Hello, My name is Dave and I live in Sydney, Australia. I've just joined this forum and this is my first post.

Econolines, along with 99.9% of all North American cars were never sold in Australia. The reason is that Australia is a RHD country and even though that market includes Britain and Japan, it's so small that North American car makers don't bother with it. The exceptions are that Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep sells a few models here (but not the Viper, Challenger, or Prowler) and Ford sporadically sells the F series here (but not at the moment).

We do get most European, Japanese, and Korean cars and if I wanted a van I couldhave a VW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Toyota, Ford Transit, and several others. But I have always wanted an Econoline ever since I saw Chuck Norris' movie "Breaker Breaker" as a teenager. I've also seen hundreds of them on my 2 visits to the US and Canada and think they're just the greatest thing going.

I can import a new Econoline if I wanted to but all imported vehicles that are LHD must be converted to RHD, unless they are 30 years old or older. The reason is that such cars would only be driven by enthusiasts, and their numbers are small compared to the mainstream motorist. In other words, given that driving a "wrong sided" car - no matter where you live - can bedangerous, they'll allow a small sector of the population who probably won't use them as everyday drivers to have them as "toys". Indeed, my brother has a '67 Mustang and a '74 Ranchero both LHD, and a friend has a '70 Pontiac GTO Judge, also LHD. I should say that we Aussies don't necessarily prefer a lefty with it's inherent problems in a RHD environment, it's just that converting is very time consuming and expensive, and some models are very difficult to do, especially if the engine is offset to the right of centre. For those reasons, my van will remain a lefty.

Luckily, I like the '75-91 Econolines best and I'm seriously thinking of buying one off the internet. There are several companies here that import vehicles for private individuals, including handling sea freight and all customs requirements, so that part isn't a problem. However, I have a few questions that I hope someonehere can answer, as long as you can bare the thought of an Econoline leaving the country.

I've read up on them but there are certain things I still don't know or that the ads on the various for sale sites I've looked at don't mention.

When you go shopping for any used vehicle you have a list of wants but with a vehicle this old that surely must be thinning in numbers, it's unlikely that you'll get all of them. If you get 7 out of 10 I'd say you're doing well. I want a V8 engine, all the creature comforts in the cabin (cloth upholstery, power steering, cruise control, electric windows, etc.), nothing in the rear as I intend to use it mainly to haul my motorcycles around to shows and such, and no side windows. If I could get most of that in a van, I'd be pretty happy but I imagine I'll have to buy one that has 1 or 2 things that I don't like which I'll have to change later on but how easily is that done?

So, to my questions and I don't expect one person to know all the answers but please answer whatever you can.

I know the 350s mostly have altered or even alternative bodies so they're out, but is there any real difference between a 150 and a 250? They look the same to me.

All the vans I've seen are either cargo vans with very basic cabins, or passenger vans with all the bells and whistles, so I'd either have to buy a cargo van and upgrade the cabin or buy a passenger van and throw the rear seats and carpet out. Which would be easier?

Of course I know throwing stuff out is easier but a passenger van will have windows. I could live with the regular factory windows but not the huge, panoramic windows so many of them seem to have had fitted. So, if a van doesn't have air conditioning, electric windows, cruise control, etc., are those items readily available for retro fitting from Ford, the aftermarket, or wrecking yards? How well does the aftermarket cater to Econolines of that vintage? What accessories are available for them, and from where? I've seen pictures of vans pimped to the max. Does that still happen or has it died out?

If a van has a 6 cylinder engine, is fitting a V8 that hard? I'm quite able to doan engine swap as long as the vehicle allows for it without having to replace every other thing as well as it just becomes too big a job. Cleveland enginesare plentiful in Australia.

If a van has a diesel engine, I know the models I like had the Navistar and the newer ones have the Power Stroke. Is there anything particularly bad about a Navistar?

In which year did the gasoline engines get EFI and does the EFI from that era give any problems? Should I look for a carb'd engine (or convert EFI to carb)?

Do they all have power steering? The reason I ask is because a friend has a '78 F-100 which doesn't and I know the Es and Fs are related. If they don't all have it, in which year did they get it or was it always an optional extra? If an ad doesn't mention it, do I need to ask?

What is the load length of a SWB and a LWB van? One of my bikes is a chopper that's 8' 6" long.

Some ads say the van has a 4 speed auto trans while others just say auto. In which year did they go from 3 speed to 4?

I know some parts of North America have roads that get salted and the companies here that import cars supply a list of states from which cars are to be avoided for that reason. Salted roads aside, how do Econolines of that vintage fare with rust?

Because the Fs sold here from time to time (converted to RHD by Ford Australia who hated doing it because it's such a pain) most shared mechanical parts are readily available but not the body panels of an E. Are '75-91 panels still available in the US?

I'm sure there are many more questions I could ask but that's enough for now.

Thanks,
Dave.

 

Wow, ambitious. Tell ya what, I'll help you with that if you help me get a late model Suzuki RG500 over here in the states. Anyhow you've got a boat load of questions there. I don't know a lot about the vintage you are talking about as I didn't start working with Ford vans until a half dozen years ago or so. I can tell you that you don't want to switch from a V6 to a V8, not worth the effort. Likewise, don't touch the Diesels. They aren't common in the states and hence did not get well developed back in those days. A 302 or 351 are the best bets. I'd go extended 138" wb, 226" length if you can find one. No problem fitting your bike maybe even in the shorter one if you have the front wheel between the front seats. Get a cargo van, they are designed to be custom built inside and it sounds like you want to do your own thing inside. Regarding the 150,250,350... I'm not an expert but I think that back in those days the E-150 had a lighter GVW than it does now, and less of an overall Truck-Feel to it. Modern advice is if you are looking for the ride and feel of a car, go E-150. If you want a truck more capable with heavy loads and rough roads go E-250 or 350. In the last 5 years or so, there's not a huge difference between E-250 and 350. Even the E-150 has a lot of common parts. I'm not sure if you were suggesting it, but changing from LHD to RHD is a huge project. Ford F series trucks are not identical to the vans. There might be some shared parts, but it's not going to be a plug and play switch to try to use RHD F series parts to switch an E series over, so be prepared for some heavy fabrication work to do that. Regarding carburetor versus EFI, I wouldn't touch a carb with a 10 ft pole these days. They are garbage in comparison with modern EFI. I don't know about the reliability of early EFI in the econoline, but in general they got it figured out pretty quick. Carbs in cars became unheard of around 1986 in the USA, so I'd say that a 1988-91 would likely be EFI. Better fuel economy, more reliable, easier starting. Hope that info helps with your project...

 

If this is any help,
A 150= 1/2 ton
250= 3/4 ton
350= 1 ton
These were the capacities.
The older style with the square rear corners was changed in 1992 then they went to the round corner tail lites.
I believe they did go to EFI in 1988.
Where you could switch engines before EFI , it became harder to just switch engines because of all the additional sensors, wiring etc.
Don't know how strict your emission rules are there, but the older Econolines with EFI had many problems with air pollution equipment . Not big , but annoying.
Also, the aftermarket exhaust systems didn't last very long, whereas OEM lasted many times longer, but cost a little more and came as a welded one piece assembly and sometimes had to lower the rear axle off the springs to install them . They had to be slid in from the front. Whatever anyone can say , they had their problems , but were generally very dependable and provided good service. There were some operations like replacing front shocks that could be a little challenging because the upper parts of the shock were difficult to get to without some special ideas / tools.
The transmissions if serviced regularly didn't give too much trouble.
The suspensions on the older ones without ball joints were a problem trying to remove frozen kingpins. Twin I beam front axles weren't too bad and held up pretty well. You had to watch the strut bushings because if they wore too far they would ruin the end bracket and got expensive to repair. The E350 s were so overloaded you had trouble steering them, but they held up and they did the job. Hope I didn't bore you with the above info.

 

I also saw and like the movie "Breaker Breaker" as a teenager.

May or may not be of much help, but you could check with Quigley Motors at 4x4 Vans : Quigley Motor Company, Inc. > Home

They build 4x4 conversions for vans and also have RHD vehicle conversions. Not sure about tRHD "E" series, but you could query them.


Bill Quigley started the business back in 1966 and probably did the conversion for the movie "Breaker Breaker".

 

Fellas,
Thanks for all that info. After looking at dozens of vans, some close to what I'm after and many that are not, I came across an '88 E-250 XLT Club Wagon on a web site a few months ago and when I enquired about it, they said it'd been wholesaled. Bummer, as I really liked the look of it. I kept searching and came across it again months later in a dealership in Omaha. I called to ask about it and it was still there. I had it inspected by one of several companies which do that and it proved to be in very good condition with no rust. I bought it for $3,000 and once the sale was completed, I asked the seller why it had been for sale for so long, given its condition and price. He said lots of people had looked at it but when they saw the 7.5 badge on it, they all ran a mile.

So, it's a passenger van with every power option available, regular windows all around (which I'll have tinted black), captain's chairs, wood-grain everywhere, barn doors on the side (I hate sliding doors), etc. I'll take the rear seats out and put in a wooden floor (stained and varnished with stainless steel strips), using the seat and seat belt attachment points as tie-downs for my bikes.

As I write this, it's on a truck headed for Long Beach to be shipped to Sydney. I should have it in a month or two.

I have to wonder though, why would someone order a van back in '88 that would only ever be used for passengers, with a 460, C-6, Dana rear end, and 8-lug wheels. How fat was his mother in law?

Anyway, thanks again for all the help. I'm sure I'll have more questions when I start driving and working on it.

Dave.

 

Being an 1988, a 3/4 Ton and an XLT trim package, the 460 may have been the stock engine which would have been backed by the C-6 tranny and would have the Dana rear end in it. Basically its a bullit proof vehicle. Good find and good luck with it.

 

Well, after several months my van has arrived and it’severything I hoped it would be. Because they’re unknown in Australia, I getstares everywhere I drive it. Back in the day, we got the UK Ford Transit, thelater models of which look like an Econoline, and the UK Bedford which is verymuch like a Chevy G but neither had any kind of interior luxury (my van is anXLT with every power option known to man) or a V8 engine (mine’s a 460). In anycase, they all disappeared many years ago. I can imagine what people whoremember them think when they see me coming down the road – Oh look, it’s anold Transit. I haven’t seen one of those in 20 years. Listen, it has a V8. Is that a Transit? No,it’s an Econoline. I’ve never seen one in the flesh (or in Australia – dependingon whether or not they’ve been to NorthAmerica).

Anyway, I have another question. I want to paint it (I usedto be a painter before I saw the light, my brother still is one and has his ownbody shop) and I wonder about the VIN sticker. All cars built in or deliveredto Australia have the VIN and other info stamped on an aluminium plate that’sriveted to the body, usually on the firewall. This van has a sticker on thedriver’s door jamb. Do all American cars have that and is that all they have onthe body? I see the VIN alone is stamped into the LH end of the dashboard andcan be seen through the windscreen. The sticker has other info as well likedate of manufacture and such. If I paint the van I’d want to remove the stickerfirst, and put it back after painting. Before I go peeling it off, is thatpossible without destroying it? I can’t help thinking that because it containssuch important info, it might be stuck on with stuff that’d make Super Gluelook like chewing gum. Has anyone ever peeled one off in 1 piece and stuck itback on so it looks like it’d never been taken off?

Is there a plate with the same info somewhere that I haven’tdiscovered yet and is the sticker just there for convenience because a plate onthe firewall (if that’s where it is) would be impossible to see?

While I think of it, I’m told American cars (at least ofthat era) don’t have a number stamped on the engine block? Is that true becauseI can’t see one anywhere looking from underneath?

Where is the chassis number located? Not that I need it foranything, I just wonder where it’d be and can it be seen with the body on thechassis?



Thanks for any help you can give.

Dave.

 

Yeah the door tag with vin and other info is common to all American vehicles since at least the 1970s, as well as the vin on the dash left side under the windshield so that it can be seen from the outside. I'm not sure if all vehicles have it, but many have a hidden VIN somewhere else on the vehicle, placed in a non-standard location. I had an 1983 VW that I found a VIN sticker in the rear hatch luggage area under the interior floor padding. You do not want to pull off VIN stickers either on the door or elsewhere. They are designed to destroy themselves if you try to remove them. Again with an early 80s VW, I pulled the VIN tag off the door and it came off but left behind areas on the door sill in such a way that the tag then said "Void Void Void" all over it. That was the body I needed but the VIN I didn't, so once I learned that, I cut the VIN tag out of the other vehicle, metal behind it and all. Then I had a color copy of it made on some special paper and re-adhered it to the door sill of the vehicle with the good body but bad VIN. I can say this now because I'm pretty sure it's past the statute of limitations. All I wanted to do was take a junk yard body and my road-titled-but-wrecked car and build one good vehicle. For some dumb reason the state doesn't like that - the junk yard body had some "never-to-be-retitled" bs tied to the VIN. Sorry too bad big brother. I made the swap, built one good car, and it looked legit enough to sell later. I never heard anything more about it afterwards, many years past.

As far as Chasis numbers, don't know anything about that but if there is one I would suspect it would be near the steering gear. Engine numbers, I thought they did, but again I haven't any personal experience.

 

My Econoline 250 with its 460 engine has travelled 120,000 miles and appears to be in great shape. If the engine needed a rebuild I might do all kinds of things like change the cam, heads, etc., but it doesn’t so I’m leaving it as is. However, I would like to liberate whatever horsepower that may be getting lost by the engine being obviously choked. For starters, I want to fit headers and a complete new exhaust, and a cold air intake. I’ve checked Summit Racing and they list only 2 or 3 headers for an Econoline and they are all for smaller V-8s. They do list a dozen or so headers for a 460 in a F-250. Given that an E and an F are on the same chassis, but with very different engine bays, would any header said to fit an F also fit an E? No one I know has an F with a 460 so I can’t compare them by eye. The particular header I like most can be found here http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/hok-6842-1hkr/applications/year/1988/make/ford/model/f-250

I can’t seem to find a cold air intake for my van. Does anyone know of one or will I have to buy a K & N filter, some piping, and make it myself? By the way, which idiot at Ford (blasphemy, I know) put the stock air intake over the trans’ dipstick?
To liberate more power, I was thinking of using electric fans and an electric water pump. As it is, the temp gauge doesn’t go much past C. It never gets anywhere near halfway. I suppose it could be a faulty thermostat and I will check it or do these things normally run a little cold?
Also, you can get electric smog air pumps. I’ve not come across anything with a smog pump before as Australian cars don’t have them. Do they rob power (not by being driven by the engine but by doing whatever it is they do)? Can they be removed altogether? Never mind the legalities as I don’t live in the US, I mean from a mechanical viewpoint.
Is there anything else I could do to liberate lost horsepower?
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Dave.

 

one could rebuild a carb. for about $50.00 compared to $90.00 for just one injector here in the midwest. and yes you can free up a whole bunch of power with that engine. the headers can be used from the F series to the econolines they're the very same chasis. the easier the engine can breathe the more horses you get for the money. if you can get rid of the smog pump all the way around do it too it robs some of the power of the engine, and if you want better performance from that engine get rid of the efi and go with a carb. that way you can adjust the tuning to your liking those engines have a whole lot of power from the factory in any case for me personally I hate efi engines because they are too expensive for me to go and replace the parts when they screw up nor do I like the pcm controling the way the engine runs without any input from me. the colder that engine runs the better off you'll be so leave that part alone.