Ford to End Econoline

[realsteelfreak]

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/end-ford-econoline-marks-era-great-american-vans-204544690.html

Anybody have a love affair with the Ford E series? or have a love affair in one?

We had a '74 when I was a young lad, parents put it through a customizing faze,sunroofs,paneling,porthole windows on the side, custom screen graphics, and of course the standard for the 70's , a CB with a whip antenna.

[TheSilverBuick]

I don't know about love affair with the E-series, but I wonder how those unibody transit vans will hold up on mine roads Will they be more or less prone to rattling and body tweaking? The baby diesel though I'm sure will be appealing as long as it can climb 12% grades fully loaded. We have six or seven 12 passenger E-250 vans onsite.

[squirrel]

I've been on a few robot trips in school Econolines. Boy, they're a blast to ride in....uncomfortable seats, kids yelling, etc.

[Barry Donovan]

I guessed they stayed the same as those that use them for real have quite a precise pile in the back..just swap into another one, get back to work.

the unibody vans, they are going to be like loadmasters on c130s...old timers are going away like the van I guess.
I drove around in a utility version, 1 ton. my seat was a recliner that sat back like a lazy boy among the lumbers and debris.

outrageous miles they can rack up. take the engine out, put it somewhere else? the engine dies.
alot of lesson in steel and how engines operate peacefully. my first awe in gas v8 with very high miles was indeed a van. One engine, 400k miles? no problem..even that crazy 400sbc went a freak one time build long run in a van.

[Blazerteam]

I don't know about love affair with the E-series, but I wonder how those unibody transit vans will hold up on mine roads Will they be more or less prone to rattling and body tweaking? The baby diesel though I'm sure will be appealing as long as it can climb 12% grades fully loaded. We have six or seven 12 passenger E-250 vans onsite.

A smuch as i love american vans like the econline and chevy vans..those Transits can get the job done.But the econline and chevy vans where far ahead 30 years back when a van from europe had 70 hp..todays 130 hpturbodiesel and more vans with lots of torque,are real good.They arent bad built either,but i will miss the american ones for sure..guess an era are over.

[Scott Liggett]

OMG!! What will back up band members and roadies ride to and from the airport in now?!!

[DanStokes]

I've seen some Nissan van-like vehicles that I suspect they hope to fill this hole in the market. Seem to be based on their big pickup but I'm guessing. Not attractive but the MB units aren't so pretty, either.

Dan

[Scott Liggett]

We just bought two of the MB Sprinters. They are OK, except the turtle tops means they can't go into any garage, i.e. they are near useless.

[SpiderGearsMan]

love the unbalanced extended club wagons scattered upside down all over the highway ..the worlds second most unstable vehicle

[Jimbo17]

I hate to see it happen because it is the end of another great old chapter in the American car history books for sure.

I have owned many of the them since the mid 60's

Jimbo

[hotrodfords]

love the unbalanced extended club wagons scattered upside down all over the highway ..the worlds second most unstable vehicle

...when driven by morons...

[DanStokes]

I heard on the radio that a lot of the 15 passenger vans meet their demise at the hands of unskilled drivers. Seems many have been bought by churches and Miss Qumquat hops in the van to pick up the kiddies (or a busload of old ladies) and promptly rolls the thing over as the biggest thing she ever drove was her Accord. Not sure how accurate that is but it does make sense.

Dan

[cstmwgn]

I heard on the radio that a lot of the 15 passenger vans meet their demise at the hands of unskilled drivers. Seems many have been bought by churches and Miss Qumquat hops in the van to pick up the kiddies (or a busload of old ladies) and promptly rolls the thing over as the biggest thing she ever drove was her Accord. Not sure how accurate that is but it does make sense.

Dan

A set of BIG sway bars and good shocks and you could drift those things if you wanted!

[realsteelfreak]

Most of the accidents I read about the driver was at fault, mostly unskilled college students,and like Dan said, Granny. Also vans that was overweight, and tires under inflated .

[Loren]

I've known of a couple of stories where a group of church "youth" set out on an outing where an inexperienced driver was put behind the wheel and it all ended in disaster...one where the driver apparently fell asleep and he and half the group were killed, another where the van and a nice new boat were wrecked when the teenage female driver couldn't handle trailer sway (at least no one was hurt). Get a real driver everybody, vans do not drive like cars do.

I was driving the family Econoline perhaps before I was ready. Man, the steering on that '74 was awful...a brand-new truck with a quarter-turn of play at the wheel, you were back-and-forth all the time.