With under 54,000 miles, this 1997 Ford Aerostar Cargo Van has barely been used over the last 29 years. We don’t know its history, but it looks really nice in the photos that the seller has provided. It can be found here on Facebook Marketplace in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and they’re asking $4,999. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Sam61 for the tip!
I have a soft spot for little white cargo vans, as I had one for years, although it was a 1987 Dodge Caravan, and it didn’t have a didn’t have a window on the passenger-side cargo area sliding door. It was the perfect size, and it was great in the few winters I used it, with front-wheel drive. I’m sure this rear-wheel-drive Aerostar would be good in the snow with winter tires.
Ford made the Aerostar van in one model run, for years 1986 through 1997, and there weren’t many sweeping changes or redesigns. A 29-year-old vehicle isn’t exactly a new or “modern,” but with such low mileage, it seems like this one may be worth taking a chance on if a person were looking for an interesting cargo van for their business. My Caravan cargo van (Ram Mini Ram Van, like the silver one shown on page 2 of this brochure, but in white) didn’t have the recessed areas on the side as this van does. I prefer the cleaner look myself, not to mention the great driving characteristics of a Caravan.
The interior looks nice in the photos, other than some possible cracks in the vinyl seats. There are no rear seats, of course. The seller says this van has cold AC, something my ’87 Dodge Mini-Ram Van didn’t have at all, cold or not. That would have been nice, but it was a bare-bones van. I know some of you own or have owned an Aerostar, and I’ve never driven one; I’m assuming they’re nice vans, even in cargo spec.
Sadly, even though the seller appears to be a dealer, they didn’t include an engine photo. I’d normally show that in the fifth spot, but instead, here’s what the rear cargo area looks like. It looks clean and nice, other than the dirty floor mat. The engine should be a V6, but whether it’s a 3.0 or 4.0, I’m not sure. I’m assuming this is the 3.0-liter OHV V6, since it’s a cargo van and that was the base engine. It would have had around 145 horsepower. The seller doesn’t mention the engine at all, which, again, for a dealer, is a little unusual. The automatic sends power to the rear wheels, and they say it runs and drives great. How would you use this one? It would be a mini toy-hauler for me: motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, etc.
Wow. There was a time that you saw panel van versions of Aerostars, Astro and Safari Vans, and Caravans like Scotty had all the time. What happened? This one looks unbelievably well preserved for a cargo van. Where on earth has this thing been hiding?
Good find Sammy 👏
I had an Aerostar, full seating, one of the few vehicles my ex didn’t kill. It served me well. Bit hard to work on, but frankly, it never needed much. The old man had an extended Aerostar I took to Fla. one year( from Wis) drove it practically non-stop, with a break around Atlanta, it was a very easy van to drive. Funny thing, I got to FL. next evening was going to go somewhere, no headlights. They worked fine the whole way. Had brights, no low beams. I said, did both low beams go at once? Not likely, but that’s what happened. I had thought of getting another, but decided to forget that,, the “gee, haven’t seen one of those in a while”, has talked me out of ANYTHING. I always thought these were the best of the “mini-vans”, with no FWD, all Ford truck. Sure am tempted at $5grand, but there is SO much stuff out there, and with repairs in the Outer Limits, if you can even find a repair facility that isn’t booked until next Spring, it doesn’t pay to buy anything today. They were great trucks.
Be a great stealth camper. So many options. Good price, great mileage.
Those were solid vehicles if kept properly maintained. Based on the Ranger platform. Practically bulletproof. Someone ‘s gonna be happy with this one. If it were a stick shift, I would be sorely tempted.
We drove practical stuff thirty years ago.
That is virtually identical to the first van the catering company I worked for leased in 1991. I think we didn’t have the window in the side door. You could overload these to the ceiling and it would get where you were going every time. Slowly, but surely.
3.0 L was really not enough power, but that’s what was offered on the cheapest lease. Next one was the extended version with the 3.8 L. Took all the abuse and overloading and never let us down. As these were basically Ford Rangers with bigger body it’s easy to understand why people loved the old Rangers.
I owned one of these and also an Astro. Both had factory manual transmission with floor shifts. Both were deluxe passenger vans. I bought them only because of the rarity and fun factor of driving a stick in a people mover. I used them for car towing (no, they were not great for that!). I wonder how common these manual vans were when new?
I have had a few Aerostars. I have a 94 Eddie Baurer extended now and I’m going on 15 years with it. No major problems and I do all my own work on everything, since I was 16 and bought my first Cadillac.
Mine has the digital dash, my favorite and the A/C still works and not just in the winter. LOL
These are not a Ranger platform….Rangers are body on frame,Aerostars are Unibody.
A manager friend of mine got a job with DHL in the late ’90s as an
independent contractor and one of the requirements of the job was that you had drive one of these painted Champagne gold with solid sides. So she went out
and bought one fitted to company specs, quit her job at the Lakeland Ledger, and went to
work for DHL right away. Would be a great van for Door Dash as
sometimes you might be required
to deliver a large or bulky order.
Sure wish we had it when Sis and
I were sent to Lowe’s to pick up
a water heater one time. It was a
good paying order and we had to
turn it down as there was no way in hell we could fit it into our K-5
sedan. And that one huuuuge order from Pollo Tropical? We
could’ve taken it all in one trip and made a large tip from that one. You might be able to use it
to deliver bags of mail to post office locations in small towns that the government says is too far out of their way to deliver to.
But I think you’d have to do that
as an independent contractor.
And last but not least, cadaver transport. After what Wayne told
me about using standard minivans for that purpose, this van would be a shoe in! Low cost
of start up, over $70K or more per
year? Why not! Dunno about you
folks out there, but I could live with that!
@Ken Carney re: cadaver transport-hey, hopefully not just a shoe in!
Back in the day I didn’t think much of these vans from Ford. Kind of cheesy and the motor was a v-6. Some how v-6s don’t work for me, gimmie an inline motor anyday. But, these vans are, were, rear wheel drive which for me is big.
This one is a clean, simple, small, rear wheel drive panel van that could get the job done for me. Priced well too. Maybe I’m just getting more reasonable as I age.
Good luck w/ the sale.
@hatofpork: Yeah, there’s enough room for the rest of the body too LOL! As Wayne explained it, this is what type of van the industry uses today. Albeit now, they use Dodge Caravans for that purpose as they
are more obtainable than any other van out there. This van would also make a great wheelchair van if you’re on a tight
budget. With new lift vans costing well over $100,000 today,
this would be an attractive but austere alternative. Just mount a
manual ramp at the side door with a folding center section using piano style hinges, and presto! Instant mobility! Install some type of locking device to
secure the ramp while driving and
call it done. I can tell you one thing, around my house, this thing
would never run out of uses.
My wife and I bought a 1991 Aerostar in 1999. I had driven full size vans in my youth. Never a mini van. My first time driving it, it felt like it was gonna roll over on its shoulders. If a van had shoulders. Didnt like it at all. But the wife really liked it, so we kept it. Still have it! Yard art at the moment.
The transmission began to slip between 2nd and 3rd gear. She kept driving it. One of the head gaskets began leaking antifreeze into a cylinder. I kept it full. She kept driving it. It had 3 row seating, front and rear AC and heat, a roof rack, 3.0 liter v-6, chrome full length running boards, and new for me at the time, a rear windshield wiper. Was painted silver and black.
Eventually the fuel pump quit working so we parked it. It sits quietly, eats no grass, and is a reminder of days gone by. Still has NO RUST anywhere on it. Im surprised by that. I have no thoughts about selling it. Wasn’t an especially great vehicle, but not a piece of crap like today’s new vehicles. I had thoughts of sticking the body an a 1967 4 wheel drive Ford truck chassis with a 390 and 4 speed with granny gear at one time. Ended up selling the truck to a guy that wanted it more than I did. Soo, the van awaits a rekindling from one of my grandsons sometime in the future. You know what they say, what’s old is new again. Life is a great big circle. My 2 cents.
Both of our low beam headlights went out at the same exact time also. High beams still worked. Had me baffled for a little bit. I finally tried changing BOTH of them and solved the problem. I still dont understand how both headlights would die at the same time!
🍭FREE CANDY🍬
Big enough to sell “quality” discount speakers out the back?
Wow, I remember some guy trying to do that to me when I was at a truckstop in Harrisburg PA
Many many years ago
Had a ’93 AWD XLT long wheelbase Aerostar, with the 4.0 V-6. The thing would go through snow like a rabbit, which was a crazy feeling, after driving my RWD Econolines that would try and swap ends, unless they were loaded down. The worst thing about the that Aerostar, was it drank gas like a wino on a 3 day bender.
I can’t understand your comment about the Aerostar drinking gas like a wino .
I had an all-wheel-drive Aerostar Eddie Bauer Extended 4 L engine. It got a constant 22 miles per gallon. I now have a 96 Eddie Bauer extended which gets a constant 26 around town.
Don’t know why mine got less. But I find it incredible that your ’96 AWD gets 26mpg in the city.
I can’t understand your comment about the Aerostar drinking gas like a wino .
I had an all-wheel-drive Aerostar Eddie Bauer Extended 4 L engine. It got a constant 22 miles per gallon. I now have a 96 Eddie Bauer extended (RWD)which gets a constant 26 around town.
“Big C”- no I wrote RWD. AWD would not have been that good.
My first one was an 85 3.0L. New. 28 actual.mpg.
My 96 has a Rev limiter to save the head gasket(Fords solution). Takes off pretty quickly but levels off at 3,000 RPM.
This one is sold! Someone got a nice van here, I think.
Scotty: I have an 88 long wheel base Caravan CV with no side windows which I may be selling in the near future. If you want a couple photos, send me an email.