I agree with John that paying a few repair bills virtually always keeps you further ahead than new-car payments. Though you don't mention the integrity of the bodywork (rust, etc.) and the condition of the van otherwise, it very well could go 100,000+ miles. But I think it's important to mention that, in addition to the repair, you must maintain the van, as well. But it's still cheaper than new-car payments.

IMO the cheep trick you mention might be worth a shot if the holes were the size of a cigarette burn. Yours sounds too big for that to me. If it were me and neatness mattered at all, I'd take it to an upolstery shop and see if they have fabric to match and replace the bad panels. It usually doesn't cost that much replace one panel like it does if they were going to make an entire seat cover.

Done lots of these engines. They have a problem with the intake gaskets. You might be lucky. I'm sure that year of engine also has aluminium heads. I know the 96 does. working on that engine is no different that any other. just a lot more stuff to remove before you see the heads. That engine may have a roller cam and if it does DO NOT mix up the push rods or you smash the motor. Just a suggestion. DO NOT change just one head gasket if you take it apart. You are asking for trouble and get the manual for it. That engine could also have an aluminium manifold that only takes 10 lbs. torque and the bolts use lock tite. Again get the manual and all proper tools, or send it out. P.S. That engine is easy to work on. well to me anyway. Try a 3.8 in a Taurus. Good luck

The cost of replacing the intake manifold gaskets need not cost $750 IF you are willing to do the work yourself. If you are handy with wrenches, you can do it in one Saturday morning. The cost of the parts isn't much, but there is quite a bit of labor and that is where the shop charges are. I've done this repair in two GM 2.8 L V6 (Citation). The 3.1 L engine is similar. The intake is cast aluminum and doubles as a valley cover. These intakes also carry some water passages between the heads. These manifolds tend to loosen with time and thermal cycling. If caught in time, sometimes all that is needed is re-torquing the nuts. However, yours has been leaking for some time and In my opinion, a new set of gaskets and sealant should be installed. The oil leak has minor consequence compared to a coolant or air leak. The usual place of the oil leak is at the corners where the heads meet the block. Chevy had trouble sealing here. The intake manifold is tightened down between the heads that are angled 60 deg with each other. The intake manifold may not sit tight on the engine block (valley). Sealing to the heads is the most critical; sealing to the block depends on soft gaskets and very good sealant. Pay close attention to the corner pieces. What you need: Gasket set RTV or shop manual recommended sealant Torque wrench Repair manual Antifreeze mix for refilling can of water pump lube Engine oil for an oil change Oil Filter Optional: digital camera Camera! Why? Take pictures of the layout of everything before disasembly, so you'll have a reference when it comes time to re-asemble all the tubing and whatnot on top of engine. You'll probably need to photograph the stuff in layers as it comes off. If you are very familar with your car and have a good set of illustrations in a repair manual, you probably don't need photographs. I mention this as an aid. Drain the coolant. Some may spill into the crankcase even though it was drained. Plan on refilling with new coolant mix and a can of water pump lube. Plan on doing an oil and filter change. Taking the manifold off isn't hard. The difficult part is removing all the stuff on top of the manifold, and putting it back at the end. Remove all the nuts holding the manifold in place. if it is stuck in place, some tapping with a rubber mallet should loosen it. I suspect yours is already loose. Since it is cast of aluminum, you should be able to lift it without a hoist. Clean the gasket surfaces - follow the installation instruction in the manual. One recommendation: If the installation calls for RTV type sealant, do not use any old kind of RTV. It should be rated as "not harmful to catalytic converters" and it should be of the highest *hot oil* resistant RTV you can find. Repair manuals usually will recommend a sealenat type. Many corner leaks in these GM V-6s are due to the RTV washing out. When you begin to tighten the manifold, you will discover the problem - creep. I did mine slowly going through the bolt pattern multiple times, and it took about 10 trips through the pattern before the manifold snugged up. I waited for a period that was less than the set time of the RTV and went through the bolt pattern once more - yep, it had loosened. (Once the RTV sets, further disturbance may cause the RTV to loose adhesion.) Change the engine oil and filter before starting the engine. This is done to drain out any foreign fluids that may have dribbled down into the engine when the manifold was removed. Wait the recommended setting time for the sealant before refilling the coolant system and starting the engine. (The sealant around the coolant passageways may be different to that of the valley. Judge accordingly.) After this gasket replacement, I had no more problems in this area. About oil and electrical contacts: An oil film is death on power electrical contacts. If oil got inside the solenoid, that is a problem. How do I know this is bad? I worked in an industry for 38 years that made elecrical contactors, relays, pushbuttons, and circuit breakers. Most power contacts are designed to operate "dry". There does exist a class of devices having contacts submerged in oil, but these are always buried in oil and not exposed to the atmosphere. If you do not wish to tackle this repair yourself, at least you will understand what is generating the shop labor.