Hey all,

Apologies if this is the wrong place for this.

I'm looking at an '89 Quadravan - it's an e250 body with c6 trans and 351w efi converted straight out of the factory by Pathfinder to be 4x4 monster. So it's got a Dana 60 and I think 44, big lift, big wheels, 4x4, springs up front, leafs in back, some other stuff that I don't know about (stabilizers?) - lots of custom fab stuff from Pathfinder, now completely defunct as a company.

The good:
- the price! it's wicked cheap.
- it runs, drives, stops, and steers, lights and windows work, windshield is pretty good, etc.
- bumpers are damn shiny.
- it's fully built! 4x4 monster. from my test drive, it seems like suspension is in order
- Slider door works better than the new ford transit ones do.

The bad:
- no title - I'm gonna get plates from VT, but it won't be able to move until then (storage)
- body is pretty rusty - holes in the corners and door wells. Doors are good.
- Frame and underbody has lots of scale, but is solid.
- Little things: 4x4 shifter needs a rubber piece, can't be shifted from the cab right now; steering is REALLY loose - may be the steer box, probably needs tie rod ends etc.; needs some linkage adjustment - won't stick in park; no a/c - whatever; has a grey oil pan, which I'm told means it will need replaced
- There's a click on the passenger side of the engine. The scrapper who has it now thinks it's a lifter, but he's had others think it's a pushrod.
- Needs tires... big ones...

The questions:
- Anybody have an hour estimate for the click if it's a lifter vs a pushrod?
- Any consensus if it's worth it to go through all this? I don't know what it would take for the underbody to be in better shape, except for a full body-off job, which i definitely do not have the funds for. I wouldn't mind doing a body swap down the road (year from now or so) - other opinions/thoughts appreciated. I personally think the current body is not worth going after because of the door wells. That's fine for now, it'll pass inspection.
- Down another route, which I would really prefer to avoid, is it worth picking this up just to part out? The axles, trans, engine, maybe doors? Would be a waste of the frame mods, but I'm always down for a good flip.

I'm not a big car guy, but pick up things pretty quickly - have no space or tools of my own to work on this. Another thing bothering me is there are similar vans out west with very little rust for $3-8k - could the work to get this up to use be within that bracket? If not, I may as well just fly out there and get one of those.

 

 

 

Thanks for your responses. I've been thinking pretty heavily about the last few days. Think I'm gonna pass on this one.

 

Let me tell you a story. When I was about 20, I lived in an apartment. There was this ole '68 Mustang I just had to have. It was pretty beat up. Like you, I had no place, nor tools, nor money to work on such a thing. Had to have it. Borrowed $500 from my mom to buy it. To my credit, I actually did a pretty good job restoring the interior - which should always be the last thing you restore. In the end I ended up selling it for junk as a parts car.

Rule number one of car restoration: Unless there is some collectible reason to do so, never start with junk. You will spend more money than if you had just started with non-junk to start with.

Rule number two: Have a garage and tools.

Steve