View Full Version : Local dealer has van with Duramax!
Was snooping around the new car dealers yesterday and was suprised to find a Chevrolet Express van with a Duramax 6600 engine in it.
I wasn't aware that they were using the Dmax in vans, but the dealer said "Yes and we've been waiting for them. That one is sold as soon as we get pricing. Since Dodge quit building vans (didn't know that either) we've been selling alot of vans."
I guess you learn something every day.
Interesting that this news was not out before the fact?
I know you can get them with the 6.5TD.
[ 08-01-2002: Message edited by: hoot ]</p>
The new vans come with the new Vortecs. You can get left side doors and AWD like the Astro vans. The chevy web site has info. I didn't see the Dmax option but seeing is believing!
[ 08-01-2002: Message edited by: Jelisfc ]</p>
GM does not build a van w/ the Duramax yet. If the van had one in it it was put in by someone else. I'm sitting across from the GM Commercial rep and he's telling me it will probably be about 2 yrs.
Gentlemen, with the start of the 2003 model year the General will not offer a diesel van of any type. The 6.5 is gone and anyone telling you that the DMax will be in them by 2004 is blowing you a lot of smoke. Engine plant capacity is not up to the task. The new 4500's are taking up a majority of "excess" engine production. Every DMax built is spoken for before it leaves the plant. The 6.0 gasser is the biggest mill for the next few years in GM's fullsize van. Not looking forward to all of the new F**d diesel Econolines that will be in my customers fleets. The one that was seen is either custom or fictitious
Curious why the 6.5TD won't continue to be offered. I believe it will. AM General is continuing to build the 6.5TD and is making van engines as we speak. The van 6.5 has the turbo located in the "V" instead of on the side like the pickups.
If they are discontinuing the 6.5TD in the vans, that's news to me.
Black Dog
08-01-2002, 10:35
Up to date GM info on 2003 full-size vans shows the 6.5 TD as an option.
Not a 6.5TD, this had the Duramax sticker on the fender. There was no window sticker on the vehicle.
It was a 2003 Chevrolet Express cargo van.
Unless someone put the stickers on the side, and fooled the salesman, the van really did have a Duramax engine in it.
That is interesting. I wonder if someone was playing a gag.
Or...... maybe it's the real deal! I don't know why it would have been kept a secret.
csimo,
Do us all a favor and take a look under the hood if you ever get a chance. Thanks in advance.
[ 08-01-2002: Message edited by: hoot ]</p>
pullinpower
08-01-2002, 11:26
And if you have your camera handy snap a pic for us,seems like a rare find.
MNBowTie
08-01-2002, 11:50
I put money on a van converstion company if it is not a prank.
Hoot, have been to numerous development/marketing meetings with the GM Commercial division bigshots. It is true, the 6.5 will still be in the Hummer. However, even if it is listed as an option somewhere (I haven't seen it) GM IS NOT OFFERING A DIESEL VAN FOR AT LEAST 2-3 YEARS IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. The cutaway chassis will only be available with the 6.0 gasser. If anyone is interested in the documentation from GM post a fax number and I will send it along. Not trying to stir the pot, just trying to make sure what you are getting is solid information
I have to agree with MNBowTie, it is probably a conversion vehicle. Either way someone try and get pictures of the beast I sure would like to see it.
bwhuntr,
It's listed all over the place at gm.com as available in the full size vans right now as we speak.
As far as next year or after, I have no idea.
GM's info shows NO diesel van for 2003 (not even the 6.5TD):
http://www.gmfleet.com/us/about/news/articles/030202e.html
You can get the 6.5 in the 2002's, but no Dmax.
As for the Dodge vans, they are now completely Mercedes (including the diesel engine):
http://www.daimlerchryslervans.com/sprinter/home/index.html
This is the FL site, but D-C recently announced the Sprinter would get a Dodge badge also, to replace the Ram Van next year (I posted a topic in the "Industry News" section about this).
Scott
[ 08-01-2002: Message edited by: sk ]</p>
DmaxMaverick
08-01-2002, 15:46
csimo
What's with all the "is too....is not...."
Go back there and look at it. Don't believe the badge. Look under the hood, or under the van. Then there will be no mistake. Take some pic's or this will never be settled. Seeing is believing, and you are in Missouri (show me state, isn't it?).
I haven't heard of the Duramax being offered in a van, but that doesn't mean it isn't. Conversion companies are expensive. That would have to cost over 50 grand. For a van, I don't think so, for a utility vehicle.
I did a quick web search and found this article on truckinginfo.com Here's the paragraph about the Duramax in the van.
"Other improvements to the vans include four-wheel disc brakes for all van models, carried over from the big pickups; stiffer, boxed frames, and 16-inch wheels across the board. The light-duty 1500 gets power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering gear. There
SoCalDMAX
08-01-2002, 16:37
And all this just goes to show: with an organization as large as GM, even with computers and telephones, the right hand still has no idea what the left hand is doing...hahaha
Regards, Steve :eek:
NutNbutGMC
08-01-2002, 16:42
^...Cismo... you're a good investigator, no doubt. Not even doubting your word of findings, but... I WANT A PICTURE, please? As stated previously, "Show Me." I patiently await, but HURRY UP! I know it's there (?) but I want to see it, just for the excitement of knowing there is another vehicle out there that any mini-van can leave in it's dust. :D Thanks in advance, but don't make it a week's advance, please.
D-max Man
08-01-2002, 19:01
Although I do not think they are selling them yet, there are some vans built with Duramax engines for testing. (I drove one at the GM Proving Ground in Feb. 2000).
They had to lift the body just like on the trucks and they also had to extend the nose (For the inner cooler). They would really stand out as something different.
If GM was testing one in your area and they needed some work done on it, they might have had your dealer loan them a hoist/assist in the necessary work. This could explain it being in the dealer's lot.
Csimo ,
Good find, we now will call you=> Investigator Csimo......
Now since you opened the can of worms, could you find out what tranny they are using and the power levels being put out by the D-max.......That would Be cool to know......Thanks....No rush but hurry up.......LOL Not important just curious......
MAC smile.gif
Our GM rep told me today that we should expect vans w/ the DMAX in 2004 at the earliest but for now they are not planned until 2006. He said he didn't even know about any prototypes that were out there.
"Now since you opened the can of worms, could you find out what tranny they are using and the power levels being put out by the D-max.."
Well I really don't have any way to find that out. Here's the story. I took my nephew to the dealer to drop off his D/A for his first "free" oil change. I needed to pick up some of the cabin air filters for my truck since I'm about due. Dealer gave me one box (2 filters) for free (I didn't buy my truck from them, but know the GM pretty well... we grew up together).
We returned to the dealer after nearly two hours (their estimate to get an oil change) but his truck wasn't finished. We decided to walk the lot despite 100 degree temps.
We found the section where the new 03's were parked. They are crammed in with bumpers touching and maybe 18" between the vehicles. We looked at a few that we could get to, but it would take hours to dig a vehicle out of that mess to actually drive or look at properly. I saw a white van panel van that looked somehow different from the rest. We got as close as we could an I could see the Duramax sticker on the side. There was no window sticker so it was impossible for me to tell what tranny it had.
A young guy comes out to see if he can sell us a car. I asked him about the van. I posted earlier all he said to me. That was the end of the "adventure" and my nephew picked up his truck. It was too hot to stick around on a black top lot for very long.
Now this dealer is not your average car dealer. It's ELCO Chevrolet and is the home dealership for Enterprise Leasing Company and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (the largest car rental company in North America). They sell THOUSANDS of new vehicles per month, but most are to their sister companies, and most don't ever come to their lot. If you were to include these "fleet" sales in their monthly figures they are the largest Chevrolet dealer in the world, but those sales to their sister companies don't count. Their non-fleet sales run between 300 and 500 new cars per month according to my friend.
As for a picture. That dealer is probably a 45 minute drive from where I live, and I don't own a digital camera, or even a regular one for that matter.
Maybe the van was a one of a kind, maybe the stickers were just stuck on there as a joke, who knows? All I know is that there's a white '03 Express van sitting there with Duramax logos on it.
pepperidge
08-02-2002, 08:28
txdmax was right,
The gm website is still putting up information from 2002 which showed the availability of the 6.5, not the duramax. (read under the engine description for the 6.5) http://www.gmc.com/commercial/pdfs/powertrain.pdf
Also the 2003 spec sheet is available and shows no diesels available http://www.gmc.com/commercial/light/savana/2003/Savana_Specs.pdf
Hope this helps
just getting the vin might help!!!
Well then this topic title should read...
"Local dealer has van with Duramax sticker" smile.gif
Colorado Kid
08-02-2002, 13:59
At Elco Chevrolet's web site (www.elcochevrolet.com) they don't admit to having any Express vans with Duramax engines, but they do have a couple white 2003 4500 Cab and Chassis with Duramax 6600 engines, and the 4500 looks a lot more like an Express than like a Silverado (having more or less the van doors and front sheet metal).
That doesn't explain how csimo saw a "pannel van" or what the salesman said, however. I don't know what to think. :confused:
NutNbutGMC
08-02-2002, 19:06
^....Think? I'm thinking it was the 100 deg.F temperature, that day... Cismo, thanks for the info. and the intrigue. I'm with ya' Pal, but no camera? Shucks... Have a great summer, what's left of it. Been fun and I'm done. :D :cool: smile.gif ;) tongue.gif :confused: :cool: :D
20050420|7|006071|000022|69.19.2.78
08-03-2002, 17:54
Hello,
D-max Man, maby there is some hope, they have extended the nose for 2003, so an intercooler will fit.
O, i have another question, what about the 6 cil. Dmax, can you tell us about it yet, or have you to wait for a wile. (sorry for my poor englisch, i come from holland) Here in holland most of the ambulanse`s are chevy vans 6.5 td , so it wood a shame chevy had no diesel for the next years.
i want a picture. i have got to see this. :D
go get a disposabale cammera and when you ge tthe film developed ask for the pictures to be put on a CD.
I sent an email to my friend who is the GM at the dealership... here's the part of his reply about the van:
"I had a hard time tracking down that van you asked about because it is not our inventory. The Bill-Of-Lading lists it as a GM-X vehicle going to the rental fleet. I know we had several 2003 fleet vehicles back there that we couldn't release till 8/1." (Then this section later) ..."you should see some of the crap that GM ships us. Last year they shipped us a brand new 1975 Cosworth Vega for a retired GM employee. Still had the MSO. Who knows where in the hell that came from?"
I don't know what a "GM-X" vehicle is, but it sounds like some kind of test van they want to rent out?
[ 08-04-2002: Message edited by: csimo ]</p>
D-max Man
08-04-2002, 17:04
That must be a field test van. GM places prototype vehicles (with necessary instrumentation) in real world testing with cretin fleets that meet the required (Usually high mileage in short time).
These fleets use them as they would use any other company vehicle and GM gets to collect data on them in the process.
D-max Man
08-04-2002, 17:05
6.5 NOVA,
I have seen one; it looks like a 6600 but shorter. All I know is that they are testing them. I can only assume that if the competition starts selling them, GM won't be far behind.
I don't think that they are too eager to market them though. GM used to sell diesels in a 1/2 ton but they quit offering them because the warranty claims were over double those of the 3/4 and 1 ton models. They concluded that people who bought them used them like Heavy-Duty trucks sense they had diesels forgetting that they were only 1/2 tons.
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