Ford Diesel Van Buying Questions. Can you offer advice? - Diesel Forum

BravestDog · 05-05-2003, 01:11 PM

Here's the scoop:

I'm thinking of buying a 2001 Ford Cargo Van 350 long box, 7.3 Diesel motor, Auto, Air cond, 61,000 miles, seller is asking $18,000, one company owned, driven by employees to move heavy freight, mostly freeway is what I've been told, Calif van, spent it's life in the Sacramento Valley area, purchased new for $29,000 is what the owner told me.

Are these good vans to own, what kind of questions should I ask the owner about the van to determine its condition, what should I look for when I take it on a test drive, what is it worth, what type of mileage does it get...

Please add anything you think would be helpful.

Thanks

yaric008 · 05-05-2003, 08:02 PM

Hmm.. well nothing would really be "van specific" that you would really need to check out. I believe there is a list of stuff that you are supposed to check somewhere around here. Maybe someone will be kind enough to post it soon, because i am the super lazy mofo who doesn't remember anything, therefore i don't remember where it is. You should make sure you get all the previous service records, make sure they didn't run the wrong coolant in it, make sure it's never been in any accidents.

I would bet a van that new with that many miles would probably be in pretty good condition. As long as they broke in the engine correctly the engine should be in good shape.

It probably gets about 15 mpg on average, and hmm.. 29k almost sounds a little high for a price, i would think 25k might be a little more correct. I remember hearing about a 2001 F-350 with like.. 100k miles on it go for like.. 15,000 bucks.

Well.. i'll post stuff as i can think of it. Look around for that used buyers list of stuff to look out for, i know larry M knows where it is, maybe he'll post it.

Yardbrew · 05-05-2003, 10:06 PM

Yeah, 25k is more like it unless he really got a bad deal..or it has a lotta bells and whistles that you didn't mention.

What does the Kelly blue book say it'll go for used private party?

Get the serial number and track down the particulars on our web site.

As a matter of fact, you can look up the repair history if you can talk the service manager at a local F**d dealer into bringing it up.

Buy some test strips and see if he has been taking care of the coolant.

If you really want a diesel van and need one, they are great....if you don't particularly want one but just got interested because this one was available, please do some soul searching.

They are the most powerful van on the market if you are pulling something or hauling a really heavy load....but ya gotta take care of them and pay for that privilege.

Taking care of the transmission is also essential because you have an engine with a lot of power and torque.

I believe most of us agree that it takes a long time before the diesel option becomes more economical than the gas option.

However,as I said, if you're pulling or hauling, all bets are off....the diesel comes out way ahead.

Yardbrew

BravestDog · 05-05-2003, 11:01 PM

Got some more questions re the diesel ford van.

I was hoping to buy it for the fuel mileage economy and potential towing if I can find a small-med size trailer to haul.

Is it a vehicle that I would enjoy owning if I tried to convert into an allaround cruisemobile that you can sleep in, take the dogs, pull a 6x10-12-14' trailer, run errands, watch tv in it...all the normal stuff you do in a van or is it a stinky rattletrap that is cold, noisy, sweats from condenation if you sleep in it...

Are they good sound vehicles? Do they hold up well? Do diesels have to run alot? If I drove it for a few miles daily or every few days would this be ok on the motor?

When would I be better off with gas?

Should I even be buying a diesel? Will I enjoy owning it?

What type of special care does a diesel need compared to a gas power?

Does the glass in the sliding door and rear doors always hinge outwards or are some of them fixed?

How does a person do a simple insulation job? What does one use? Plywood, carpet...?

Kelly Blue Book is $13.5k for gd cond to 14.5K for ex cond from my research. Should I offer him less than the $18k? Are there lots of these vans around for sale?

Can you offfer me more advice or opinions? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img]

yaric008 · 05-06-2003, 12:39 AM

man.. that sure is alot of questions, i'll start off by saying, if you are a guy that likes being a guy and not a little girl then of course you'll like owning the diesel. lol.

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Are they good sound vehicles? Do they hold up well? Do diesels have to run alot? If I drove it for a few miles daily or every few days would this be ok on the motor?

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Diesel's love to run, most of the time, at least on the idi's, the instant you hit the ignition it fires up. It's almost like it takes more to keep it from running than it does to get it and keep it running. The powerstrokes i have noticed have to sometimes crank for a second or two, maybe i'm wrong though. Diesel do not have to run alot, they are like any other motor, you can run them as little or as much as you want, they usually outlast their gasoline counterparts. I think the motor would be almost the best part of the van, the powerstrokes are nice powerful engines, quick and brute.

The van, well i can say that i like the van very much. I rode in a dodge van a few months ago and the whole time all i heard was axel's creaking and shocks clanking and brakes squeeking. It seemed like it was smaller, less comfortable and... just kinda.. a shaky vehicle. That's just my experience though. I like the E-350 100 times better.

[ QUOTE ]
Is it a vehicle that I would enjoy owning if I tried to convert into an allaround cruisemobile that you can sleep in, take the dogs, pull a 6x10-12-14' trailer, run errands, watch tv in it...all the normal stuff you do in a van or is it a stinky rattletrap that is cold, noisy, sweats from condenation if you sleep in it...

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I would think you would like it compared to any other options you might have. My father used to drive around in ours when he drove it, would sleep in for days while outta town, i never heard him complain. I would imagine all that might depend on where you are when you are sleeping in it though.

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When would I be better off with gas?

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You might be better off going to gas when you don't need to really haul much around, and you really don't wanna pay the overhead cost for the diesel. In my book there is no excuse for getting a gas engine, so i'm probably not a good person to answer this question. Basically what i'm saying is you'd never be better off with a gas engine, [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img].

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What type of special care does a diesel need compared to a gas power?

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The only really special thing you have to take care of is the kind of coolant you put in the cooling system. Prolonged use of the wrong stuff can be pretty detremental. By prolonged i mean like.. 100,000 miles. If you are living in cold weather you may have to get antigel stuff to put in your fuel tank to keep everything liquid. Umm.. i can't really think of much else that would be a difference.

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Does the glass in the sliding door and rear doors always hinge outwards or are some of them fixed?

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I believe i have seen some work vans with the fixed windows. Most consumer ones i have seen though have the hindged glass. I believe on the outside the two look the same, and the hindged window just makes air flow easier when you want to open the window for some reason.

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How does a person do a simple insulation job? What does one use? Plywood, carpet...?

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I used some flame retardant insulation bought from the local automotive place. Just pulled up some carpet and put it underneath. I also put some on the inside of the engine cover and on the insides of the doors. Helps quiet things a little bit.

As for are there many vans for sale. I don't think there are very many diesel vans that are for sale very often. Ebay sometimes has some. I don't really keep a keen eye out for them so i'm not really sure. And as for the price, i can't really say without looking at the vehicle. It's only 2 years old, but if kelly blue book says it's worth 13.5 then perhaps something around 20k is good.

Larry M · 05-06-2003, 06:50 AM

Most of us here bought our vans new and if you look thru the articles HERE you might find the article "At Delivery Time" useful. Like others have said try and get the service and repair records on the Van.

I insulated and finished the interior of my Van for just under $1,000 and have pictures of the basic process HERE. Also, HERE is a thread discussing my project. Also, HERE is another thread on interior finishing of a long box with good pics in Gary's link in his signature.

Good Luck,

Larry

PJC99 · 05-07-2003, 02:33 PM

I bought mine new in 1999. I was toying between the V-10 and the diesel. The diesel was a lot more money but I'd heard that it got good fuel mileage. I've had a few small problems with the engine but I would definitely purchase another diesel van. I went from an average of 8-10 mpg with the 460 engine to 14-16 with the diesel. I do a lot of long distance hauling and the mileage is up around 18 mpg even when loaded. I have a sound rental company and pack the van tight with equipment. I insulated the van with a combination of spray in type foam and fiberglass insulation. The entire interior is covered with 1/4" luan and rug. It holds the interior temperatures great and is very quiet. I also have soundmat on the floor covered by 5/8 plywood and rug on top of that. The diesel is also great for extended idling periods with the air conditioning. Sometimes I have a few hours layover between drop off and pick up so I'll take the van and go park somewhere. I couldn't do that with the 460....the engine would overheat due to lack of enough cooling air. The only complaint I have with the diesel is the smell of the exhaust fumes. I have to be careful as to where I leave it running as the fumes travel and get into buildings. I've never had a problem with fumes inside the vehicle though. I don't like any rear glass in my vehicles but I had to get rear opening vent windows in order to get the interior upgrade package. I've permanently sealed those windows shut and have covered them over inside. I've also installed a sun roof for venting of heat in the summer.

There are very few diesel vans around me here. They definitely aren't a common item. People are amazed when they hear mine's a diesel. Some people have told me that there's something wrong with my engine because it's loud. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

yaric008 · 05-07-2003, 10:19 PM

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There are very few diesel vans around me here. They definitely aren't a common item. People are amazed when they hear mine's a diesel. Some people have told me that there's something wrong with my engine because it's loud. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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When one my friends, who's female, first heard it she was like.. mann.. your transmission is really messed up... I had been telling her like.. before that my transmission was acting funny. I thought that was kinda funny.