Okay, I’ll admit it, as a kid I loved watching Scooby-Doo. The cartoon group of oddball friends was always getting into some crazy adventure trying to solve a mystery. My favorite character was the title cartoon Great Dane, of course, and I was glued to the TV for every episode. Seeing this 1963 Ford Econoline, done up as The Mystery Machine, the psychedelic van the Scooby-Doo gang rode around in, brought back pleasant childhood memories. While the cartoon’s Mystery Machine was never identified as a specific model, its general shape points to a 1960s-era panel van. The 1963 Ford Econoline the seller is offering certainly fits the bill for a good Mystery Machine replica. The van’s exterior closely matches the cartoon version, with green and light blue paint and orange lettering spelling out “The Mystery Machine” on the side panels. The seller rates the paint 7 out of 10, and it looks good in the photos. Located in Girard, Ohio, this cartoon-inspired van is available here on eBay for $29,500 or best offer. Special thanks to Roger for the tip.
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Inside the Ford Econoline shows further attention to detail from the original builder: the front seats are upholstered in green and orange vinyl, and an aftermarket floor shifter sits on the color-matched console and dashboard. Information and photos of the gauges would have been welcome to confirm whether they remained stock or are aftermarket and whether they are all in working order. While the van has air conditioning, the seller notes that the system needs new tubing to connect the vents.
This Ford Econoline is powered by a 3.4 cubic inch V6 with a 700R4 automatic transmission. This is an engine swap, as only a 144- or 170-cubic-inch straight-6 was available that year, and both came with a manual transmission. The ad says the van runs and drives, but it also notes it hasn’t been driven on the highway and is being sold as is. Here, the prospective buyer will need to do some sleuthing on their own to see how well the Ford drives.
The rear of the interior cabin is probably the most amazing part of the conversion. The panels are covered in various neon shades of shag carpeting, with mod wallpaper on the ceiling for a retro look and Scooby-Doo posters on display for good measure. The pièce de résistance, however, is a custom-made electronic control panel like the one in the cartoon, with plenty of gadgets, including surveillance televisions, a reel-to-reel tape recorder, an Elastomer processing system, and a PM3L color analyzer. The attention to detail here is amazing, and the seller states the rear panel lights up and works. Film and television replica vehicles have become popular, and the next owner of this Mystery Machine-inspired 1963 Ford Econoline will certainly draw attention if they display it at the local cruise night or car show. Would any of you readers out there be enticed to park this van in your garage?
I never watched that particular cartoon, seemed kind of lame, besides, Saturday morning, if we didn’t go to the cottage, was hallowed time that could be spent painting the Sting Ray bike or taking a lawn mower engine apart, not glued to the box watching silly cartoons about dogs riding around in a van solving mysteries. Besides, unless we were sick, my mom wouldn’t let us.
I won’t mention any DA sander remarks either, as I felt bad when a seller chimes in and I’m trashing their creation. While I think something like this has more interest than a fictitious Hudson race car, I have no right saying that. These people worked plenty hard creating these vehicles, whether there’s any interest, is not my call. For what it is, it’s pretty cool.
What a great Halloween prop!! Though an expensive one, it might be a hit if the new Netflix Scooby Doo due out in 2027 references it! Too, a perfect time and place to show it (sell?) would be at the next Comic Com in San Diego, New York or Las Vegas.
Be interesting to see how the modified drivetrain conversion works out. A lot of work went in to this “tribute” though it’s currently a limited audience that would know its reference.