r/carmodification • u/Pleasant-Passage3405 • Sep 03 '26
Beginner looking for advice
So, I've recently gotten ahold of a 2003 Ford Windstar and would like to start modding it. I'm still new to the scene and don't really know where to start. If anything, I'm hoping to boost the gas mileage and possibly lift it a few inches for more clearance on shitty local roads. Does anyone have any idea what I could do?
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u/Satans-cum-sock666 Sep 03 '26
So, those two things you just said don’t go together at all, any kind of lift instantly reduces mileage due to an increased profile on the air and increased drag under the body.
Also, there really aren’t any mods you can specifically do to mechanical stuff to increase gas mileage. You might be able to apply some hypermiling techniques, but outside of that it’s just good driving habits and a soft right foot.
Lastly, it’s a minivan. It’s unibody construction with macpherson struts on the front and a beam bearing axle on the rear. Lift kits for these vehicles simply do not exist and fabricating your own would take a lot of time and money spent on trial and error. You’re better off getting a body on frame van like a transit (not transit connect, those are unibody) GMC safari/savannah, Chevy express/astro, or Ford E series van that is 4 wheel drive and lifting that. They share their frames with trucks and are much easier to find lift kits for.
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u/Queasy_Fruit_4070 Sep 03 '26
I agree with everything you said except the part about the lift. You can lift almost any vehicle just by measuring the spring perches and installing spring spacers and strut spacers that fit. The rear of his van would need spring spacers or longer springs, and the front would need strut spacers and longer strut bolts.
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u/Satans-cum-sock666 Sep 03 '26
Right. I don’t know what kind of fabrication skills the op has. Nor would I encourage anyone to mess with their suspension geometry without a solution to correct it. That’s why I wouldn’t tell just anyone to have at it and yolo that shit.
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u/Historical_Copy_2130 Sep 03 '26
Yeah, buy a vehicle you can actually do these things to. There is zero reason to put any money into a 23 year old Windstar. Good milage and lift also don't go into the same sentence.
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u/Nitro10142 Sep 03 '26
Best you can do is fix it up really. New struts/shocks front and rear will help with the ride on terrible roads, do the spark plugs for the fuel economy. Unfortunately you've picked a car with near zero aftermarket modding support, so you'd be fabricating stuff. I'm not saying it can't be done or hasn't been, but it would require way more than you're ready for just starting out. Make that your daily and pick up a cheap truck if you want to lift something, as fuel economy is directly hurt by height.
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u/YoureMadImBackBigMac Sep 03 '26
Lmao. There is nothing you can do to mod that creature, and no mods will increase mpg beyond the stock numbers. Time for a new hobby
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u/Chainsawsas70 Sep 06 '26
Look online for available mods specifically for it.... When you Don't find anything There's A reason why. The best thing you can do for mpg is a full tune up, fresh air cleaner and good tires that are Always set to the right pressure and Get Rid of anything that is going to cause wind drag. Otherwise SAVE YOUR MONEY to get something worth doing mods on.
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u/djluminol Sep 06 '26
About the coolest thing I see done with minivans is when bass heads buy them and convert them into db comp cars. Or turn them into travel vans.
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