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1998 Ford Econoline E150 Club Wagon Chateau - $1,900 (Aptos)
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Don't insist that I provide a VIN Report from some website that nobody has ever heard of, I've already heard of that scam. If you need a CarFax or other VIN report, you may purchase one.
If you're seriously interested in buying this vehicle, please read the whole ad.
For sale is my 1998 Ford Econoline E150 Club Wagon Chateau Full Size passenger van named, Jolly, lovingly named after the Jolly Green Giant.
Runs well, but will not presently pass smog. The check engine light in ON.
In CA, it is the legal requirement of the seller to provide a passing smog certificate at the time of sale. Since I cannot do this, the vehicle will technically be sold to you as a "parts car". If you get it to pass smog after the sale, you may transfer register and drive the car. I have the title, it is clean, in my name, with no liens.
OBDII Codes:
P0171 (bank 1 system too lean)
P0420 (catalytic converter not performing efficiently)
P0174 (computer detected system too lean)
I’m not 100% sure what’s wrong, but my guess is that it needs a new catalytic converter. I think this because a while back, the exhaust pipe corroded enough to completely disconnect from the catalytic converter. I had a local exhaust shop weld them back together, but the check engine light turned on shortly afterwards. It could just be oxygen sensors, it could be something else. I'm not sure.
I paid the registration last year, but the check engine light was on so I never attempted to smog it. It is effectively in non-op status so there should be no past due fees. Tags show expiration in July of ‘24.
I’m the second owner. I bought it from the original owner 10 years ago in SF. I have only put 30k miles on it during my ownership, but have replaced many parts, including:
Radiator & hoses
Ball joints
Front wheel bearings
Inner and outer tie rod ends
Front brake pads and rotors
Rear hard brake line
Spark plugs
Ignition coils
Interior LED bulbs
Transmission fluid
Battery (1 year old)
Tires (still in ok shape)
Front tow hitch
Husky all-weather floor mats
Front grille
Steel bumpers
Drivers side power mirror
Front tires are good, rears are around 80% spent.
Always gets synthetic oil changes on time, performed by yours truly with top of the line oil filters
In an attempt at full transparency to avoid any surprises for folks wishing to take a look at the vehicle , I'll attempt to tell you everything that is not currently perfect with the vehicle:
Body is pretty straight, there is some rust at the top of the windshield and at the third brake light location. I tried to include photos of the rust and minor dents.
Rainwater is able to leak into the van at the top of the windshield and at the third brake light. It is dry and covered at the moment. I had intended to sand down the rust, paint with a rust converter, and seal with silicone, but I have not done that. Roof rust makes this a great candidate for a high roof conversion in my opinion.
There's an exhaust leak from the passenger exhaust manifold where the rearmost stud has sheared off. It makes a funky noise at startup and goes away immediately after. This has been present for the entire decade I have owned the car and has never been an issue. I can send serious inquirers a video of the startup noise.
The van is equipped with driver and passenger airbags as well as front axle antilock brakes. ABS light comes on every once in a while and then turns off after you turn off the van. The OBDII code that shows up indicates that the front passenger side wheel speed sensor isn't doing its job. $13-$20 part on Amazon, a little more at O'Reilly.
It is equipped with front and rear A/C, thought the rear A/C was disabled by the previous owner. The front A\C was cold until a couple of years ago. It needs a recharge at least, possible more.
It is equipped with, power mirrors, locks and windows, the mirrors & windows work great, the locks do not. It came with one key fob remote for the power locks that works every once in a while and the central lock button occasionally works and sometimes does not. I suspect it is a bad relay, but I haven't bothered tracking it down. To make the situation even more interesting, the key only works reliably in the drivers door and sometimes in the rear barn door, but never works in the slider or passenger door.
It has a the original, double DIN, stereo & tape deck. It works sometimes, but the antenna wire is not connected, so radio stations are really staticky at best.
The sliding door handle only opens the door from the inside. The slider slides fairly roughly, I've greased the tracks many times, but it may need some parts.
The previous owner did not disclose to me that it was in what must have been a minor front end collision at some point. The driver's side fender was replaced and got a pretty subpar paint job which is now peeling clear coat. I noticed that the front grille was not attached completely and when I replaced it, I noticed that the header panel that the grill and headlights attach to had been broken but not replaced. The part is only $45 on Rock Auto, but shipping is a whopping $150. I figured I'd snag one at Pick'n'Pull eventually but never did. The grille is only attached at the top and one headlight points up and to the right.
The interior is really clean, with only a couple small tears in the driver’s seat and third row. Great captains chairs in the middle row. Seats seven. All rear seats are removable to make a cavernous space for your van life dreams.
5.4 V8 gets 11 mpg in town and almost 15 mpg on the highway.
This has been a great van for my family and I know it has many miles left in it, but I’ve purchased a newer one with less miles, so it’s time to move on.
I’m a little flexible on the pricing since I know I need a buyer that is willing to do some work on the vehicle, but I’m also likely to ignore lowballers that haven’t seen the vehicle in person.
Please feel free to call, email, or text. The van is located in Aptos.
-Taylor