Check this rig

[Josh B]

I got a 1973 E300 1 ton in 1978 for $1800. It had a 300 c.i., a C-6 Auto, 16.5" 8 ply tires, and a bunged right rear quarter panel that really didn't look so bad and was rarely ever even seen because I could park on the right side of most everything It had a step up to the vans floorboard and a fair sized steering wheel, was not at all uncomfortable to drive and I put a lot of miles in it. It was built like a tank but didn't drive like one.

I did a lot of work on it while sitting in the drivers seat. Had access right there to the carb, the plugs, the distributor and the wiring to the starter and alternator.

Got a steady 15 mpg but that seemed to be the norm with everything I drove from 72 to 92 I guess. There was a 77 or 78 Delta 88 I drove in those years I don't recall the mileage but it was mostly city anyway, and a Chevy 350 engine that was a great little engine too

The van stayed here when I went to TN in 88 and it needed a head gasket, but I had hoped to drive it till the world stopped turning anyhow. My dad began loosing his memory and I didn't realize it was so bad but then I didn't get a lot of information I should have had. Came home in 2002 for xmas and new years and he seemed fine then I got my shoulder and a bunch of nerves bunged up on the job and I was still trying to get the operation I should have had but after dad got so bad I signed off on it and came home, got to spend to spend a great deal of time his final year but his memory was mostly gone by then :/

A scrapper used to come by here and talk him out of stuff and walked off with my van

 

[CrabGuy]

I've been driving my 2011 E350 XLT since new. It is the best van I've ever owned and I've had 5 of them. Only issues in 11 years have been a rubber bushing slid out of the rear leaf spring and the ABS module got weird, both under warranty. That van is rock solid. I have even considered having SportMobile do the 4x4 conversion but I don't need 3-4WD vehicles. Search SportMobile and check out the prices, even the older ones are going for $100K+ which is not unusual. Another plus is you never get pulled in a white window van, the cops think you are a church group and don't want to deal with you. If a cop does appear at my window the 1st thing I say is "Jesus loves you man" and they disappear.

 

[Josh B]

I've been driving my 2011 E350 XLT since new. It is the best van I've ever owned and I've had 5 of them. Only issues in 11 years have been a rubber bushing slid out of the rear leaf spring and the ABS module got weird, both under warranty. That van is rock solid. I have even considered having SportMobile do the 4x4 conversion but I don't need 3-4WD vehicles. Search SportMobile and check out the prices, even the older ones are going for $100K+ which is not unusual. Another plus is you never get pulled in a white window van, the cops think you are a church group and don't want to deal with you. If a cop does appear at my window the 1st thing I say is "Jesus loves you man" and they disappear.

Mine was red with a white top, I believe it to have been an almost stock version. It got left overtime in so many places around New Orleans but it never got towed. Blame my ADHD but it took me several years to realize the fire dept there had vans with the same colors

 

[sgtsandman]

There are a couple companies that do these conversions. They are neat but spendy. They do the new Transit vans as well but those tend to be AWD instead of 4X4 from what I remember and the Transit is unibody instead of body on frame. There are a good number of options you can choose as well. As far as when Ford stopped making the E series vans, I don't remember but the Transit replaced them. As a guess, I would say sometime around 2016 - 2018 is when they did the switch.

 

[ryan]

I think E350 because IIRC you can only get the 450 as a cutaway

 

[James Morse]

u-joint does the conversion on these it's like 30k. Anything E150 to E450, I think '92 and up.
you can buy the parts from them cheaper then it's some cutting and drilling. they say 45 hrs so figure that's minimum.