Saw a Aero for sale the other day. '96 longbody, body looked to be decent, no gaping holes like mine,


no oil spray from rear main seal, etc.

Called the number, guy says it has 159k, newer alternator, slight misfire when warm, etc (my wife did the talking). Asking $1100 obo. I'll be going to look at it closer Monday.

Anything on a '96 that gives problems? I'm thinking this could be a pretty good deal.

 

You fail to mention if this is a 3L or 4L 2WD or 4WD. My 94 3L 2WD is doing great at 144,000 with annual rustolium touchups. One major pain recently was changing a very rusty leaking oil pan. I have left a recent thread to that effect.
At high millage each Aero is to be considered on it's own merits, but of course in general thay just keep on running. My gut reation to what you are thinking is to be carefull, it appears a bit pricey for the millage.

A bad modulator on the transmission could be sucking fluid into the fuel injection system. Fluid disappears without any apparent leaks. Brakes may need to be replaced.
If you do all your own repairs, go for it, but keep the price around where you have it. If you have to have a garage do all the work, plan on those hidden expenses. I could guess all day on other potential problems. Since you have a bit of history with the Aero, let common sense be the guide.

 

That price is very reasonable. Also a '96 doesn't have a vacuum modulator. Depending largely on body condition, for a van with that mileage, value should be anywhere from $1100 to $3500.

 

I'm not sure on the engine. I'm hoping for 4L. It is 2WD. Fairly big trailer hitch on the back of it.

159k is kinda low, I think. My '93 has 187k on it, Dad's 94 is well over 200k. His doesn't have much of a body left, but it keeps going.

 

Copied the VIN. X code-4L. Crawled under it a bit more today. A little bit of rust, much better than my '93. Rocker panels are mostly there. We'll see how things go on Monday.

 

I had a lead on one yesterday that I almost checked out. Lincoln, Nebraska craigslist has (had?) a '93 low mileage (under 78K, I think) Aerostar for I think it was about a $1000. (Posted Friday, July 2)
I emailed the seller and found out it was a shorty. My wife HATES a shorty Aerostar, other wise I would have driver there with cash in hand. To anybody interested, they listed it as an AREO instead of an Aerostar.

 

Went ahead and got it. Pictures maybe tomorrow. Too many bugs out. Guy sold it due to getting a '97 AWD, fancier one.

The iffy:
Side door a bit rough in operation, needs lube.
Driver's side rocker panel has a hole in it.
Few other little things.

Still much better than my '93. Air works, temp gauge doesn't bounce all over the place, quieter, side door opens.

 

Finally got off my butt and got some pictures.
As purchased.



Worst spot on the body.

First mod, soda can over the PS pump.

Worked on it more on Monday. Changed rear tires to the old ones, as the rears that came with the green one were down to the wear bars. It was obvious it went without wheel covers for a while, as I had a heckuva time getting the lugs off, then the right rear wheel needed persuasion to come off. The spare tire holder winch was freed up and made functional, with a full-size spare under there now.

The old red one has a bit of a Pro Street look now, with pizza cutters (temp spares) up front, and almost slicks in the back.

 

Oh snap!

Replaced with Moog CC841.
Previous owner couldn't figure out how to change plugs and wires. Misfire ensues. All sorted out now. Runs much better.

Old plugs had maybe .125 gap. Very big. Wires melted on. Next, to find some better rear tires. Might go with 225-70-14, if they fit in the back.

Slowly I am getting through the deferred maintenance from the PO, and it seems to be responding quite well. Today was the first time a normal load was placed in it, family plus wife's mobility scooter. Had the air all the whole time, 80-90 degrees out, and everything worked great.

 

nice color on the new one. got the same green except with lower lt. tan 2 toned.

forget how hard that road salt in the midwest and e. is on our Aeros

mine doesn't have any rust stops.

the late Aeros have some of the best paint on them that Ford ever used. still shines like new 15 years later.

the XLTs are such nice all day freeway cruisers and they will carry a pile of wifey stuff crammed in

 

Mike,

What kind of scooter do you have, and do you just lug it in and out of the van?

One of my co-workers uses a scooter, and is looking for a minivan. I've always felt the Aerostar would be a little too tall for her, but I'd like to hear experience from actual users.

 

Here is the scooter in the Windstar.


We take out the rear seat, and it fits in there barely. In the Aerostar there is about a foot to spare with the rear seat out.

Scooter info here. Pretty much the beefiest one we could find.

The scooter is long enough, and the Windstar is low enough, that one person loading is possible. Set the front tire up inside, then lift. The little wheelie bars help a lot in this move. The Aerostar is a couple inches higher, requiring the older boy and me to work together to heave it in. I am thinking about fabricating some sort of ramp, as the available commercial one I want is $400+. We have one one these hitch-mount carriers, but used it once. Too much weight on the back of the Minnie Winnie( about 300 lbs, maybe a little more with the cover on it), and it scraped on driveways, and we don't want the machine out in the elements (rain, snow, salt) like that.

 

Thanks Mike. Your scooter looks similar to my friend's.

I think she's looking at a Toyota Sienna. She has some mobility, and is able to drive herself, but not strong enough to deal with ramps. She'll be looking at lifts that install either in the side or rear. She would of course fold all the back seats into the floor or have them removed as needed.

 

I used to haul semi wheels in my aero, now I do it with ranger.

ouh, aerostar is easy to load with any fork truck. I did it with diesel hyster, throught slide door (throught the tailgate - with longer fork, but longer fork - less weight relativelly).

So I loved my aero for dual use - as pass. van and truck

 

Those hoists are quite spendy. $2-3000, and they take up quite a bit of room. A friend used to have one. On the wife's scooter, there isn't really a lifting point to hook up to.

They also make ramps that attach to the van, but are spring loaded for one-person use. One example. Little more than I want to pay, but might be a good option for your friend, if she can handle it. Lot less stuff to break.