1988 ford E250 Hightop swap 1997 E350

[Deshet]

I have heard that the econoline van was mostly unchanged for nearly 30 years.

I have a 1988 Ford Falcon. The Hightop allows me to stand up straight and has a bed



I have 1996 Ford E350 4x4 Ambulance.



I want to switch the tops between vans. Is the roof of the older vans the same.

I found this van posted some time ago and it looks like the owner did what I want to do.



Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

 

[Deshet]

ttt

 

[Jeffer949]

Well if you have both. You are the best person to answer the question. Get a tape measure out and go to town. Roof curvature is probably going to be the biggest issue if LxW is the same.

 

[Corneilius]

Is it possible? Probably if you have fiberglass skills. I would not undertake that project. You'll be better off to sell both vans and buy what you want. Even if the two high tops were the same generation it wouldn't be worth it. Lots of guys buy used high tops from junkyards, but I wouldn't go butchering two functional vans that have different roof profiles.

That third picture is a commercially available top, probably a Fiberene.

 

[TexomaPowerboater]

Is it possible? Probably if you have fiberglass skills. I would not undertake that project. You'll be better off to sell both vans and buy what you want. Even if the two high tops were the same generation it wouldn't be worth it. Lots of guys buy used high tops from junkyards, but I wouldn't go butchering two functional vans that have different roof profiles.

That third picture is a commercially available top, probably a Fiberene.

I agree. If you don't like what you have start over with something else. Don't understand why people try to go the frankenstien route. Any savings will be lost in the form of time and resale.

 

[Herbie]

Here's a question: Why not do a body swap? (Instead of hacking up two bodies.)

There are at least a couple of examples on here of Econoline body swaps, and if you look at U-Joint Offroad's build thread you can see they're popping bodies off the chassis all the damn time. I'm guessing what you want is the ambulance's 4WD and engine under with your current Falcom amenities, right?

Anything else that needed swapping from the ambulance (interior stuff, dash, etc.) will be WAAAAAY easier to swap over to the Falcon's body than messing around with cutting two tops off.

Of course, you're crossing the generation boundary from 3rd to 4th, so that could complicate things, but I'd still look at that first.

 

[Oldcarnut]

Personally I would try to find a new van you can already walk in and is the same body style as your ambo and do a 4X4 swap via U-Joint or MG.
Much easier than cutting up tops on 2 good vans and better in long run.