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new here
so i'm suprised that there is actually a forum that covers these silly vans, so i figgured i'd join up. they aren't really my vans at all, but my companys, i just maintain the things. 11 vans to date right now. most are the 3.0L 2wd, but we got 2 AWD 4.0s, and we are looking at getting a 4.0 2wd prety soon. just finished parting out a 1995 AWD today as well. gotta say these things are extremely relyable, and for the most part easy to work on.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
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From: Washington state
welcome TitleSeventeen,
Aero's must not be that silly, your company owns 11 of them and also hired you.
mid size, fuel economic, large cargo area, comfortable crusin rear wheel drive carry a half ton, low maintenance cost and parts....can't find all those qualities in one import van
not everyone is looking for a rig to just carry 6 unsocialized soccer brats in the back
Aero's must not be that silly, your company owns 11 of them and also hired you.
mid size, fuel economic, large cargo area, comfortable crusin rear wheel drive carry a half ton, low maintenance cost and parts....can't find all those qualities in one import van
not everyone is looking for a rig to just carry 6 unsocialized soccer brats in the back
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Joined: Feb 2006
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i was not much of a believer in these vans at first, but they are about the most relyable vans i've ever used/worked on. not to mention how cheep parts are. last year our vans drove a combined 275,000 miles and we had one engine failure due to someone running the van too hot. not too bad if you ask me.
one of my biggest complaints is gas mileage:
the 3.0/RWD ones get about 18-21mpg highway at best
and the 4.0/AWD ones get about 13-17mpg or so highway
one of my biggest complaints is gas mileage:
the 3.0/RWD ones get about 18-21mpg highway at best
and the 4.0/AWD ones get about 13-17mpg or so highway
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 124
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From: Northern California
Welcome 
Search the forums for maint information/advise. These animals are finicky with regards to tune up (type of plugs etc).
Hope you have fun, this forum is by far the best one I've come across (I know, sucking up to the brass
) and the guys know what to do, haven't had much fun with my Aero until I found this place.
Take care.
Aaron
Nappers
Search the forums for maint information/advise. These animals are finicky with regards to tune up (type of plugs etc).
Hope you have fun, this forum is by far the best one I've come across (I know, sucking up to the brass
) and the guys know what to do, haven't had much fun with my Aero until I found this place.Take care.
Aaron
Nappers
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 5
From: Washington state
3L Shorty's moving just themselves and a couple passengers are capable of 25 mpg plus freeway
4L AWD Ext's will get 20 mpg + freeway
I get 18 mpg with 500 lbs of gear in back and towing another 3500 lbs of wind jammer trailer
put cheap plugs in the 4L and newer DIS 3L and one literally pays in blood, use only double plat Autolites or Motorcraft, only ones that seem to know the finicky heat range plug requirements
talk the owner into adding a 20 oz bottle of Chevron Techron Concentrate or Gumout Regane every 5k miles, antifreeze and 195d F thermostat changes every two years, tranny ATF changed gentle flush 10 qt every 30k miles and an add on largest that will fit tranny cooler in front of radiator, you will make the boss a ton of profit on long running low operating cost vehicles....any parts changer knuckle dragger can change the oil every 3k, takes an intelligent mech. to design a service program for long veh life
4L AWD Ext's will get 20 mpg + freeway
I get 18 mpg with 500 lbs of gear in back and towing another 3500 lbs of wind jammer trailer
put cheap plugs in the 4L and newer DIS 3L and one literally pays in blood, use only double plat Autolites or Motorcraft, only ones that seem to know the finicky heat range plug requirements
talk the owner into adding a 20 oz bottle of Chevron Techron Concentrate or Gumout Regane every 5k miles, antifreeze and 195d F thermostat changes every two years, tranny ATF changed gentle flush 10 qt every 30k miles and an add on largest that will fit tranny cooler in front of radiator, you will make the boss a ton of profit on long running low operating cost vehicles....any parts changer knuckle dragger can change the oil every 3k, takes an intelligent mech. to design a service program for long veh life
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,041
Likes: 1
From: Orland USA
So TitleSeventeen where are you located so we can clean-up any leftovers from your Parted out a 95 AWD? <BG>
Welcome,
Jay
Welcome,
Jay
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there is literally nothing left of this van, i've pulled every concieveable part (less the bad transmission) only thing really left at this point is the steering column which is coming out as soon as its loaded up on the trailer to go to the shreaders today. i'll have to post some pictures i took of it. it lived a healthy 203,000.
i have seen 22 at very best from one of the 3.0/extended vans, that was with 2 people and no load, traveling 70-75mph. we always change the radiators as soon as we get the van, just so we encounter minimal cooling system problems down the road.
i have seen 22 at very best from one of the 3.0/extended vans, that was with 2 people and no load, traveling 70-75mph. we always change the radiators as soon as we get the van, just so we encounter minimal cooling system problems down the road.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,041
Likes: 1
From: Orland USA
TitleSeventeen:
Hope there was more wrong with it than just a bad Transmission.
Only 203,000 miles.....That's a Baby. We have some here with twice that and more, Their's is still going strong.
Sounds like you still had a lot of good parts left. Was the body straight? Did it have any rusted out spots? Somebody here with a bad body would of most likely hauled it off for you so they could fixed their's.
It's just with the wrecking yards crushing more & more cars, pretty soon anything over 5-10 years old you won't be able to find in any Yards to fix yours.
Jay
Hope there was more wrong with it than just a bad Transmission.
Only 203,000 miles.....That's a Baby. We have some here with twice that and more, Their's is still going strong.
Sounds like you still had a lot of good parts left. Was the body straight? Did it have any rusted out spots? Somebody here with a bad body would of most likely hauled it off for you so they could fixed their's.
It's just with the wrecking yards crushing more & more cars, pretty soon anything over 5-10 years old you won't be able to find in any Yards to fix yours.
Jay
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 5
From: Washington state
Chinese need more scrap steel so they can make our new Chinese Fords coming in 2008, Chop Suey Commie Crown Vic
thousands of tons of scrap steel going out of Portland Ore Port from Schneizer Steel salvage...cleaning out every junke parts emporium on the west coast
thousands of tons of scrap steel going out of Portland Ore Port from Schneizer Steel salvage...cleaning out every junke parts emporium on the west coast
Thread Starter
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we got it for $300, less the driver side sliding window (last owner took it for his other aerostar) for parts for some of our other vans, we had our red 96' 3.0 wrecked and needed the front end parts. the trans was aparently having trouble shifting from 1-2 when cold, but other then that it ran prety good.
the body however is totally shot, behind the drivers door to the rear wheel was prety much totally gone from rust. when i pulled the speaker on the drivers side i was able to see straight to the ground outside. we sorta kicked around the idea of bringing it back to life, but in the end we perfer the 2wd vans for gas mileage, and this one needed alot of things to pass state inspection and when pulling parts i noticed a busted coil spring, so i'm glad we didn't drive it much at all before parting it out. it will live on for awhile in our other vans, they needed some of these parts BAD. and yes we have another van full of parts, so i think we should be well off for awhile.
heres some pictures of the remains
and a few of the other vans
the body however is totally shot, behind the drivers door to the rear wheel was prety much totally gone from rust. when i pulled the speaker on the drivers side i was able to see straight to the ground outside. we sorta kicked around the idea of bringing it back to life, but in the end we perfer the 2wd vans for gas mileage, and this one needed alot of things to pass state inspection and when pulling parts i noticed a busted coil spring, so i'm glad we didn't drive it much at all before parting it out. it will live on for awhile in our other vans, they needed some of these parts BAD. and yes we have another van full of parts, so i think we should be well off for awhile.
heres some pictures of the remains
and a few of the other vans
Last edited by TitleSeventeen; Feb 21, 2006 at 06:03 PM.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,041
Likes: 1
From: Orland USA
Yeah, you never know what parts you might need or when. I happened to pick up a 93 w/3.0 for $25.00
So, I loaned my Son my 89 Aero while I was fixing His Olds Cutlass Ciera
Well..............He was giving His Grandmother (my Mom) a ride home and She told Him to take a shortcut between two Poles........Luckly I have a good sliding door on the 93 and it's the same color.
Jay
So, I loaned my Son my 89 Aero while I was fixing His Olds Cutlass Ciera
Well..............He was giving His Grandmother (my Mom) a ride home and She told Him to take a shortcut between two Poles........Luckly I have a good sliding door on the 93 and it's the same color.
Jay
)