I'm glad John is happy with the gauges. If you didn't put an oil pressure gauge in your car between 1981 and 1993, he was going to make sure you heard about it.
Yeah don't really understand what you are saying, my family bought a 94 new when I was growing up (30 something) and I can't but marvel at how different this thing looks unused. All the plastics wore out by 2000 from wear somehow, brand new they were completely the same color.... lol
I'm sure they wore out the metal stamping equipment making parts for these. A lot of families in my neighborhood had these. It did have one advantage: if people were carpooling their kids to school and baseball practice, most moms had no trouble driving them because almost half of them owned one. So familiarity breeds confidence there, no learning curve needed.
My dad owned a 91 Plymouth Grand Voyager in black cherry and red interior. We went everywhere in that thing. What a timeless design. This generation of the Chrysler minivan holds a special place in my heart!
The last gen of the simple, easy to work on minivans. I had a 92 std wheel base Voyager SE with the 3.0 and 3 auto briefly as a used vehicle. ( it got totalled ) I really liked it. Roomy, reasonable power and economy, easy to drive, great visibility, and cheap to own. It did everything I asked of it 100% of the time. Again, it was simple. No infotainment, no dvd players, no hands free calling, no bluetooth, no touch screens, etc. just a straightforward functional vehicle that was a great, if not extremely boring, road trip van. Set the cruise, point and shoot. If I could find another 1 that hasn't been beaten within an inch of its life, I'd buy another 1!
This hit me right in the childhood. My dad had a late 80's model, w/the 2.4 Turbo and it was blue on blue. It hauled our boat up North from Toronto a bazillion times.
Like the 1991-1995. Many of them have deteriorated right before our very eyes. Sad that influential cars like these have been junked and replaced due to constant abuse
My parents bought a brand new ‘87 Caravan with this same Mitsubishi V6 (mated to a 3-speed automatic) and it went reasonably well. Great road trip vehicle, those front buckets were awesome! Good in crap weather and comfortable front and middle rows. No tach on that van though, just the largest fuel gauge known to man. Unlike other Chrysler products I have had and known (I avoid them now), that Caravan didn’t have a lot of flaws or major problems in its lifetime, ended by a sideswipe crash in 1998. RIP old van.
My longest trip with a Chrysler van was in our 89 Voyager. It had a 4 cylinder and a 5 speed manual, which was a rare option. I was a little kid, and several families drove together in a caravan of vans..lol. We drove from Pennsylvania to Maine, and if I remember right there was our Voyager, another Grand Voyager, an 80s GM fullsize van, and an 80s Dodge Ram van. We used CBs to communicate. Those were the days!
Minivans sold well because they offered the ride quality of a station wagon, but with more interior and seat room. Then they got stigmatized as being uncool mommy-mobiles, and SUVs started taking over, even though they didn't ride or handle as well and cargo liftover was higher. Now SUVs have been replaced with CUVs, which are somewhere between the practically and comfort of a minivan with the "cooler" styling of an SUV.
But now people want to save on gas, i bet if minivans averaged about 28mpg then alot of people would want one but nope, cross overs offer good fuel efficiency and decent cargo room.
The problem with CUV's is space! Most of them are bloated outside and have horribly cramped second and third row seats inside. I miss older minivans and station wagons from the 2000s on back which had actually space in all rows.
That spaceship remark at the end was totally a dig at the Toyota Previa and the Chevy Lumina APV/Oldsmobile Silhouette/Pontiac Transport, and I LOVE IT. John is always so reliable for his understated sass.
@@garyvallone5393 Ford: "Let's compare our new Aerostar van to the space shuttle in all our advertising! The Shuttle is the peak of American engineering and some of that image will rub off on us by association. I see no way this could go wrong." NASA about two months later: "Challenger just blew up." Ford: "Uh, now what do we do?"
My family replaced our '86 base model Caravan (2.2) with a '91 Caravan 3.0, but kept the '86 as a backup van. The '91 felt downright luxurious in comparison, but the '86 outlasted it by a long shot.
I had a 92 Caravan in college paid 175.00 for it and good on gas cheap to fix. The best part the A/C and transmission were replaced when I got it from someone's parents that passed away. The young kid didn't want it so I offered 175.00 and said yes. I drove it for my business for 8 years just basic maintaince needed that was it
I still have a 1991 Dodge Caravan with the super slow 4 cylinder burgundy with red velour looking interior. Good looking van that I can not part with. Also have have a 98 and 2 2001's> Love these vans although the 86 Ram Mini was my favorite because came with a 5 speed manual trans.
mcqueenfanman that’s for sure. Everything is big these days. Even a “small” car like the Miata or a Civic is so big and bloated looking compared to 30 years ago.
@@mcearl8073 The new Miata is tiny, about the size of the original frog-light Miata from 1990. But yes, the current Civic is huge now. I'd say almost the size of an 89 Accord.
The Godfather of minivans! Even though I never owned one or noticed em back then now I see they are as much as an American icon as a camaro! Love to find a clean low mileage one!
Had a '94 Grand Voyager until just last year. The most major repair it ever needed was to rebuild the tranny at about 120k miles. The paint started peeling like crazy about 5 years ago, and the little digital readout thing by the rear view mirror went out, but otherwise, it was loaded and everything still worked right up to the end- even the AC. (The radio started getting sketchy, but still worked if you fiddled with it). Just under 300,000 miles. Turns out the most faithful and reliable vehicle I ever owned will probably end up being one of these.
My dad also had a 94' Grand Voyager. That was a very reliable car. He had about the same amount of miles you had on yours and rarely any major problems with it.
Another proof that if you maintain your Chryslers well, they will outlast any Toyota. Most Chrysler owners don't understand the importance of even basic oil and oil filter changes and they wonder why their Chryslers break down!
@@BaltimoreAndOhioRR The most common issues that is often misdiagnosed about Chrysler transmissions is that it is the surrounding electronics of the transmission that go bad, such as the clutch pack solenoid, the tcm etc. The internals, unless poorly maintained, generally speaking last a long time. Thus, major issues are not a big problem as many Chrysler owners would like you to believe. Those surrounding electronics of the transmission in Chrysler vehicles, make it seem like the transmission is going to die when as a matter of fact it is not. As a Service Advisor who worked for Chrysler and many other automotive shops, i have seen this on numerous occasions, first hand. Again, the question arises, what are the owners driving and maintenance habits with regards to the vehicle as a whole? Does the customer constantly floor the gas? Does he / she accelerate rapidly and brake suddenly? These are some of the contributing factors that will cause any transmission to wear out prematurely. Now, as far as Chrysler transmissions are concerned, their 3 speed torque flite transmissions were tough and durable and ran without much maintenance. When Chrysler first used its ULTRADRIVE A604 transmission, it wasn't the design that was at fault, it was Chrysler using Dexron 3 instead ATF +3 or 4. It took Chrysler more than years to figure that out and it cost them dearly in high warranty claims. Once Chrysler used the correct fluid, their transmission claims went down substantially by almost 80%! Most transmissions these days do not last more than a 100 000 miles unlike before, so when you get 120000 miles on the original transmission, you have done well.
@@sensiblebabyandreality6804 Thats simply not true. Most transmissions these days DO last over 100,000 miles. You can give excuses about how people drive all day, but the fact is that Chrysler transmissions, particularly their minivans, give problems/fail at higher rates than many other cars, especially Toyotas.
My children are grown now but when they were growing up we always had a decent, used Caravan/Voyager or Chrysler mini van. We put the 2nd 100,00 miles on each of them. They were great for camping and any kind of travel with room for 7 people. We hauled enough full sheets of plywood and lumber in the Caravan to build a small cabin. I always found them reliable and cheap to buy used with lots of parts available at a decent price. Now that I am old and don't build or go camping much anymore I bought a 2002 Chrysler Limited for just over 3k. With less than 90,000 mi. it should last me until the kids take my keys away. My wife asked me last week "why do you drive that old van when your (much newer) Honda is siting there?" Well the seat is big and comfortable, the leather smells nice and the van is paid for. If something happens to my van there are always lots of soccer moms out there selling theirs when the kids are off to college etc. That ensures a big supply of bargain priced "uncool" vans. Everyone wants a crossover now so vans are on sale.
I was 3 years old when we got a blue 1993 Mercury Villager from Gallagher Ford in Elko, Nevada. I remember us buying it! Had that until we got a new blue 2000 Nissan Quest in early 2001. The biggest upgrade for us kids was the VHS player in between the front seats.
Brings back memories of the 1991 short wheelbase Caravan my grandmother used to have. Think the 3.0L V6 and tinted rear windows were its only options. No cassette deck. No power windows or locks.
1991 Plymouth Voyager, got us thru three kids and many family vacations. And then......the dreaded head gasket failure occurred and the "V'ger" was history.
We had a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport with the 3.3 in my childhood and we pulled a trailer on it to never had any gearbox issues it was a very solid van
My aunt and uncle had a '92 (the model with the air bag). Riding in that van was one of the best parts of my childhood. Only got to drive it a couple times as it was nearing the end of it's life when I got my license. They got about 220,000 miles out of it.
My parents had one of these when I was in university. I used to borrow it to go SCUBA diving, you could easily fit four people's tanks and big dive bags and still seat every one comfortably. The good ol days :)
I remember working on these when they were under warranty! And the Bendix 10 ABS, warranted for life, the master cylinder and abs pump anyway. These were good vans, that did what they were designed to do. The next gen 96-00 were worlds better in design, ride and handling as well as features.
The next gen was better than these in every way except one; they had absolute garbage tier headlights. My Dad used to say he had to light a match to see if they were on. The 4th gen over-compensated in a big way. Those 2001-2007 ChryCo vans have glorious headlights.
I remember having to drop off a family of friends with their own van to the airport. It was a early 90's Chrysler Mini Van....nice driving van. But when you hit a bump in the road. It was a like a never ending pogo stick at highway speeds .... it would take a long time before the suspension stopped moving and became more controlled. It was like driving a boat on ruff seas at times !
This really brings back memories. I took my license test in ours. It was white with an all blue interior and child seats built into the middle row of seats. My parents used call her "Kerry Van."
I had that same 3.0 V6 in my 95 Chrysler lebaron and other than the cover gasket replaced that was a good reliable workhorse, the transmission was a DAMN different story.... Chrysler couldn't make transmissions in the 80- 90s and it seems they're still having that problem.
When Chrysler developed their first 4 speed automatic transmissions in 1988, called "ultradrive", they turned out to be a disaster. Sadly they just were designed poorly and many failed. Chrysler lost a ton of future customers because of that transmission.
@@klwthe3rd They were not designed poorly...the problem was mostly a very-bad information campaign. Mostly, the wrong fluid: they NEEDED Chrysler's new ATF+/7176 fluid. Half a PINT of Dexron would kill them. Making matters worse, the 3-speed FWD transmissions still used Dexron...and many stores did not carry the (then very pricey) 7176. Also, critically, I recall the owners' manual did NOT stress that they needed special ATF. I have seen unrebuilt A604 transaxles go 150,000 miles in livery vans.
@@Johnny96ri Thank you for bringing that important information about the fluid to my attention. I was not aware of the fact that you had to use that special fluid. If you buy one used today, can you get that special fluid? Do they still sell it?
@@klwthe3rd It's been superseded, but yes: the new spec is ATF+4. (If you see ATF+3, that should work on an older unit, though I think it's been an obsolete spec since about 2005.) ATF+4 is recommended by Chrysler in all transmissions that call for 7176, 7176D, ATF+, or ATF+3 fluid. Note that ATF+4 is always synthetic. Also note: a fully-rebuilt transmission, especially one rebuilt a while ago, might actually call for Dexron. (Depends on the kit.) Check with the rebuilder before adding or changing fluid.
@@Johnny96ri Thank you for the wealth of information. I've been interested in buying a 1988-1989 Chrysler New Yorker Landau with the "Ultradrive 4 speed auto" & the 1990-1993 Chrysler Imperial with the same transmission. Want to make sure I use the appropriate fluid since I'll be doing a complete flush after purchase.
We had a '94 in bright red with gray cloth interior- V6-that van was great! About 15 years in, the manual sliding door actually came off in my hand one night coming home from a high school football game! We babied her home and got the door track fixed. We loved that red van. The later '99 Plymouth Voyager we later had seemed huge in comparison.
My parents had a white 92, and then a few years later, a purple 98. The 98 quit long before the 92 did, barely lasted five years as it had the crappy 4 cylinder engine (We traded it in for practically dirt when we got a 2004 Sienna, which had over 260K miles on it before exploding from a fuel leak last spring) My dad drove that 92 daily for years, We just got rid of about four years ago; 2014 due to rust and just flat out being tired; a solid 22 years. Had my whole childhood in that van. I miss it!
First family car; family Christmas present when I was 6 back in December 92. Gave us 24 years and it still ran well when my parents donatedit; luv you Voyager!
I was disappointed to find out you can't get a walk-through Chrysler Pacifica, they all have big consoles between the front seats. No more climbing in through the sliding door, strapping the kids in while you're out of the rain and then getting into the driver's seat Millennium Falcon-style. Console's in the way.
How many Millennials grew up in the back seat of one of these? I certainly did! My parents had a white Voyager and my grandparents had a dark green Caravan.
I'd be really happy if you guys can upload a retro review on the 1996-2000 Chrysler minivans. I had a 1998 model for 17 years. Missed that thing so much...
The most memories I've had with a minivan was riding in my uncle's 1988 Plymouth Voyager with the rare 5 speed manual stick shift on a 100 mile ride trip with my family and cousins and riding in my aunt's 1996 Plymouth Voyager on a 480 mile round trip.
I feel like this era of the Chrysler van is what blew up the market in the 90's. They were everywhere for an extended period of time. The front wheel drive and awd options made them perfect for places that got legitimate amounts of snow in the winter.
my parents had a beige on beige 1992 Dodge Caravan SE with the 3.0L 12v Mitsubishi 6G72 and 3-speed auto as well as the 'Front Wheel Drive' center console emblem to remind you that that's all the traction you're going to get. It was the first vehicle I learned to drive on and really enjoyed my teenagehood with that thing. I often hauled the maximum number of occupants allowable, occasionally exceeding that number with "hatch riders". It took so much gas, had an exhaust leak, rusted pretty poorly, lost a lot of its paint on the hood and roof and the automatic started to slip very early in its life. Still, I have fond memories of it and I gave it quite the beating. I broke the gas pedal cable retainer on in trying to see how fast it could accelerate beyond 80 km/h; never had the balls to push it beyond 130. It felt a little terrifying. My dad sold it at 145,xxx km; it didn't look very good. It's easy to see the value of such a versatile people hauler.
Longest trip was probably a 1200 mile road trip in my parents 1998 Mercury Villager. I grew up in that thing, and we still have it. Fantastic vehicle, just wish it wasn't showing it's age ...
We had an '88 Caravan with the 3.0 Mitsu v6 and 3 speed auto. Both performed flawlessly. My beef was the AC...we went thru 3 compressors...I think they were Sankyo compressors and were absolute garbage. And i had to keep the fan on high and recirc to be sure the passengers in the third seat didn't fry and/or get carsick. Other than that a great hauler. We ran it up to 200K and then our middle son, two weeks after he'd gotten his drivers license, rear ended an off-duty cop, in her BMW. The insurance company totalled the Caravan....I was sooooo mad. Interesting....that son became the best driver of all of us and never got a ticket or another accident.
We still have a 94 grand caravan, had it since it was new. It runs, not driven much anymore but is there when we need to move things, or need a spare vehicle. Been a great van
I remember back in 93 my godfather had this car he was a Salesman four children's food I was riding with him and delivering children food all over my small country of Slovenia man that car was comfortable at the time was real nice car I especially remember armrests and how comfortable the seats where I spend a lot of kilometers in that car and I enjoy it very much! Greetings from sLOVEnia
I still see Toyota Previas out on the road, on occasion. Haven't seen one of these since 2005 or so, which is crazy cause they outsold the Previa like 10 to 1. Same thing with 90's Astro vans, still see them around on occasion. Also full size 90's Chevy/Ford/Dodge vans, they're all beat to hell but I still see them around the construction sites and home depot, especially those 95+ Chevy Express jobs with half the white paint falling off them.
Had a 1994 grand voyager se 3.3 that i used for work for about 10 years. Had 245,000 on it when i gave it to my dad about 11 years ago to use around his property. Still cranks right up and still doesn't smoke. i did have the transmission rebuilt 3 times but that van made me a ton of money over the years in comparison
My parents bought a '92 Grand Caravan SE. Black cherry with red interior. Thought the tinted windows and rear air were the coolest things ever. It was handed down to me in college and we'd pile 10+ people in it on roadtrips all the time. Too bad the tranny started slipping around 150k.
My parents had a 91 Grand Voyager SE in black cherry with the red interior. We went everywhere in that thing. That generation of Chrysler minivans holds a special place in my heart.
we a 95 dodge caravan we it was my grandfather's retirement car !! It had reinforced steel doors all around along with a infinity sound system fully loaded I love that van !!!! i miss It a lot
We had a 92 Plymouth Grand Voyager WOODIE!! We loved that vehicle! "Captains Chairs" in the second row, front and rear Air...you thought we'd hit the lotto. Wife rear ended 2 people within a month of each accident, in fact we had it back 3 days before the second accident. The 2nd time was our sign...the WOODIE had to go! Knock on wood!!! (no pun) she hasn't had a mishap since.
Song on the stereo at 2:28..........th-cam.com/video/cAQSZhazYk8/w-d-xo.html I still remember looking at one (a '91 Grand Voyager LE) at Fred F. Cain Chrysler/Plymouth in Wilmington, MA when we were shopping for our '91 Volkswagen Vanagon Carat. The Chrysler Ultradrive (Bet 'y'all haven't heard THAT name in forever!!!!) 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission is ultimately what scared us away.
Often when I watch the retro reviews, I find myself mildly amazed at what it's like to see some cheap, crappy American car from the 80s or 90s that I'm only used to seeing beat up, with fading paint and chips and busted tailights, as a brand new shiny car! Yet somehow, this van looks 20 years old already...to my eyes, at least.
It's amazing how some restored cars from the 50's look better in 2017 than this piece of... well, better than this Chrysler looked right off the showroom floor.
I'm glad John is happy with the gauges. If you didn't put an oil pressure gauge in your car between 1981 and 1993, he was going to make sure you heard about it.
DaleDenton69 COTD
Nothing wrong with gauges
And so he should.
Faux Craig Singhouse especially if the second generation Chrysler minivans burned oil. I knew a few people that it happened to.
Mopar was always the king of gauges.
This guy never gets old. He looked same in 80s looks and sounds same in 2020
Lmao I dunno about that
Chrysler did a great job updating the 1991 from the 1980's Chrysler minivans, nothing dramatic, just everything in the right spot.
I like how they look used even when they were brand new.
HAHAHAHAHA SO RIGHT
Because it’s not 4K.
+dchawk81 do they?
How??
Yeah don't really understand what you are saying, my family bought a 94 new when I was growing up (30 something) and I can't but marvel at how different this thing looks unused. All the plastics wore out by 2000 from wear somehow, brand new they were completely the same color.... lol
The quintessential 80-90s vehicle, we all had at least one in the immediate family.
Lots of childhood memories. Love this van.
Man back in the day Chrysler printed money with these things. I lived near a Chrysler assembly plant and they ran 24/7 to keep up with demand.
I'm sure they wore out the metal stamping equipment making parts for these. A lot of families in my neighborhood had these. It did have one advantage: if people were carpooling their kids to school and baseball practice, most moms had no trouble driving them because almost half of them owned one. So familiarity breeds confidence there, no learning curve needed.
Now they are almost all gone it seems like
Y4123
Chrysler transmissions kill off many of its cars
@@Poopsticle_256 and the rust
Chrysler minivans is beautiful and comfortables
My dad owned a 91 Plymouth Grand Voyager in black cherry and red interior. We went everywhere in that thing. What a timeless design. This generation of the Chrysler minivan holds a special place in my heart!
The last gen of the simple, easy to work on minivans. I had a 92 std wheel base Voyager SE with the 3.0 and 3 auto briefly as a used vehicle. ( it got totalled ) I really liked it. Roomy, reasonable power and economy, easy to drive, great visibility, and cheap to own. It did everything I asked of it 100% of the time. Again, it was simple. No infotainment, no dvd players, no hands free calling, no bluetooth, no touch screens, etc. just a straightforward functional vehicle that was a great, if not extremely boring, road trip van. Set the cruise, point and shoot. If I could find another 1 that hasn't been beaten within an inch of its life, I'd buy another 1!
These 2nd gen minivans are some of my favorite vehicles.
This hit me right in the childhood. My dad had a late 80's model, w/the 2.4 Turbo and it was blue on blue. It hauled our boat up North from Toronto a bazillion times.
Lucas Arthurs built with pride in Windsor Ontario Canada.
My out had the same one, my cousin use to hall but in it.
i remember seeing this van as a kid, it looked so modern.
Noseefood. Yes they were space ships for the ground
@@kiprandom7208 no GM DUSTBUSTERS were the space ships
This is when I fell in love with Caravans. I had an 88 3.0 that smoked but got 20 mpg n the city.
This minivan design to me was one of the best in that decade
I agree....took bumps better too! Solid Caravan yet!
@@Ithinkiwill66 and design wise, they were so simple yet attractive 🤩
Omg I learned to drive in one of these. My dad's 1991 Caravan LE. Wood paneling on the outside, navy blue on the inside.
I would like to see the 1996 and 2001 Chrysler minivan reviews as well.
Like the 1991-1995. Many of them have deteriorated right before our very eyes. Sad that influential cars like these have been junked and replaced due to constant abuse
Me to
My parents bought a brand new ‘87 Caravan with this same Mitsubishi V6 (mated to a 3-speed automatic) and it went reasonably well. Great road trip vehicle, those front buckets were awesome! Good in crap weather and comfortable front and middle rows. No tach on that van though, just the largest fuel gauge known to man. Unlike other Chrysler products I have had and known (I avoid them now), that Caravan didn’t have a lot of flaws or major problems in its lifetime, ended by a sideswipe crash in 1998. RIP old van.
BloomingOnion this is my story...I wonder how many of us are out there...
My longest trip with a Chrysler van was in our 89 Voyager. It had a 4 cylinder and a 5 speed manual, which was a rare option. I was a little kid, and several families drove together in a caravan of vans..lol. We drove from Pennsylvania to Maine, and if I remember right there was our Voyager, another Grand Voyager, an 80s GM fullsize van, and an 80s Dodge Ram van. We used CBs to communicate. Those were the days!
Minivans sold well because they offered the ride quality of a station wagon, but with more interior and seat room. Then they got stigmatized as being uncool mommy-mobiles, and SUVs started taking over, even though they didn't ride or handle as well and cargo liftover was higher. Now SUVs have been replaced with CUVs, which are somewhere between the practically and comfort of a minivan with the "cooler" styling of an SUV.
Ben Dover no, weren't SUV's more of just an enclosed truck?
Nah, that would be a van
palebeachbum Nowadays, SUVs are becoming the new mommy-mobiles. Or should i say, fake SUVs.
But now people want to save on gas, i bet if minivans averaged about 28mpg then alot of people would want one but nope, cross overs offer good fuel efficiency and decent cargo room.
The problem with CUV's is space! Most of them are bloated outside and have horribly cramped second and third row seats inside. I miss older minivans and station wagons from the 2000s on back which had actually space in all rows.
That spaceship remark at the end was totally a dig at the Toyota Previa and the Chevy Lumina APV/Oldsmobile Silhouette/Pontiac Transport, and I LOVE IT. John is always so reliable for his understated sass.
The sassy girl gets the hose! --Karen Walker.
And a stab at the aerostar!
@@garyvallone5393 Ford: "Let's compare our new Aerostar van to the space shuttle in all our advertising! The Shuttle is the peak of American engineering and some of that image will rub off on us by association. I see no way this could go wrong."
NASA about two months later: "Challenger just blew up."
Ford: "Uh, now what do we do?"
My family replaced our '86 base model Caravan (2.2) with a '91 Caravan 3.0, but kept the '86 as a backup van. The '91 felt downright luxurious in comparison, but the '86 outlasted it by a long shot.
I had a 92 Caravan in college paid 175.00 for it and good on gas cheap to fix. The best part the A/C and transmission were replaced when I got it from someone's parents that passed away. The young kid didn't want it so I offered 175.00 and said yes. I drove it for my business for 8 years just basic maintaince needed that was it
What dang deal you got! Wish I had that kind of luck.
Sad about the parents.
my parents drove these when I was a kid. what a blast from the past!
I still have a 1991 Dodge Caravan with the super slow 4 cylinder burgundy with red velour looking interior. Good looking van that I can not part with. Also have have a 98 and 2 2001's> Love these vans although the 86 Ram Mini was my favorite because came with a 5 speed manual trans.
My dad had a 91 Grand Voyager, burgundy exterior with the red interior. Many road trips and great memories.
Those original Caravans seem so tiny today.
NV200 is now the equivalent
I was thinking the same thing. Nowadays mini vans aren’t so mini.
mcqueenfanman that’s for sure. Everything is big these days. Even a “small” car like the Miata or a Civic is so big and bloated looking compared to 30 years ago.
@@mcearl8073 and big family cars are now tiny or out of production.
@@mcearl8073 The new Miata is tiny, about the size of the original frog-light Miata from 1990. But yes, the current Civic is huge now. I'd say almost the size of an 89 Accord.
"Oh no! My beanie babies! This was my retirement portfolio."
Hahahaha you just nailed my grandmother in the 1990s to a T. Mopar minivans and beanie babies XD
EF_Wagon Hoovies Garage?
Ty made 2 billion dollars on beanie babies
These were tough little things, as long as the damn transmission held up.
Ppl dont service transmissions
The Godfather of minivans! Even though I never owned one or noticed em back then now I see they are as much as an American icon as a camaro! Love to find a clean low mileage one!
I love this first generation of Chrysler minivans, 1985-1988 is my favorites
We had one of these when I was a kid. I memorized every single sound that thing made and this took me way back...
Had a '94 Grand Voyager until just last year. The most major repair it ever needed was to rebuild the tranny at about 120k miles. The paint started peeling like crazy about 5 years ago, and the little digital readout thing by the rear view mirror went out, but otherwise, it was loaded and everything still worked right up to the end- even the AC. (The radio started getting sketchy, but still worked if you fiddled with it). Just under 300,000 miles. Turns out the most faithful and reliable vehicle I ever owned will probably end up being one of these.
My dad also had a 94' Grand Voyager. That was a very reliable car. He had about the same amount of miles you had on yours and rarely any major problems with it.
Got your money's worth out of that one
Another proof that if you maintain your Chryslers well, they will outlast any Toyota.
Most Chrysler owners don't understand the importance of even basic oil and oil filter changes and they wonder why their Chryslers break down!
@@BaltimoreAndOhioRR
The most common issues that is often misdiagnosed about Chrysler transmissions is that it is the surrounding electronics of the transmission that go bad, such as the clutch pack solenoid, the tcm etc. The internals, unless poorly maintained, generally speaking last a long time.
Thus, major issues are not a big problem as many Chrysler owners would like you to believe.
Those surrounding electronics of the transmission in Chrysler vehicles, make it seem like the transmission is going to die when as a matter of fact it is not.
As a Service Advisor who worked for Chrysler and many other automotive shops, i have seen this on numerous occasions, first hand.
Again, the question arises, what are the owners driving and maintenance habits with regards to the vehicle as a whole?
Does the customer constantly floor the gas?
Does he / she accelerate rapidly and brake suddenly?
These are some of the contributing factors that will cause any transmission to wear out prematurely.
Now, as far as Chrysler transmissions are concerned, their 3 speed torque flite transmissions were tough and durable and ran without much maintenance.
When Chrysler first used its ULTRADRIVE A604 transmission, it wasn't the design that was at fault, it was Chrysler using Dexron 3 instead ATF +3 or 4.
It took Chrysler more than years to figure that out and it cost them dearly in high warranty claims.
Once Chrysler used the correct fluid, their transmission claims went down substantially by almost 80%!
Most transmissions these days do not last more than a 100 000 miles unlike before, so when you get 120000 miles on the original transmission, you have done well.
@@sensiblebabyandreality6804 Thats simply not true. Most transmissions these days DO last over 100,000 miles. You can give excuses about how people drive all day, but the fact is that Chrysler transmissions, particularly their minivans, give problems/fail at higher rates than many other cars, especially Toyotas.
My children are grown now but when they were growing up we always had a decent, used Caravan/Voyager or Chrysler mini van. We put the 2nd 100,00 miles on each of them. They were great for camping and any kind of travel with room for 7 people. We hauled enough full sheets of plywood and lumber in the Caravan to build a small cabin. I always found them reliable and cheap to buy used with lots of parts available at a decent price.
Now that I am old and don't build or go camping much anymore I bought a 2002 Chrysler Limited for just over 3k. With less than 90,000 mi. it should last me until the kids take my keys away. My wife asked me last week "why do you drive that old van when your (much newer) Honda is siting there?" Well the seat is big and comfortable, the leather smells nice and the van is paid for. If something happens to my van there are always lots of soccer moms out there selling theirs when the kids are off to college etc. That ensures a big supply of bargain priced "uncool" vans. Everyone wants a crossover now so vans are on sale.
I was 3 years old when we got a blue 1993 Mercury Villager from Gallagher Ford in Elko, Nevada. I remember us buying it!
Had that until we got a new blue 2000 Nissan Quest in early 2001. The biggest upgrade for us kids was the VHS player in between the front seats.
Brings back memories of the 1991 short wheelbase Caravan my grandmother used to have. Think the 3.0L V6 and tinted rear windows were its only options. No cassette deck. No power windows or locks.
1991 Plymouth Voyager, got us thru three kids and many family vacations. And then......the dreaded head gasket failure occurred and the "V'ger" was history.
I like the 3.0, it sounds buttery smooth :D
If I recall it was...so was the 4 banger engine...very good highway passing!
We had a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport with the 3.3 in my childhood and we pulled a trailer on it to never had any gearbox issues it was a very solid van
My aunt and uncle had a '92 (the model with the air bag). Riding in that van was one of the best parts of my childhood. Only got to drive it a couple times as it was nearing the end of it's life when I got my license. They got about 220,000 miles out of it.
My parents had one of these when I was in university. I used to borrow it to go SCUBA diving, you could easily fit four people's tanks and big dive bags and still seat every one comfortably. The good ol days :)
My dad owned a 1993 Plymouth grand voyager that he used as a work van very reliable for a Chrysler.
I remember working on these when they were under warranty!
And the Bendix 10 ABS, warranted for life, the master cylinder and abs pump anyway.
These were good vans, that did what they were designed to do. The next gen 96-00 were worlds better in design, ride and handling as well as features.
The next gen was better than these in every way except one; they had absolute garbage tier headlights. My Dad used to say he had to light a match to see if they were on. The 4th gen over-compensated in a big way. Those 2001-2007 ChryCo vans have glorious headlights.
I remember having to drop off a family of friends with their own van to the airport. It was a early 90's Chrysler Mini Van....nice driving van. But when you hit a bump in the road. It was a like a never ending pogo stick at highway speeds .... it would take a long time before the suspension stopped moving and became more controlled. It was like driving a boat on ruff seas at times !
I remember when that generation hit the market. Rarely did you see one with all 4 hubcaps.
I'm surprised the slalom test didn't toss a few!
My parents had a 95 and it ran for 200k on like 3 oil changes lol
This really brings back memories. I took my license test in ours. It was white with an all blue interior and child seats built into the middle row of seats. My parents used call her "Kerry Van."
I always thought these generation of the Dodge Caravan has the most attractive front end.
I had that same 3.0 V6 in my 95 Chrysler lebaron and other than the cover gasket replaced that was a good reliable workhorse, the transmission was a DAMN different story.... Chrysler couldn't make transmissions in the 80- 90s and it seems they're still having that problem.
When Chrysler developed their first 4 speed automatic transmissions in 1988, called "ultradrive", they turned out to be a disaster. Sadly they just were designed poorly and many failed. Chrysler lost a ton of future customers because of that transmission.
@@klwthe3rd They were not designed poorly...the problem was mostly a very-bad information campaign. Mostly, the wrong fluid: they NEEDED Chrysler's new ATF+/7176 fluid. Half a PINT of Dexron would kill them. Making matters worse, the 3-speed FWD transmissions still used Dexron...and many stores did not carry the (then very pricey) 7176. Also, critically, I recall the owners' manual did NOT stress that they needed special ATF.
I have seen unrebuilt A604 transaxles go 150,000 miles in livery vans.
@@Johnny96ri Thank you for bringing that important information about the fluid to my attention. I was not aware of the fact that you had to use that special fluid. If you buy one used today, can you get that special fluid? Do they still sell it?
@@klwthe3rd It's been superseded, but yes: the new spec is ATF+4. (If you see ATF+3, that should work on an older unit, though I think it's been an obsolete spec since about 2005.) ATF+4 is recommended by Chrysler in all transmissions that call for 7176, 7176D, ATF+, or ATF+3 fluid. Note that ATF+4 is always synthetic.
Also note: a fully-rebuilt transmission, especially one rebuilt a while ago, might actually call for Dexron. (Depends on the kit.) Check with the rebuilder before adding or changing fluid.
@@Johnny96ri Thank you for the wealth of information. I've been interested in buying a 1988-1989 Chrysler New Yorker Landau with the "Ultradrive 4 speed auto" & the 1990-1993 Chrysler Imperial with the same transmission. Want to make sure I use the appropriate fluid since I'll be doing a complete flush after purchase.
We had a '94 in bright red with gray cloth interior- V6-that van was great! About 15 years in, the manual sliding door actually came off in my hand one night coming home from a high school football game! We babied her home and got the door track fixed. We loved that red van. The later '99 Plymouth Voyager we later had seemed huge in comparison.
mr regular where you at?
dUsty sandDUsky!
just a bagel my minivan is best minivan
just a bagel Fighting the the eternal battle. World War BROWN!!
Somebody should pass this along to him.
I have to know what time it is!
This year Voyager I always thought it looked like it was smiling.
The look of the van has aged better than the test driver's fashion choices
My parents had a white 92, and then a few years later, a purple 98. The 98 quit long before the 92 did, barely lasted five years as it had the crappy 4 cylinder engine (We traded it in for practically dirt when we got a 2004 Sienna, which had over 260K miles on it before exploding from a fuel leak last spring) My dad drove that 92 daily for years, We just got rid of about four years ago; 2014 due to rust and just flat out being tired; a solid 22 years. Had my whole childhood in that van. I miss it!
We had' 93 and went from Nebraska to Florida easily with strong acceleration and great cruise control!!!
First family car; family Christmas present when I was 6 back in December 92. Gave us 24 years and it still ran well when my parents donatedit; luv you Voyager!
I like the "Front Wheel Drive" badge on the dash lol
Chrysler was very proud of that fact. They were one of the few that offered front wheel drive. GM stepped in with their front drive minivans in 1990.
Wrong wheel drive is evil.
I was disappointed to find out you can't get a walk-through Chrysler Pacifica, they all have big consoles between the front seats. No more climbing in through the sliding door, strapping the kids in while you're out of the rain and then getting into the driver's seat Millennium Falcon-style. Console's in the way.
They are going to introduce soon an autonomous version without big console which will allow you to go take a nap in the back without obstacle .
nlpnt floor it
tear it out!
How many Millennials grew up in the back seat of one of these? I certainly did! My parents had a white Voyager and my grandparents had a dark green Caravan.
I grew up in a 1993 Plymouth voyager LE good memories, 90s was the era I grew up in. Lol
I once took an Eagle Summit wagon (it was like the runt of the minivan litter) across the country and back. I miss that thing.
I'd be really happy if you guys can upload a retro review on the 1996-2000 Chrysler minivans. I had a 1998 model for 17 years. Missed that thing so much...
The most memories I've had with a minivan was riding in my uncle's 1988 Plymouth Voyager with the rare 5 speed manual stick shift on a 100 mile ride trip with my family and cousins and riding in my aunt's 1996 Plymouth Voyager on a 480 mile round trip.
Yeah the 5 speed manuals were super rare! Almost always found on the base model Caravan. Not an SE or LE.
I feel like this era of the Chrysler van is what blew up the market in the 90's. They were everywhere for an extended period of time. The front wheel drive and awd options made them perfect for places that got legitimate amounts of snow in the winter.
my parents had a beige on beige 1992 Dodge Caravan SE with the 3.0L 12v Mitsubishi 6G72 and 3-speed auto as well as the 'Front Wheel Drive' center console emblem to remind you that that's all the traction you're going to get.
It was the first vehicle I learned to drive on and really enjoyed my teenagehood with that thing. I often hauled the maximum number of occupants allowable, occasionally exceeding that number with "hatch riders". It took so much gas, had an exhaust leak, rusted pretty poorly, lost a lot of its paint on the hood and roof and the automatic started to slip very early in its life. Still, I have fond memories of it and I gave it quite the beating.
I broke the gas pedal cable retainer on in trying to see how fast it could accelerate beyond 80 km/h; never had the balls to push it beyond 130. It felt a little terrifying.
My dad sold it at 145,xxx km; it didn't look very good. It's easy to see the value of such a versatile people hauler.
Longest trip was probably a 1200 mile road trip in my parents 1998 Mercury Villager. I grew up in that thing, and we still have it. Fantastic vehicle, just wish it wasn't showing it's age ...
We had an '88 Caravan with the 3.0 Mitsu v6 and 3 speed auto. Both performed flawlessly. My beef was the AC...we went thru 3 compressors...I think they were Sankyo compressors and were absolute garbage. And i had to keep the fan on high and recirc to be sure the passengers in the third seat didn't fry and/or get carsick. Other than that a great hauler. We ran it up to 200K and then our middle son, two weeks after he'd gotten his drivers license, rear ended an off-duty cop, in her BMW. The insurance company totalled the Caravan....I was sooooo mad. Interesting....that son became the best driver of all of us and never got a ticket or another accident.
We still have a 94 grand caravan, had it since it was new. It runs, not driven much anymore but is there when we need to move things, or need a spare vehicle. Been a great van
A friend of mine had one of these vans. He drove it to 200k mi. It held up well. Love a Chrysler product!
OMG, I luv this body style.
I remember back in 93 my godfather had this car he was a Salesman four children's food I was riding with him and delivering children food all over my small country of Slovenia man that car was comfortable at the time was real nice car I especially remember armrests and how comfortable the seats where I spend a lot of kilometers in that car and I enjoy it very much! Greetings from sLOVEnia
I get so excited than I should whenever they show all the cool little nooks and crannies in the car where you can store things.
I honestly wish more cars would have a storage drawer under the front seats!
Learned to drive on my mom’s 1993 Grand Voyager. Good times.
Cool. These are great.
I have the same exact van even the color.. But mine is the 4cyl ..I love that damn thing
Love those late 80s /early 90s acid washed jeans...
2:29 - 2:33 that song in the background is so good, although i’ll probably never know what it is
I still see Toyota Previas out on the road, on occasion. Haven't seen one of these since 2005 or so, which is crazy cause they outsold the Previa like 10 to 1. Same thing with 90's Astro vans, still see them around on occasion. Also full size 90's Chevy/Ford/Dodge vans, they're all beat to hell but I still see them around the construction sites and home depot, especially those 95+ Chevy Express jobs with half the white paint falling off them.
Had a 1994 grand voyager se 3.3 that i used for work for about 10 years. Had 245,000 on it when i gave it to my dad about 11 years ago to use around his property. Still cranks right up and still doesn't smoke.
i did have the transmission rebuilt 3 times but that van made me a ton of money over the years in comparison
Lots of memories with grandma in this interior
We had a 91’ in Black Cherry with a “No FeAr” sticker on the back. Only 80’s babies will remember “NO FEAR” stickers on cars!
2:28 Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night!
Built in Windsor a Ontario!
My parents bought a '92 Grand Caravan SE. Black cherry with red interior. Thought the tinted windows and rear air were the coolest things ever. It was handed down to me in college and we'd pile 10+ people in it on roadtrips all the time. Too bad the tranny started slipping around 150k.
My parents had a 91 Grand Voyager SE in black cherry with the red interior. We went everywhere in that thing. That generation of Chrysler minivans holds a special place in my heart.
I love seeing these in my feed, excitedly hitting and then seeing the thumbs up has already been hit... still got good taste! 😅
we a 95 dodge caravan we it was my grandfather's retirement car !! It had reinforced steel doors all around along with a infinity sound system fully loaded I love that van !!!! i miss It a lot
I had 2 of these. Great vehicles
I love these old vans
love motor week!!!! keep on going!!!!
We had a 92 Plymouth Grand Voyager WOODIE!! We loved that vehicle! "Captains Chairs" in the second row, front and rear Air...you thought we'd hit the lotto. Wife rear ended 2 people within a month of each accident, in fact we had it back 3 days before the second accident. The 2nd time was our sign...the WOODIE had to go! Knock on wood!!! (no pun) she hasn't had a mishap since.
Fun fact, only the 1991 had the chrome, boxier door handles(a carryover) the 1992 went to moulded black plastic.
My gram used to have a 1989 Ford Aerostar XL and I remember the floor having holes in it
Great vehicles. I had an '89 and a '94. Still driving an '06.
Back when cars where real quality and inflation was not out of control
I love retro review ^^
Best minivan ever!
Now imagine it with a Hellcat engine!
These iconic vans will be as collectible as the '60s A-100/A-108, if there are any left.
I'd love to see the '84 Voyager & '88 Grand Caravan/Voyager tests,
The Chrysler minivans, aka modern marvels, were so far ahead of their time.
My Mom had 1 of these vans back when I was a kid. If I could get 1 of these as a project car, I would. 😉👌
Song on the stereo at 2:28..........th-cam.com/video/cAQSZhazYk8/w-d-xo.html I still remember looking at one (a '91 Grand Voyager LE) at Fred F. Cain Chrysler/Plymouth in Wilmington, MA when we were shopping for our '91 Volkswagen Vanagon Carat. The Chrysler Ultradrive (Bet 'y'all haven't heard THAT name in forever!!!!) 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission is ultimately what scared us away.
Jonathan A
I AGREE
Often when I watch the retro reviews, I find myself mildly amazed at what it's like to see some cheap, crappy American car from the 80s or 90s that I'm only used to seeing beat up, with fading paint and chips and busted tailights, as a brand new shiny car! Yet somehow, this van looks 20 years old already...to my eyes, at least.
It's amazing how some restored cars from the 50's look better in 2017 than this piece of... well, better than this Chrysler looked right off the showroom floor.
Me gusta mucho esta mini van, saludos desde Jalisco Mexico.