So I've just rescued an Aerostar from a field. The coolest thing about it is the intake mod one of the previous owners did to it. Bascially drilled some holes in the grille that shoot air under the hood where I have a freshly installed cone filter. When I rev the engine I can hear it inhaling air.

Pic here: http://picasaweb.google.com/nagrover...75119508232130

 

I like the holes, but maybe should do three dummy holes on other side so it looks balanced. I can't believe you did a lower intake gasket on that thing. It must have been about the biggest pain ever. Looks like a very nice van, clean interior and body.

 

Usually this intake mod adds about 5-7% of perfomance gane if nothing was changed inside engine before.

 

Nice truck. Good luck with it.

 

Nice intake mod, how's it running yeah I wouldve been paranoid to look at it seeing as it was in a field, but awd nice find.

 

Yeah I took my chances. This thing was left for dead. I took the owners word that it had only been sitting for 6 months. Any longer than that and I'd start worrying about seals etc. It runs great now. I replaced the intake gaskets, plugs, wires, cleaned sensors, battery, wheel bearning, and front pads and rotors.. Now it doesn't leak coolant which is why it was left in the field in the first place. Yesterday I went to the junk yard and found all the missing interior bits (ash-tray, lighter, floor console etc). The intake mod was done by a previous owner, I just stuck a new cone filter and MAF adapeter that I had sitting around for my old Ford Contour (no longer have). I just have to flush the trans fluid and install a transmission cooler and it's readly to roll for the summer.

 

so wait what's the story on this thing, the prev. owner went out joy riding in a feild and started spewing coolant, so they just ditched it there?

 

No joy riding. They used it as a secondary family / errands vehicle and once it started spewing coolant ( it would loose all coolant in less than 10 minutes ) from the lower intake gasket, they parked it in a field. It sat for 6 months and then they decideded they wanted it off their land. They posted it in the classifieds for a couple hundred and thats where I came in

 

$200, you stole it

 

hahaha NICE i picked up one similar to that for 350, needs a front cv axle, an oil change, and some new front tires. what's the mileage on this beasty?

 

230,000 km's which is roughly 160,000 miles. It wasn't babied, but it wasn't totally abused either. The Autolite plugs that I pulled out of if were SHOT. I'll be using it as a second vechicle to tow a tent trailer and odds and ends ( haul people around ). I could have bought a running van for around $1500 but then it would still probably need work anyway. What appealed to me about this one was a clean body (no visible rust) and the 5spd auto transmission (5R55E). I've spent $800 to get it into good running shape (new battery, maintenance items etc). I have no reason to think it won't go another 160,000 miles but time will tell.

Additional cost so far (I did all work except the exhaust) :

- Wheel bearing (junk yard, like new, no corrosion on casing)
- Missing interiror pieces including cig lighter, ash-tray, cup-holder (junk yard)
- All intake gaskets (new Motorcraft)
- Valve cover gaskets (new Motorcraft)
- New flex-pipe in exhaust ($210 repair at muffler shop, single most expensive repair)
- New plugs
- New wires
- New battery (heavy duty)
- New front brakes (pads and rotors)
- Oil change
- Coolant change
- Transmission filter and synthetic oil (have the stuff, still need to do it)
- Fuel filter
- Cleaned sensors (MAS, IAC)
- Cleaned throttle body
- New cone filter
- Newer Motorcraft belt (from junk yard, like new, no cracks etc)

= $800 I've spent in repairs over the past two weeks... but well worth it. I'm glad I bought this one and did the work rather then buy a more expensive running van to which I'd probably have to do most of those things anyway.

The tires on it were near new.

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHH nice nice yeah the one we picked up has abou 197,xxx on the clock, runs strong, but wasn't quite babied, has had several owners in the past, prev. owners put like 90,000 miles on it since they bought it back in 01. you're lucky you got the 5spd, ours is a 93, w the 4 spd over drive. but yeah enough about my van in your thread, congratts on the find!!

 

No way that's cool, tell your story. It's a good feeling to revive a vehicle. It kinda broke my heart to see all those Aerostars at the junk yard. Some of them had nicer interiror then mine. Makes me want to save them all! Ah well that's how it goes I guess. For some people a lower intake gasket is the end of the line for a vehicle... their loss, my gain. I've never had a van or an automatic vehicle before.. so far I really dig it. I'm 30 years old now but I rember growing up at a time when they were new. I used to think they were the ugliest thing. Now I think they look cool in a retro kinda way.... I'm getting old and nostalgic. I just bough an Atari 2600 on ebay a while back... something is wrong with me

 

That really is a great find you made. And it's even better that you have access to a junk yard to find all your replacement parts. Every once in a while, a fleet of them would show up at my local yard, and I wish I could strip off as much parts as I can haul away. I'm thinking the next big piece might be a transfer case, but it's really hard to find a 4wd that's not totally trashed.

 

Yeah the yard is great. Can't say the same when trying to find parts for my Suzuki or my Audi. There were at least 8 AWD Aerostars at my local Pick-n-Pull with lots of good parts on them (they all had engines, trannies, and nearly full interior). I found some really clean carpet in the same color as mine but I couldn't get the two bolts out that hold the front seat/belt down. It's a torxs head and for the life of me I could not get them to budge. I really want that carpet so if anyone knows some tricks to get out those bolts I'd appreciate it.