First I'd like to say, I just joined, this is my first forum ever, aside from searching through results on google for various millions of projects I get myself into. So I've seen people heckled on different forums and never understood until I joined, it's intimidating! So much info on one page it's like the first day of highschool so big and scary and overwhelming so I apologize if this is in the wrong place! 🤣🤣 Anyway my friends dad passed away and left her a 76 dodge b200 tradesman custom 318 with Carter double barrel currently and 80k original miles and decades of service records. with the specific instructions that If she couldn't keep it it had to go to someone that would appreciate it and she immediately asked me to come get it for basically nothing. There is way more to the whole story and how it happened, and that's part of my attraction to the van aside from that it's just bad ass! I have always loved the look of old circle headlight vans (late 50's to late 70's) not just dodge but I just knew I wanted one at some point. I'll take some pics today and post them if I can figure that out.
Sorry for such a long intro, I have so many questions I don't even know where to start. I live at 10,500 ft elevation in the mountains, and it runs great even coming up I-70 from Denver to the mountains, and as some of you know that's the killer corridor, it's taken the lives of several of my vehicles since I've lived here and many others of people I know. Van was well taken care of mostly and I'm not concerned with that. I have several donor vehicles here that I wonder if they could be decent for a swap ideally to achieve fuel injection and 4x4. The most realistic to me would be the 95 grand cherokee, 5.2 v8 with quadratrac. Front clip is melted and wiring harness but everything else is great got it off a long time friend who's owned it since 99 for 100$. I've got an 06 savana can 1500 AWD which I would rather sell because I like the old school look of the tradesman, but wondered.if that's a possible body swap scenario? I also have a 98 chevy 3500 dually 4x4 7.4 454 vortec which I think would be insanely cool with the van body on top of it, but I'm not sure even I would know how to pull that off or how close to impossible that is. I haven't had great luck finding alot on the 4x4 swaps specific to what might work and might not. I know it's not easy but how do I go about determining if it's a feasible match or not? If anyone wanted to go back and forth over email that has experience in this department or with these vans in any capacity I really do have so many questions about my van because I truly don't even know exactly what I have here I just know I love it already. I can't survive without 4wd in a daily driver but I can survive without it on a fun vehiclesl and can survive without taking it off road or anything like that, but the snow driving If I have to chain up to get to the paved roads I'm fine. But my driveway is the real problem, so to be able to drive this as much as I would like, I definitely would need 4x4 and I have seen a few 80s dodge vans with 4x4 conversion, but I just prefer this look better which is why I wonder if a body swap is more what I am looking for. Any help, ideas, information, places to look would be very much appreciated!
Also curious about adding a hitch on this? Mainly for a cargo rack set up. And curious if they came with the bed platform and cabinet/fridge or if that was someone else's handy work!
I also have a 98 chevy 3500 dually 4x4 7.4 454 vortec which I think would be insanely cool with the van body on top of it,
I have one ...
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SUNSHINE VANS-VAN DIEGO ADRENALIN BY THE GALLON & CHASIN RACIN ONE FOR THE DIRT & ONE FOR THE STREETS '93 CHEVY G30 454 4X4 SPORTVAN EXT 146" WB '92 CHEVY G30 454 BEAUVILLE EXT 146" WB
Unfortunately I have no knowledge to offer on going 4X4 or a body swap. You might want to hit up Thunders online garage
Arianrhod:2003 Chevy Astro Black Magic: 1985 Dodge B-250 Serenity:1985 Chevy G-20 The Outcast:1983 Ford club wagon Luna 1974 VW bay window transporter Freedom:1990 Ford E-150(parts van) Outcast Vanners van club Support your local 2%
Only 75+ Econoline vans are on a full separate frame. Chevy and Dodge both use a unibody construction so a body swap is out of the question unless you like burning money.
Don’t know enough about the interchangeability with dodge D and B body suspension parts, but I know Chevy C and G series use the same front clip so that has made conversions easier. Could be something worth looking into since Power Wagons of the same era were pretty beefy rigs. My guess is that they are similar but I only know my 2WD Ram van and have never wanted or needed to look into converting it
Thanks for all the replies! Sorry for the delay, I drove the van from the mountains In colorado down to Houston full of plumbing parts to help people in need during the horrible freeze they just had. Aside from a wheel bearing failure in oklahoma, it was a great drive and I fell in love with the van! I did new hubs bearings, calipers and hoses on the road and no problems after that, was a great drive so far. It ran so great up at 10k feet elevation now I'm at sea level and it runs great except at idle and when I slow/stop. Assuming it's an air fuel mix adjustment but I really don't know carburetors well at all unfortunately. Planning to take it to my machinist willard on Monday and have him adjust it if he will, he's an old race guy and knows carbs like the back of his hand. Just an update that the van is doing great and I am loving every minute of it!
Arianrhod:2003 Chevy Astro Black Magic: 1985 Dodge B-250 Serenity:1985 Chevy G-20 The Outcast:1983 Ford club wagon Luna 1974 VW bay window transporter Freedom:1990 Ford E-150(parts van) Outcast Vanners van club Support your local 2%