Its been sitting for years, finally going to have the blown engine removed and looked at to see if it can be rebuilt.

 

here is a bigger pic

 

Hey, that is a very cool van. Is it a 351, or did they do 400/460's? I love that old body style, maybe because it's a "dentside" like my old '78 pickup was.

Looks like it needs a paint rub (or maybe a little more than that), some cool wheels and tires, and you got a really classy and unique machine. Most stuff of that vintage here in the Detroit area is a pile of iron oxide these days...

George

 

thanks, the paint is actually the last thing on the list, got lots of mech work to do first. It has a 460.

 

Very cool van. Vans like yours is what got me into these things to begin with when I was a young lad. Looks great.

 

thanks. Now I just need to keep the wife from finding out what I am up to and how much Im spending!

 

If its "been sitting for years" with a "blown engine" I'm curious how old the on street photo is?

Sounds to me like you need to discover how much you're going to have to be "spending" before pulling the trigger on this dinosaur. While I agree that its a "very cool" idea, I'm wondering how much I'd want to invest in a 30 YO 460 cube Gas Guzzler?

Found out my 17 YO Econoline's 1st owner was in Ohio. I bought it here in FL 10 years ago, but its turning into a rust bucket from it's exposure to road salt in the Rust Belt. I looked at a FL '92 E150 Chateau recently that is 100% Rust Free. I'd have bought it in a heartbeat if it was a 5.0, but its a 7.5 - no way! I'm also wondering how rusty a 30 YO Econoline might be in Cincinnati?

Sorry to Rain on Your Parade, but many "very cool" ideas are simply not economically practical.

 

You make an excellent point and I have made the same point (on other boards) for example when others try to pass off their projects as low-buck when they don't reflect the true amount spent in labor (whether theirs or someone elses) or parts.

But this is a little different as I don't claim that this will be low buck project and since I wasn't planning on using this van as an investment, I am not too worried about the costs except to say I don't plan on doing anything outrageous with it like jacking it up 12" and putting huge tires on it.

The whole car/truck hobby is just that a hobby.

The picture was taken about 3 years ago and was taken after I bought it. It does not have much rust at all except for some surface rust.

The engine work is being done by someone else for less than $2000 grand, including labor and another engine, although once the guy pulls the original engine out, we are going to inspect in hopes that it can be rebuilt for about the same cost. That is about what I paid to have my engine removed, rebuilt and reinstalled for my GMC Suburban.

I dont have the garage, the time, the skills, etc. to do this work myself.

 

I'd love to have that van. Go for it! The 460 is a great motor.

 

Ditto. I can't afford a quadravan outright, so I am just going to build my own at my leisure. I don't want it for a daily driver, that's what the ZX2 is for. I want a multipurpose toy.

 

Thanks. I have my 02 Sport Trak for daily driving so Im not worried about cost of gas.

 

If you've got the bucks to blow on a "hobby" why not? Might be even more "cool" if its not "economically practical" especially if you had a practical use for a 460 4X4 van. I was won over by the '92 & up body style, leaving me only rarely nostalgic about my '85 & '70 Econolines.

There was a pre-92 4X4 Econoline for awhile at my local U-Pull & I briefly toyed w/the idea of transplanting the hardware to a '92 & up. It was very heavy duty from somekind of geological survey company & just a "very cool" idea. For me vehicles have always been more of a game than a "hobby". A good number of my vehicles became winners, in that I was able to restore, use them & still sell them for more than I'd paid. Always enjoyed the "hobby" of repairing/restoring, as well as the practical use. My investment vehicles have been mixed bags-can't really use them. For me it wouldn't be a "hobby" if "I (didn't) have the garage, the time, the skills, etc. to do this work myself". I presume your "hobby" is 4 Wheelin'/offroadin'? My offroading was always done in vintage JEEPs & Landrovers, virtually all 4 cylinder.

Good luck. Hope the original motor gets a thumbs up. For a 30 YO it would be nice to keep it intact. Old friend bought a brand new '91 Quigley 4X4 conversion, got a deal & couldn't wait for a '92.

 

The 92's and up are too rounded off! I like sharp angles. Too new for me but too each his own.

 

Indeed "each to his own". The big boxy exterior shapes are little different to my eye. What "won me over" were the substantially larger windows & improved ergonomics & comfort of the cockpit. While driving Econolines the "sharp angles" or "rounded off" exterior is invisible to me. Econoline bodies are utilitarian, not something I'd rate highly as static sculpture.

The command position in the office of pre-'92 Econolines is "Too (old) for me" after recently driving my Uncle's. Guess you dislike the "rounded" '92 & up dash? IMO the old dash, replete with it's "sharp angles" was never a thing of beauty. My 92's seats are vastly superior to an old XLT. Just found a sweet '06, I'll be calling about.

Keep in mind there are still a few pre-75 Econoline fans. I can't even remember when FORD moved the motor out from between the seats, but there must be fans of those antiques too.

 

I agree with you on the interiors 100%.