The Mopar community knows that the 1980s Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler cars got their biggest performance numbers from turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The Shelby Charger, Daytona, Omni GLH, Shadow, Spirit and Laser all benefited from the turbocharged engine program, allowing them to keep up with (if not beat) the Mustangs and Camaros of that era, but many people forget that there were also factory turbocharged minivans.
Some people have modified these boosted minivans in the same fashion as those better known turbocharged cars, leading to some very fast Caravans and Voyagers – one of which is owned by Jason Trotter (JT) and Tom Beranek (Tommy) of BadassPerformance. JT and Tommy have a long history in the world of 80s Turbo Mopars and longtime members of the Shelby Dodge Auto Club (SDAC), recently set the world record for the quickest factory turbocharged Chrysler minivan, running a 10.74 at 132 miles per hour! You can watch that record-setting run below, including in-car footage that shows JT ripping through the gears as he lays down a number that would comfortably beat many stock Hellcat cars.
After seeing this incredible track pass, I reached out JT, who provided me with the full details on their 1989 Plymouth Voyager.
The Record-Setting Minivan
This 1989 Plymouth Voyager was purchased as a project build by JT and longtime friend Tommy with the plans to modify it with parts that they had laying around. JT has a 10-second Dodge Daytona and Tommy has a 10-second Shelby Charger, both of which are powered by turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, so they are obviously very well-versed in Turbo Mopar performance. With the help of some other members of the SDAC Chicagoland Chapter, JT and Tommy built the van (in the driveway on nights and weekends) through the middle of 2022, running in the 12-second range on their first trip out in October. While it was a factory turbo van and came with an automatic transmission, but in addition to the power-adding upgrades, the team also swapped to a 5-speed manual transmission.
However, with a smaller turbocharger swap and improved boost control, they ran an 11.14 @ 125mph and backed it up with an 11.15 in late November 2022. At that point, they had already set the record for the world’s quickest FWD Mopar minivan with a factory-based turbocharged engine and they did so with the following build sheet. As you can see, many of the parts were used and some of them were 20+ years old. The components which were contributed by a member of the SDAC / Turbo Mopar community are noted in brackets, showing how much the community helped make this record build come together.
Engine
Bottom end – Used 2.5L FM Enforcer 3 (JE/GRP) (2005 build, Previously Went 10.90s in Tommy’s Shelby Charger)
Head – Used 8v 782 swirl port, 44mm/36.8mm race ported (2002 Build, been on shelf since 2005)
Used ARP head studs (JT Z)
Stock Mopar head gasket
Aluminum under drive pulley (New Yorker)
Drivetrain
1992 A523 3.77:1, used OBX (JTs Z), bronze shift fork pads, welded intermediate shaft bearing, gusseted case
Used ACT twin disk clutch (JTs Z)
ReevesRacing DIY Scatter Shield kit
Stock shifter and cables
Stock reman axles
Used MP long wheel studs (Tommy’s GLHT)
Induction
Custom 2-piece sheet metal intake manifold
BBK 75mm throttle body
Used Comp cams .499 lift (s60) slider (last used in the Z ~1999) used stock lifters (Karl Morgan) and used sliders (Tommy)
Used Fidanza cam sprocket (JT)
Used BOV – unknown eBay came with van
Used Intercooler (Brad Szczypkowski)
Turbo & Exhaust
Used T3/T4 Hybrid 60-1 Hi-Fi in B Cover / Stage 3 turbine in Chrysler .63 A/R. Used large can wastegate. (JT’s Z)
Race ported/modified 2-1/4” swing valve housing and 3” down pipe
Custom shorty SS header (unequal length runner)
Fuel
Aeromotive A-1000 (JT Z)
Summit fuel filter
52 lb/hr Super 60 injectors (Brad Szczypkowski)
Engine Management & Ignition
Used FAST Classic (old Speed Pro) EFI with FM distributor
Used MSD 6-AL
Used Jacobs coil
Used Magnecor wires
NGK GR5 plugs
Suspension
Used KYB GR2 struts MP road race springs (JT’s Z)
Rear lowering blocks (Yost Built)
Wheels and Tires
24.5” x 8.5” M&H and Moroso skinnies on Bogarts borrowed from the Z
Since running in the low-11s, JT and Tommy have swapped to a different T3/T4 hybrid turbocharger (on loan from Keith Dale) and freshened up the transmission a bit. After battling traction and boost control issues they got a bit further into the low-11s before laying down the record-setting 10.74 at Great Lakes Dragway on April 8, 2023.
What started off as a fun project for two friends turned into a community-aided world record, with a 1989 Plymouth Voyager minivan running an absolutely incredible ET in the 10s.
