Thoughts on this van?

[mothercoder]

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/5880578456.html

 

[Almost There]

Snap it up fast!

It's empty, it's got the high top already installed, it's less than 10 years old, it's an extended body and it's a 3/4 ton!

The price is under $5,000.

The only thing I don't like is the small 8 but then I like my 5.7 for the get up and go merge factor!

 

[GotSmart]

I checked out the ad, and it seems to be unique.  (Not a scam posted everywhere)  The phone number has no complaints.  It appears to be a decent deal.  Just expect to spend some money fixing things on a 10 year old van.  As with all used vehicles.  

It looks like a good platform.

 

[rvpopeye]

Looks great , hope you can make it before it's gone............

 

[Ballenxj]

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/5880578456.html

Interesting. 60k miles on a rebuilt engine? How about the transmission? That's the major item that usually fails first. I'd ask some serious questions about the chassis miles, transmission, and everything else.
Also, ask about the engine warranty. At 60K I suspect there is none, but it's good if the rebuilt engine made it that many miles with no problems? I'd ask about that too.

 

[66788]

Don't neglect the usual due diligence just because it appears to be a good deal.
Examine everything with a qualified mechanic and then decide.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I'm with BallenXJ.  What are the total miles on the vehicle?  Ask to see PROOF that the engine was re-built, like a work order.

It's awful easy to say "Yeah, the truck's got 250,000 miles, but we put a re-built engine in 60,000 miles ago"  That don't necessarily mean it's true.

Still, if the body and frame are good and relatively rust free, for that price, it might be worth the risk AS LONG AS YOU HAVE RESERVE FUNDS PUT AWAY FOR ANY MAJOR REPAIRS THAT MIGHT COME UP.

 

[SHELK]

Seems almost too good to be true. Check it out tho. I would. Seattle never has deals like that.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

BTW, I can't really tell for sure, but look - or have your mechanic look - closely for any indication that it's been repainted.  Looks awfully white in the pictures, possiible that could just be the bright light.  Anyway, if they just did a quickie job without taking the time to prep it right, you could find rust coming back in just months.

 

[mothercoder]

I wondered too about the legitimacy of the rebuilt engine and if anything else had been addressed. Unfortunately I'm out of town at a conference this weekend so it will have to wait until Monday.

 

[ZoNiE]

I bought my Sport Trac with a 4.6 with 62K on it. It has 110K now and I tow hard and the engine is still great. Only issue was broken exhaust bolts that was due to east coast rust and some wonkiness with the throttle which ended up being a screwed up tune from the previous owner. Dealer replaced one head, but really didn't have to. It is repairable. (Warranty).

 

[BigT]

Interesting. 60k miles on a rebuilt engine? How about the transmission, chassis, transmission, and everything else??

This was my first thought, too.  60K on rebuilt engine, but how many total miles?  

At first glance it looks like a great deal, but I'd want to know how much use the rest of the van got.

 

[Solitary Spell]

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/5880578456.html

I am confused, what about the spark plug ejecting issues ? I was staying away from Ford due to that....

From another thread:  [font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Spark Plug Issues
2-valve 4.6 L, 5.4 L, and 6.8 L engines found in many 1997-2008 Ford,Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles may have aluminum cylinder heads with threads for spark plugs that are stripped, missing, or otherwise insufficiently bored out. Ford acknowledges this issue in TSB 07-21-2 as well as earlier TSBs. Ford's TSB does not state that this issue is caused by owner neglect. Ford's only authorized repair procedure for out-of-warranty vehicles is to use the LOCK-N-STITCH aluminum insert and tool kit. For vehicles under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, Ford will only cover the replacement of the entire cylinder head; however, the Ford recommended sparkplug service interval extends beyond the duration of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
 
3-valve 5.4 L and 6.8 L engines built before 10/9/07 and 3-valve 4.6 Ls built before 11/30/07 found in many 2004–2008 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury
vehicles have an issue with difficult-to-remove spark plugs, which can cause part of the spark plug to become seized in the cylinder head. The
source of the problem is a unique plug design that uses a 2-piece shell, which often separates, leaving the lower portion of the spark plug stuck
deep in the engine's cylinder head. The 2-piece OE spark plug design is intrinsically flawed, thus making it susceptible to this problem. Ford
acknowledges this issue in TSB 08-7-6 as well as earlier TSBs. Ford's TSB does not state that this issue is caused by owner neglect. The TSB
provides a special procedure for spark plug removal on these engines.

For situations in which the spark plug has partially broken off in the cylinder head, Ford distributes multiple special tools for removing the seized portion of the plug. Their TSB explains the multiple procedures required for handling the different cases/situations that occur when parts of plugs are seized in these engines. This repair is covered for vehicles under warranty; however, the Ford recommended spark plug service interval extends beyond the duration of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Regards
John[/font]

 

[ArtW]

I thought you couldn't park a cargo van at your complex?

 

[mothercoder]

I thought you couldn't park a cargo van at your complex?

I can't but I can park it on a nearby side street.

 

[ArtW]

well in that case if it's in decent shape it might be worth considering, although that spark plug issue is worrisome

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I am confused, what about the spark plug ejecting issues ? I was staying away from Ford due to that....

The early engines had the plug stripping problem due to insufficient threads.  The later engines - like this 2007 - had the 2 piece spark plug breaking problem.  If I bought this van, I would take it straight to a Ford dealer and have them change the plugs to the new 1 piece replacement plug.  By now, their techs understand the best way to do this, AND have a number of special tools to get the broken part out if it DOES break.

Once the new plugs are in, no more problem.