Have any of you hot-rodded your van?

[MrNoodly]

I was watching the Hot Rod Garage channel on You Tube. They dropped a 630HP engine in an old Chevy van. It got me wondering about any drivetrain modifications my fellow vandwellers might have made. I won't be making any, even though there have been times I wished my 4.8L engine had a little more grunt.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Ha, that's pretty cool. I had always wished i got more into wrenching when I was growing up. I learned how to do all the basic stuff......brakes, ball joints, tie rods, starters, alternators, etc. Ended up getting into woodworking full bore and don't regret it one bit but wished I had incorporated both. One of my good friends I met while working at the cabinet shop now has his own hot rod shop. So he was able to accomplish both!

 

[highdesertranger]

I don't hot rod I upgrade for durability. if you hot rod you lose reliability and that's the last thing I want. some things crossover like forged pistons, tranny and oil coolers, larger radiators, maximum oil, air, and fuel filtration, heavy duty axles and transmissions, quality tires, fluid dampeners, heavy duty clutches, etc. but high horsepower no thanks. highdesertranger

 

[SternWake]

I'm with HDR.

I'll make efforts to insure the stock system operates as best it can and can be cooled properly, and i will use what i believe to be among the best lubricants, but i have no desire to upgrade heads or camshaft intake or exhaust to eeek out more power, and certainly not using a LA318 as the building block.

In many ways i am glad I did not find that Chevy Small block powered van when I was looking in 2001 as I would likely have had HiPo parts given to me since then that i would have felt the need to employ.

More power means one feels the need to use it, and that wears out everything faster, and might include traffic violations and all the possible negative connotations by having to deal with a cop at the driver's door.

 

[rvpopeye]

I really don't need a way to make my engine use MORE gas !

 

[DannyB1954]

Just bought a 1983 van with a 318. I am open to putting in a torque type camshaft. Some of the new engines have variable camshafts so you get the best performance at all RPMs. The older vehicles had one sweet spot that the engine would run. Manufacturers tried to figure out where that spot should be to make everybody happy. Most of my driving would be at low speeds, so the performance at high speed may suffer without a lot of concern on my part. I have nowhere to go in a hurry. If I can go up a hill at 55 that is fine with me, (especially if the engine has enough torque to not have to downshift).

 

[poncho62]

I have been a hotrodder my whole life....Generally, hot rodding something makes more power, thus using more fuel. Something that we generally dont want these days. The trick is these days is to make it more efficient. There are certain hot rod items that make sense.....headers and less restrictive exhaust is one of them,......They will add a bit of power and also increase fuel efficiency. Another thing these days is retuning the computer....much can be done these days with a tune.

 

[bcbullet]

You guys are no fun...I sit and scour the internet dreaming of BB 460 700HP crate engines to put into my 16' cube van, envisioning putt-putting along beside someone on the freeway. Hammer down and I am gone in a cloud of smoke and gasoline vapours, all while watching the fuel gauge drop like a stone. Dual tanks Baby!!!!! Vrooooooooooooooom

 

[BigT]

The only modifications I would consider making to my Transit Connect would be to add aluminum wheels.
This would be done not just to make it look "shinier" but because plastic hub caps tend to warp over time and look like sh*t.

If I want better performance out of the engine, I'll upgrade to the later model with the V6.

 

[highdesertranger]

dang bcbullet those were the days. memories. highdesertranger

 

[Mobilesport]

I drive like a grandpa so no need , saves money because less wear and tear/broken parts and less tickets and better fuel mpg

 

[Howiet]

Maybe a low torque cam other than that I'll keep my $$$.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

If I keep my van long enough to need a transmission rebuild I'll likely get a tighter torque converter to keep the heat and RPMs down, since the Ford C6's torque converter doesn't lock up. As for engine upgrades, an RV style cam is as far as I'd go. A little more torque would be nice but I don't really need it since I have a 460, don't drive hard and rarely tow anything.

 

[masterplumber]

I'm with the rest of you all these days, I just try and upgrade parts that make the whole vehicle more efficient and durable. And I only do that as the stock parts wear out. But back in the day I had a 3/4 Chevy 4x4 with a 500 cu in Caddy motor in it. It was awesome to drive, and could spin 33/12.50 tires in all 3 gears. But no way could I drive it these days, 8 mpg was the best and I got as low as 4 mpg 4 wheeling in Moab. Even if I could afford it, I don't think I could get myself to be that wasteful anymore.

 

[ArtW]

I was of that peculiar breed of hot rodder who specialize in taking fast, ugly cars and making faster ugly cars out of them. "All the money in the motor" as we used to like to say
Never hopped up a van, no point
You can make it accelerate hard, it doesn't stop quick, and it won't corner
A van at most I would put an RV cam and a free flowing exhaust in, because grunt / efficiency are good

 

[johnny b]

One bit that can be easily overlooked is noise.
The simplest way to increase power (other than computer) is with a set of exhaust headers and low restriction mufflers. However, as nice as the sound is when revving and impressing the girls/(guys), that can change quickly when out on the road at a constant cruising speed.
Headers are much thinner wall than stock exhaust manifolds, and while at a steady speed can set up what can only be described as an 'annoying drone'.
A few hours on the highway and that 'hot rod smile' turns into a frown, usually followed by a headache.
(Header wrap can help, but is no substitute for good ol cast iron)
For on the road life I agree with: 'if you have to rebuild, use heavy duty parts for reliability and efficiency'. Keep it quiet for the respect of others and your own peace of mind. [Except motorcycles--they need to be loud because nobody 'sees' you, so hopefully they'll hear you.]

Just my humble opinion after spending a lifetime around hot rods and race vehicles.

 

[ArtW]

Agreed, I still like my engine to 'grumble' some at a stop, but I want it quiet on the freeway
A good 2 into 1 exhaust with a decent muffler will give good torque, decent midrange, and not much noise at speed

 

[Patrick46]

If anybody on here is a 'Hot-Rodder'...it's me.

Now, like many of you, I too am concerned about getting the best fuel economy that I can, so the upgrade that I do would be the same as far as squeezing the most performance that I can outta my mil. A good intake, a mild cam, and a quality exhaust can do wonders for fuel mileage AND a snappier throttle.

Most of my mods I do though, are cosmetic ones.
I still like my rigs lowered, but only to a point, and I stop where it gets impractical. I like going down dirt roads and off the beaten path too, ya know!
But I went nuts over the 70's vannin' craze, and still have many of my old van magazines.
This is actually one of the very things that brought me into the graphics business I own and have been running for over 30+ years now.
In my shop, Artworks Unlimited, I specialize in free-hand pinstriping, lettering, and custom vehicle graphics. I do lots of flamejobs, and airbrush work...like the murals on those old custom vans.
But I also build custom motorcycles and hot-rods too. I'm pretty versed on most types of metal fabricating and welding, and do most all my own work...from start to finish.

oddly enough...my shop van is plain white!

...ahhhh, but my last one, a 1950 Chevy Panel Truck, was a full on custom job. A 350/350 engine/trans combo, IFS, Tilt, Cruise, Dual exhaust, and the paintjob had everything thrown at it! Flamed from one end to the other, airbrushed murals, pinstriping, 5 varieties of gold and silver leaf work on it...it was WYLD!!!

It now has a new home in Amsterdam, Holland.

We just got back this past Friday from a 5000 mile motorcycle trip. (rode out to Wisconsin & back for the 4th of July family reunions)
The 2 weeks before we headed out, I pulled the bike apart, fixed a bunch of stuff, built a trailer hitch for it, and gave it a completely new paintjob. I finished it hours before we hit the road! (I can't travel with a stock paintjob!!)

 

[highdesertranger]

nice. highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Ha BCbullet,
I agree, everyone here is a bunch of no fun! I certainly wouldn't want that van as a daily driver but sure can appreciate it for what it is.