There was a time if you blindfolded yourself and pitched a horseshoe, you’d probably bean a first-gen (1961-1967) Ford “E” Series (Econoline) van. They were absolutely everywhere to the tune of about 550K assembled. Considering that substantial production number, however, none were equipped quite like this 1965 example – this one deserves a close look. It is located in Prescott, Arizona and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $10,100 with two bids tendered so far. Thanks to Larry D for this tip!
The seller states, “Passenger van completely rust free. fresh out of storage! The van is completely rust-free, all chrome trim like new. Very straight body panels and the Prairie Bronze paint looks great. The show quality 10-year-old restoration is starting to show its age, a few small cracks in the paint around FORD letters on the front of the van, but No pealing, buffing, scratches, or dents“. I like the look and while I’m usually not a fan of brown/tan hued finishes, this van wears its Prairie Bronze coat perfectly. The latter model wheels, complete with their small chrome center caps do this Econoline more justice than one would initially assume. The chrome and stainless trim are sharp and the heavily tinted windows add a bit of intrigue to the entire exterior presentation.
Things get interesting under the center console hood where a 1987 vintage 5.0-liter “roller” V8 is ensconced. The seller adds, “Runs great, lots of power, Capable of long trips“. A four-speed AOD automatic transmission backs up the Windsor V8. The listing also claims that new brakes and a master cylinder have been installed along with a new fuel pump and a relined fuel tank. The mileage on the restore is listed as 1,701 but it’s not clear if that relates to the engine or if there has been any rebuilding applied.
Things get a little strange inside. The interior has been treated to new instrument panel gauges, power windows, and Vintage A/C but the front seats are bare frames – I actually took a double-take on that initial observation. The interior panels have been stripped and are ready to serve as templates for reupholstering as the seller suggests, “Needs the interior done to your needs and taste“. The cargo/passenger area is bare and can be finished out however the next owner desires.
While I stand by my opening statement regarding the Econoline’s ubiquitousness, they were also not exactly noticed or stood out in any memorable fashion, they just went about their workaday lives. This example? Not so much so; it’s hard to miss but at the same time, in a subtle way – a great combination I believe, how about you?
Rex Kahrs says
Nov 4, 2021 at 9:44pmI can still remember a TV repairman in our neighborhood who drove one of these vans. Traveling TV repairman…is that an extinct profession?
WL TAYLOR says
Nov 6, 2021 at 11:29amI think all THE TRAVELING TV repairmen were hired BY SPECTRUM & the satellite companies.
Rex Kahrs says
Nov 4, 2021 at 9:47pmKinda like this….
Gary says
Nov 5, 2021 at 9:52amI like that one Rex, orange looks good on it
WL TAYLOR says
Nov 6, 2021 at 11:34amkind of like the VW Repairvan that Don Knotts drove IN ” Pleasantville”.
Steve says
Nov 5, 2021 at 3:05pmTelephone company had 100s of these in green with ladder racks on the roof. All over NYC.
Slomoogee says
Nov 6, 2021 at 11:21amThey were all over Ohio too. We used to buy them from the phone company when they were clapped out. For 300 dollars you got the whole enchilada, Ladder racks, metal shelving, parts drawers, and cage. For power they were equipped with the 170/6 and the 3 on a tree, with worn out shift rod bushings. If you didn’t have to get out at least once and reach thru the grill or crawl under to un jam them it was a good day. Lots of fun for high school buddies exploring the outer limits of sanity.
Jack Leary says
Nov 6, 2021 at 3:06pmThat’s my old van !! I bought that about 6 years ago and had a PRO painter guy in Delaware paint that Baxter logo that I designed. I miss that van.
Bakyrdhero says
Nov 5, 2021 at 3:15amMy uncle started his electrical business with a few of these vans in the late 70’s. They were ex Coke a Cola vans and purchased cheap. I barely remember riding in one. A drunk employee sent one sailing through a house in the 80’s.
Steve Clinton says
Nov 5, 2021 at 9:55amLooks a lot nicer on the outside.
Gary says
Nov 5, 2021 at 9:59amBakyrdhero, a driver I had put one of my wreckers through a guys garage, stood on the brakes to keep from hitting a idiot that pulled out in front of him, hit a curb then across his front yard. Good times
Ken Carney says
Nov 5, 2021 at 1:51pmWould make a great wheelchair van for my MIL if she needed it.
We found a doctor who helped her walk just fine with a cane.
As for this van, boy do I want it! It would never run out of uses
around our house! Yes Rex, the TV repairman is now extinct.
Just look by the side of the road and look at all the old TVs
folks leave by the side of the road for the recyclers.
DavidH says
Nov 5, 2021 at 2:08pmI like it! I would take this over the VW vans any day.
mrobin says
Nov 5, 2021 at 4:51pmI worked at mfg company in the 70’s and one of these was the work van (no side windows). If you put any kind of weight in the back the handling was….scary. This was with the stock 170 6 cyl, I can’t imagine this with a 5.0.
Larry s says
Nov 5, 2021 at 7:07pmIn 1975 me and my dad pulled the 302 out of my 68 Fairlane convertible and put it in a 1967 Econoline made a very fast van , Little did I know the Fairland is worth so much more than the van but doing it with my dad was priceless!
Stu says
Nov 8, 2021 at 1:19pmWe did something similar in the early ’70s: put a ’68 Fairlane 302 in a ’65 Econoline. Used a cable for the throttle, which never quite worked right. It also ran hot. The van sat as a storage shed for years before the motor became a donor for a ’60 Ford pickup.
By the way, the reason the seats in this one are just mocked up as frames is because the dog house had to be widened at the bottom for clearance and then the original seats are too wide….
Howard A says
Nov 6, 2021 at 5:42amNo doubt, the “Falcon” Econoline was a game changer, perhaps even a LIFE changer, for some( wink-wink). I think ’65 was the 1st year Falcon name was dropped, and they just became Econolines. Before say, 1960, there was little choice in vans. Delivery panel vans, or sedan deliveries, but aside from the dismal imports, VW and Fiat, there was little choice. That all changed in 1960, with the Corvair van and these in ’61, the Dodge in ’64, things were never the same. Growing up during the whole “shaggin’ wagon” thing, while too young to participate in those shenanigans, without question, Dodge had the market cornered. I remember more A100 vans, and later Tradesman than any other. Econolines were around, but it was all Dodge. Corvair was just too weird for most.
On to this particular van, the V8 will cause more problems than the rarely applied throttle will be worth. It will run hot, added weight up front causes detrimentral handling( good for “stoppies”, I bet) again, in a vehicle never designed for one, it’s always risky business. Looks like nothing updated in the brake or straight front axle dept., might want to consider that topping 100 mph in an old Econoline. A friend had an A100 panel van with a V8. Awful vehicle. It’s how I know all these problems with one.
Nick8778 says
Nov 6, 2021 at 4:37pmI believe they were always called Econolines from when first introduced, but only the passenger versions were called “Falcon Club Wagons.” This was maybe more truth in advertising than Ford might have intended, because underneath it was pretty much a Falcon. I was in a bar band in the 70s and my brother had a ’65 “Heavy Duty” cargo van version (we used to laugh at calling one of these “heavy duty” but compared to the standard version I suppose it was. ) We used to rent the Econoline move our gear to gigs. Load one of these down with amps, speaker cabinets, keyboards, etc. and that 170 / 3-on-the-tree combination was really struggling…hills were a real challenge. And these were almost suicidal with a load in freezing rain or sleet…..my brother used to say sarcastically, ”ah…effortless power!” and one time I replied, “more like powerless effort!” Great memories!!!
T. Mann says
Nov 6, 2021 at 9:27amMany in the Econo van clubs have tried putting a SBF V8 in the first generation Econolines.
Then install that totally enclosed dog house.
None have succeed in cooling it, no matter how many fans.
Took this seller a 10 year old restoration for him to find out.
Jonathan Q Higgins says
Nov 6, 2021 at 4:34pmI’m in some of those groups. Lots of v8swaps and many claims of cool temps. Let me say “claims” as I have no personal experience yet. Currently have 250 straight 6 in mine.
Frank says
Nov 6, 2021 at 10:01amThey were like belly buttons everybody had one. Ford made a killing on these Econolines.
cyclemikey says
Nov 6, 2021 at 10:24amOh yeah, if they weren’t squirrely enough with the little 6, let’s cram a 302 in there and see how it handles.
I drove one of these as a teenage delivery boy, and always felt as if I was atop a baby elephant on roller skates. I was glad to get out of it at the end of the day.
Nick8778 says
Nov 6, 2021 at 4:39pmReally!! Dropping an eight into one of these is madness…unless you’re really into end-swapping….
dwight says
Nov 6, 2021 at 10:43ami had a 64 falcon van many years ago with a small 6 cly engine , ran fine unless you needed to get up a hill
Rob Norman says
Nov 6, 2021 at 11:04ama fun as heck: to drive “squirrel coffin”, love that rope trany seal… leaking like a constant siv on the 170
Brian says
Nov 6, 2021 at 1:14pmI got one of these from a gurls summer camp for next to nothing. For some reason it had a 289, automatic and black diamond pattern interior. I liked it but somebody offeredI me more for it than it was worth to me. They took off on a cross country trip. In Kansas the water pump gave up and they ruined the engine.
Mark says
Nov 6, 2021 at 1:21pmThis one would cool if it wasn’t a window van. This one is not too cool
William R Hall says
Nov 6, 2021 at 2:28pmEONS ago my Dad was a U Haul Dealer they a vans like this. There was one we considered our personal use piece for a long time. This was a short van, with a 240 six and manual trans. This is the ideal powertrain for one of these vans.
Mountainwoodie says
Nov 6, 2021 at 7:58pmHmmm…the engine aside, a thousand dollar bill seems to have replaced the hundred as the currency of the moment.
Howard A says
Nov 7, 2021 at 4:33amHi Mountainwoodie, sure got that right, been to a dentist lately? Everything ,in my opinion, is over priced by at least an extra 0. I did read, however, most on SS will get an extra , on average, $92/ mo. more next year. Whoo-hoo, what are the payments on a ’63 XKE?
David D. says
Nov 7, 2021 at 1:31pmOne negative comment! If you carefully viewed the pix you must have noticed the engine was between the driver and passenger seats. Thus – a BIG problem. They were subject to overheating due to lack of sufficient air to radiator.
If motor cover was raised when radiator was overheated, the driver or passenger or both cold be severely scalded when the radiator cap blew off.
I know ’cause I owned one and nearly died from the experience.
Don Eladio says
Nov 8, 2021 at 8:29amWhy in the world would anyone do that? Isn’t that kind of like saying “If you lie down in front of a new Toyota Camry that is moving, you could be severely crushed as the car may roll over you.”?
JIM RANDAZZO says
Nov 7, 2021 at 3:27pmIv’e done a couple of these with VB conversions. Aluminum rad, elec van and shroud. No cooling issues. Also used a mid 90’s 2wd Cherokee straight axle with disc brakes. Took a small amount of fab. GM tilt column and saginaw PS. Still a bit squirley at high speed but MUCH better!
Jonathan Q Higgins says
Mar 9, 2022 at 10:55amJim randazzo do you have details about how you did that? I have an econoline that could use improvement
PRA4SNW says
Nov 7, 2021 at 7:39pmSOLD for $11,100.
David says
Mar 9, 2022 at 7:39amSeems like many things to do in this car. Here is 1965 Econoline shop manual https://fordmanualblog.wordpress.com/2020/11/06/1965-ford-econoline-shop-manual-pdf-download/