Going to keep this simple and short (ask if you need more info) but I have a 2000 Blazer 4x4 and I'm about to fully own a 2015 Grand Caravan. I dont like the van, I cant have 2 cars, and I don't want to get rid of my Blazer so I'm thinking just sell the van. It's worth about 10-15k as it is. With that money, I'd like to fix what's wrong with mine and maybe completely refresh it, if I can? But I'm not sure what that would cost and figured maybe you guys would. And yes, I know this is completely irrational and I should really just get a better car but I'm asking anyway.

The needs: full suspension rebuild (all bushings are shot and everything else is overall worn and old). small oil leak (replaced oil filter lines, still leaking from the other side of the pan, no idea why). And some HVAC related engine surging (only happens when A/C is on). All of this needs to be fixed if I keep it anyway, but with the extra money i'd like to do more. Shift kit for the 4l60, maybe a preventative rebuild of that (i dont know how much that will cost, do any of you? Is it a crazy number?) And I'd like to get a complete powertrain refresh if I can. I do think an engine teardown and rebuild would cost too much (tell me if I'm wrong) but a refresh would be nice. Plus, putting in a lift kit since the suspension will be torn apart anyway, head unit, backup camera, remote start, new speakers, and a paint correction, and new wheels. That's a lot.

Do any of you know how much this might cost? Is it realistic? I know its not smart money wise, but I'm not worried about that. Just not sure what everything would cost. And all this would be done by a shop as well, not by me

 

Many years ago I had my transmission rebuilt. It cost me about $3k.

 

My son had his tranny rebuilt a couple of years ago and it was around $3500-ish I believe. For the rest? Much, much more. The more you can do yourself, the less it will cost by a lot. You can do the most of the suspension work in a drive way with mostly common tools, a jack and jack stands. Not sure what you me by drive train refresh. Change fluids on the diffs, transfer case, and tranny, again, can be done in a drive way. Not hard at all and common tools. Rebuild of the engine? I haven't priced something like that. If you can follow electrical diagrams and are don't have color blindness or a color deficiency you can do the cameras and audio yourself. Refresh on the engine? I read that as a turn up. Plugs, wires, cap and rotor. All of this can be done in a drive way. And, yes, a lift kit, depending on the lift, can be done in a drive way. The money you save by doing it yourself will be more than enough to pay for any/all tools you will need.

Last I saw around my area for hourly labor was about $120. A shop has a scale for the jobs you want done. They charge by that scale and not by the actual time to complete the job. Most times they finish before what you are charged. The biggest bonus of you doing the job yourself is not the money you will save, it is the experience you gain. It would also help if you had a friend or two with some experience that would donate their time to get the jobs done.

Paint/bodywork is expensive and if you want the job to look like it was never done, and you don't have experience or a paint booth, by all means bring it into a shop.

 

Owning a Caravan isn't like owning a car --- it's one of the worst money pits ever created ... it's Mopar, that's why --- er: not really a Mopar any more --- and I bet by the time I finish typing this post, they'll be fully out of business anyway.

I forget the name ---> 'Stellantis' or something like that --- a company devoted to driving products into the ground, taking whatever money it can from "it" and moving to a private island without an extradition treaty with any other country.

If you can find someone stupid enough to actually buy a 3-owner piece of old nutritionally negative organic material -- I say sell it, get what you can --- ride a bike, hitchhike, or jog until you get the Blazer up-n-running.

Stellantis --- Oh --- I forgot --- rebuilding the Caravan's transmission becomes a full-time bank account withdrawal --- it WILL break your heart 'cause it's a money pit..

"Stellantis" --- Oh my! Say it three times fast and you meet the devil!



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