Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Scotty
Late to the party but I know a thing or two about this vintage of SMB.
It's worth 20k. I wouldn't pay more. It's old technology and 100k miles and many things about it will need attention.
It's going to get 9-10 mpg and NOTHING you do or try or pray or hope or think is going to change that. It's going to get 9-10 mpg. Think about what you plan to do with the van and see if that is a fit for you. Oh, and it's going to get 9-10 mpg. Always.
You're going to hate the front seatbelts. They will choke you. You're wife/SO/partner is going to complain about them always. There is not an easy way to put newer ones in the van.
I mean all of this honestly and as nicely as I can say it. It could be for you! You could be the one in a billion that likes seatbelts that choke you and 9-10 mpg always and wants to pay 10 year newer 7.3l diesel price for an old 460 that will likely have exhaust manifold leaks.
 |
I'll play devil's advocate on this as I own a '94 and I think everyone's being a LITTLE rough on that era.
I personally like the 460, it's bulletproof, doesn't way as much as the diesels, and will run forever. And if it dies they're findable rebuilt out there to put in without too much hassle, and manifolds aren't that expensive.
9.5mpg on average heading from Idaho (5,400') to the coast... 99.0 on the way back uphill. Those are definitely correct numbers other people are putting out there. But what did the older diesels get, and diesel is running almost $0.75/gallon more than regular (yes your 460 can use plain old regular) around here at least.
As far as the seatbelts, yes they're irritating as stock, but seriously, that's not exactly a reason to flat out refuse a van. It took me all of ten minutes to build a little sling that snaps onto the snaps for the windshield privacy curtain and holds the seatbelt down at shoulder level for my 5'2" wife (I'm 6'5", no issues for me).
Yes it's old school, yes the seats are not that supportive, etc, but it is a 1993 you have to be realistic about what you're looking at.
So there's my defense of mid 90's Sportsmobiles.
But since I'm already here blabbing on, I will say that price seems quite high to me, and there's a vibe about this rig that I don't like, it seems like there's been a bunch of cosmetic work that could have been done to hide some deeper problems... but that's just my vibe from seeing the pictures.
At equal prices I would be inclined toward the Durango rig. If there were no major issues on inspection this one seems like a really nice ~$30,000 van...
(All my opinion... well except the MPG... worth less than you pay for it...)
MCSporty
AWOL
Linear Mode
