New to me diesel van

[Heloflyboy]

I just picked this up. It is a 1997 ford E350 7.3L. It has 173k miles on it. It came with the front and rear bumpers in pictures and it also has a detroit locker. The interior is pretty gutted so I will be working with a clean slate. The exterior also needs a little help with a few dents but the price was right. I have not decided yet if I was going to make it 4X4 since I have a 4x4 van already. We bought this mainly to pull my unimog and use it as a camper van. The big problem with the van is it has a sliding door. This is kind of the decision on not being sure about 4wd it. Has anyone had much experience with this? I do not want more then about 3-4'" of lift. I also need to keep the towing capacity so I do not want to big of tires. Here are a few pics.

Thanks

 

[mgmetalworks]

Extending the hinge on the slider door is totally doable. I did it on my van when it was a week old and haven't had any issues at all (~5 months, just over 5000 miles). There are definitely some things to consider when you're doing it but I wouldn't let that be the reason you hold back on a 4x4 conversion. If you lift it high enough, the door becomes less of a problem too.

MG

 

[86scotty]

Nice find! I think the bumpers look pretty good. I'm seeing them with a new coat of (black) paint of course, but that's how I see most things. :sombrero:

 

[Heloflyboy]

Thinking the same thing. Black wheels also.

 

[ujoint]

Get a wheel with more back spacing (~5") and use a narrow tire to help clear the door.

And congrats on the purchase!

 

[Heloflyboy]

Thanks Chris.

Get a wheel with more back spacing (~5") and use a narrow tire to help clear the door.

And congrats on the purchase!

 

[coolfeet]

Helo Fly Boy,

It's mark from the Bay Area. Nice van. I plan on using your search methods and waiting it out to find the right van. My old Club Wagon that I paid a grand for works great and is cheap to work on. With the v6, it's slow going up hill fully loaded. Gas mileage is average 15.5 over all. I want the diesel so I can have the ability to tow in the future.



I may install the factory limited slip or Eaton LSD if I can find a cheap used one that is in good condition. Don't want to spend much money on a thousand dollar van.