Found someone selling a semi modified e-350 for outdoor use. After talking to him for awhile i found he took good general care of the vehicle and it has 167k miles and is a 2003. He told me it was mostly road miles and nothing off road. He added 267/75/R16 tires and new sparks and coil on plug all around. I want the van because it'll fit my wife and i's outdoor traveling life. so i want to know if we can get at least another 100k out of it, obviously with regular maintenance, or if for 10k$ its worth it or not. Im not a mechanic or car expert so i come here humbly for your advice and guidance, internet.

Thanks, Nic

 

Welcome to the van forum, Nic.

We've got a member named delgriffith who runs a fleet of Ford Vans doing continuous passenger transport. He's got 3(?) vans with 5.4's at 1.3 million miles each. There are a lot of folks here with 200k+ miles on 5.4 engines as well, so they will go pretty darn far if cared for well.

One concern is blown out spark plugs but there are helicoil type repair kits that can be used if you strip out the threads. An '03 would have the earlier PI heads without a lot of threads in them. (Something like 4 aluminum threads--kind of a silly design.) When you change the plugs, use recommended torque values and hints you will find on this page. There is a lot on the Internet about blown out plugs but there are a LOT of these engines in use.

Not sure about the price. It depends on condition and what modifications have been made (and how well they have been made)...and how much the modifications are worth to you for your specific needs. Does the van have a lift kit on it? If so, make sure it's a high quality kit that will give you good wheel alignment, etc.

Is the van from the rust belt? An '03 can be pretty rusty here in Michigan. (My '02, which I bought new in '03, is quite clean but I am pretty fastidious about keeping salt washed off the undercarriage.)

I have done well on bad roads and campground trails with my current E150 and GMC vans before that with good tires and limited slip rear axles. They also go thru Michigan winters well for me. They are a bit large to get thru narrow spaces, but they can carry a lot of toys like mountain bikes, etc. inside.

The big problem I have with my van is that my wife, who qualifies for Medicare in October, has a problem with her left knee sitting in the passenger seat. I don't like sitting there for any length of time myself, and we are ready to hit the road now that we're retired. I love my van but am reluctantly shopping for a replacement...either a minivan or maybe a large SUV. I've had big vans since 1986 and they can't be beat for carrying *stuff* inside.

Good luck,
George

 

Echoing YoGeorge's greeting Nic---welcome to FTE!

I currently own two E250's (same body/chassis) one a 2000 and the other a 2003. Categorically I will NEVER again own another 2003 due more than a few problems with the body and rust. Mind you both vans have lived in Ohio their entire lives so theoretically they should exhibit very, very similar "life experiences. Not so much.............

The '03 has significant rust both of the body and recently discovered problems with the radius arms---significant enough those will be replaced this week. By contrast the '00 has virtually no rust of any degree anywhere on the entire body, keeping in mind both live in the same place, driven by the same guy--me.

Were it not for another friend also owning an '03 bought brand new and having similar significant rust issues as my new-to-me '03 I would have marked this up to the previous owner being lax on upkeep.

Those issues aside both have over 200K miles on them; 2000 = 278K, 2003 = 212K. Regular maintenance performed by me DIY whenever possible, heavier work farmed out to exceptionally skilled, experienced, conscientious, knowledgeable and yet infinitely affordable mechanics. (My work brings me in contact with many such people, in that way I'm quite lucky.)

Both E250's have had complete front suspensions rebuilt including all new Moog hard parts and urethane bushings where available. Front coil springs, Bilstein shocks and Michelin LTX E-rating tires complete my running gear, On yeah---also upgraded the '03 to '08 brakes which are essentially E350 rotors and calipers--they're a direct and perfect fit, vast braking improvement.

Over 4 different 5.4's and DIY plug changes I've yet to have any issues with ejected plugs---whether I'm lucky or simply follow known accepted practices for removing and installing these is hard to pinpoint. For the most part (and reading quite a bit in the Modular Motor v8 & V10 forums here) the real incident of ejected plugs is somewhat overstated because statistically the real incidence rate is quite low.

The modular motors did receive Performance Improved heads as a running change during mode year '00 (manufactured late 1999) however that didn't change the spark plug hole thread count. The only "secret" to assuring no issues there is DIY plug changes adhering to widely accepted and FTE described methods.

Also because E-Series have never received the 3 valve-per-cylinder heads we have avoided slightly more difficult plug changing issues with that design---we're lucky in that regard.

YoGeorge is 100% regarding ejected plug issues are relatively easy fixes---it can be a DIY project or most any competent shop can perform this task. There are good and better brands of replacement inserts, Time-Sert being pretty much widely accepted whether DIY or performed in a shop familiar with their process. At about $400 per hole its permanent, fortifies that hole against further incidents and is considerably less than replacing or removing the head for this type repair.

Were it me looking at this van I'd ask current owner when these last maintenance steps were performed and by who(m)? :

-Tranmission service: full flush or 5 qts & filter only?

-Chassis lube

-Oil change

-Spark plugs: COP & boot inspection

-Front suspension: full inspection with special attention to all 4 ball joints
AND algnment

-Brake system: all pads and rotors good? Fluid exchanged or flushed?

-Coolant condition: pH test or last known full system flush?

-A/C system: Last known service

This same pre-sale inspection would find me crawling under the van with flashlight looking at and for whatever caught my eye. I'd also want to inspect the rear area sheet metal floor under the OEM mat if its still in place. This is a huge rust breeding ground, often times isn't discovered until quite late after the damage is somewhat extensive.

In general the E-Series vans especially after '1997 have proven themselves quite reliable when properly cared for----mine are great examples. As YoGeorge mentions our other member DelGriffith oversees a fleet of these vans with amazing accumulated mileage--makes my >280K miles seem like virgin vans!

Do your homework and go into used E-Series ownership knowing they're great vehicles, fairly easy and affordably maintained, crazy reliable and not a little bit of fun to drive. I'm hearing Sammy John's In My Chevy Van right now, complete blast from the past!