you guys dont even know...that is a lifetime van...3500, 4x4 extended length 6speed tranny...the only thing that is an issue on this van is the AFM. Use a disabler and if you want one winter spend 2K and a couple weekends and fully delete it and its super reliable from then on. With a weight distributing hitch it can tow 10k lbs. So you can haul bikes in . You can put seats in it and tow and haul people. You can sleep in it. You can overland in it. You can get parts anywhere if something breaks. The only thing better than this would be the 6.6 duramax version...but that would be another 15K easy... The current price to do the Quigley 4x4 conversion is 17K.
I'm with this guy^^^^, and you can look like you are going to rob a bank, kill a guy with your S.O.A. 'club', or have a M.I.B. alien in the back, or just a G-man in a G-van!
^^ man I am either super out of touch with what a van (even a heavy duty awesome one) should cost. WOW.
This popped up on my eBay feed - I wonder if the WERA racer that this used to belong to can vouch for the running condition
You’re not lying. I had one that I put 260,000 on as a service van, then gave it to my dad and he drove it to 300,000 before hurricane Ian drowned it. You’ll go through a tranny at some point but otherwise it’s a bulletproof van.
Shit is expensive right now...I just priced this van as new...well as close as possible...its $50k MSRP...add tax, title, etc and your what $55k out the door. Add in the Quigley 4x4 conversion ($16,500) and its ~$71-72K to get a brand new version of what that FBI van was. Yeah its 10 years old. But it only had 30K miles and was less than half price. If you know, you know. BTW, a new 144" (11" shorter wb) low roof, awd NOT 4x4, 3500 sprinter is about 65k-70K.....yeah its diesel...but also has DEF and EGR and all that sooooo.... Oh there are also companies that will add a high roof for those ford/chevy vans for a few KKK as well. So you can build a bad ass Chevy/Ford gas or Diesel, full frame extended, 4x4 high roof van if you want. And do it one mod at a time.
I'll save you 2k right off the bat, the 6.0 in the 2500's and 3500 vans doesn't have AFM. And I have had several express vans break 300k before I sold them off, more out of boredom than worrying about them dying. The torque converters on the 6l90 can take out the transmission when they go out, but I just did Sonnex upgrades proactively and never worried about it again.
Playing around with re-organizing stuff in the van. New toolbox is coming, so some stuff has to move. Finally mounted the fire extinguisher where you can get it quickly by the door. Thinking about mounting the fuel jugs to the ramp door. This door swings out so it could make loading and unloading a bit easier than how I do it now. Here are a couple pics, just testing out spots and will make robust mounts if I like it. Here's a view with the ramp swung open: My table fits perfectly against the ramp on the inside, so this might work out well. Still just ideas.
Floor is nice, just trying to free up space. The plan was to make a quick release shelf plus strap restraint lower down on the door. But like I said, just trying some ideas.
Recently completed an 1800 trip via the Blue Ridge Parkway, Smokey Mtns/Deals Gap, and Natchez Trace. All went very well, even a slow late evening run down a quiet Tail of the Dragon. Barely noticed I had 550 lbs hanging off the back end. Threw in some Airlift 1000 air bags to take the load off the AHC. Overall very pleased, even more so I didn't have a trailer anchored to lug around through the mountains.
Here's the side shot showing the "triple link" set-up. Fabricated the side mount brackets to utilize existing mounting locations in the frame. Takes a little time to assemble the unit but it's easy enough to maneuver around. The planks easily remove so I can step within the framework and pick it up like a dead lift/trap bar. Welded 2 large grill/smoker handles to the sides. Zero deflection or bounce. Still need to mount the wheel chock but I'll need to cut, modify, and re-weld the one I have before I can bolt in down
So this worked out pretty well. Put the table on the other side of the ramp, fits great. Then put the fuel jugs on the other side. Holders are on hooks and one strap helps pull them snug to the ramp. Slowly getting there.
As someone who owns a 23 1/2 year old E-350 V-10 with 330k miles, I would have bid on this if I hadn't been so busy heading to Road Atlanta and read the listing more carefully. This thing will increase in value with the Quigly conversion without a doubt. Being an FBI van I'm confident it was well maintained. Fyi, I haven't had to do anything but routine maintenance and a unique repair to the transmission case for $600 to my E-350. Your choices perplex me, @motion. Unless you are planning to drive this around the world, and you could have with that van, your fuel costs will be the least expensive portion of whatever trips you make. And you'd have been able to drive it in the snow...
Found yo van https://advrider.com/f/threads/1998-rhd-mercedes-benz-v230-metris-12-999-charlotte-nc.1730993/
