Awesome MINI van conversion!

[Shit Beetle]

I don't know either of these people, but this is a beautiful conversion! Plus I don't think I've ever seen this much thought put into a minivan before. Does anyone here have anything similar? I'd love to do something like this.

 

[Deleted member 25988]

It's a good build, but some things:

1. That wood is gonna bring in mold like crazy. Unless it's been treated, the condensation will rot that shit and it's gonna be fucked in no time. Also the weight. In a full size van with adequate suspension it would be fine but a minivan based off a car chassis is gonna be a struggle.

2. Those generation of Honda vans are well known for the catastrophic tranny failure. I actually passed on a van for a good price because I knew of the well documented failures of those transmissions.

Still, a good build. If you just wanted a weekend scrambler it would be fine but I wouldn't want to live in it full time.

 

[dprogram]

I like the idea of a Honda b/c of fuel efficiency. My 2002 Ford E-150 gets horrible gas mileage. (although that may be due to other issues)

 

[Shit Beetle]

I had a similar thought. I'm weighing pros and cons of different makes and models, but fuel efficiency and off-road accessibility are the most important things in my mind. But I'm also going to be traveling with my girlfriend and our two dogs, so space is a definite priority as well. Have you had any issues with your E-150 aside from guzzling gas?

 

[dprogram]

My van has around 167k on the odometer right now. I have a 6 cylinder cargo van with no interior.

I had a coolant leak caused by corrosion on a metal "L" shaped piece on the top of upper intake. Bought a new head gasket and was able to find the "L"shaped connection on rockauto.com instead of buying a completely new upper intake manifold. Parts cost roughly $25. Other than that I've only had replace the rotors and brakes in the front. Normal maintenance.

It's a neat engine to work with because you have access from the engine bay and the interior. I think I may need a new O2 sensor because it idles rough at a dead stop.

When I'm traveling long distances at 65mph I average 18-20 mpg. Not too bad actually. In city is around 15 mpg. I think I could improve it slightly but if I fit it out again(bed and new interior) it would likely just equal out.

Either way I love this thing. I keep wanting to sell her to avoid the extra insurance but - once you know the maintenance on a vehicle you own - you know exactly what's up with it - it's hard to get rid of.

tl:dr Coolant issue that was cheap and easy to fix. Oh. Wanted to add that parts are easily available and cheap due to the fact that the engine was used in many trucks and cars.