70's Dodge Van

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HawaiiDuster

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I was thinking about getting a 70's Dodge Street Van type of van (my friends call them "Creeper" vans) and was wondering how you get the engine out of those things? Never had one before and wanted to know before hand what I was getting into. Is there a good van forum that I can lurk around for info? Kinda always wanted on of those since I was in High School.
 
The van was lowered onto the engine. The easiest way I've found/seen is to remove it right out the front and cut/reweld the rad support.
 
Do they have k frames? Maybe out the bottom. My 70 we did it thru the double side doors with an extension on the cherry picker
 
daredevil said:
Do they have k frames? Maybe out the bottom. My 70 we did it thru the double side doors with an extension on the cherry picker
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Didn't the 70 style have the engine set further back with a kinda big opening? This 76 looks like the engine is halfway under the dash. Might have to go thru the bottom. Well I guess I'll figure it out if I pick up the van, it does look kinda cool though.
 
Motor goes straight out through the core support.

Mount the picker hook to the 'cherry-picker plate' you buy at autozone that bolts to the intake plenum.
 
The engine comes out the side on the 70- older vans & through the front on 71 & up & the core support is unboltable. They never set the van on top of the motor,it's a welded sub frame chassis. It is a tight fit & you will have to take off the manifolds & acc's for some clearance. I did it using a forklift & left the trans in it. I slid the forks under the front & rear exhaust man studs in the head & it came right out. Check out vannin.com & moparbvans.com. I have a new Lund winshield visor & a handmade oak overhead console that was stained blue. PM if interested,I sold my 77 street van years ago
 
It would be cool if the core support unbolts. I'm looking at two right now, a 78 with the "Streetvan" emblems on the door and a 76 that has the front airdam/fenderflares/visor/rear spoiler and a complete interior. I'm hoping I can make a deal on the 76 since its more complete. The 78 doesn't have much of the interior left. Both 318 with auto trans. The 78 is a B100 and the 76 is a B200.
 
There's a vintage Ertl Streetvan die-cast on Ebay right now...
 
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