Which e350?

[deezdrama]

Going to buy an e350 extended van to convert into a camper/ shtf mobile....

Ive found 3 locally and cant decide which to get.


A 2002 v10 extended- no windows which I think will be better for insulating. No visible rust. 170k miles.
Said he hauled a bike in it but just recently developed a miss...hopeing its just coils or plugs.

The same guy also has a 98 extended with a 5.4 that runs fine. Not sure on price yet but says the body is a little beat up. The 5.4 would be better on gas mileage but will the 5.4 have enough balls to haul a fully loaded down extended van full of furniture and gear?

My third option is a 96 extended with the 351 v8 and 220k miles. Looks sharp! Has hightop! But I have no experience with this engine. Also the van is fully windowed.

Im a skilled do it yourself-er.

I can do mechanic work/weld/cabinet and wood work/elect etc....

I just want to make sure I start with a good base for the project.
Is one of the above options more reliable than the rest?
Should the one with a high top be priority since I do want more headroom? Or should i go with the newer 2002 v10 and just hope its the coils and plugs (what it sounds like to me...he said hes not a mechanic and that it has lost power and acts like its missing after it sat 3 months)
Are windows not prefered if paneling/insulating sides?

Any suggestions are appreciated...thanks!

 

[BajaSportsmobile]

Here is a suggestion - keep looking. Don't be impatient to buy something.

You are probably going to put a fair amount of money and time into building your van out the way you want it - start with a nice canvas not a worn out old holey one.

Your build out will way outlast any of the vans you mentioned.

 

[deezdrama]

Are you saying the e350 is not a good platform to build off of?

The 96 e350 with 351 v8 and high top looks nice in the pics. Dont see any rust but sure the undercarriage has some... I will be fluid film treating the undercarriage.
Ive been researching the 351 and all say its reliable and cheap/easy to work on.

I know the ford 4.6 will last forever if u keep oil in them. I have two ex dept crown vic . One has close to 300k and still runs great.

I have a 5.4 navigator but havent had it long enough to judge it and only hauled a small boat with it.

I dont have much to invest into the initial van purchase. 2k is top limit. Will be building the van out over the summer as funds allow (couple hundred a week) Allot of the electrical (solar,batteries,inverters etc) I already have.

 

[Jsweezy]

No, I am pretty sure Baja is saying you can find better E350s than those.

 

[deezdrama]

Any advice on what would be better?

Heres pics of the 96 with high top and 351.

The pic of the windowless one is the 2002 with v10 that has a miss.
I can get the 2002 v10 for $1500 or the 96 351 for $1700 and he says it runs great with newer trans

 

[Treenail]

The high top has the higher potential right off the bat. 351 is dependable too. I had an '82 E 250 that went to the crusher with 240k. Only engine work was a rear intake manifold gasket. It was strong enough to haul my brush chipper and tandem trailer loads of logs.

Pay a mechanic look at it. They won't be as emotional as you and I about the whole package

 

[F451]

Looking at 2 lower price vans, I'd go with the hi top. The stand up room is a major bonus, and it just looks nicer and better kept. At those price points no matter what you buy it will be a crap shoot, so hard to say which will prove more reliable. Since reliability issue will likely be hit or miss for either, I'd go with the configuration that is closer to what you want right off the bat.

And I think the windows in the hi top are actually a bonus too. If you don't want that many windows, its easy enough to tint/insulate/panel over them, from the inside you never know they're there, from the outside it just looks like a very dark tint job. I've even seen them painted black from the inside, looks like super dark tint. Maybe leave a window or two on each side "open" so you get some natural lighting? I don't know, just throwing out ideas if you don't like all the windows.


-Eddie

 

[deezdrama]

Heres a couple inside pics of the 2002. Has a wall built that would have to come out.
Also a pic of the high top. Looks like both wouldnt need much gutting.

Im divided between the v10 and the v8.
I like the looks of the van better without the hightop but thats not going to matter when inside wishing for headroom. Lol

 

[tgreening]

I agree with Baha in that don't be in too big a hurry, but....of your choices I'm going to buck what seems the general consensus. I'd go with the '02. I've had all those engines and IMO none of them compare to the 6.8. As long as the under carriage and body are solid it would be my choice. Miss is most likely a COP which is a fairly cheap and easy fix. I like the lack of Windows because they are way easier to add to suit a build than they are to remove.

As far as the high top goes, I'm standing up inside mine for one of two reasons, getting in or getting out and not much else. If that's your thing to each his own, and some of them look nice but IMO that isn't one of them. To me it looks like just a big box dropped on top with no style points at all. Butt fuggin ugly IOW. And I'd take a very close look at those running boards. Generally bolted to the pinch welded lip down there and they have a nasty habit of rotting them out.

For $1,700 you'd be hard pressed to go wrong unless the guy is hiding something really nasty.

 

[deezdrama]

Yeah . I agree with everything you said. Ive had enough ford mod motors that ive replaced cops with the cheap amazon ones and they all still run great. I didnt like the looks of the high top but figure the headroom would be nice. Those running boards would of been first thing to come off.

I was suppossed to go look at the 2002 this morning but last night he said he had something come up and wanted me to come at around 2-3. I havent decided if im going to go or just wait untill tomorrow so i can pull the cash out and have it on hand.
He said he also has a 98 with the 5.4 so could look at that too.

What do you think about the 5.4 in a e350?

 

[IdaSHO]

The 351 is a fantastic motor, and will run for nearly forever with minimal maintenance.

Its a great motor that also returns great MPG.

Provided the records are complete and the van runs as good as it looks, Id certainly go for the high top 351 van.



Depending upon the records you may have to spend some coin to bring it back up to speed maintenance wise, but I wouldnt let the mileage scare you.

 

[deezdrama]

I have no experience with either of these motors. Read great things about the 351 though.
Its already said to run great so maybe all thats needed is an oil change and new plugs/wires/filter etc.

Would the v10 be overkill if im not towing anything? Any ideas about mpg difference between the two?

 

[IdaSHO]

351 with a high-top Id assume would see 14 + MPG

Ive had a few 351 E-series vans, none with high lift though.

Each one was good for 16-18MPG w/ 4:10 gears and stock tires.

Heck one long trip from So-Cal to north Idaho I averaged better than 17MPG with 6k lbs in tow!



V10, Id say you'd be lucky to see better than 10 MPG.

Uphill, downhill, towing a house, the V10 doesnt seem to care.

 

[tgreening]

351 with a high-top Id assume would see 14 + MPG

Ive had a few 351 E-series vans, none with high lift though.

Each one was good for 16-18MPG w/ 4:10 gears and stock tires.

Heck one long trip from So-Cal to north Idaho I averaged better than 17MPG with 6k lbs in tow!



V10, Id say you'd be lucky to see better than 10 MPG.

Uphill, downhill, towing a house, the V10 doesnt seem to care.

What? I've had a slew of V10s in various packages and could always pull down an easy 14-15 highway. Any 3xx series Ford I ever owned was measured in gallons per mile, except the 300-6. My F series with a 400M couldn't do better than 11 mpg if you put it .in neutral and shoved in out of the space shuttle. Alright, I had a FI 302 that could get 14 or so highway but it was a whopping 185 HP with most likely an equally sad torque number. The V10 will be a minimum of 310 HP and 425 TQ.


I don't think I've EVER heard anyone say " gee, I wish my engine didn't have quite so much power". You hear plenty of people wishing for more though.

 

[IdaSHO]

I've never heard of a v10 Ford getting any better than 10-12, empty or loaded.

F-series, E-series, Conversions, Cab chassis, they all seem to report right about 10 MPG


Gearing may make a decent difference, as many E-series come from the factory with taller gears than their F-series counterparts.

What gears did your rigs have that netted 14+ MPG?


And no, nobody ever cares about too much power. :sombrero: