LOW MILES, LOW PRICE 4x4 Van - Quigley Econoline Van - $15,500 - Bend Oregon

[jlcanterbury]

For sale is a 1994 Ford Econoline E250 Van

This has a Quigley 4x4 conversion

This van is equipped with the 7.5L V8 Engine (gasoline).

The vehicle only has 19,923 miles

This was a police detective van for a small department, and clearly they didn't do much detective work. Just under 20k miles on the vehicle in 28 years. The vehicle is very clean. Interior seats and dash are like new and in very nice condition. The underside of the vehicle is in great shape, with just some minimal surface rust in some areas.

Although the engine has very low miles, sitting can be dangerous for vehicles as well. The engine has a knock/tick, and likely needs to be rebuilt or replaced. This is why the listing is priced low. The 460 big block is a very simple and reliable engine, well known by mechanics across the country. They also still sell drop in crate engines, so a swap would be very easy and still keep the total price under what you'd pay for a (likely high mileage) 4x4 van.

The van runs and drives, but there is an audible tick, and some engine surging at times. I have not made an effort to repair the vehicle, but have had it looked at by 2 mechanics- those reports can be provided. I also have a full maintenance history from the previous owner (this was a 1 owner van before I purchased it - owned and maintained by the police department that purchased it new)

This will make an excellent platform for a camper build. I'm pricing it lower than it would cost to do just the 4x4 conversion. I have some other projects going on, and don't have the time or space to get this van sorted out. Great opportunity to get into a low mileage 4x4 chassis - just sort out the engine issue, and you will have a really solid and reliable vehicle.

Asking $15,500
Located in Bend Oregon

 

[jlcanterbury]

bump

 

[Overdrive]

This is a steal for what it is! A Cummins 12V swap would be cool...

Curious: does the interior go all the way to the rear doors which are blocked off (can't see the doors in the interior shot)? Or is there storage accessible from the rear doors?

 

[jlcanterbury]

There is currently a partition with storage. This could be a useful 'garage' to separate dirty gear from living compartment, or this partition could be removed.

 

[jlcanterbury]

Excellent clearance front to rear (get more clearance by popping on some bigger tires).
Solid front axle with coil-over suspension. Great turning radius, smoother ride.
Tow hitch installed

Lot to love about this platform... !

 

[jlcanterbury]

Maybe I can get some advice here.

I see essentially zero 4x4 vans under $20k, unless they are rust buckets.

This clean van needs engine work, but this work won't cost more than $5k, so the I think the van is priced accordingly.

My other option is to get the repairs done, and then re-list this for ~ $20k.

But then that takes the option away from anyone who want to do an engine swap or anything creative with the vehicle.

Do I just take this back to the shop, repair, and pass that cost along?

 

[Overdrive]

"Do I just take this back to the shop, repair, and pass that cost along?"

That would allow anyone to fly in /drive it home. As it is, a buyer would have to trailer it or have it shipped...I suppose to many that is a deal breaker. I've kept your van in mind, but I don't want to trailer it to Tucson, or pay to have it shipped.

 

[jlcanterbury]

That's understandable. Didn't necessarily want to put the cash in at the moment, so am floating it as a 'mechanic special'.

I should mention, I have a vehicle trailer and can deliver anywhere within reason.
Tucson might be a stretch, but could be arranged.

 

[jlcanterbury]

I thought people on this forum liked projects...?? And 4x4 vans...?!?!

Where my people at?

 

[renglekirk]

That would allow anyone to fly in /drive it home. As it is, a buyer would have to trailer it or have it shipped...I suppose to many that is a deal breaker. I've kept your van in mind, but I don't want to trailer it to Tucson, or pay to have it shipped.

Agreed, I've been looking around for something like this but don't want to have to hassle with getting it home, and for that matter having it potentially sit non-operational in my driveway for however long it takes me to get things sorted out. Plus that rust on the underside doesn't look great.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Best deal i've seen on here in awhile! Bravo to you sir! GLWS

Am i losing my mind or are there no front shocks, or even a place to mount some?

 

[nyyankees588]

I suspect your challenges selling fall in to the category that i like to consider.... "Who is the audience that will realistically buy my van." IMO there's a pretty big audience for 2000+ vans, especially 4x4, especially sportsmobile conversions (despite their actual quality). As you get older, unconverted, with mechanical work needed, your audience gets smaller and smaller. At least those are my thoughts as I've tried to value what my van may/may not ever be worth if i try to sell it. My personal conclusion is that i would probably never get what my own van is worth because it would be such a tiny percentage of people that would understand the value/value it for what it is.

In addition... I think the majority of expo people are interested in newer, fancier rigs. Just my 2 cents.

If you haven't, I'd try posting it on the sportsmobile forum. Contrary to its name (it isn't actually affiliated with the company), the DIY community is pretty strong over there and it's focused on e-series vans, so people are more familiar with their mechanical needs. I'd also try FB and craigslist, if you haven't. Depending on where you live, i could see a contractor or other worker interested in it. There are a number of older 4x4 Ford work vans where I live due to tradespeople needing to get up all of the washed out driveways in the mountains.

At the end of the day, i think it could be a great deal and starting base for somebody out there. It's just a matter of finding that somebody.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[jlcanterbury]

having it potentially sit non-operational in my driveway for however long it takes me to get things sorted out. Plus that rust on the underside doesn't look great.

Yup, that's where I'm at. It's in the driveway, and I need the space back! lol.

For what it's worth, the vehicle is operational. It runs and drives, and you could certainly drive it around, but the engine issue does need to be addressed in the longer term. Some people apply the 'drive it till it doesn't drive' tactic to these sort of vehicles. It's just not a great solution if you're traveling to remote areas.

The rust is pretty minimal actually, very surface, but it's there.

Best deal i've seen on here in awhile! Bravo to you sir! GLWS

Am i losing my mind or are there no front shocks, or even a place to mount some?

The shocks are tucked just to the rear of the coil spring. Just not very visible from that camera angle.

At the end of the day, i think it could be a great deal and starting base for somebody out there. It's just a matter of finding that somebody.

Agreed, and thanks for the tip!

 

[renglekirk]

It's in the driveway, and I need the space back!

I feel your pain! Haha I end up with too many half finished projects taking up space to take on another one. The van is a steal, I won't deny that, I just think the mechanical aspects of it might steer people away. But that's coming from a carpenter who's way more comfortable building out an interior than rebuilding an engine.

 

[Regcabguy]

I had a carb'd 460 cu. When EFI came along it revolutionized that engine.
Gobs of power and a super wide power band. It's a fair price.