This first-generation Dodge Caravan would be considered a desirable specimen solely for its impressive condition inside and out, but it’s the rare standard manual transmission that truly puts it over the top. The Caravan was a pioneering model when introduced and marked a significant shift away from the station wagon as the family hauler of choice and into the minivan era. The packaging of the interior revealed there was more than one way to build a mousetrap as it related to family transport and today, finding a first-generation Caravan in mint condition like this 1984 model listed here on eBay is unheard of.
Since these were used predominantly by families, they were used and abused and then put into service as the teenager’s first car. Needless to say, very few are left. This one has escaped that fate, and while we don’t know how the first owners used it, the second owners bought it to primarily tow behind their motorhome. That’s why you don’t see much in the way of evidence of heavy use, since the actual time spent driving was minimal compared to the time spent being towed. And the manual transmission: yes, Dodge offered its A-520 manual gearbox in the Caravan, and while finding one paired to the turbocharged engine is the true needle in the haystack, this version is extremely rare as well.
And look at this interior: spectacular! Just stunning. This is an interesting combination of features, since from the outside, it looks like an entry-level model with those steel wheels. The tan paint doesn’t help you get excited about what’s inside, either, but open the door and you’re treated to rows of deep brown and chocolate leather seats, along with handsome wood trim in the dashboard crevices. The seating surfaces actually remind me of what you’d see in a Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country convertible with the Mark Cross trim box checked, but this doesn’t appear to be anything special in the trim department.
The seller notes that while the odometer shows 101K miles, the second owners estimate that only 30,000 or so was actually racked up being driven; the rest of the miles accumulated while being towed behind the motorhome. The exterior, as bland as it is, is in spectacular condition with no signs of major dings or scrapes. Under the hood is a 2.2L four-cylinder engine that produces around 101 horsepower and 120 lb.-ft. of torque, which was good enough to help the Caravan reach 60 in just over 11 seconds. Today, this time warp van is sure to be a crowd pleaser at any show it goes to, and other than finding a set of mesh wheels from a later Town & Country edition, I wouldn’t change a thing.
This is very cool. An early Caravan, most were used up and thrown away. But this one is in great shape. Unexciting exterior color, but the interior is eye-catching and looks great. The manual transmission is the icing on the cake. What a fun conversation starter at Cars & Coffee.
Good write-up Jeff.
We bought a ’91, put over 80K miles on it, a good number of those towing a trailer with a race car on it. 4 cylinder, auto trans, two batteries, a muffler, and 4 tires is all it took to do everything we need to do. Nice one here.
This is our 4th one. Good looking, big V6, 9 speed trans,120 mph, easily pulls our Mini Cooper S on our flat bed trailer.
Weeeeell, I don’t see any evidence of any kind of towing gizmo, and if on a tow dolly, wouldn’t accumulate any miles on the speedo, be that as it may be, it’s an unusual find. Stunning? Hardly, and a stick was pretty rare, I think I’ve only seen 1 or 2, of the dozens I’ve come in contact with. In fact, yep, no manual trans post would be complete, 267 viewers, and 18 bids? I can’t seem to make it clear enough, people don’t want a stick, ESPECIALLY in a find like this. Those 267 viewers tuned in only because they had one, amazed to see one available again, only to be turned off by the stick. I simply can’t say enough good about these. Saved Chrysler, was an instant hit, we drove the heck out of them, I myself put many miles on one, used as a delivery service, kids learned to drive on one, even camped out in it. I can say without reservation, THE most important vehicle since the Model T, and sold more by 2019, and still a big seller. That, my friends, is an automotive success, no matter how you look at it, just no stick or at $4800, it would certainly be gone.
Well this guy got 425,000 views on his stick shift minivan build. Part two generated 362,000 views. So he should be well over a million views, when he finishes part three. Not bad for a manual minivan, if you ask me!
Oops, here’s the link.
https://youtu.be/3iXcGC_lwLk?si=gxMa2NLjBdCDWRjX
The number of views only reflects the prior 24 hours, not the entire time of the listing. The more important number is the number of bids, that reflects on the willingness of someone to actually take action and pull money from their wallet.
Steve R
Everyone loves a stick. You are not going to use this for your daily driver. It’s going to be a 2nd or 3rd vehicle to take out on sunny days.
I have two early Caravans; both unique. A 90 turbo van with a 5 speed which has replacement hubs/brakes from the heavy duty Grand Caravan; a manual steering rack; and no A/C. Definitely a sleeper. The other one is an 88 long wheel base RAM (basically Caravan CV with no side windows) with the 3.0 V6 and auto trans. The 88 may actually be more rare than the 90 turbo van as I have yet to see another long wheel base Caravan CV.
Howard.. you and are always posting on the same vehicles… This is one where I am in the minority! I am drawn to it because it is a stick! It is a rarity! I wonder if the clutch is a special version or a basic Chrysler clutch of the day! You would know more than me on these models. I never had one!!
I had one in the Plymouth Voyager trim. Shortened the stick throws by a half and shimmed out the slop. No tach but working from the 6K rpm redline and the gearing came to: I- 35 mph; II- 55; III 78, etc. for the rest of them. Ordered with HD everything… clutch, suspension, blah, blah, blah. Helluva road car and comfortable, too. Used to chase ‘spensive German Iron round the hills of NW CT with it. Couldn’t lose them, and they couldn’t lose me. 191K trouble free miles in the 16 years we had it as our fair weather/touring machine.
Ah, to be young and foolish again.
NOT!
Wow!!! An early Caravan with a stick is just so rare. I knew of people having them, but was never in one. Even the non turbo 2.2 with a 5 speed would be a lot of fun to run through the gears. I love the interior too. This is just great and would be willing to bet there’d be a lot of people gathering around it and asking questions about that stick!!!
Being a tow behind vehicle explains the manual transmission choice 💁♂️
Thats not leather.
Correct. Leather was not an option.
Had a burgundy ’84 with all options including woodgrain siding.
Man did that thing turn heads when new.
This is a mid-spec SE with the more deluxe of the two vinyl interiors offered on these. As for the color, it never registered to me until later how much “70s brown” hung on through the ’80s (probably because my mom didn’t like it).
It would be interesting to find a 1984 Caravan brochure to see all the options available at the time. I’ve never seen an interior like this on any Caravan from 1984. And the sunroof? A later addition? Looks to be but the roof seems to be made for one. A great vehicle at any show and conversation starter. The only thing I would do is tint the windows.
https://www.oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Dodge/1984_Dodge/1984%20Dodge%20Caravan/index.html
it’s the vinyl interior option for LE. sunroof is aftermarket but well done. the wheels are correct, styled steel ‘road wheels’.
this Caravan was carefully ordered.
Dezo’s Garage has the full complement of brochures.
https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1984-Dodge-Caravan-R.pdf
Sweet first year Magic Wagon. These were everywhere back in the day. In the early 90’s as a teen I worked at a Chrysler dealership. Perhaps in Canada the manual was more popular, but I drove quite a few of them and turbocharged ones too. It’s weird I still have a longing for a first gen version.
Having worked in the Chrysler Advanced Studio in 1985, I saw a lot of these, but never a stick. The interior was the BEST occupant packaging then OR now! They kept inflating the size to now when you could put one of these inside it!
They need to go back to a short wheelbase, 2 row, for non-families!
We had 4 of these vans altogether, 2 Caravans, a Voyager, and a Chrysler T&C. The Voyager and 1 of the Caravans were stick shifts, but 2nd gens, a ’92 and a ’94. They had the later 2.5 and f.i. Great running vehicles and fun to drive. My son took his down to a local garage to have a new battery installed the owner said he worked for a Chrysler dealer for 10 years and only saw one other. He was shocked when I opened my door, and said have a look at number 3.
I owned a P.I. company for 35 years and we used Caravans for surveillance vehicles. Conservatively I think I’ve bought 50 or 60 of them. In ’96 I ordered 8 at one time. It was interesting they had consecutive serial numbers. We kept to a “severe duty” maintenance schedule and usually got around 250k miles out of them. I think I can walk past a Caravan and tell you what will break next.
They are handy, and although retired I just bought a mint 2020 with under 60k miles. Much nicer than any of the work vans, all leather and every option. I fold all the seats down and slide a rubber covered sheet of plywood in. It’s my daily and parts getter. A big box with an engine that’s out of the way.
It”s a shame they later got tagged with the “Soccer Mom” thing as they make so much sense. My kids have kids but wouldn’t be caught dead in one. Instead they live with a cramped mini-SUV…
These were always the Swiss Army knife of vehicles!
It is laughable that they were maligned as soccer-mom mobiles.
Go by ANY school in the last 20 years and all you see around there are white, grey, or black SUVs. ALL are soccer-mom vehicles.
Mopar minivans have always had way more room and utility, with sliding doors and fold in floor seats, than ANY SUV!
These were always the Swiss Army knife of vehicles!
It is laughable that they were maligned as soccer-mom mobiles.
Go bu ANY school in the last 20 years and all you see around there are white, grey, or black SUVs. ALL are soccer-mom vehicles.
ALL have way more room and utility with sliding doors and fold in floor seats!
Your story kinda mirrors mine. I bought a 1984 Plymouth Voyager before they became common. It had the Mitsubishi engine and automatic transmission. Just about the most bulletproof car I’ve ever owned. Had to junk it when my daughter got into an accident with it. When my son called me asking for advice on which car to choose now that his 3rd child was on the way, I suggested the Chrysler Minivan. Must to my surprise, he said he didn’t want to be caught dead in a minivan. That surprised me because he spent so much time in mine when he was young. Back then he loved sitting in the 3rd row seats.
Nobody wants to become their parents.
My daughter received my hand me down Caravan at age 24. She loved that car. It probably was more fun to ride in the wayback when she was small. But take heart, he may have other intervention.
I’m replying to myself but I do remember when they made both rear doors open. A bit of a game changer in the mini-van world. It made so much sense and just added to the utility.
I like these a lot. The first generation were so comfortable before air bags. The transmission is a cool feature today and although not as common as the automatic not at all unusual. Great looking interior.
Yet another vehicle with an almost perfect dashboard, totally symmetrical – two big gauges and 4 small ones could’ve been perfect, except for the stupid huge gas gauge, which should’ve been a tach especially with a manual transmission and I could never stand those darn 85 mile an hour speedometers that made it look like you were accelerating faster than what you were.
I had 4 Dodge Caravans over the years. This one is the mid level SE. Top of the line was LE with the wood trim outside. PW PDL Pseats were all options and included in 1 option package. I always got luggage racks because when the car was full of people there was no room for the luggage. They were all smooth riding cars with great winter traction and amazing fuel economy compared the regular V8 station wagons. They were slow though. I asked the dealer about getting a manual (I usually ordered my cars) and they laughed out loud at me what a dumb thing that would be. I was told you are not buying a charger or challenger and they would not even take it in on trade when I wanted a new one. Used car poison they called it.
Robin.. That is a typical dealer attitude when buying a stick.. always looking for the next sale! I don’t buy a vehicle with the thought of trading it in. I prefer a stick and would walk out of a dealership if I couldn’t get what I wanted. Of course, my car buying is mostly relegated to the used market as I like to do my own work, it is more economical and I don’t lose 40% the minute I walk out of the dealership!! I know I am in the minority!!!
It’s too bad that people have such bad dealership experiences. But you can’t blame dealers entirely. I’ve ordered vehicles for people only to have them by something elsewhere while the order is being built. My philosophy is to take with you what you came in for. That may be answers to your questions, make a purchase or use the restroom.
For some reason, I like this. But you don’t say where it is, for one thing. Price?
it is on EBay. Around 5500 I think
Spokane Washington, current high bid is $4,900, which is sure to change with just over 4 days left in the auction.
Steve R
Had a ’91 Grand Caravan, and just like in the writeup it was the family vehicle; used hard and eventually became the teenager’s first car. Ours had the two hidden fold-down child seats in the second row, which was a big deal at the time. It gave us over 125,000 miles of trouble-free service.
When my Daughter was born in 1986 leased a new Caravan for my wife. That was a perfect vehicle for kids bought it three years later when the lease was up and my son was born. That Caravan did so many things well we loved it seemed like every other vehicle on the road back then was one of these.
This reminds me of a story a co-worker told of her mom wanting a new Caravan. Her father, despite being an attorney, was extremely frugal, told the wife,” okay you can have the new van but you can get either an automatic transmission or air conditioning, but not both.” I don’t recall which was picked, but I think A/C was it. Imagine.
I often wondered if she did, um, ‘things’, to his dinners. LOL
Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen a 1st year Caravan in such beautiful condition since I first saw them new. Being a 5spd makes it even better. I’d actually prefer the stick. Finding a turbo with the 5spd would be a unicorn for sure.
Listing was ended by the seller due to an error in the listing. Not sure if it will get relisted. It would be a perfect companion to my 84′ Dodge Daytona turbo z.
This has all of the earmarks of a listing where the seller took an offer to end the listing early. A no reserve auction for a mundane appearing item that drew considerable interest. The highest bid when the auction was cancelled was $5,500 with nearly 4 days left. Someone made an offer the seller couldn’t refuse and he ended it. This happens all of the time.
If you go to the original listing and click on bids it will give the items bidding history.
Steve R
I had a 1990 Plymouth Voyager with the same drivetrain. It was a fun easy driving van. I’d love to have another one. And the mpg was great too.
Wonder what the error was?
No error, just a seller trying to escape the EBay fees by accepting an offer off-line. Typical EBay behavior.
Makes sense. But since this item is gone, the point is moot. I live in the northeast, and these early minivans were inveterate rust-buckets that rotted-out much faster than they wore out. Within less than a decade, they had gaping holes that let outside air blow in and wet splashing into the passenger compartment on a rainy day.
All I Can Say is HEll YES! We had Caravan and a house in Mazatlan Mex. . We drove back and forth twice a year from Colo. for the winter, with 2 dogs. Not one problem, all my local amigos wanted to buy it. I paid a $1,000 dollars for it. I would still have it, but it was stolen. My fault I left it in a bad spot at the wrong time and didn’t put the club on it, Dumb Gringo mistake!
It’s exactly the manual transmission that sparks my interest with this early minivan.
A fine specimen of days gone by.
I had an ’89 Grand Caravan with the 3.0/4 spd auto – white with blue cloth interior. It was used for many road trips to races all over the Midwest when I was a corner worker. I added some BIG factory Chrysler accessory sway bars with urethane bushings and a set of Fittipaldi alloy wheels and low-profile tires. It surprised a lot of people on freeway entrance ramps! I wish that I still had that van today…