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Old 08-18-2016, 01:19 PM   #11
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Baja, with all due respect ...

Well, Baja, you're really putting me through my paces over this issue, but it was fun to look into the old paperwork.

Here's what I dug up:

The van's 4x4 papers in the owner's book are dated Jan. 13, 2004.

Sportsmobile's warranty went into effect on Jan. 22, 2004, which means that's the date the previous owner picked it up in Fresno and drove it home.

So that was a mighty fast build-out of their 4x4, eh? A matter of less than three weeks by my reckoning for it to have been built and road-tested in that time frame - and at a time when these were new and largely experimental.

And that's assuming the 4x4 system was the LAST thing to be done to, and added to, the vehicle! For all we know, it COULD have been ready for delivery earlier, but the purchaser had the intervening holidays to deal with before he could get to Fresno. So it might have been sitting inside the garage for a few weeks.

I say, 2003-built 7.3 van, 2003-installed SMB 4x4 system.

Rare, but perhaps ever more rare, since it could well be the last of the Holy Grail "breed" to be built, if I had to guess, unless someone else can beat those dates I put forth.

What say you, my friend?

- Rusty

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Old 08-18-2016, 01:36 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Rustywolf View Post
A matter of less than three weeks by my reckoning for it to have been built and road-tested in that time frame - and at a time when these were new and largely experimental.
Good research.. Sounds to me like we'll never know on your van.. as the 4x4 could be done in a matter of days, they wouldn't need weeks. Heck, I think UJOR did one in like 4 hours on livecam last year.

But interesting, at very least it was end of 2003, hence so few "Holy Grails", as the 7.3 ceased production midyear.
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Old 08-18-2016, 01:44 PM   #13
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They probably just found an earlier model in their vehicle stock and converted it at a later date.
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