanning.com/threads/ubbthreads.php/topics/150663/
https://www.vanning.com/threads/ubbthreads.php/topics/563585/

10 years later and van now has 154k on the clock, and I'm facing some significant repairs:

* Most of my exhaust system from manifold to cats are shot and need replacement (I haven't been able to find the parts, I posted in the dodge forum about this...)
* My transmission may be on it's way out. May be just a TQ converter solenoid, may need an entire rebuild.
* I redid the entire AC system in 2009 and it's leaking again - doesn't move air fast enough to keep my wife or kids cool on a 90+ degree day (I added 12v fans to negate this, but it adds noise)
* I probably need to redo the front end again at least partially
* The window gaskets I put in when I rebuilt the van did NOT last as long as anticipated, and are cracking and need to be redone (which pisses me off)
* My radio head unit just took a dump after 15 years and needs replacement

The good news is: I have very little undercarriage rust for a van from the Mid-Atlantic, I made sure I sealed that up well when I rebuilt it. My custom interior work is holding up well, my paint job is except for a few areas where rust bubbles have arisen. This van is my driver, I put somewhere around 10k a year on it. As we all would agree, I know I can fix everything.

The bad news is:
Financially: The van has cost me about $4675 in repairs/maintenance just in the last 30 months. I'm looking at possibly another $2000 in just exhaust and transmission repairs.
Personally: My wife loves my 77 because it's retro and cool, but really doesn't like the 93 as a driver - being a noisy hi-top that isn't cool enough with 25 year old technology and now unpredictable mechanical issues. My kids love the space and grew up in it, so they don't really know any different. The wife will deal with it if I bite the bullet and just fix the van no matter the cost, but she won't drive it anymore.

My 93 also consumes all of the time I have to work on my vans with it's increasing issues. My 77 runs great, but I've been neglecting the custom work I have prepared to do on it because of the time I have to dedicate to fixing problems with my driver.

At what point do we say, enough is enough - time to move on and purchase a newer vehicle? Yes I'd have a car payment, but this van costs me about $150 a month in repairs as it is right now. My 12 year old daughter says to me: Dad, don't get rid of the red van, you put sooooo much work into it. And I don't want to, but trying to maintain two vans who are now a combined 65 years old may be a bit too much.

I am curious of your thoughts. Thanks, friends!

Chris

P.S. NO, I cannot get a new wife. I've already done that once. LOL


[Linked Image]
Chris (The Ravishing One)
1977 Dodge B200 Shorty V8-360 4.10 rear w/OD A518 tranny
1993 Dodge B250 Hi-Top V8-318
1994 Dodge B250 Lo-Top V8-318 (RIP 1998-2013)
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Re: Is it time to part ways with (one of) my vans?
RavshngOne #725484 July 08th 2017 6:39 pm
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,898
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Consider the cost of repairing the van spread over its new life expectancy . Ie 5,000 over 60 months.

Have Ken take a look at the Trans Issue. 2, some shops just bend new exhaust to fit older hard to find parts for vans. Claude may have a stockpile of parts.



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Re: Is it time to part ways with (one of) my vans?
RavshngOne #725546 July 10th 2017 2:05 pm
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,043
pooh-bah
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How's the frame by the steering box? if that is solid the rest is nuts and bolts.

In the end though, it's your decision. I have sold vans (and other vehicles) simply because I was bored with them and wanted something different.


Gregg Groff

The right to bear vans

65 ChevyVan Pontiac OHC 6/TH2004R
68 ChevyVan 108 454/4L80E
86 Dodge "Yeah, it's got a 318"
83 ChevyVan Shorty- B2%B Pt II
Re: Is it time to part ways with (one of) my vans?
Vanner68 #725564 July 10th 2017 9:49 pm
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Originally Posted by Doc 2% of Canada, EH!!!!
Consider the cost of repairing the van spread over its new life expectancy . Ie 5,000 over 60 months.
Have Ken take a look at the Trans Issue. 2, some shops just bend new exhaust to fit older hard to find parts for vans. Claude may have a stockpile of parts.

That's a good point to consider, Doc. Amortizing the cost over a new life expectancy. I've been hung up looking at the amount I've been putting in that keeps increasing. Dunno that I want to bother Ken about this tranny issue - though I'll see him at the Nats. Do I know Claude??

Originally Posted by Vanner68
How's the frame by the steering box? if that is solid the rest is nuts and bolts.
In the end though, it's your decision. I have sold vans (and other vehicles) simply because I was bored with them and wanted something different.

Frame is totally solid. I made sure to seal that when I rebuilt the van since my old '94 Dodge had rusted out in that area of the frame. I think what is starting to frustrate me is that the vehicle is reaching the age where a lot of things are naturally starting to give out, and it takes a lot of energy to chase after all these issues, little or large. Once I take care of one, another has been appearing.


[Linked Image]
Chris (The Ravishing One)
1977 Dodge B200 Shorty V8-360 4.10 rear w/OD A518 tranny
1993 Dodge B250 Hi-Top V8-318
1994 Dodge B250 Lo-Top V8-318 (RIP 1998-2013)
Re: Is it time to part ways with (one of) my vans?
RavshngOne #725970 July 21st 2017 6:31 pm
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 55
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I can identify with this. I just faced a similar decision. My '00 Astro had transmission issues, that would cost 4 or 5 times the value of the van. And I too, had wife issues, but truthfully, she doesn't camp since the kids were little. And when we did go away to the beach, We took too much to leave room for her, and always ended up taking two cars. I traded the old girl(van, not wife), and got a '16 Chevy Express 3500, 15 passenger. I do camp 2 to 3 times a year, with the right setup maybe more could happen. Truthfully, I'm not in to it like some of you guys are, and my "first drafts" of projects don't always turn out well, so the new van will also be a clean slate.

I will miss her. But I truly miss every car, van, or bike I ever had. But in most cases, it was time. Hope this helps.


Einstein, when describing radio said "Wire telegraph is like a very long cat. You pull his tail in NY and he meows in LA. And radio works the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."
Re: Is it time to part ways with (one of) my vans?
RavshngOne #726278 July 31st 2017 9:30 am
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,043
pooh-bah
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Posts: 4,043
I'm in the same boat. I am getting ready to sell my TransVan. I don't want to, but realistically I will never get around to re-vamping it into what I want. It runs fine, and is usable as is- but even so it only gets used 2 or 3 times a year.


Gregg Groff

The right to bear vans

65 ChevyVan Pontiac OHC 6/TH2004R
68 ChevyVan 108 454/4L80E
86 Dodge "Yeah, it's got a 318"
83 ChevyVan Shorty- B2%B Pt II

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