This is my third 77' Dodge van in a row. 1st 81' to 88' 1,500. 2nd 88' to 06' 1,500. The first, I wore it out at 227,000, the second I still use and the speedometer broke in 99' with 212,900 mi, I still use it. Both 318 ci w/auto.

The new van (off e-bay) is a slant 6.
I have to use these trucks I drive for bussiness. I'm a portrait and Monument sculptor and service the work that I make so I bought ANOTHER 77 Dodge Van. I DIDN'T entend too! I was looking for a 95' or 96' 318 work truck and this thing Purple 77 w/Cragers showed up, I was on my second glass of wine ( southern code for too drunk to bid) and I hit the "By it Now" button and the owner drove it down from St. Pete to Fort Myers, FL. the next day.

I am proud to be owning another 77 Dodge Van. Having "The Legend" slant 6 in it is an honor, but I can't drive it!

It is /6 w/ 3speed w/od factory floor shift. Standard steering, standard brakes. Special 12 gal tank. 77,600. accual. Full rebuild in 96' of EVERYTHING on the truck when it had 61,000. on it. This first owner sold it 2.5 years ago. Second had it painted, put Cragers on it and lined it with carpet.

I bought it.

Sent out to have the 'Steer tires' replaced. Now I can steer it. But I'm so busy steering, shifting and and clutching, if I were 18 againt, never mind. I'd want a 340 6pac in it. (I still do, but).

I NEED more pick-up. I's a 'Dog' (feels like retarded timing). Need power steering and automatic. Had set up with my machinac to pull the drive train out of Dodge #2, 318 rebuild and everything.

But I DON'T want to destroy this near perfect truck.

Do you see a way that my old truck could help make my new truck with out pulling the drive train?

Sculptor needs a daily driver,
D.J. Wilkins
djwilkins.com

Let me be the first to say welcome to the board, and nice sculpture on your website!

Now, let me preface this by saying I have never owned a van, and I'm sure that the van guys on here can make better suggestions:

On the transmission, I think you are at an advantage that this is a floor shift manual in that the hole will alread be in the floor and you will have the correct steering column for a shift on the floor auto transmission. You can easily get a used 904 or (not as easily) slant six 727 then get an aftermarket floor shifter for that transmission. The only thing will be that you will lose your OD gear.

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'68 Dodge Dart 4dr Sedan

I don't find shifting objectionable myself. If you can get over having to shift for yourself we can solve most everything else. The biggest thing you can do to improve the driveability is change the rear axle ratio. 4.10 gears with the overdrive is not too much at all and will help acceleration a bunch. In fact the overall ratio in high gear is 2.99.

The steering is pretty easy. You need a shorter column from a power steering van and a power steering gearbox from any rear drive van or passenger car. I used a '78 Dodge Magnum power steering pump and gearbox in my '72 Dodge B300 van. Even the hoses fit! I did have to put the van pitman arm on the gearbox though. Throw in a power steering van column and you're done.

I leave the engine tweaks to someone else. Except to say you need to make sure everything works as well as it can and you'll need to work on the timing curve.

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Joshua

Thank you for your help board members.
As of today and after your advice the plan is:
1. change to an automatic with after market floor shift.
2. Keep stearing column and shorten the ? rod.
3. Keep rear end.
4. Add on transmition cooler.
5. Reinstall AC compressor and make work. After market unit.

Power brakes, Is changing this easy or no?

If all this works as expected then I'll look at Performance. I've always timed my 318's with the cowling off and turning the distributor but I can't do that with this /6. So if I've got to set it with a lite what should it be. degrees BTDC for best performance ?

And about the time it felt safe to go back in the water I found an intake and exaust for an AFB 4 barrel on e-bay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Rare-Mop ... 5869QQrdZ1

If I can justify it I will hop-up this motor, not replace it.

This looks like this:

http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065-29392-235 ... 0045568028

Thank you Please continue to advise.
D.J. Wilkins

www.djwilkins.com[/url]

Good lookin' Shaggin' Wagon!

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Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Fords.

'64 Valiant 100 '66 Dodge A100

Nice looking van! All that it is missing (IMHO) are a pair of teardrop windows at the back. I love it!

Russ

Russ, thank you. I'm not shure what those are. ":All that it is missing (IMHO) are a pair of teardrop windows at the back."

Where do I get um' ?

Thank's DJ

Good looking van!

As a form slanted van owner, here are my answers to your questions:

(1) Get a timing light and set the base timing at 12 BTDC

(2) Disconnect and plug the vacuum line going to the EGR valve.

(3) bypass the OSAC valve and run the vacuum advance line directly from the port on the carb to the nipple on the distributor vacuum advance (this is also a good time to check and make sure that your vacuum advance pod still holds a vacuum)

(4) Swap to a two barrel. The hyper-pak won't fit under the doghouse. you would have to custom build an engine cover because the carb would sit under your legs. Get a Super Six intake or go for an Offenhauser four barrel intake. I would stick with a two barrel intake and run a Holley 2100 or 2300 series carb.

(5) If you really want to do the transmission swap, try and get one out of a early 80s dodge van. This should have a slightly better gear ratio to help get the heavy van moving. Since you haul stone you may actually want to have the extra beef of a 727 transmission.
By the way, save all of that manual transmission pedal setup and linkage (as well as the transmision itself) and sell them as a package on www.vannin.com You will definitely have a buyer fast.

(6) Upgrade your exhaust to 2 1/4 with a free flowing muffler. If your van has a catalytic converter replace it with a universal high flow version.

These are really the basics. beyond this you can get into things like cam swaps, timing curve adjustment, rear axle gear ratio swaps, etc... If I were you, I would build the van towards low end torque to help with gas mileage and performance. Just don't expect to win any drag races.

Looking for portholes? See HERE

Finally, another great resource for your van is www.vannin.com

Nice score!

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Where are you going to put an aftermarket floor shifter in a van? You'll need a long handle to reach it while seated. Since you want power steering I would suggest you get a column and linkage from an automatic van with power steering. You need the throttle pressure linkage anyway so grab the shift linkage and column while you're at it. It will save you a lot of time and money.

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Joshua

I've seen this scenario here in town, one of the local Carpet companies had an installer that upgraded his 1968 Van by:
1) Switching to a Truck A-727 and having it worked over
2) Beefing up the slant with the MP 268/268 cam, O/S Valves, gasket matching
3) Aftermarket shifter moved within reach
4) 3.91's in the 8 3/4 rear
5) Started with a super six and headers, then moved to a Weber, then went with an offy and Holley 4 barrel.

About 6 months into his job of hauling 2 rolls of carpet to the job every day, he busted the A-727...got another truck A-727 and that one seemed to be bulletproof...about a year after that the engine ate the oil pump gear while climbing a hill...


good luck on the swap,

-D.idiot

Reed answered that question for me up above. I think that the portholes in that post would look great! http://www.vannin.com/forums/showflat.p ... art=1&vc=1

Russ

CR Laurence has round portholes, teardrops, and diamond shaped (trapeziod) windows. They are wholesale only but your local glass shop can get them for you. I can check on pricing when I get to work.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Tomorrow morning this van does it's first job, delivering the 7'6" statue of Thomas Edison to Edison College for installation.

I've been driving this thing every day and noticed I no longer think about the shifting, cluch, what gear it's in. The none power steering and standard brakes are becoming second nature. I'f I leave it this way no one else in the family can drive it (Tee Hee).

I'm going to change it out, auto, PS, PB and hook up the AC. I'll keep the /6 and beef it up.

Thank you board members.

D.J. Wilkins

Nuh-uh... it needs PENTASTAR windows at the back! (Anyone else remember them? Dodge vans were THE van in the late 70s/early 80s, and there was a ton of Dodge-themed custom van stuff on the market).

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Wow! I had completely forgotten about them! Thanks for bringing back a memory!

Russ