[Caddylackn]

I will throw my best mpg van entry into the mix:

'97 Honda Odyssey with the 2.2L. These could get 30 mpg and they have a good following. My sister had one. Basically a '97 accord drivetrain in van shape. The '98s were good too, but they had the VTEC 2.3L and couldn't get the same gas mileage as the 2.2L.

You can find these for about $1,000 now. Hard to find one with under 300k miles though.

No the front wheel drive V8 motors of the 70s (Cadillac, GM motorhome, and Oldsmobile) didn't come with a stick shift option. They used the THM425, which was basically the TH400 with bellhousing flipped and the tranny direction reversed so it sat under the engine and driven by a big drive chain. The front wheel drive V8 engine faces the front the same as the rear wheel cars. The differential was built into the end of the transmission and was under the oil pan. It was a pretty smart design that used most of the same internals as the TH400. It made removing the engine a rear bear though, as the axles had to be removed to take the engine and tranny out as a unit.

They used these TH425 trannys in the Toronados, Eldorados, and the GM motorhomes. The motorhomes came with different gear ratios.