Marauder_Pilot
Observer
So, I'm at a dilemma.
This winter, I bought a 2006 Ford E-350 with a Clydesdale 4WD conversion. The price was a steal, since the engine was in a mystery condition. It runs and drives, but it turns out that cylinder 7 has an injector stuck open that's blown that cylinder and now it's got weak compression.
The engine may be repairable, depending on how badly the cylinder was blown it's somewhere between $500-$2000 to fix, if it's fixable. If it's not, a good junkyard swap is about $2500. After the $4000 I paid for it, I should be able to get a running, unconverted quadvan for less than $7000 and a ton of elbow grease.
However, that's assuming I can swap the engine myself, and not **** up that process. ************* it up is going to add about $2000 in labour to fix it (The labour price of replacing the engine at a local shop here) The other problem is that I won't be able to afford any significant repairs for a few months now. I'd be looking at a ready van by NEXT summer at the earliest, assuming I can fix the engine in the summer and convert the interior over the winter.
So, worst case, I can either have a quadvan for about $10,000, or sell it as-is for $5000.
If I DO sell it, I'd want to replace it with a Chevrolet/GMC AWD van. Having driven both kinds (Albiet in RWD, cargo versions full of tools) extensively, I really prefer the GM vans on the road. And I think that I'd be satisfied with all the off-road ability that an AWD GM van with a small lift and some more aggressive tires. However, local prices for a stock AWD GM van in similar condition and vintage to my current van starts at around $12,000. Newer ones are between $18,000-$28,000. So getting that van would be a lot more money, but be a much safer bet than trying to fix my current one.
Option 3 is just to sell my current one and be satisfied with a tent and my Jeep. But that option, while practical, isn't NEARLY as cool.
So, quadvan owners: Any votes? I waffle between the 3 options every day, and I just can't make a decision.
This winter, I bought a 2006 Ford E-350 with a Clydesdale 4WD conversion. The price was a steal, since the engine was in a mystery condition. It runs and drives, but it turns out that cylinder 7 has an injector stuck open that's blown that cylinder and now it's got weak compression.
The engine may be repairable, depending on how badly the cylinder was blown it's somewhere between $500-$2000 to fix, if it's fixable. If it's not, a good junkyard swap is about $2500. After the $4000 I paid for it, I should be able to get a running, unconverted quadvan for less than $7000 and a ton of elbow grease.
However, that's assuming I can swap the engine myself, and not **** up that process. ************* it up is going to add about $2000 in labour to fix it (The labour price of replacing the engine at a local shop here) The other problem is that I won't be able to afford any significant repairs for a few months now. I'd be looking at a ready van by NEXT summer at the earliest, assuming I can fix the engine in the summer and convert the interior over the winter.
So, worst case, I can either have a quadvan for about $10,000, or sell it as-is for $5000.
If I DO sell it, I'd want to replace it with a Chevrolet/GMC AWD van. Having driven both kinds (Albiet in RWD, cargo versions full of tools) extensively, I really prefer the GM vans on the road. And I think that I'd be satisfied with all the off-road ability that an AWD GM van with a small lift and some more aggressive tires. However, local prices for a stock AWD GM van in similar condition and vintage to my current van starts at around $12,000. Newer ones are between $18,000-$28,000. So getting that van would be a lot more money, but be a much safer bet than trying to fix my current one.
Option 3 is just to sell my current one and be satisfied with a tent and my Jeep. But that option, while practical, isn't NEARLY as cool.
So, quadvan owners: Any votes? I waffle between the 3 options every day, and I just can't make a decision.
