The Eco-Brick! aka my 80 Dodge van

[don-vee]

So, I went and got myself a sweet deal on an '80 Dodge van. Runs good, Slant 6, auto, short wheelbase, pretty basic. I needed a van for work, so I couldn't pass up this deal for $200. So, now the work begins.
I am going to try to squeeze as much MPG as I can from this thing without hacking chunks off with a sawzall. I am currently getting about 16-17mpg, and that's with me buying it and doing nothing. It sat for a year, so there's definitely some tune-up to do on it.
Here's the ideas I have, most of it I will be working with parts I have stowed away. I didn't want to go too insane with the spendy stuff, but maybe some of you can suggest other things I could be doing:

Give the ol' 6 a good tuneup
Replace the 1bbl intake and carb with a 2bbl with small econo primary
Hotter ignition, probably a Mallory Voltmaster with a Mopar orange box ICU
Header, 2 1/2 inch single exhaust into a Borla stainless hi-flow muffler
Electric fan (cut down on engine drag, improve cooling)
Lose the vacuum pump, install a vacuum reservoir instead
Trans cooler and shift kit
Slightly taller tires
Balance the driveshaft
Lighten the load a bit by removing the heavy plush home carpeting everywhere

I'm hoping to scratch 20mpg. I think it's doable. Anyone else deal with Slant sixes? Anything else I should think about? I realized I only scratched the surface with things I could do, but I'm trying to keep it simple and cheap for now.

[wwkayaker]

Have pics? How big of a grill does it have? Most grill blocks that I have seen on here are pretty cheap and easy to install.

[aerohead]

I've got a 1962 Dodge pickup with a 225.I put the 4-spd OD trans and 3.50 rear axle from a 1977 model in it and went from 11,to 16 mpg.I did the electric cooling fan and steel radial tires and that got me to 18 mpg.A home-built streamlined nose,front wheel gap fillers,full rear skirts and aero-shell pushed it to 21.5 mpg with a very weak engine.------------ I know of Dodge vans with 318s that got 22 mpg.They might have been stick shift,don't remember.-------------- I put a 18-inch boattail extension on my VW van and picked up 4 mpg.NASA has done this also.If you can deal with the length,it's a no-brainer.A very detailed bellypan should help.With the automatic,you would need to be cautious with a grille block,as you could cook your tranny fluid.

[theunchosen]

It like a caravan? or a van van?

If it is a caravan its got really heavy seats in the middle and back. Those can go lol. That front right seat can go too. Make your passenger sit on a bucket. . .

If you have to replace the springs/shocks lowering it would be a good idea.

If you have solar panels available your roof is pretty flat and an excellent way to cancel out your alternator during the day(and maybe eventually add a few batteries and straight up delete it).

Rear wheel skirts would definitely benefit.

I am gambling you need the rear door for work. If you don't need that big sliding side door you could replace it with coroplast or plywood even and reduce some substantial weight off the car(could glue some lexan in place of the old window so you can still see out).

Can always rip out the compressor for the ac, the belts and the cooling radiator for the refrigerant(would also allow more cooling for your auto trans enhancing its lifetime, if you really wanted to you could replace the refrigerant radiator for a water/anti-freeze one for your trans(or just run the oil in the trans through the radiator and add a pump(simplest))).

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by theunchosen

It like a caravan? or a van van?


If you have solar panels available your roof is pretty flat and an excellent way to cancel out your alternator during the day(and maybe eventually add a few batteries and straight up delete it).

Rear wheel skirts would definitely benefit.

That's a van van - he said model year 80. Caravan came about 1984.

Slant six, awesome. Be warned, if you're the kinda guy who doesn't get rid of something until it dies, you may have made a lifelong commitment.

If you're never doing long trips, you could think about switching out the big original tank with a new, smaller one. If you're never on the road for long, then having to fill up more often may be worth it to never have to carry that full tank. That could save you over 100lbs.

Whoever said bellypan, seconded - but you've got the driveshaft to contend with. Maybe you could form up a pan with a trough for the driveshaft. If that interferes with some of the Magnus effect on the driveshaft, then that's not a bad thing either.

How hard would it be to fit up the six with a TBI?

[don-vee]

Believe me, I'm in for the lifelong commitment! I'm a pretty diehard Mopar fan. I have a 77 Extended highroof that my wife and I used to camp in a lot. Alas, it got too costly to run the beast, so I am in the process of converting it into an ice cream truck and selling it. This current one just jumped out at me, I mean, 200 bucks, and it runs and drives?!? How could I say no?
I wanted a Slant 6 because I'm in no hurry to get anywhere, and the towing I may do with it will be pretty rare, and very minimal. I was going to keep the A/C in it, gotta have some creature comfort. But, I was thinking about the belly pan like some of you mentioned. I will be doing a lot of long trips with the wife and doggies, so the large tank and the A/C will be helpful.
Can't do anything like the boattail, I need both the rear door and side doors for work. I think the skirts would get torn to hell with some of the work I do, jostling around some backwoods paths and boulder-riddled driveways. I did 86 the side running boards. Unnecessary bulk.
I picked up (for free!) a couple rolls of very lightweight auto carpeting, so I can have a little comfort while saving probably over 100 lbs. There's thick house carpet everywhere in this thing, and it weighs a ton. I found someone who has a fiberglass hood for 25 bucks, I might pick that up, maybe save 20 lbs. Don't wanna go too nuts with lightening, nothing that will deter its safety or working ability at least. Might try to find some lighter seats at the boneyard, at the expense of its swanky plaid interior.

[theunchosen]

Originally Posted by don-vee

Believe me, I'm in for the lifelong commitment! I'm a pretty diehard Mopar fan. I have a 77 Extended highroof that my wife and I used to camp in a lot. Alas, it got too costly to run the beast, so I am in the process of converting it into an ice cream truck and selling it. This current one just jumped out at me, I mean, 200 bucks, and it runs and drives?!? How could I say no?
I wanted a Slant 6 because I'm in no hurry to get anywhere, and the towing I may do with it will be pretty rare, and very minimal. I was going to keep the A/C in it, gotta have some creature comfort. But, I was thinking about the belly pan like some of you mentioned. I will be doing a lot of long trips with the wife and doggies, so the large tank and the A/C will be helpful.
Can't do anything like the boattail, I need both the rear door and side doors for work. I think the skirts would get torn to hell with some of the work I do, jostling around some backwoods paths and boulder-riddled driveways. I did 86 the side running boards. Unnecessary bulk.
I picked up (for free!) a couple rolls of very lightweight auto carpeting, so I can have a little comfort while saving probably over 100 lbs. There's thick house carpet everywhere in this thing, and it weighs a ton. I found someone who has a fiberglass hood for 25 bucks, I might pick that up, maybe save 20 lbs. Don't wanna go too nuts with lightening, nothing that will deter its safety or working ability at least. Might try to find some lighter seats at the boneyard, at the expense of its swanky plaid interior.

lol, My girlfriend came back from shopping one day with a plaid vest on. It honestly looked like she beat down a hobo and took it from him. Ever since then plaid=hobo. . .whatever. . .hobo bikini, hobo shirt, whatever she comes in wearing. . .so your car is currently a hobomobile!

I would def look for lighter weight seats if they are moutned off the floor they probably weigh a ton

[don-vee]

Haha, funny thing is, I totally dig chicks in plaid. Makes me think of Catholic School girls. And I think hoboes are awesome, especially when Tom Waits sings about being one.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by don-vee

Believe me, I'm in for the lifelong commitment! I'm a pretty diehard Mopar fan. I have a 77 Extended highroof that my wife and I used to camp in a lot. Alas, it got too costly to run the beast, so I am in the process of converting it into an ice cream truck and selling it. This current one just jumped out at me, I mean, 200 bucks, and it runs and drives?!? How could I say no?
I wanted a Slant 6 because I'm in no hurry to get anywhere, and the towing I may do with it will be pretty rare, and very minimal. I was going to keep the A/C in it, gotta have some creature comfort. But, I was thinking about the belly pan like some of you mentioned. I will be doing a lot of long trips with the wife and doggies, so the large tank and the A/C will be helpful.
Can't do anything like the boattail, I need both the rear door and side doors for work. I think the skirts would get torn to hell with some of the work I do, jostling around some backwoods paths and boulder-riddled driveways. I did 86 the side running boards. Unnecessary bulk.
I picked up (for free!) a couple rolls of very lightweight auto carpeting, so I can have a little comfort while saving probably over 100 lbs. There's thick house carpet everywhere in this thing, and it weighs a ton. I found someone who has a fiberglass hood for 25 bucks, I might pick that up, maybe save 20 lbs. Don't wanna go too nuts with lightening, nothing that will deter its safety or working ability at least. Might try to find some lighter seats at the boneyard, at the expense of its swanky plaid interior.

The tail could be mounted like a swing-away spare tire on a Jeep.Pull to the curb,un-latch,swing away,use your cargo doors,reverse order for driving.

[don-vee]

A lot of the work I do requires city driving, lots of tight parallel parking, so the boattail may be a lot of work for something I use very rarely.