VANS, 3rd vs 4th Gen

[Cant Write]

Hey All you familiar with vans.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending 2 hours with a 3rd Gen. I fell in LOVE!!

For those of you who have experience with the 2 gens, what are the pros and cons of each in your opinion.

Do you prefer one Gen over the next? Why?

Many Thanks!!!

 

[Jesus Freak]

I don't know what "gen" a van is, but we had a 93 conversation van with the 5.8 that we loved. It was the wife's Hot Rod Baby bus. Had a flowmaster and 15x10" rims sporting 275/60 Cooper Cobras. We got rid of it after 13yrs and now she's got KITT and her bronco.

 

[Nero]

I bet you had loads of conversations with it @Jesus Freak

 

[Cubey]

I don't know what "gen" a van is,

79-91 has a bullnose grill design, like my RV pic I have as my profile pic.

92-06 is like your photo above.

 

[Jesus Freak]

I bet you had loads of conversations with it @Jesus Freak

I did actually. The right rear brake had a deal where it would start dragging and I'd have to loosen it up, replaced everything and left the emergency brake off and never solved that mystery. For a couple years it would do this thing where it would just not crank back up after it ran a while during the hot months and I couldn't ever figure it out until one day I was talking to an old guy and he said just the right thing. The fuel line came over the transmission and was held in place by a clamp on the bell housing. Because the fuel line actually touched the transmission it would cause a vapor lock in July and August after driving for a while. I rotated the clamp so the line didn't touch the tranny and never had the problem again. Yeah, that van and I had some long conversations........ conversion van that it was!

 

[Jesus Freak]

79-91 has a bullnose grill design, like my RV pic I have as my profile pic.

92-06 is like your photo above.

"Third gen" means 82-92 Camaro/Firebird in my knowledge of things. i.e. KITT

 

[Cubey]

Hey All you familiar with vans.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending 2 hours with a 3rd Gen. I fell in LOVE!!

For those of you who have experience with the 2 gens, what are the pros and cons of each in your opinion.

Do you prefer one Gen over the next? Why?

Many Thanks!!!

Some cons i found owning an 85 in the 79-91 gen:

The radiator can be hard to get sometimes, and they cost 2-3x more than F-Series ones ($600-700) Same core size but the mounting points are bit different. Not sure what else might be different. Check out prices on RockAuto. For a while, maybe due to covid, I wasn't seeing any available anywhere except Napa for $1200.

My 85 has an impossible to get brake booster. It's one only used on vans around 85-87. I seemingly bought the last new one in existence in 2019.

Being a generation that was stopped after 1991, it'll be harder to get some parts like that, vs the 92-06 gen.

But as you know for pros, Saginaw and king pins. King pins are probably tougher, if it's like old VWs. Off road bugs are supposed to be better with king pins, which my 64 has.

but with king pins it's a con if they need replacement. Much more labor intensive than ball joints. I changed my f250 ball joints in the driveway with a free rental ball joint tool set and hft electric impact. You need a heavy duty shop press and bushing reamer to do king pins.

 

[Cubey]

Depending how you feel about each kind of headlight it can swing either way for being a pro or a con:

79-91 has H6054 glass sealed beam headlights. just replace the whole thing and you have a new lens too since it's all in one. Walmart is the cheapest place to get them. but also you can get universal led/HID kits like the blue van has. Truck stops often sell them still, but they are much more expensive. but in a pinch at night with a burned out headlight, it's a pro.

92-06 has plastic composite headlights that cloud, yellow, and crack; and have to be replaced at much greater expense vs glass sealed beam. also takes the special bulbs as well as the housings. supposedly better visibility though if everything is fresh and new though.

 

[Cant Write]

I don't know what "gen" a van is

3rd Gen = bull nose up to 1991

4th Gen = 1992 +

 

[Cant Write]

Yeah, that van and I had some long conversations........ conversion van that it was!

Haha, I took @Nero comment more like....it’s a van.....potential baby factory

 

[Jesus Freak]

Haha, I took @Nero comment more like....it’s a van.....potential baby factory

....... well..........

 

[Cant Write]

The

Depending how you feel about each kind of headlight it can swing either way for being a pro or a con:

79-91 has H6054 glass sealed beam headlights. just replace the whole thing and you have a new lens too since it's all in one. Walmart is the cheapest place to get them. but also you can get universal led/HID kits like the blue van has. Truck stops often sell them still, but they are much more expensive. but in a pinch at night with a burned out headlight, it's a pro.

92-06 has plastic composite headlights that cloud, yellow, and crack; and have to be replaced at much greater expense vs glass sealed beam. also takes the special bulbs as well as the housings. supposedly better visibility though if everything is fresh and new though.

92+ mostly had composite, but some of the utility vans have a sealed beam style with a trim ring.

I actually have a lighting upgrade. Which gets rid of the composite housings, goes back to the rectangle style. Can’t remember if they are sealed or just housings to look sealed and add a nice bulb.

Daniel Stern hooked me up with everything, just need to mount it up.

 

[Cant Write]

@Cubey, what about wind noise through the front doors?

On the 4th Gen, the wind noise through the top of the doors where they seal against the body SUCK!!

 

[Cubey]

@Cubey, what about wind noise through the front doors?

On the 4th Gen, the wind noise through the top of the doors where they seal against the body SUCK!!

It's pretty bad in heavy cross winds, but my window and door seals are rotten to hell, so I'm not sure if i can blame the design or just the 1985 seals.

 

[Cubey]

Haha, I took @Nero comment more like....it’s a van.....potential baby factory

An actual van i saw for sale.. i think in Arizona. I've looked at so many i can't recall the exact details but i know it didn't run. can't recall if that's one missing the engine and transmission or not. It has a diamond shaped window on the side too. if it's the same as the diamond one. looked at 4 or 5 dozen vans online lately

You must be registered for see images attach