I guess us 97 and newer vanners are left out in the cold, there is no forum for us, except the Super Duty forum, wonder why ? Everyone else has their own forum. Since I have the V-10 I usually hang out in that forum, but I need to comingle with folks other than F-250 and F350 owners. Oh you get the occasionally motorhome guy, and conversion van guy in the V-10 forum, but mostly it's a lonely life over there.

So I was wondering, how trick would a lowered, tricked out, E-350 ext length van be ? It would be tight wouldn't it ? 20" wheels and low profile tires, a sweet exhasut system and other enhancements ? It would be a unique vehicle, not one you'd see all over the roads, like the kid with the backwards baseball hat driving a lowered Honda with wheels and a fart pipe. But after searching just about everywhere, I haven't seen any lowering springs, or anything else for that matter for the vans. How similar is the front end to the pick-up ? How about the rear end ? Would an F-350 2WD kit work ? Or is it completely different ? The motor is quite a bit farther forward in the frame isn't it ? Anyone out there ever modify their van ? (besides the hokey stuff from the 70's that is) What did you do ? I see a lowering kit for the GM mini-van (yuck) but it's tough finding accessory parts, especially for the newer vans. Thanks for your help, Ken


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Ken, E-350 V-10 XLT Clubwagon

 

Can't help you with any of your questions, I have never looked under one of those things.
However I LIKE the idea!! Unless you paln on driving cross country, I say stick it in the weeds, I'd dig it!

 

I don't want it too low, as I still need to tow my camping trailer, and I still need to get an entire soccer team inside once in a while, which is what I bot it for. But I'd like to put some 18"s or 19"'s on it and drop it 3" in the front and maybe 5" or 6" in the rear. While still retaining all my towing/hauling capacities, it could be done. Besides, with the lower center of gravity it may lessen some of the so-called rollover tendencies the 15 pass van seems to have. Someone out there has to know what will work from the F-series, then I can start searching out parts.

 

I lowered mi 4in in the front and 8 in the back (if you give me the stock height i'll let you know for sure) i notched the rear and am looking into going to airbags. She is a F350 CC, 460 DRW

Doug

 

Yea there's lots of F-Series stuff around. I need someone who knows what will cross reference to the Super Duty E-series. Suspension parts, engine up grades, etc, all that stuff. I'd love a 3-4" drop in front, and a 5-6" drop in the rear, while still retaining my tow/haul capacity. I'll never get 3 yards of wet sand in the bed, but 15, 200 pound people is a ton and a half. And I'd love to get the center of gravity dropped a bit, what would be cooler than a 22 foot, 15 passenger, V-10 canyon carver ? Yea buddy, sweet huh ?

 

Hey Ken if you will help me talk my ol' lady into it I'll be happy to do my van and let you know all about the experience.

 

OK, gotta start somewhere, now, should we go about it with the old guilt approach ? As in "I've provided and provided all these years and never asked for anything" ? Or is it better to, as the old saying goes "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission" ? You tell me how you'd like me to target your getting your performance parts and I'm down with your suggestion to help talk her into it. Heck maybe after she finds out all the money you've spent I'll be able to buy them used, and cheap ?? Hahahahaha, thanks for the suggestion.

 

Good grief man ! I went to the Executive Vans site I saw a USED 2001 E-350, V-10 conversion van that was ONLY $48,000, wowzers, they don't exactly give those things away do they ? I can't imagine what a 2003 or a 2004 would be, and please don't tell me, my heart can't take it.

 

Ken, the van on the conversion site is new. I bought mine used. I found it on an auction site. It had 21,436mi. And I got it for $21k. Maybe I'll be able to sell the job as a safety issue. ie; Lowering the risk of Rollover. Pun intended.

 

Ah, yes I see that now, it's a new 2001, OK, I see.

Now, about the lowering for safety, hmm, "OK Mrs Shorebird, STRICTLY for your safety, and ONLY because of that it is imperative that this V-10 van has some slight alterations to it's running gear. Now seeing as how your very wise, and very knowledgeable husband bought this at a greatly reduced price knowing full well that this alteration HAD to be done, the time has come to go ahead and make the change to ensure the very safest vehicle that can be. If you add the cost of this minor alteration to the cost of the vehicle you still come out $25,000 ahead. Obviously your husband had all this in mind when this van was purchased ergo the greatly reduced price. In fact the price of the much needed alterations were fully reflected in the sales price as the selling dealer knew that without a doubt, this alteration was almost required by the NHTSA. Every mile travelled without this fix is taunting death, so it is imperative that it's done ASAP".

How's that ? Think if done in that manner it will work ? Or should we go for, as I suggested earlier, the old guilt trip method of getting performance parts, that way I usually save as a last resort. But I have never been ashamed to use it if necessary. Let me know if this tact doesn't work, it should but women are crafty. And sometimes they see through our lame attempts at getting a supercharger, it's like they don't even understand how much safer our families will be in a supercharged V-10. I just don't understand the way the female mind works, but I keep trying to trick, er uh, convince her that that $3,500 supercharger would make my V-10 one of the safest, most fuel efficinet (heck it does it raise it's 'volumetric efficiency' rate way, way up, making it much more fuel efficient (pure cubic inch), and who here would not do their part for the good ole USA and help decrease our dependency on foreign oil so the kids defending our country don't have to die provinding good. cheap fuel for us Americans ? Why heck, to NOT bolt on that supercharger is just, well it's just UN-AMERICAN. See if that works, if not I'll come up with something else, OK ?

 

I haven't forgotten your good ideas. I've been waiting for the right time to convince her.

 

I too am interested in van mods i.e. lowering etc.

please keep it going as I don't know .

Considering E-350 reg. club wagon chateau int..

 

Sinjin;
Are you looking for new or used?

 

definitely new with V-10, auto, limited slip. Might even spring for
special order color if can get "sonic" blue still.

Q- Anyone familiar with special ordering for color?
A dealer salesman told me any ford color could be had for approx. $500 extra. Is this so?