A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
The Byrd’s were correct in their ecclesiastical tune; life is a never-ceasing series of sometimes large yet often incremental changes with all things having their time and purpose. This 2000 Ford E-150 had its time and certainly had its purpose.
It’s now time to give it the opportunity to find a new home.
It’s no secret I’ve never been fond of this van. A 5,000 pound momento of some very sad, health related times in my marriage, this van has been a rolling reminder of some things I would prefer to forget. That’s why I have cursed this thing incessantly since right after purchasing it. Maybe that’s not being fair to the old beast but I suspect we all have our targets of automotive scorn. It happens.
We purchased this van in June or July of 2010. We had been shopping used conversion vans for a while as it was needed to ferry us from Hannibal, Missouri, to Bend, Oregon and back – a distance of 1,821 miles each way – for my wife to have a fairly complex abdominal surgery. It was purchased strictly to carry a post-operative woman half-way across North America. For that it served its purpose beautifully.
The couple we bought it from was retired and had only used it for traveling. They were the second owners; the original owners were also retired and had also used it only for traveling as well. The original owner sold it upon the death of her husband.
The odometer read 89,500 miles when we purchased it.
While I’ve never had an affinity for vans, this one is equipped pretty much the way I would have spec’d it if purchasing a new one in 2000; it has the 5.4 liter V8, the trailer towing package, and a light colored interior. It’s pretty easy to find some very tacky conversion vans; this isn’t one of them as it has a rather tasteful upfitting.
Upon purchase, I noticed some premature wear on the inside of one of the front tires. Taking it to an alignment shop in Hannibal (where we lived at the time), I knew the shop owner was fastidious about performing quality work.
The Twin I-beam suspension isn’t the easiest to align, he told me, but there were some metal cams that could be installed to achieve alignment, correcting the tire wear and the slight pull.
During part of the protracted period of trying to sell our house, the van was parked in my garage in Hannibal. The license had expired and the van had to pass a Missouri state safety inspection for renewing my plates. The inspection revealed a few well worn ball joints. I took the van back to the same alignment place for repairs, which is how the cam above came to be removed. The van continues to track straight and true as ever with no abnormal tire wear.
Some of Ford’s 5.4 liter engines have a reputation for puking spark plugs. This one has not, although I suspect it is a model older than the culprits. Upon purchase I replaced the spark plugs; they offered no drama and I coated the threads of the new plugs in anti-seize. These plugs are Bosch +4, the plugs that don’t need to be gapped (a big selling point) and have four electrodes in lieu of the standard one.
The plugs were touted as helping with fuel mileage. Being a van, I was never optimistic about fuel economy being noteworthy in a good way. However, when we have taken this van on trips it has been pretty typical for us to realize 18 mpg on the highway. Our best tank ever was a mind-blowing 19.5 mpg. No doubt those in some parts of the world are in disbelief how I can be so happy about this, but for one of these vans this is pretty phenomenal.
Before leaving on our trip to Oregon I replaced the front brake pads. The brake shoes in the rear looked nearly new. At that time I also replaced the fuel filter and installed a reusable K&N air filter. For these conical filters, there was only a $5 difference at the time for the disposable paper vs one of these. Since the paper was $45 (!), I went with the K&N.
The van now has 115,000 miles on it. I just took this picture today, November 15.
We had the rear differential serviced with new fluid at around 105,000 miles.
This past spring I replaced the radiator hoses and the PCV valve. I only replaced the PCV valve due to mileage; there was no appreciable difference between the new and old in appearance.
Until just over a year ago, this van has always been parked inside – and that includes prior to our ownership. It did sit outside for about five months before we sold our house in Hannibal and since the purchase of our current house it has not had enough rank to be parked inside. The paint looks great and the headlights are not yellowed.
The body is in great shape, but it isn’t perfect. The biggest imperfection came from me and a parking lot bollard. In nearly thirty years of driving, I have backed into fixed objects four times. Using three different vehicles to do so, I suspect there is a commonality as all were Ford vans.
There is one minor, yet irritating, quirk about the van. In colder weather, after having sat for a while, the accelerator pedal will offer some resistance when taking off from a stop. I’ve seen this in other Fords of similar vintage, such as our 2001 Taurus. I’ve squirted lubricant down into the accelerator cable but to no avail. That said, I haven’t experienced this yet since the weather has turned cooler.
The only time it’s pulled a trailer; Ford rates it to pull around 7,000 pounds.
We have driven this van to seventeen states in our time owning it. It has given us zero problems, always being as reliable as the sun rise. As she sits at this moment I would not hesitate to drive it anywhere in North America. Yet, with two drivers and four vehicles, we simply haven’t been driving it. Oil changes have become an annual event with last years annoying me as it had all of 770 miles put on it in twelve months. It’s on tap to do the same thing this year too.
When a person is spending more than $1 per mile of usage for insurance during most months, it’s a good sign a vehicle isn’t being used. That’s where we are at. This van has given us zero problems (other than the ball joints at around 100k) in six years and in that regard we hate to part with it. However, it’s pointless to keep paying insurance and license on a vehicle that isn’t being utilized.
That’s the primary reason why we have decided to sell it.
Here’s a cold start from earlier today.
Despite my having bad-mouthed this van for a mighty long time, you now know why and I will freely admit it is a good vehicle. However, the lifestyle of my wife and I simply don’t mesh with this van’s strengths. From our searching for a decent van six years ago, finding one that hadn’t been dipped in nasty was a trick. If a person is looking for a good travel vehicle, this is a prime one. We’ve taken care of it and its appearance betrays its age in a very good way.
If interested, please contact me at mercury.enthusiast@gmail.com and we can discuss further.
Remarks about retired owners rings true. I think almost every time in the past decade I’ve seen one for sale – it is used and is on its current path due to an estate being settled.
Ball joints seem to be a bit of a weakness in this generation of Ford products, my 2004 F150 Heritage needs new ball joints and it has just a hair over 100,000 miles on it.
And this has been so for quite awhile. My 1994 Club Wagon went through two sets of Ford-issue ball joints. The third time they were replaced (at about 80K miles) with aftermarket parts (Moog) with these crazy things called grease fittings. Those lasted the rest of my ownership and were still fine at over 160K.
If memory serves, the old van has Moog’s on them now.
How does a Twin-I-Beam come to have ball joints? What purpose do they serve on what is basically 3/4 of a solid axle? I always thought it was just a simple kingpin on the end.
Wow, a fabulous question that has never once occurred to me. I did a quick bit of research and found that Ford used Kingpins up through the 70s and maybe on some heavier duty trucks in the early 80s. Manufacturing costs maybe? Ball joints are probably cheaper to buy and install in quantity since everything else uses them. Just a guess.
This also makes me wonder if the ball joints having to take a lot of stress and load (particularly side load) that dissipates elsewhere in an A arm suspension is the reason for their short service life in these Fords.
Not even just the vans/trucks. My ’97 Vic needed passenger side a couple years back, right around 100k, and now the driver’s side is loudly complaining at 120K (with inspection due no less).
100k miles is pretty good compared to the old days. Ball joints in decades-past seemed to be weaker. My 87 Caprice needs ball joints at 70k miles. I just bought a 77 Marquis with very loose original ball joints at 67k miles. My dad wore out the joints on his 70 Cutlass at 45k miles. And my 68 Tbird only got 35 k miles out of its original (non-greasable) joints.
No thanks, but my life doesn’t need a full sized van either. Frankly I’m amazed you kept it as long as you did but you appear to have vastly more storage space than I do.
GLWTS.
I suspect I may have more storage room although these pictures were taken at the farm house we rented for an extended period. Our house now has three garage bays (a fluke of sorts; very long story) and the van drew the short straw.
If it were several years from now when I plan to retire from my current gig I would likely keep it. But that’s too long to just keep it sitting.
Yup, you have exactly three times the garage space that I do.
That’s the downside of living in Canada. Health care is free, but my garage is also a third the size 🙂
Also I will echo Jim’s comment that we’re glad you don’t need the van at the moment.
Jason I know how heartbroken you will be when this drives off into the sunset. I hope you will be able to cope… It has left some good memories though, those being several posts about it that are (as always) very enjoyable to read.
Perhaps our current Sunday COALer has need for a new party wagon in his stable. He does seem to like the Ford product. Should such a match occur, my finder’s fee will not be unreasonable.
In all seriousness though, reading between the lines it’s good to hear that Mrs. Jason does not appear to be in need of a repeat journey in this conveyance anytime in the foreseeable future. Congratulations!
Since you mention a long-distance buyer, here’s what I’ll offer up.
If anyone who might be interested lives a long distance away (I’m located in Jefferson City, Missouri, a convenient location from either coast) I’ll happily talk to you about meeting and/or delivery.
Mrs. Jason may be out of the woods, but the doctor in Bend retired. The next best doctor for such things is in Atlanta, which is a wee bit closer.
I bet I couldn’t talk you into a straight trade for The Unintentional Acura… could I?
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1990-integra-the-unintentional-acura/
I don’t know why I want this so much, but . . . . I don’t have any more use for it than you do. I have regretted not putting money into a differential rebuild on the 94 Club Wagon I had. Mrs. JPC has no such regrets, though.
Good luck with the sale. These are good vehicles, and one that has been decently cared for will run for a long time.
Two or three years ago, when I was shopping for one of these, I had an experience with a guy who was nuttier than squirrel turd. The pictures he posted online were shadowy, but the van looked straight. When he pulled into the fast food lot where we agreed to meet, I could see he had dinged up the body more than a little bit. He said the van did not agree with him and that he needed to sell it before it did him in. The guy refused to let me drive it until I bought it, but insisted on taking me for a ride so I could see how well the van performed. In spite of low milage, the van’s insides were thrashed and all kinds of nasty. During the test ride, the owner fulminated about the evils of the government and laid on some heavy conspiracy theory jive. When he finally mercifully returned us to the parking lot, I told him his van was not for me. When he pressed me on why and I told him that I was looking for one “a little less chewed up,” he about lost it. I thanked him for meeting me and offered him a handshake, which he rebuffed. He muttered some choice words under his breath and took off in a huff. It was a good while before I answered any Craigslist ads after that!
I later ended up with a Dodge rather than a Ford and it was a good, solid companion. I wish you well with the sale – perhaps a fellow Curbsider will take it so that you won’t have to deal with any shenanigans!
Your nutty CL guy reminded me of the Weird AL song:
https://youtu.be/y4sALru9IJk
If I traveled across the country on a regular basis with my family, this is the type of vehicle I’d do it in. At today’s gas prices anyway. A rolling family room. When I was a kid this would have been my dream ride. Not so much for my dad though!
As there isn’t anything much worse than letting a vehicle sit unused for periods of time, sure does sound like time for a new home for it. Then you can put the money into the Galaxie! 🙂 Hopefully the van will stay in the CC family.
That is indeed my hope. I’ve offered it up here first and will not pursue other venues of sale for a few days in an effort to find the right person. I’m quite optimistic that person is among us.
Ironically, I just packed 2/3 of the contents of a one bedroom condo into an enclosed trailer, where they’ll remain until April or so. At that time they’ll need to be towed 300 miles or so to my next locale. A vehicle like this would be an asset during the next 6 months or so of my life, but I too would have absolutely no use for it thereafter.
I am impressed as all hell with the fuel mileage though, I really wouldn’t expect that big metal box to do so well. As a point of reference, my last long distance trip from Central Florida to Brooklyn, NY and back yielded an overall average of 21.2 MPG. This in a ’99 Chrysler 300M, well maintained and in excellent tune, with about 60K on the clock (windows up, A/C running both ways). I’m amazed at the closeness of the figures between the Chrysler and the van, considering the overall size, displacement, and the egg-like aerodynamics of the car.
That van looks like a keeper for the right person. I’m sure it’ll find a good home.
Well I suppose I could take it off your hands if you really insist, Jason. But of course I’ll need to inspect it in person, so bring it around this weekend – don’t let that pesky Pacific ocean put you off! 😉
I just put postage on it, so look for it in your mailbox in a day or two. Guarantee you won’t see another one like it anywhere in NZ.
This kind of vehicle is what America has always done best: V-8, RWD, auto, air. These will run forever and carry multiple passengers (and all their gear) in reasonable comfort for as many thousand miles as the driver cares to travel. We have lost the sedans that can do this, but vans carry on the American tradition.
Havent really got room for another car the parts Xsara came home yesterday so parking in my driveway is at a premium, towed the Xsara back with my mates diesel Xantia about 600kms round trip Napier -Tauwhare return, up near NZ Skyliners stomping ground car used roughly 60litres of diesel slightly better than your van Ed, pic taken at the top of mt Titiokura a particularly steep climb.
Do you know if the radiator hoses you replaced were the original ones from 2000? My old Fords, a 67 and a 70, both blew their upper radiator hoses when they were only 5 years old…well, the hose in the 67 swelled up and started to dribble from a growing crack near the clamp. The 70 blew out a chunk the size of a nickle in the middle of an otherwise good looking hose. Hoses over 5 years old have been a source of paranoia for me ever since.
Yes, both the upper and lower hoses were the originals as they had those single use hose clamps that came from the factory.
Thanks. While I rarely drive my 10 year old beater Focus farther than I can walk, close calls in the past made me very wary of old hoses. Apparently, Ford provides better quality hoses than they used to.
In Oregon these Vans are usually utilized by Vagabonds, Motorhomeless, Ski or Snowboard Bums, Anarchists, and some other atypical folks some of whom give me the willies. I am sure you will find a buyer at some point.
I am occasionally tempted by Conversion Vans since they have better space utilization than SUVs, but the fuel economy, size, and stigmas keep me away. Course I own a 2003 Caravan which gets about 19-24 MPG, but the slightly smaller size and slightly better fuel economy are a plus since most of the time a Corolla would fit my daily driver needs.