Cool Van For Sale (not mine)

[Icebox]

Found this while surfing CL. No it's not mine, nor am I affiliated in any way.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/pts/1272359979.html

An early IDI 7.3 with a....well......interesting and different top. Have fun, and please share your visions of potential.

 

[Icebox]

I guess nobody has any visions!! It is VERY ugly. but priced very right. It is the HIGHLY desirable 87 model 6.9 that has the potential of building a ton of power. Yes a lot....a ton of work. If I didn't have too many vehicles, and projects, and lack of time, I'd get it for just the motor/trans and hot rod it. I'm just not sure of what to make of that top??? Oh!! I know.... Since it's a dog grooming van it would be my new residence (read as DOGHOUSE) if I brought it home. Can anyone relate to that??

 

[T.Low]

Visions? You want visions? Ok , I have visions of hitting the top with a lot of tree branches then the only thing that saves me from doing a lot of damage to the top is getting stuck on the trail with the 2wd and no body will pull me out because they will all say, "What the heck were you thinking?"

Thats my vision!:Wow1:

Its amazing how I see a full size 2wd van as a complete slug, but that same van in 4wd just looks like it will make all my dreams come true.

 

[Icebox]

Well said. My problem is that when I was a kid my barber had a 66 chevy step van he set up for Baja. It was the early 70's (middle of the van craze) and it even had a set of 4'x4' smoked plexi skylights cut into the sides (yes I said sides) painted a mono-chromatic desert tan. Totally disturbing yet really cool. Kinda like a hippy bus. Cool to look at, but not too practical to be....well practical. He still has it so maybe a few pics would be nice???
He lives a few towns over so next time I'm there.....

 

[T.Low]

You do realize, of course, that i'm just giving you hard time cuz I'm an ******** haul.

Yeah, two years ago, I just came out of the closet, bought and modded an Astro, and showed the world that i'm a van guy. Finally.:wings:

 

[Icebox]

I'm hard to offend and am a bit off color and dry myself. I really enjoy and highly respect innovation, well thought out modification, individualism, etc.
While working in the Off Road Industry many years ago a guy sent me photos of a vehicle he was putting these old 36x14.50-18 load range "G" tires on. I wish I still had the pics. It was an old late 50's bread truck/step van that was converted to 4wd (read: sand) and a purpose built camper set up for surf fishing on the Carolina Outer Banks. It had a deck on top, giant smoker/bbq, and an ice chest-get this- under his bed!! A QUEEN SIZE ICE CHEST!!!!! That made the on board roll-a-way tool box look small by comparison. So i really like it when someone "does it different". I looked into an Astro years back when I outgrew my Toy Chinook, but it just wasn't enough to tow a Jeep.

 

[waterweber]

OK, so I bit the bullet and went and had a look at this sucker yeaterday!

-So here is the condition:
The van has been sitting in AZ for at least 5 years. It was used as a dog grooming van before that and the inside is set up for that. The thing is big, and has a ton of room inside. Much larger than it looks in the picture, and much larger than a standard conversion van.
It needs to following done to it based on a quick look around:
1. New tires, all 4 are dry rotted and cracked.
2. New return lines on the injectors. They are cracked and leak fuel.
3. A total gutting. The interior is OK but not reusable for my purposes.
4. New windsheild. Existing is cracked.
5. The motor runs (but leaks diesel from the return lines)
6. I am sure that pretty much all lines that are plastic or rubber need to be replaced based on the return lines and the tires.
7. Standard flush of all fluids in everything.

Let me tell you what I want to do and you tell me what you think:
-I am looking at building a mobile office that I can sleep in a few nights a week for a business that I am starting up in Texas. I will be there for about 2 weeks every 6 and dont want to have to get a hotel room every night since I will be traveling all over the Gulf region. I need something that will travel well on the freeway and get decent MPG but will be big enought to work in.

So here is my dilema. This thing is cheap but is a big project. It would be perfect for what I want to do but I am a little intimidated by all the work that the engine might need. I have never worked on these Ford diesels before and dont want to find out that there is a ton of stuff that needs to be replaced. I dont mind the work on the interior, I can do that no problem.

So what do you think?

 

[spencyg]

Aside from the tight quarters associated with ALL van engine bays, the IDI is possibly the easiest diesel engine to work on. There is literally 1 wire going to the glow plugs and thats it...all mechanical with nothing to really go wrong. Leaky fuel return lines are common, and everything else seems doable. Obviously you wouldn't be considering this at all if you don't have any woodworking and mechanical knowledge to see this project to fruition. It would probably get 14-15MPG headed down the road and would serve well as a mobile workshop. For the price, it would be hard to go wrong.

Spence

 

[waterweber]

Thanks Spence.
I am thinking that I would just replace everything rubber in the entire vehicle (hoses on the engine, brake hoses, tires etc...)
I am waiting for Icebox to chime in here since he is just up the road from me

 

[Icebox]

Roger that!! What Spence said. Quite possibly the easiest to work on but MAN is it cramped. If you search the Diesel sites you'll see that this is a well loved motor. You must check to see if there is coolant in oil or oil in coolant. Coolant in oil may indicate that the SCA's (supplemental coolant additive) was neglected and cavitation caused a coolant breach over time (read as a total rebuild including a re-sleeve of the block) On the other hand, oil in coolant may just indicate an oil cooler seal problem which is still bad but can be corrected in frame. Can you verify the miles??? Under 200k may be better than say 300K. Building a complete interior is do-able, as is the "all the rubber (fuel lines)" There are in fact kits to do just that. If it has been sitting, you must also flush the tanks. Another common fuel leak is at the top of the filter housing at the fuel heater. Not hard to do, but it is about exactly 1/2 way back on top of the block and must be accessed from both front and rear (been there). Glow plugs must be replaced with Motorcraft units marked "beru", all others have the reputation of failure, sometimes as early as a week.
The price is right but plan on at least 6 months (I know I'm exagerating but plan for the worst) mechanical and probably the same on the interior. Totally do-able and a great platform being a CA/AZ rust free unit.
It is nearly impossible to find a decent 84-91 or so IDI Diesel camper because they were quite rare when new. So you may just have to build one. I've had mine since Dec 08 and learn something new all the time. Pm me and I'll send you links.

 

[Stumpalump]

I saw a nice 1985 1 ton 4x4 passenger van for sale in Walsenberg Colorado this week. Over a fence and over the phone it sounded good but I can't get back to check it out untill the 1st. $3000. 719-738-6400. Engine 351 C6 106k milage. Debby and Pat Williams. The guy sounded nice and honest.