A line of
adaptable utility vans by
Ford. Model numbers are typically E-xxx (eg. E250, E350) similar to the F-series (Ford
trucks). Higher numbers usually denote a longer van and/or other features, like dual
gas tanks, larger
engine or custom additions. On
eBay I recall seeing a vintage Econoline that had to be from the 1950's, so the line has been around.
Many additions to the van can be easily added by a modest
machine shop or possibly as an
option from Ford. Some cooler E-series vans I’ve seen were turned into:
-A line truck with
cherry picker
-A
police truck
-
TV news “
live on the spot” trucks, with a
collapsable twenty foot
antenna tower,
generators,
video equipment and room for a small
news crew.
The Econoline
chassis itself is also sold as a
versatile platform, usually
sporting just a front quarter cab (from the front bumper to just behind the front doors). These are turned into things like:
-
Busses or large
passenger vans
-Small and mid-sized RV’s
-
Cargo trucks of all sorts
There's thousands of examples, as
Ford's only made a few bajillion Econolines. Those are the best I recall though. I do remember seeing an “
offroad” Econoline van that somehow had a drive
axle installed up front and was
four wheel drive.
These are all trucks
at heart, with van bodies. They will ride like a box of rocks if it's empty and going fast over something bumpy. I found myself carrying cargo just to keep the
light rear end on the ground. Due to their huge
surface area they tend to
crab or
sail a little bit in heavy
winds.
Like any van, these are
hard to work on. Seeing those huge engines in tiny compartments is like looking at under the hood of an
airplane. The big
engine is stashed halfway into the cab, and removing it actually involves tearing out the
seats and hoisting it out through the side
cargo door. A lot of engine work I did was from within the cab. Due to a body member crossing right over the engine, it might need to be removed to perform trivial
top end tasks (
valve work, etc). I’ve had lots of
transmission problems with my E250, which grew into engine problems. It still runs, but now the poor thing sits
unroadworthy until I figure out what to do with it. It was also fraught with
electrical and
exhaust problems. Like every other
vehicle I’ve owned the
OEM starter motor wouldn't keep up. However I’ve seen other e-series
tearing around with decades over decades of wear on them, but they keep going.
Keeping with the spirit of the
White Van Man, I once managed to win a race from work to a
Taco Bell over two friends both driving Ford trucks.
Victorious was I, operator of big ugly cargo
machinery, over newer, smaller
fuel injected machines with less weight and about 10 years of
design improvements over me. The win wasn’t free however, upon trying to leave the said Taco Bell, part of the
ignition system had cooked and I was stuck.
I'd love to get my E250 running again but it needs time and money I just can't give right now. It was sinfully fun to drive; it's sheer
mass and footprint
demands vehicular repect from any driver who knows what's good them. I've fit anything from
dirtbikes to
trash heaps in my van, and I happened to get it a year before
all the vehicles went all round and goofy looking.