The four wheel drive van is an interesting beast. There are companies that have literally made their existence out of converting them. Firms like Quigley have been doing 4×4 van conversions for decades and they have sold ’em all over the world. With Ford killing the Econoline, Dodge selling some horrid looking European thing and Chevy’s Express being the last domino to fall, the van-scape is changing rapidly. See what we did there with van-scape? We took the word land and substituted it with van. Jokes are fun.
Anyway, Powermaster’s Brady Basner first sent us the Dodge van link and we mulled around the good and bad of it. The good is that it is a 4×4 Dodge van on slot mags and powered by what sounds like a freshened up 318. With a Dana 44 axle up front and a tried and true Chrysler 8 3/4-incher out back, it should not have any trouble staying together even when the mild 318 is in berserker mode in the dirt and mud. The seller claims that the van has “rock crawler potential” but even with our 4th grade understanding of physics we know that something with the center of gravity of a two story house and a long wheelbase isn’t exactly ideal for the oft off camber world of rock crawling. That and we can hear it rusting through the photos are the downsides. It does look neat and the 35″ Cepek tires are perfecto under there.
BangShift reader Joe Haber is responsible for sending us the 1978 Chevy van which has been modified with a Pathfinder conversion. It is painted 1970s regulation brown and seems to suffer none of the rot issues that the Dodge was appearing to have. Power comes from a 400ci small block that is probably good for about 150-180 horses in factory trim but could easily be made more-better with some bolt on parts. While not as cool as the slot mags, this van also wears era appropriate rolling stock in the form of Vector wheels. We’re not sure on the brand of tires but they’re in the 33″-35″ zone like those on the Dodge. If we had to guess, this thing has a Dana 44 front and a 12 bolt out back as it is listed as a “one ton” in the ad.
To us the thing that makes both of these vans “right” is the fact that they are on the shorter wheelbase side of the van world. The other thing that also makes them “right” is that two different people sent us Craigslist ads for 4×4 vans totally unprompted. You’re all as soft as we are. Thanks for that.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE VANS, CLICK THE LINKS, AND THEN TELL US WHICH VAN REIGNS SUPREME!
Chevy!!!!
I do dig the shorty’s … But! I’ve been wanting an E350 12 passenger w/ a powerstroke for a while ….
I don’t want a 4X4 van but if I did I’d take the Dodge. Y’all don’t know rust from faded paint.
the chevy.. the mopars ate ball joints
that Joe Haber guy says the Chevy….he knows too much about Mopar rust.
Would have to be the Chevy
Chevy, what’s with the wonky axle front/rear alignment on the Dodge?
I’d take the chevy ditch the 400 for a tried and try 350 and put a 14 bolt full floater in the rear
I am with Anonymous yank the 400 and build something like a 383 with spares in the garage . then repaint it a nice brown metallic
oooh i forgot and some bitchin lights for the night time make it like a baja 1000 support van
the Dodge all the way! it don’t look that rusty, just lousy paint.
The Chevy van. This era was right before Chrysler was on the brink of expiring, just before Lee Iacocca came in and saved the day.
The Dodge.
Sammy Johns says “Chevy Van”.
Chevy
I take da chebby
Chevy shaggi’n waggons still rule!!
Personally I would stick them both in the Snocrete Snowblower!
Good Idea! I should have thought of it.
Chevy!!!
i will take the chevy but if the dodge was a 71-78 dodge all day long nicest vans ever made
the mopar has cooler lines and its a mopar…