On Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:32:17 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:03:34 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:01:31 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 17 Dec 2011 08:02:18 -0800, George Plimpton
wrote:

On 12/17/2011 1:05 AM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:17:00 -0600, Benny Fishhole
wrote:

On Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:23:42 -0800, George
wrote:

On 12/14/2011 11:19 AM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:24:37 -0800, Gunner
wrote:

On Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:21:55 -0500,
wrote:

On Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:59:31 -0500, Tom Gardnermars@tacks wrote:

On 12/13/2011 4:49 PM, Pinstripe Sniper wrote:
I may be in the market for a utility van (the traditional rectangular
style) and I am curious what opinions RCMers may have on Ford vs
Chevy. If any have a diesel powered, I would be very interested in
reading how it has been. (I'm also looking at the tall Sprinter
(diesel) and the smaller Ford Transit - looks like no diesel in the
US)

I figure they are pretty close so for the big fleet operators it's
more what you have used traditionally rather than one being
drastically better in price/performance/reliability?


I have a Ford 350 1-ton 15 passenger van. It's the best vehicle I've
EVER owned! Maintenance has been less than budgeted, it's been
perfectly reliable and has never stranded me.

I have the same unit (93) in a delievery truck. It passes everything
but a gas station.

Very reliable unit

Karl

Ive an '89 E350 thats been very reliable..but as Karl says....passes
everything but a gas station 341 Cleveland, 15mpg at 55 mph...10mpg at
65

sigh..correction...351

Don't you want to correct the name of the engine family, too, you bitchy
little douchebag?



plimp

Why would I correct the name of the engine..when thats exactly what it
is?

It's not. Your rust-bucket is an 89, but the Cleveland engine was
discontinued in 85.

If you have a 351, it's a Windsor, not a Cleveland. More likely, your
rust-bucket has some ****ty 6 cylinder engine.


Actually the "C" or "Cleveland" engine was only built from 1969 to
1974, when it become the "M" or "Modified". which was used in light
trucks from 1977 to 1982.

A V8 Ford van in 1989 would be a 351 Windsor, or more likely, a 460
(AKA 385 series big block)

Here is my "bucket of rust"

https://picasaweb.google.com/gunnera...eat=directlink

All I know is its a 351 and was made in 1989, and has less than 14,000
actual miles on it. Fourteen Thousand miles.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch


Nice truck, Gunner. And definitely NOT a 351 Windsor.(it has
integrated timing cover, which the W does not have - according to the
picture. A picture of the rocker cover would clear it up.

Ill check it again next week when I go back down. The tags expired in in
Febuary of 2009..about 2 weeks after my heart surgery..and after the
stroke..I completely forgot about owning the critter. Its been parked at
a friends machine shop in Chino California and a year or so ago I went
in to see him and he asked if I would move it to another part of his
yard..and I asked him..."what van?"...he took me out and showed me..and
it was like having a curtain pulled aside in my memory...Blagh!!!

California wants $285 a year for commercial tags for this van..and
penalties for expired plates. I went into DMV and asked em about getting
new tags on it..and they told me the tags and penalties would be
$1500...which floored me. I asked em huhhhh??? and they went into the
back room and twiddled the papers a bit more..and came out and told me
(September) that if I brought in $448..they would put new tags on it.

Since Ive got about 2 months till they expire again..I figure its gonna
cost me about $700 to get tags back on it. Which simply isnt in the
cards at the moment. Now California dropped registration costs at the
last election...so I dont know what they actually will be now...but its
still not going to be cheap.

1 ton, commercial vehicles in California..are expensive. My 2001 Ranger
is only $100 a year...$97 or so actually and its 20 yrs newer.

I really need to get the old girl home. Shrug..I sold 2 sets (passenger
wall) of the Adrian shelves to a buddy for $200 and have only been paid
$100 so far. Shrug

I probably ought to sell it..but it cant be worth a hell of a lot of
money being that old, despite being in minty condition (except for the
dash..radio section), so having a spare vehicle on hand..shrug.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch