With its rebuilt 2.5-liter turbo and similarly renewed 5-speed stick shift, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Dodge is a people-mover that in all likelihood can really move. Let’s see if it’s priced to move as well.
There was a lot not to like about the 1970s. It was a decade in which we saw war, political corruption and economic disaster. Well, now that I think about it, that litany of tribulations could be applied to just about any decade since. Wow, that’s disheartening.
One area where the ’70s sucked harder than other decades was in the automotive world. Here in the States, not only did emerging safety, fuel economy and emissions standards drive down performance, they also raised the cost of manufacturing. The result was that we got cars like the cramped and homely Ford Pinto rather than a reasonably roomy and handsome car like the 1972 Ford Taunus TC we looked at yesterday. That was one of Ford’s Europe-only models, with our candidate having been privately imported here years after the fact.
Many of you felt that the car’s exclusivity and oddness was enough to warrant the seller’s $5,500 asking price, awarding the Taunus with a 54 percent Nice Price win
OK, I’m going to have to tell you upfront that the ad for today’s 1994 Dodge Caravan is a bit confusing. It was so much so, in fact, that it appears to have been pulled from Facebook Marketplace. That’s OK though because I saved us a copy. I think you should see it despite its head-scratching nature.
What was so perplexing about the ad? First off, the description couldn’t seem to settle on what the van actually is. The headline claimed it to be a Dodge Caravan while the description in the body positioned it as a “2.5 turbo 5 speed 1994 Plymouth Voyager White 2nd gen Caravan.”
There’s a lot to unpack there, but the most salient point in that word salad is the drivetrain combo — the 2.5 turbo with a five-speed stick. That’s not something you’re likely to find every day in a minivan from either Dodge or Plymouth. And let’s be transparent here: The only difference between the Dodge and Plymouth van of this era is the nameplate.
Not only does this K-car-based minivan rock a turbo four and a stick, but those major bits have also seen some major work. The ad includes pics of both engine and gearbox out of the car while being refreshed.
The SOHC four apparently enjoys a spate of internal upgrades including new pistons in freshly cut bores, higher-flow injectors, new bearings and rings, and a rebuilt head. The A523 five-speed is said to have been professionally rebuilt with beefier bits and a heavy-duty clutch.
Just for full transparency, here’s the seller’s complete description from the ad:
“2.5 turbo 5 speed 1994 Plymouth Voyager
White 2nd gen Caravan
Facebook wont let me post with real price: $6000
Engine:
Block machine work
.20 over cast pistons
Bearings and seals
Melling oil pump
Water pump
Arp head studs
Rebuilt head with std valves and light port work
Pt cruiser lifter mod
Head gaskets and hardware
2 piece intake manifold with rail $250 van will come with stock upper as well as lengel custom plenum
Mopar 52# injectors
Poly engine mounts and Tran mount + bobble strut
New radiator + hoses
T2 garrett turbo
Turbos unleashed 3” swing valve
Fwd stainless oil and coolant lines
water/air/ac chilled intercooler
Electronics:
Sbec to SMEC conversion
Boost button flashable SMEC with flash cable
SCI Link with 7” display
Transmission:
A523 rebuilt by Jackson Simler. Custom tripple bronze fork pad forks. Welded bearing race. OBX LSD with upgraded hardware. T3 clutch
New axles
Poly shifter bushings
Custom PT GT shifter
Large spline 523
3.77 ratio
Suspension:
Custom made front coilovers on Sacks touring struts
Wheels:
I have two sets 16” pumpers with some grippy tires blasted and painted white
16” GTC lace blasted and painted white with snow tires”
The van around all that seems to be in solid shape, if a bit beat in places. In its favor, it does come with those two different wheel choices for when you need to match an earring or cufflink for a night on the town. The interior seems up to the task as well, and the van appears to have a clean title. That’s all pretty straightforward and clear.
The price is, however, another place where the ad seems to have gone a little off. The top of the ad — where it introduces the van as a Dodge — lists the price as $2,469. I know, whoo-hoo! A little further on, however, the seller writes “Facebook won’t let me post with real price: $6000.” Huh? I know Facebook is supposed to be this all-controlling corporate behemoth, but I didn’t know their powers extended to setting prices on modded minivans in the Marketplace. The discrepancies noted may very well be the reason that the ad has been pulled.
We won’t let Facebook run our lives, however, so we’re going with the $6,000 asking and we’re going to consider that right now. Take that, Zuckerberg! OK, based on what I have told you, and what you can see in the captured ad, what’s your take on this hot van and that $6,000 asking? Does that sound like a big deal for this minivan? Or, does that price sound dodgy even if the van really is a Plymouth?
You decide!
Facebook Marketplace in Milford, Connecticut, and go here because the ad has been pulled.
H/T to dd0480 for the hookup!
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