Budget Gems Are Out There

[Gideon33w]

With my recent circumstances I was in desperate need of a van but had hardly anything to spend.
There's a lot of people coming to the forum concerned about meeting their (low) budget.
I hunted and hunted and ultimately drove 4 hours there and back to get my new van.
But ... At the end of the day I have a reasonable van for a whopping $1,000 ...
So, DON'T GET DISCOURAGED! Hunt around, look for deals, and research.
Buying something that needs a little love can save a fortune and often times isn't even hard to fix.
I hope my experience will encourage some soon-to-be-vandwellers. It IS possible.

And much thanks for the support on the forum. I'm glad I stayed active on here not only for the information but the community.

 

[Ballenxj]

If you don't mind my  asking, what city and state did you find your new to you van?

 

[Gideon33w]

Phoenix Arizona. Well, just outside. I live about 3.5 hours south of Phoenix proper.
Now, the van is far from perfect. But easily fixable and the beat up portions will mostly be removed anyways.
It's a 97 Chevy 2500 standard wheelbase window van with the 5.7, 181k miles, and lots of service.

 

[Ballenxj]

As long as maintenance has been kept up with, you should get quite a few more miles from it.
You say the beat up parts will be removed anyway? Interior parts?

 

[Gideon33w]

Maintenance was solid surprisingly. The guy went through it when he first got it 5 years ago and then did another round of tlc 2 years ago.
Right now it needs a new pinion seal and the water pump to block gaskets are weeping slowly (no overheating). No biggie for either.
Mostly the interior bits that are beat/broken/missing. Which is fine since 90% will disappear during the build anyways.
It has it's quirks, like most GM products, but the foundation is solid. Even as a Ford guy I recommend these vans so that says something.

 

[Ballenxj]

Even as a Ford guy I recommend these vans so that says something.

Of the big three, I like GM, and Dodge. Yeah, I know what you think of Dodge.
GM products have always treated me right, as have Dodge for the most part. I have had more than my share of bad luck with Ford, even though they generally have a really good chassis. I met a guy in Vegas that had a hugely lifted Ford, but had Cummings Turbo with an Allison trans installed.
If I had his money, I'd throw mine away.

 

[Gideon33w]

I like the GM for all around duty. While you end up with weird quirks and some cheap materials you get a solid drivetrain and good suspension design.
We will keep the Dodge talk to a minimum ... lol
I liked the Ford more before the Mod motors. Give me a pushrod mill any day. Especially the venerable 300 straight six or tried and true 302.

 

[Dgorila1]

Any of the old straight six engines are bulletproof. Sad that they had to go to the V-6 design. The dodge slant six was an awesome engine too.

 

[jeanclaude]

We got our van in Southern CA, but I always saw incredible deals out in Arizona on craigslist. If I had to do it over again, I'd line up some sellers and make the trek out there. Congrats! 

 

[Gideon33w]

Yeah ... When I was making more money than I knew what to do with I had so many toys and projects it was insanity. Just find something at a nice price and buy it.

 

[JamesAdam]

I purchased a 1991 Toyota Previa mini-van for $600.00 three and a half years ago.  I added a new battery, four new tires, a new windshield, replaced the leaky valve cover gaskets, replaced the windshield wipers and added a CD player.  Runs like a champ.  Thanks to the suggestions on YouTube, I added Reflectix to all the windows for privacy and cooling.  No rust either!  The middle bench seat folds flat as does the third row seats and I have a bed.  Four sleeping bags have worked for me.

The crash testing is terrible on the Previa, just don't crash 'em and I would recommend them for their longevity.

However, I do miss my 1977 Dodge Maxi-van with the 496 V8...  I don't miss the gas mileage though...

(Waves)

 

[Ballenxj]

However, I do miss my 1977 Dodge Maxi-van with the 496 V8...  I don't miss the gas mileage though...

You had a 496 in a Dodge van? Was it a stroker?

 

[jonsun]

Guy here had a leaking pinion seal I tried to tell them it's not a big job, I think he ended up with a $1k+ junkyard rearend with different gearing

 

[sephson]

To the mechanically inclined, someone else's POS money pit just may be one of those budget gems.

 

[Gideon33w]

To the mechanically inclined, someone else's POS money pit just may be one of those budget gems.

THIS is pretty much my motto in life, haha

 

[UmpquaTim]

Maintenance was solid surprisingly. The guy went through it when he first got it 5 years ago and then did another round of tlc 2 years ago.
Right now it needs a new pinion seal and the water pump to block gaskets are weeping slowly (no overheating). No biggie for either.
Mostly the interior bits that are beat/broken/missing. Which is fine since 90% will disappear during the build anyways.
It has it's quirks, like most GM products, but the foundation is solid. Even as a Ford guy I recommend these vans so that says something.

I had a similar deal.  My 1995 Ford e350 passenger van was $800, needed a water pump, some front shocks, tie rod, etc. Good foundation, no rust, but no interior to speak of.  Oh, and 271,000 miles, but a recently rebuilt engine & trans.  It's been my daily driver for about a year now, so I've had time to work out must of the issues. As you noted in regard to the interior, what little there was, was going to be pulled out anyway.

-T