Cool project, let's see a video

 

Looks good and sounds like u have had great success.

 

Sorry to revive an old thread, but this is exactly what I’m looking for. Congrats on the build, I really dig the cheap and dirty approach! I’m currently researching to do the exact same thing for many of the same reasons because...well, motovan!! I live in Idaho and travel all over to ride and we have about the same problem w/ the mountains. Also I’m to the point where a truck and my 7x14 enclosed aren’t econical for getting to and from when most of the time it’s just me and maybe one other guy. I like the teardrop idea too!

I was curious if you still had this thing, any short comings, mileage guesstimates, different turbo (?), and any other advice you might have for someone that was going to replicate your work?

About the only thing I’m looking to do differently is I plan on getting a long wheel base van for the extra room and I’m going to try and get something 03-newer to avoid the wiring hassle, and if dreams do come true one w/ a 4L80e already in the van. Other than that it’ll be the same, I plan on swapping in a 4.8, possibly sloppy style w/ valve springs, mild cam (for mpgs), decapped injectors and that’s about it.

I appreciate the build thread, thank you for sharing.

 

Research your purchase options a little more. The newer vans already had 4.8 with 4L80E in it. They also had 6.0's and the dread 4.3L V6 available...

 

 

I’ve been looking, but like the OP I have a budget. In 03 they went to the LSx engines and I can find up to about 06-07 in my price range if I look hard. In this area you can’t find one w/ a 4.8, but there are plenty of 6.0’s; regardless they all have high miles. You can find plenty of lower mileage 4.8 engines for dirt cheap though, plus the ease of working on it when it’s on the stand and fabbing everything before it goes back in, etc.

 

For your purpose, I also would not look past the Uhaul/Budget/etc cut-away box vans. Those box vans mostly came with the 4.8/4L80E/4.10 gear Dana 70 with disc brakes and a single rear wheel 3/4 ton chassis.

Honestly the 4.8 is rather gutless in a big van the regular wheelbase 2500 I drove with 4.10 gears would double downshift on the slightest hills running 70 mph with the cruise set. I would start with a 6.0L van and put a mild cam into it like the Texas Speed 216/220 low lift. 6.0L can make alot more power far earlier in the RPM curve than the 4.8 and low-midrange torque is what moves a heavy van well from a stop and keeps it rolling uphill. Something my moded L31 350 did well even with the 4L85E when it still had 3.73s. When you have that much weight and frontal area the MPG is not going to be much different regardless if you have a 4.3 or a 496 big block! The bigger motor is just going to have more reserve power and not downshift as often or work as hard to accelerate or run uphill or into a head wind. More torque = less downshifting and better mpg.

Doug Thorley made Tri-Y headers for the LS based vans at one point in time. A 6.0L with the 4.10 rear gear, a mild cam, a NBS intake manifold, tri-y headers, and a decent low restriction muffler combined with a good tune would be a very solid runner IMO and get good mileage.

 

An answer for those that feel the need to put a "Turbo" or "Supercharged" nameplate on their vehicles. I'm a fan of the stealth look but this may change my mind

 

Yea whatever happened to this vehicle?