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Old 06-20-2016, 05:53 PM   #1
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May have found the needle

Horrible title, lol, meant to say I may have found the Holy Grail. Anyway, might go look at a 2001 e350 RB with the 7.3 diesel and 256k miles. What are some things i should pay attention too? I was not expecting to find something like this and i hear to stay clear of the 6 litre but the old 7.3 is the holy grail. Any thoughts?

Also, what sort of pricing. The guy is asking more than double the high KBB of $3,800.

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Old 06-20-2016, 07:14 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J.Spicoli View Post
Probably gonna go look at a 2001 e350 RB with the 7.3 diesel and 256k miles. What are some things i should pay attention too? I was not expecting to find something like this and i hear to stay clear of the 6 litre but the old 7.3 is the holy grail. Any thoughts?

Also, what sort of pricing. The guy is asking more than double the high KBB of $3,800.
Well, cost of membership in this EXCLUSIVE club can be pricy...AND, as you said, this IS the most desired set up for many SMB enthusiasts...AND the 350 IS DEAD!! Only producing th fronts till '19 so you'd have to be trusting of a fiberglass shell...and then you're close to six digits...so $7200 for the million mile engine...yea, and the rest of the van...I'd say you only live once...take it to a dealership or trusted Ford mechanic and pay him $100 to give it a go-over...good luck!
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Old 06-20-2016, 08:50 PM   #3
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Yeah, he's actually asking $9,800. Seems a hefty premium just for diesel.
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Old 06-20-2016, 09:54 PM   #4
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That's too high if we're just talking about a regular van. Is it passenger or cargo? Hopefully not the latter or it's no doubt beat up.
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Old 06-20-2016, 10:36 PM   #5
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It's a cargo that the guy has a generic sofa /sleeper and small shelf in. Said he's done some insulation and flooring. From the pics the body looks decent. The paint needs some work on the hood and the rear bumper needs work but I'm planning an Aluminess anyway. It's in the desert but he's not the first owner as far as possible rust goes (i'll look for that).

Either way, it's a plain cargo van . Not really converted aside from a tiny shelf and a sofa/sleeper both of which would be junked right away.

I love the idea of this van but the millage and price I'm not sure about.
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Old 06-20-2016, 10:48 PM   #6
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That's pretty pricy for the mileage I think...
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Old 06-20-2016, 11:15 PM   #7
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Ok, so two out of three says it's pricy.

So my question now is what would be a price range for this type of van? I know it's hard to say without seeing, but if the low end of the range is the KBB "excellent" at $3,800 and doesn't really apply because of supply and demand and he's asking too much at $9,800, what would a fair price be assuming no rust, straight body and the like?

Sorry for the dumb questions but I've never really had a diesel on my radar before. Having a hard enough time trying to find an RB cargo with the 5.4.
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Old 06-20-2016, 11:28 PM   #8
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I guess I'll be the third. I never really looked in to 7.3's too much because I knew I could never afford a SMB build on that platform, but I looked at a few older ones just for fun. That does seem high for a 15 year old cargo van on it's way to 300k. I only paid roughly twice that for my SMB with every possible amenity minus an Onan generator. But, then again, I can't pull a house off its foundation with my 5.4L.

How much do you know about the maintenance history though? How many previous owners? Etc?

Can you post up some photos?
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Old 06-21-2016, 08:13 AM   #9
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The 7.3L is better than the 6.0 if you must have a diesel. However at this age, they are becoming maintenance needy regardless of mileage, and high miles don't help that case. Seals, lines, hoses, pumps etc are are items likely to need attention, not to mention the possibility of needing pricier repairs such as injectors, blow plugs, injector harness connectors, and maybe even a turbo rebuild. And... the 7.3L did not play all that well with its transmission. Mostly bad programming on Fords part (sacrificing longevity for drivability) so replacing the trans every 150k isn't unusual with the 7.3L.

I personally would give more weight to the overall condition of the van when pricing, than if it has a 7.3L.
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Old 06-21-2016, 09:57 AM   #10
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The original term "Holy Grail" actually referred to a Sportsmobile with a 7.3 AND the SMB 4x4 conversion. There is no doubt that with all the companies doing 4x4 conversions that there are more options now. I also agree that I'd rather have a rebuilt 7.3 over the 6.0 if I could upgrade the transmission as well but that's not a deal breaker. I'd think with that kind of mileage the drive train itself may need some work. So if I were to make a purchase on a high mileage engine (even the 7.3), I'd have money stashed away for an overhaul. If my plan was to add the 4x4 conversion to a 2wd with a 7.3, I would want a good clean E-350 body that has side barn doors and hopefully a full float axle in the rear.
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