Dropping an Econoline Van?

Okay, I bought a 1971 Econoline 200 (yes, it is a "shortie") the other day. I have wanted this van since I first saw it, and it is now mine. My friend and former employer, Al Dial, of Dial's Diesel here in Covington was the one and only owner. He had recently built the 300 cid 6 and C6, but when the shop got extremely busy the van was pushed to a corner. I showed interest in it and Al told me that for $1500 I could have it. I told him I wanted it, but I had no money at the time. Al told me that he would not sell it to anyone else; that the van was mine when I had the money. Although the old man did have some offers, he never sold to anyone else. He died a while ago. Al Dial was the best friend a Mack truck ever had. 'Nuf said. Al's son, Alan, asked me the other day if I was still interested. After Al died, Alan shut the shop down (Alan already had a full-time job and couldn't be both places at once) and used the van as a storage unit for old filters and T-bolt clamps and what-not. I told Alan that I was and he told me to make him an offer. I told him that offering any less than the $1500 his dad wanted would be a slap in the face, so I didn't offer any less. Alan told me that he had an extra parts washer (big Snap-On type) that he couldn't use because it didn't have a fusible link and the fire marshall would write him up. Apparently, he knew I needed a parts washer, too. So Alan told me to give him $300 for the van and the nearly-new parts washer. So I did. Damn I love that van! Now, to the original question: where do I get lowering I-beams for an Econoline? Will F-series drop I-beams work? Can I heat and stretch these like the old roadster guys used to do for their straight axles? Can I cut the springs? The stance I have in my mind involves about a 4" drop in the front and a 5" drop in the back. The wheels are simple 15 x 10's for the back (with the appropriate back-spacing for the proper tuck) and 15 x 7's or 8's for the front. Of course they would be "steelies", painted to match the mint green of the body with "baby moons" on them. Anyone have any ideas?

-Les

BTW, this will be either GM LS-powered or Cummins powered.

No answers to any questions, but I'd love to see pictures.

Al seemed like a cool guy -- you've got good karma behind you.

ZOO wrote: No answers to any questions, but I'd love to see pictures.

^^ This.

IIRC the F series I beams should work. You might want to look into drop spindles also.

I don't know in particular how to lower a van...but I do know who does...and that's the shops that do handicap accessible conversions on them.

They lower them and drop the floors and all sorts of stuff. So...you might poke around and see what the folks who are doing those conversions are doing to lower them. Granted, they're doing it on much newer vans these days.

Clem

Nice.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/ is your new friend.

Pics are on the way (in a day or so). Yes, I thought about the drop spindles as well, but didn't have time to poke around the internets this morning. Good thinkin' on the handi-van builders, Clem. There is a service center/sales center on West Ave. that does the conversions.

I am thinking tow-pig/parts-getter for this. In fact, I may not even paint it. I may just slam it, put on new wheels, fix everything that needs a fixin' and roll with it. I wonder what kind of torque a 300 with an HX40 Holset could put down? Hmmmmmm.

-Les

my brother had a SWB '69 E200 back when vans were cool. rootbeer brown metallic, full shag inside with a built-in bed, etc. i inherited it when it was far less cool, but still got some good mileage out of it. most of my friends had never seen a 3-on-the-tree before.

what about doing a complete front frame swap, putting a Crown Vic crossmember in it, or something similar?

]

Dodges, but you get the idea. I think they look sweet!

Hahah, i posted those on 4chan a few days ago as a joke. People were horrified.

I was thinking of that, Pat. I saw that done on 4BTswaps a little while ago. It was done on an earlier Ford Club Cab. I have been thinking about a full frame swap, too. This van is a unibody; don't know how hard that would be. +1 on the rootbeer metallic, too. Did it have one of those star bubble windows in the back?

-Les

Damn... the set-up on Dodge in those pics was what I wanted to do to my old van.

fastasleep wrote: +1 on the rootbeer metallic, too. Did it have one of those star bubble windows in the back?

nope, but it did have that tilt up bubble-vent in the roof with the little hand-crank. it was panel on drivers side and windows with curtains on passenger side. th inside smelled like the E36 M3-house door on a tuna boat by the time we sent it to the junkman.

I keep waiting to see Mr. T's head poking out in those pics.

details or links on the dodge vans above?! those are sweet

Econoline front suspension is NOT interchangeable with F series trucks. Hate to break that to you. I don't know if anyone makes drop beams for the E series. As suggested, it may be easier to install another front clip. The Crown Vic is fairly popular (we've done whole frame swaps with 60s pickups...requires some work but the end result is sweet), Aerostar and Dodge Dakota or Diplomat are also suitable for the F series but you'll have to measure the frame width and so forth to see if it works on the E. I don't know what is different about the E but all the people who have tried to use E parts on the F's have reported they won't work.

I owned a 71 Econoline just like yours. I bought it new back in 71 and at that time there were drop spindles available for it. IIRC, they gave you a 2" drop and you didn't have to change anything else (springs, etc.)

No idea if they are still available.

car-part.com says there was a running change on the '71 E200, apparently VIN M00001 and beyond share front end parts with F100 and F250 through 1974. see what i'm talking about here

VINs earlier than M00001 backdate through 1966, also on F100 and F250.

CarKid1989 wrote: details or links on the dodge vans above?! those are sweet

+1

That would make a slightly less rapey tow vehicle.

Gimp wrote:

CarKid1989 wrote: details or links on the dodge vans above?! those are sweet

+1 That would make a slightly less rapey tow vehicle.

+eleventybillion. I never thought I would want a Dodge van but now I really do.

This:

If they can lower a Dodge and a GMC, they can certainly lower a Ford. Now I expect to see you driving it just like this!

Lets see some pics man!

White_and_Nerdy wrote: If they can lower a Dodge and a GMC, they can certainly lower a Ford.

You would think, but the suspension design is completely different... and uses large king pins instead of ball joints. Lowering can be done, but it's not as easy.

Dang you Les. I've been shopping craigslist for vans all afternoon.