I'm brand new on here. I've been looking around for a small van and an elderly neighbor of mine up the street is selling a 91 Ford Aerostar XL. It's the short version. I don't know to much about these vans. Is there anything I should look out for. The van looks to be in really nice condition. He drove the van down to Florida every October and back in April so it is really clean and no rust. The interior looks brand new. He has every receipt for all the work he has done to it. The van just turned 100,000 miles and he wants $1400 for it. Personally I think it's worth a lot more because it is in such great shape. So I'm not going to low ball him.
I just need to know is there anything quirky or strange I should look for?
Thanks

 

They are very reliable, but what I would look out for is the condition of the transmission, make sure it has been serviced, otherwise you can be looking at a very expensive repair.

Another is the cooling system is a week link, make sure flushes have been done, otherwise you could be looking at heater core/head gasket issues.

Also the front wheel bearings do need maintenance, spindals are obsolete.

Otherwise just the basic stuff, it is a pretty robust van.

 

I've had 5 Aerostars and still own 3 of them so my answer may be a little biased. With proper maintenance, you can expect over 300k miles out of it. Of course you'll need to do routine repairs also. Rotors develop hard spots and need replacement. Tie-rod ends wear out, emissions hoses crack and things just plain go bad from time to time. That's normal for any vehicle. Overall, I've never had any engine or transmission problems - just what I call little stuff. I had to replace the air conditioner compressor on two vans, a radiator on one, the blower motor on a couple, the exhaust pipe vibration eliminator on a couple... I figure all those are regular routine repairs. I haven't experience any repeated failures.

My current garage:
'97 3.0L short Aerostar with the seats removed and windows covered contains built-in tool boxes - a handy utility van for Mr Fix It - almost 300k miles and going strong but some rust starting to show.
'97 3.0L short Aerostar, 7 passenger - my daily driver - 145k miles - just purchased a couple of months ago - had been garaged - no rust, body in very good shape.
'96 3.0L short Aerostar, 7 passenger - needs painted but no rust - the '97 above took the place of this van - it's sort of extra or money in the bank right now.

Would I buy another Aerostar?-----> I'm afraid by the time I need another one, you'll need to go to a museum to find one.

 

My mother owns a 1994 AWD model. She lives in rural Northern California and only drives about 1000 miles a year. It has only 80,000 original miles, from about 60,000 when my dad purchased it in nearly excellent condition used over a decade ago. Other than routine maintenance, it has been an excellent vehicle. It's time for new shocks, tires and a complete vehicle maintenance check, but that is typical for a vehicle of it's age. It has the 4.0L engine which i prefer and recommend over the 3.0L. I heard rumors of problems with the 3.0L, and the 4.0L seems to have more power, especially when towing. I don't think an Aerostar is a bad investment, and based on public request, Ford continued production on them for 2 years after they intended to discontinue the model overlapping the production of the Windstar, which eventually took its place in the Ford lineup.

 

I purchased my 1990 model in 1994 with 24K miles, and put about 125k miles on it. The worst problem I had to deal with was the engine leaking oil and coolant a few years ago. But at over 120k miles, you have to expect some failed seals. I expect I'll have to do it again in 10 years, if I am able to keep it that long.

Like most cars, if you keep up with regular maintenance, you can avoid major problems. Check and change fluids regularly. If you plan to tow a trailer regularly, install a heavy duty transmission cooler to replace the air cooler in the front bumper.

For me, Ford lost a lot of functionality with the Windstar; it fails the plywood test. The interior is too narrow to load a full 4x8 sheet of plywood into the back, yet its exterior is wider and longer than the Aerostar extended, and it's heavier. At this time, I don't think there are any minivans that passes the plywood test.

 

Thanks everyone. I took the plunge today and bought it. I'll take a few pics if it ever stops raining.
I still can't believe how clean this van is. The seller gave me all the receipts for all the work he's done through the years on it. It was really taken care of well.

 

I can't imagine you being disappointed with your purchase. Welcome the club! If found the Aerostar to be the ideal multipurpose vehicle. It's base weight of only 3800Lbs for the short van allows me to tow it behind my motorhome (using a driveshaft disconnect from Remco to prevent damaging the transmission). The seats are a little heavy for one person to remove if extra space is needed and there's only one side with a sliding door but for the price, Aerostars are hard to beat.