Originally Posted by
dockrocker
Hello all, I'm not new to the site but am to this particular forum. I'm looking at a 1999 E-150 conversion van, the work was done by d'Elegant. The truck has 86K miles, believe it is the original owner; he says it runs like a top (of course
).
So... from a little research, it appears there is no substantial chassis or running gear changes from 1997 up through 2007. This truck has the 4.6 mod, enough for what I would use it for.
Anything I should look at for this year? What kind of maintenance am I looking at, considering the mileage and age? Tie rods, injectors, etc? Any insight into this conversion company?
Any advice/thoughts/concerns are welcome!
My '02 is a d'Elegant conversion and it is my 4th conversion van. The conversion itself has been tighter than most (my favorite of all I've owned) although I put a pair of stock Ford captain's chairs in the front because the conversion seats killed my back. Not sure if d'Elegant is still around; the economy and low popularity of conversion vans has killed a lot of companies. I bought my van new and it is up to 82k miles. As with all conversions, they are not really made to OEM standards and can deteriorate quickly if used hard. I pulled the tack-on inner door coverings off the front doors because all they did was rattle.
Make sure things like rear heat and air are working; check all accessory lights. If it's a raised roof check the paint on the top and all attachment points.
New tie rod ends, ball joints, etc, may very well be needed. My van got a front end refresh before 60k (while under a Ford Premium Care warranty).
For me, brakes have gone 35-45k miles, and are expensive if you need new front rotors. All big vans eat brakes.
You're coming up on the big 100k mile tuneup with new plugs. The 4.6 is a great motor for gas mileage, not a lot of extra oomph for towing heavy stuff.
Good luck,
George