Van Shopping in Phoenix - Help Welcomed

Van Living Forum

Help Support Van Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Every Road:  "I would only consider the Chevy Express van's if buying used. They are virtually bullet proof and get better gas mileage. Why even take the risk with a ford?"

I tend to agree.  Still, I'd like to learn about about this Ford engine problem in case the perfect van comes along and just happens to have the 5.4L V8.


Dennis:  "About the two piece plugs.......those were in the three valve engines and I read that the three valve engines were not installed in the E series vans."

OP:  "You're right.  The three valve heads were used in the F series pickups but not in the E series vans.  They stayed with the two valve heads."

OP - I read your good advice about a Ford forum.  If I decide to buy one, or discover a pre-sale brain teaser, I'll definitely do that.  For the moment, I'm going to stick with this forum as it seems to be working.

---------- 

So, does this realization mean that the 2-piece plug problem was always a pickup truck problem and not a van problem?

And if so, what does that mean for the thin thread problem -- also trucks only, or vans as well?  I'm not sure if those two problems were always found together, or always not at all.

Vagabound
 
I'll take a short break from the van buying project here to share a little humor.  Dark humor maybe, but such is the state of affairs.

On the 10+ hour flight from Japan to Phoenix on Friday evening, I thought I was going to sleep.  Turned out, I was jolted awake by a very urgent need to vomit and have the backdoor trots at the same time.  I'll skip the details, but I was sitting by the window when this started.  Most people were spared on my run to the bathroom.  At least as far as I can remember.  To make it more fun, I'd taken sleeping pills about 30 minutes prior to help with the long flight, and they were working, so the whole experience seemed like a bad gastrointestinal version of the movie "A Scanner Darkly" or some other Richard Linklater favorite.

I thought the episode was just a really strong reaction to the little bit of whatever the hell washed up under the dock that Japan Airlines served for lunch.  Not so lucky.  Appears now to be a mild case of the flu.  So, in between trying to buy medicine in an unfamiliar downtown area on a Sunday morning, working through jet lag, and napping a lot to get over the flu, I'm also trying to find and buy a van or truck.  That's the backdrop.

Before coming to Phoenix, I thought, "Hey, I can stay at the Y downtown and use it as a cheap temp shopping base".  Well, that is more challenging than one might have thought, based on my whole two days of experience.  First, downtown Phoenix, as I'm learning, is one of those older style downtowns (though with evidence of facelift) in which almost nothing exists except concrete office buildings and pavement, and is more or less deserted evenings and weekends except by those who seem to have no other choice.  Need to take the light rail train or a taxi to get anywhere.  Not the place to be without a vehicle.  

The Y is clean and reasonably well-run, but dorm style living with spartan rooms and one communal bathroom per floor.  The residents seem to range from colorful, to catatonic, to downright crazy.  Most seem harmless, at least at this point in their personal evolution.  Although the Y does a background check of sorts on each applicant before allowing residence, I'm not sure how much it helps.  Probably a lot, but I'm unaware because of naivety I didn't know I had.  

I really came to doubt that background check process when I was forced to come out of my room late at night for a trip to the toilet, and was surprised by a no-shit 7-foot tall guy who was apparently jonesing and pissed because the windows don't open to allow illegal smoking in the hallways.  Despite his best efforts to convert me into a reluctant Dr. Phil at 1am, I managed to diplomatically excuse myself.  Took a few minutes to get back to sleep after that.

Then, this evening, I decided to walk over to the local Circle K convenience store, to buy a Sunday paper.  I took a chance that some dinosaurs like me still put ads in there to sell used cars.  Well, I walked into the store, which yesterday looked pretty normal, and it was bedlam.  Crap knocked off shelves, huge puddles under the soda fountain, and creatures wandering the aisles straight out of The Walking Dead.  Without thinking, I instinctively looked toward the register, for a sign of adult supervision.  Nope, another cast member.

This can best be described by sharing my two attempts at conversation / investigation while in the store:

Scene opens with me staring, mouth open, at a roaming clerk who wasn't working the register ...

Apparently Senior Clerk Child:  Hey, you need something?
Me:  Yeah.  Is it always like this in here (gesturing toward the Everglades Extension near the soda fountain)?
ASCC:  Ahh, no.
Me:  Think you should clean it up?
ASCC:  Yeah.  We're planning on it.  Just didn't get to it.
Me:  (obviously been that way for hours, so I tried to provide an out for him)  I guess you were really busy today, huh?
ASCC:  Not really.  We just did other stuff.

-----

Register Clerk Child:  Is that it?
Me:  (holding newspaper) Well, I'm new here.  Not sure ... is this the local Sunday paper?
RCC:  I don't know.
Me:  Really?
RCC:  Well, I just work here.  Maybe you can check the date.  Maybe it is another day's paper.
Me:  OK, let's start here -- regardless of date, is this the local Phoenix paper?
RCC:  I don't know.
Me:  What?!?
RCC:  Yeah.
Me:  Don't you live here?
RCC:  Yeah, but I don't read the paper.  I just google stuff.

----------

The two clerks, prior to becoming zombies, appeared to be fine upstanding specimens from the downtown campus of Arizona State University.  God help us.

So, in the famous words of Inigo Montoya, "Let me sum up":  

This experience so far causes me to feel various things -- disbelief, compassion, sadness, and an increased sense of urgency.  I think I need to rest a bit, take some medicine, buy a vehicle, and get the (bleep) out of Phoenix as fast as I can.

Thanks for your collective help in doing that.

Vagabound
 
Van Tramp may not get back for a few weeks but at least he will be honest about any issues, etc. He's at 4k, not a bad price.
The fridge, having had a line punched, might have to just be replaced. Last year we had 12V (older unit) fridge problem and nobody wanted to work on it. We bought a new one.

Anyhoo, it looks good to me on the overall.
 
There are so many different opinions and personal experiences to be read that it can be confusing as to when and what about the Ford Triton engines and the spark plug problems. Everyone probably should read and decide.
Some links to start with. For the curious. That's why I decided personally to mostly just look at the 1996 and prior for Ford vans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Modular_engine
http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2013/09/service-issues-on-ford-4-6l-sohc-dohc-engines/
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum128/
 
For me the worst thing about the Ford spark plug problem was Ford's total lack of interest in its customers. The problem dragged on for years, then they screwed up the fix, and at no time did they try to make it right in any way.

At the same time they had the 6.0 diesel out, probably the worst engine ever put in an American vehicle. The cheated thousands of customers out of thousands of dollars with zero justification. But they gladly kept taking their money and making engines that they knew were going to fail and bring them tons more money.

What a racket, charge $10,000 extra for a diesel engine because everyone knows they will run forever. Then when they blow up every 50,000 miles you sell them a new one for another $10,000. Repeat until they get smart and junk the piece of sh#t.

I had a friend that had that exact thing happen to him so he traded it in for a new gas Ford. Why!!!!!!!!?????? Because he is a Ford man and always will be I guess.

It was nothing less than terrible engineering and evil greed. They did nothing about it even when they knew it was happening.

It's totally beyond me why anyone would ever support that company again.
 
BradKW said:
You should consider Van-Tramp's van...it would fill a number of your needs:  https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-FOR-SALE-1989-Dodge-Extended-hi-top-van

We've were in touch a while back; nice van. First choice is a blank slate and our timing didn't match  but I haven't forgotten about it. Unfortunate it was not available for viewing sooner.

----------

WheelEstate USA: Thanks, Jay. I seem to be on the upswing.

----------

Bob: Came from a "Ford family". Owned a few. Can definitely see your point in my own experiences. Current dilemma is I have a hard time believing, after well-earned cynicism, that GM could be substantially better.  But after my investigations recently, I think the GM vehicles might be unexpectedly better even if their service isn't.

The search continues...

Vagabound
 
Update on Vehicle #4 - white box truck.

Suspect it's a scam. Got through to owner, but didn't sound right, not very knowledge about his own truck, it wasn't available for viewing, and promised contact with name and address, never came even with follow-ups. Went back and looked at photos again. What first looked innocent, now looks like a purposeful attempt to conceal right side and back.

Pass.

Vagabound
 
Welcome back to the USA, where the zombies are in charge, or soon will be
I've always been a Chevy guy, and every Ford I've ever owned EXCEPT my current Ranger has confirmed that choice
 
Van #2 has had a lot of work done to it in the past year. It was also side-swiped back in 2006.FORD1.JPGFORD2.JPG
 

Attachments

  • FORD1.JPG
    FORD1.JPG
    122 KB
  • FORD2.JPG
    FORD2.JPG
    112.1 KB
Fluffhead said:
Van #2 has had a lot of work done to it in the past year. It was also side-swiped back in 2006.

FH,

Thanks for sharing the CarFax report.  I'm aware of those in general, but have never ordered one.  What does such a report cost?  In your experience, do they typically list that much data or usually more sparse?  I know it partly depends on how much work was done to a vehicle, so I'm more asking what triggers a report entry, if you know.

Agree that the van has had a lot of good maintenance work done recently.  Good for any buyer.  However, on the topic of spark plugs from this thread, no mention of that issue in the report.

Thanks,

Vagabound
 
Carfax can be hit or miss concerning the amount of info on any given vehicle. It depends on how much has been reported to Carfax. Info such as reported accidents, registration, state inspections, and maintenance is mostly correct. Its the info that is not listed which can leave one fooled by a Carfax report. Anything unreported and repaired "out of pocket" will not show up...accidents, flood damage, etc. I was running a repair shop in PA flipping used cars at the time Hurricane Sandy hit NJ. Six months later, we were finding sand under the door sill plates on vehicles coming from NJ with clean Carfax reports. These vehicles should have had salvage or flood titles. As Highdesert said in another thread, some folks go to great lengths to keep things from Carfax. A report can be very useful though for some info. Its a tool to be used with caution.

As for what it costs, I'm unsure. I manage a tractor trailer repair shop and we occasionally sell trucks. For that reason, I have a login and can check a VIN anytime.

So yeah, Fords and spark plug problems. It could be a non-issue or big problem. Almost anything can be fixed depending on how much $$$ you're willing to spend  :D
 
Vagabound said:
Current dilemma is I have a hard time believing, after well-earned cynicism, that GM could be substantially better.  But after my investigations recently, I think the GM vehicles might be unexpectedly better even if their service isn't.
Until 1999 and the latest generation of engines I would totally agree, both made a great van and motor with Ford slightly ahead with the outstanding 300 I-6 and 7.3 diesel. The Ford 302 was far better than the Chevy 305. I loved my 1993 F150 4x4 302. Great truck!!
But with the modern engine Ford totally got it wrong with the 5.4 and Triton family and the absolute disaster of the 6.0 diesel. All they had to do was fix it and all would be forgiven because Ford is still a great truck and van. They refused!!!
On the other hand, Chevy got it 110% right with the 5.3, 4.8 and 6 liter. Superb, faultless engines!!
It's not even close, Since 1999 Chevy is by far the better van.
Bob
 
akrvbob said:
Until 1999 and the latest generation of engines I would totally agree, both made a great van and motor with Ford slightly ahead with the outstanding 300 I-6 and 7.3 diesel. 
...
Since 1999 Chevy is by far the better van.

Bob, that type of explanation and summary is very helpful.  A combination of concepts and enough key details to make the concepts useful. Thanks a lot.

Vagabound
 
Fluffhead said:
Carfax can be hit or miss concerning the amount of info on any given vehicle. It depends on how much has been reported to Carfax.
...
I was running a repair shop in PA flipping used cars at the time Hurricane Sandy hit NJ. Six months later, we were finding sand under the door sill plates on vehicles coming from NJ with clean Carfax reports. ....

FH,

That really sheds some light, and not just under the sill plates ;-)  Thanks.

Vagabound
 
Vagabound said:
I'm aware of those in general, but have never ordered one.  What does such a report cost?

Last time I went into Serious Search Mode for a vehicle (car) I bought a month of unlimited lookups. $50 or something. Worked out really well.
 
When I was sure I had a van I was serious about I paid 59.99 for 4 reports to be used within 60 days. I bought the van and offered to run the other 3 reports, here, if anyone wanted to use them. No takers. Still it was worth the $60, to me.

I found out later, that the mechanic that checked the vehicle out for me would have run it for free. Some mechanics might charge you a few bucks if they have a business account with CarFax
 
I have owned and like stepsons if it has the cummins 4tb great gas mileage and longevity. #5 and you don't have to worry about some stupid spark plug popping out.(fed ex is known to use 4 cylinder cummins)
 
Top