Van Hasn't Run For 8 Years, Starting It

[Wandering Giraffe]

more pics

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

WEEDS

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

There wasn't enough light for weeds to grow under it.  Some did grow up through the busted grill.

Any other opinions on the weeds.  I never even considered them.

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

well....what do you all think?
should I give motorcycle dwelling a try instead?
:huh:

 

[Gary68]

the rust doesnt bother me but if you can stick a screwdriver through the worst spots that would change

so it's not the rust,not the weeds,not the cleaning all the electrical connection,not the deer damage,not the rusty gas tank but the combination of it all that would have me on craigslist looking for that era of van in great shape with a blown motor for $500

you have an engine,trans and rearend with 77k on them,replace the seals and gaskets and go for another 70k

 

[caretaker]

yes to the motor cycle, i was right ,you need all new steering gear just by the pics. i see roughly $500 in front end stuff, that doesn't count labor, money pit. if i were you is i would call a junk yard and ask them how much they will give you for it, i sold a truck for $50 bucks and they came and towed it away, that was back in 83, i wouldn't be surprised if you got $150 for it. i think you will be glad you did. look at it this way,new steering gear $4/500 new rad $250,hoses belts $100, completely new breaking system $5/600 new grill $50. thats just for starters. a grand is gone. i think i low balled the price of those parts. what ever decision you make good luck.

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

The rust just seems like the paint is pealing with a little rust on the back of it.  The metal seems fine.

But I did look into what HighDesertRanger was talking about.  In a picture it looked like a part had been ripped out of the A horn.  Not just rusted out.

$300 for scrap metal

Moving the engine and transmission and stuff is way beyond me.  I think I was peaking with trying to get it started.

Even if I don't resurrect it I will keep it to sleep in if needed.  Then sell it or give it away when I go full time in another van.  I don't see how I can hold down a job on a motorcycle. I did think about sleeping in the work van.  But I could easily wake up dead if there was a refrigerant tank leak.

I'm going to stay in research mode for awhile then decide.

I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[djkeev]

Sit back for a bit and think.

Do some math, figure out what it will cost to get that Van on the road.

Lets begin with what I see, and from your photos, rust isn't an issue to worry about.

Hood,
Grille
Radiator support
A/C condensor and charge.
Belts
Hoses
Coolant
Thermostat
Air filter
Fuel filter
Spark plugs
Spark plug wires
Distributor cap and rotor
Fuel tank?
New fuel hoses
Fuel pump?

After sitting for 8 years...
Tires..... 5 of them
Brakes, front and rear, probably drums, rotors, cylinders and calipers too.
Brake flex lines
Maybe a master cylinder?
Transmission service
Engine oil and filter
Battery

Front suspension parts?
Shocks?
Starter?
Alternator?

Rough "off the cuff" guess? $2,000 parts only. And it will go up from there once you address the question mark items.

Dave

 

[GotSmart]

That frame actually seem really nice for a 36 year old van.   I did not see anything bad at all.  If you have a concern, please post a picture.  I sometimes miss a detail ~  :s

Get it pulled, pushed or towed onto a hard surface you can work on.  

Buy a tent for the spare parts.  You should have a proper beast when done.  I replaced head gaskets in the desert on my 318.  Parts are everywhere, just try to get the American or Mexican parts.  The ones marked CHINA are a real bad investment. Start out calling wrecking yards to locate donor vans. 

djkeev has a decent list.  

Like I said in my first post, about $2K.  

If you do go this route, please start a build thread, as a lot of us have rhe same model, and have parts connections.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,1991,b250,5.2l+v8,1073629

 

[highdesertranger]

whoa slow down I never said it was beyond hope. I said get someone who knows what they are looking at to take a look and see what they say. BTW there APPEARS to be rather amateurish looking welds in some of those pics. again get someone who knows before you drop money into it. highdesertranger

 

[jonsun]

maybe get full coverage on it and "hit a deer"

 

[SternWake]

The visible rust on the upper control arm and engine support frame cross member would scare me more than any other iron oxide shown in the pics.


A lot of stuff is due or soon to be due, but this does not have to be looked at as a full frame up restoration.

I've replaced most of the parts on the lists, over the last 16 years.  

Its a lot of work. That van will be a lot of work, but it might just need a few basics to moved under its own power.  77K on a 318 is not a lot, but if few to no mechanical skills are had............

About sleeping in it, well mold/mildew, rodent droppings, mites.

That possession might be paid for, but if possessions are burdens, that one could be a backbreaking burden.  I personally would run screaming from that project.

Somebody with a garage and a lot of time could make something of it.  Find that person, get them to give you some $$ to take it away.

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

I am thinking about it and doing the math.

For the math I am estimating $4,000. I hope that should cover some question mark items on the list above, a windshield and a cheap paint job. The van has to be white for my stealth plan.

For $4,000 I don’t think I could get a van better than what I would have after the rebuild. I could get one that looked better and more modern, that’s a plus. But they seem to be very very high mileage when the price is that low. They might come with their own problems.

During the rebuild I will develop skills to do future repairs. I am sure that will save me much more than $4,000. I am not sure how to put a price tag on meeting my needs for self-sufficiency and security. These things are worth at least $4,000 to me.

I find it very disturbing that I could do all this work and then the frame breaks and can’t be fixed. That’s a negative. What is the concern about the rust on the upper arms and engine support?

I would be satisfied if I got 3 years of use out of it. That’s being able to travel with it. Not driving as little as possible locally. I would likely drive it as long as I could.

I ordered the borescope camera. Burning oil bothers me. I don’t want to be blowing a smoke screen while driving down the road. Not very stealth unless you do it on purpose and press the BAT SMOKE BUTTON.

Another negative is that the time I spend on it is time I am not working online. But I am sure I wouldn’t be working all that time I would save.

I agree that things can be a burden. In the last year and half I have gotten rid off 95% of what I own. It was intentional.

The van could be a better place to sleep that the falling down house I am in now.

 

[jonsun]

I already solved that chassis issue. $100 HF mig welder.

Tires at walmart like $300
fuel tank, lines, injectors - $300
brake lines - $150-200 if you replace the whole line from MC to caliper
doing paint yourself with single stage probably $175 for a gallon plus an entry level gun, separator, mask, assuming you have a 30+ gallon compressor.

I mean that's the bulk of it

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

these are pics of the engine from inside the van.  Can you tell anything? What's leaking oil?

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

these are pics of the engine from inside the van.  Can you tell anything?

Is it safe for the frame to tie onto it to pull the van to a better spot?

 

[djkeev]

Well....... true confession time.

I bought my 2003 Dodge Ram Van thinking that I was pretty smart!

Well I ain't so smart...... this thread got me to wondering about my front frame horns...... crawled under there today in the pouring rain ........ GASP!
I got me some rust!

I can weld, I have a welder, I found a thread on how to fix it, I'll fix it......... heavy sigh...... stupid stupid stupid me.........

Oh the joys of Living in the rust belt............ ?

Dave

 

[GotSmart]

That is the 3.9 V6 motor.

What oil I see looks to have come from the valve cover gaskets. Your first thing to change when you get serious.

 

[highdesertranger]

yep that's not a 318 it's a 3.9 v-6. highdesertranger

 

[Wandering Giraffe]

That is the 3.9 V6 motor.

What oil I see looks to have come from the valve cover gaskets.  Your first thing to change when you get serious.