I like this shape/ Style as well Good luck with your search for one off those 3rd gen vans. I have been looking for months to try and find one there out there but you just got to find the right one your looking for and do hard yards chasing them
At leased your on home ground its a bit harder to find one when your O/S

 

Why does it seem these 80s van rust easy

 

They're 25 years or more old by now, were typically commercial vehicles so not typically under-coated or treated well and got used year-round, day-in and day-out. Not many other 80s vehicles of any make fare much better north of the Mason-Dixon. Look at 80s Toyotas, Subarus, Dodge trucks, K-cars...

 

I started collecting 75-91 eseries last year. lost over 20 southern 65-79 ford pickups and broncos almost 2 yrs ago so I changed my collection and moved away.
I have a really clean 89 E250 diesel clubwagon, a 1986 E150 shorty from California but it needs a lot of work as I got it cheap because of a battery fire!
also have a 1980 E150 clubwagon > bought for the red interior for the shorty, a 1976 E250 chateau> couldn't let the seller send it to the wreckers, a 1979 E250 chateau> bought for the 16.5 turbines on it> a 1986 E150 with a fiberglass raised roof> parts storage but it runs and drives.
have my eye on a 1989 E150 shorty 4.9 5spd manual but its out of my price range for collecting so I need to wait and be patient.


not many left here in the north and they stand out from the crowd

 

Here's one that pre-dates the '71's:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281627815846?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Bet this one is LOUD inside huh?

 

I picked this 89 up about a week ago, it has NO RUST and needed a water pump and timing chain cover gasket. I will put a timing chain in it when I am in there. It has a 302 V8 and runs good. I will probably sell it because I have my heart set on a shorty cargo.

 

sharp van, why not use it until you find a shortie. is that a red interior or a toolbox reflection in the glass?
nice one.

 

It is a red interior. The interior is almost perfect, the only bad spot is a small tear on the drivers seat bottom. The dash is perfect and the door panels and headliner are excellent. I will probably drive it some until it sells but the reason I want a SWB is I want to do an "old school custom van" and it will involve a lot of work and I don't want to do it to a van I MIGHT not keep.

 

Please tell me how you lose a collection of 20????

 

I believe it was a fire.

 

Nice lookin 89!

 

Yes I have been looking for a 76- 85 shorty van for over 10 months now with not much luck

 

big honkin fire! lost everything inside, 25 plus year collection . lost all my tools in the shop and rooms full of southern Ford body panels and 2 rooms of NOS Ford body panels and other NOS bits I grabbed up whenever I found them. fire started in shop where my dad was boiling maple sap into syrup for my brother who makes 5x my annual income.
my brother pushed my dad into not letting me use the new shop/barn at all.
that's why we moved away, small acreage with enough funds left over to build me a nice shop.


only stuff I'm keeping are the 67-72 parts trucks turned resto projects. felt real good to move away from the city! and I could not build anything other than a 2car garage where we were. 250,000 plus loss after insurance payout.


I'm not bitter, unless I'm impaired

 

Well I decided to keep it. After I fixed it it drove and runs perfect and is just too clean and nice to get rid of on the hope/chance of finding a shorty in as good of shape. It has cruise control, tilt wheel, AC, PS, PB and everything works. I have already started customizing the cargo area as an "old school 70's custom". I will probably start a separate build thread on here. Are they many members on here that like the custom vans?

 

You have chosen wisely


personally I love the dark metallic grey