Vandwellers Forum

[gungfusteve]

hi everyone! i'm still new to these forums, but i plan on posting my build progress over the next two months here for advice and encouragement.

right now i'm just kind of shopping around craigslist and the used fleet van market in the minneapolis/st paul area in minnesota. on saturday, my stepdad (who thinks i'm a lunatic) and i are going out into the country to check out a '94 Ford E350 18 Passenger (extended cargo space!) Van.

here's a link to the craigslist ad:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/cto/1546798140.html

here's another one i've been watching for the past several days on craigslist:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/cto/1550444024.html

low mileage chevy!! wow, low mileage and the price? very nice. but i'm worried that it's a little conspicuous for city dwelling (i don't plan on living in minnesota so the phone number might be a problem). also, it seems a little smaller than the Ford E350.

i plan on living in a van until i get my student loans paid off, at least. also, i've got a cat. i want as big a van as possible for under $3,000 so my cat can have room to run around while we're driving or stealthing in the city.

also, are there any "gotchas" i should watch out for when purchasing a van? this is going to be my first vehicle purchase.

[gungfusteve]

just an update...i decided to go with a 1994 Ford Econoline 15 Passenger van that i found on craigslist. i managed to barter away some of my time programming PLCs for this guy to get him to lower the price by 1/3...awesome!

i am pretty excited about this. the van is in excellent condition, with 112k miles and a clean carfax history report. the engine was checked at about 111k miles so everything seems to be in order. gonna go pick it up tomorrow.
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Better to be sick in the head than sane in the city.

[arthurwwebb]

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I'm not old, I'm Vintage!

[bandett]

That sounds great, a big ole l roomy van.

[surfcam]

I'm quite bias with the age of vehicles. I like them to be at lest 15 years old. My reasoning is that is when they become available at self serve auto wreckers. These are the all you can eat buffet of wreckers on the cheap. Another thing is that somewhere in the 90's the engines got totally computerized. Making it real difficult for anyone other than the dealer to work on. At $100 an hour it's not where I want to be.
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[malibusurfer]

I agree with surfcam.
My rule is I always like to have a distributer!!! They are cheap and easy to replace and even buy new... Usually the root of any electrical problem with motor... Coilpacks are not cheap and newer ones you have to go thru a dealer to get them.... + you need to be an electrician to figure them out I like manual valvebody transmissions too.. Just less electrical too deal with.... And any shadetree trans guy can rebuild em'!!
Just my .02,
Gungfusteve, hope it runs for a long time for you!!! Looks like a good score!!

[gungfusteve]

surfcam - yeah, i understand your need to be able to self service a van. I guess this van is 16 years old now, but still probably has an inaccessible computer onboard. too bad car companies don't open source their old computers, cause then i could just replace the controllers with my own if it ever becomes a problem.

anyway, i ordered the Haynes repair manual last night so i can get a look at the electrical wiring diagrams and decide how best to connect the house batteries to the alternator. i also bought an electrical wiring how-to shopbook to get a better idea of best practices when it comes to designing and building an aftermarket electrical system. other items on the to-do list:

-replace faulty wiring/connections for cab lights likely caused by roof leakage
-find roof leakage (there are water stains on the ceiling upholstery and cab floor)
-consult an expert about the possibility of air in the brake fluid lines (brake seems a little spongy)

bandett - yes, this is a very roomy van! i don't know if i have enough stuff to even fit inside of it. ; )
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Better to be sick in the head than sane in the city.

[arthurwwebb]

Gungfu, it's been my experience with Ford vans that the brake pedal usualy is a bit spongy, though they tend to brake with little pressure.
That's just my VERY limited experience with FORD vans, some others may say different.
1994 was OBD1 comp control, so not a real complex system, once you get a feel for diagnosis. While you're getting your Haynes manual (worth it's weight, buddy) think about getting a basic code reader. It'll help diagnose some problems. They usualy run less than $40 at an autoparts store.
If you would like to try bleeding the brakes, (about the only way to tell for sure if there's air) you first adjust the rear drum brakes for a LIGHT drag, then, if you don't have a helper, make a self-bleeder kit.
You'll need a GLASS jar (a mayo jar works well) and a LONG length of vacuum hose the right size to fit tightly over your bleeder valves.
You start at the passenger side rear wheel (farthest from the master cylinder, which you should remove the cap from)
Pour a little fresh brake fluid into the jar, enough to submerge the end of the hose into. Fit one end of your hose over the bleedr, then open it, and submerge the other end of the hose in the fluid in the jar. Get in the driver's seat and watching the jar (told you a LONG peice of hose) slowly pump and release the brake pedal. you may have to refill the master cylinder frequently, as some vans don't have much fluid capacity. If you run the master cylinder dry, you're back to step one (except now you KNOW there's air in the line) Do this, adding fluid to the master as necessary, untill you get clean fluid with no bubbles in it.
Repeat on driver's side rear, pass. side front, driver's side front (you are moving closer to the master ctlinder)
Once no more bubbles appear in the fluid in the jar, you should have a tight brake pedal.
Do not spill brake fluid on your paint, carpet, or upholtery, and rinse it off immediately with lots of water if you do. Brake fluid will destroy these materials.
Yes, you will be sitting in the driver's seat holding the jar in your hand to keep the hose submerged in the fluid while pumping the brakes.
This assumes you do NOT have anti lock brakes. The only reliable way I've found to bleed those is gravity bleeding, which is exactly what it sounds like, you open all four bleeders, maybe step once on the brake pedal, to get things started, and let the fluid drip out while adding more to the master as needed. (if you're environmentaly minded, you'll want catch pans under the bleeder or maybe some kitty litter to absorb the fluid. If you do kitty litter please double bag the used litter in plastic and discard in a trash can. this is what the EPA told me to do with it)
If you have any questions rgarding this procedure, please feel free to PM me. (or ask in this thread or a new one)
David Hair will probably chime in here, he's a verry good resource, too, with more Ford knowledge than me
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I'm not old, I'm Vintage!