Chevy's doing it again with their current Express Van lineup. The overall body's been the same since 1996, however many different drivetrains since then. I'm very glad they still come with V8's unlike the rest of the market.
I had a 1975 Chevy 1 ton cargo van that I used as a subcontractor doing deliveries back in the late 70's while in college. I also had a 1975 3/4 ton Beauville window van that I drove from 1983 until 2000 and then sold to some scrap metal haulers with 225K on it and zero issues. Saw those guys driving that thing around for several years towing a big cargo trail filled with scrap metal. What beasts those thing were!
I absolutely loved these vans. There was one we had at a dealership I worked at with 380K on the clock. It drove great and rode great, I liked it much better than the early 2000S vans. If there was any complaint it would be that the footwell was a little narrow, so either your feet were crammed in next to the pedals, or you had to put your foot on the wheel well.
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 I agree completely. I had a 71 Dodge Tradesman and now a 91 G30... the foot area may be a show stopper for me. After I get all the front suspension issues straightened out, I will know then. ps... love this vid. thank you. Did they make one for the 91 models? Also, what do they mean by the "massive girder beam front suspension"? I have not heard that term. the front suspension on mine is loosey goosey.... I just bought it and was told all was fine, but is not the case as I discovered driving up the curvy hilly road to my house. Was just told by a mechanic he will start by replacing the pitman and idler arms (which move a lot) and also the 4 bushings for the stabilizer bar. Is the stabilizer bar the girder beam? thanks for any info.
I worked at a GMC dealer years ago, we had a customer with a ~82 g20 van with the 6.2. last time I saw it, it had >760k miles!! My fellow mechanics claimed it was the original engine, but ate many many transmissions.
@@metrawatt The 6.2 was a great engine GM had several great engines the 350, 327, 4.3, 3.8, 2.5, a few slant 6s in there. You knew GM was going to hell when they stopped making every single one of these engines and started building crap that was based off of these but offered nothing better in terms of quality and reliability, but that is how they sell cars today.
@@jeremypilot1015 seems gm still did not learn there lesson after 2 to 3 federal bailouts. With the last bailout being in 08. And now there right back to not listening to there customers which is why there longtime gm fans are switching to the other brands like honda toyota or dodge now. (Mostly due to gm stating to go all electric with therr models that were there bread and butter back in the day when a mah of gm customers don't want an all electric pickup or work van) I have been hearing life long brand lovers from gm have been getting rid of them in flocks recently MAYBE Gm better noticed before they need another bailout.
My dad bought a new one in 1974 for business and personal use. He had it for over 20 yrs before the body rust finally got too bad to pass PA inspection.
As a fellow Pennsylvanian, I am very surprised that he was able to use it for more than 20 years before it was too rusty, especially for work and in winter. I have seen 5 year old cars rusted through around here.
Thanks for sharing & posting this on RUclips. 2:18 It's cool to see a 1975 Econoline brand spankin new. My parents bought a used 1976 Econoline 100 white with a tan interior for $950.00 from a garden center in Palos Verdes, CA in June 1980. Garden center bought the van used at a Chevrolet dealer in I think Ontario, CA. I don't know how long the garden center had it from the time they bought until my parents bought it. It was a strip model. I think the only options it had was an automatic transmission & the 351 V8. It didn't have power steering or radio hell; it didn't even have a passenger seat. During that time, the delivery drivers beat the hell out of it; left rear door bent slightly outward; bought a used one. Swing out doors on the side slightly dented & creased in but still closed OK. It rode like a hay wagon, sounded like a rattle trap & a bucket of bolts. Dad installed power steering. He found & installed an AM/FM radio/stereo from an early to mid 60's Cadillac; why he didn't just find a radio from another Econoline van I don't know. Found someone who was selling a passenger seat exactly the same as the drivers; lucked out on that. We went camping in it a number of times, driving to Northern California & Kernville, CA. It started to leak oil from the rear main seal; had a repair; still leaked. Just found out recently it had a rope seal design. It had the base cluster, so it had idiot lights. Oil light flickered all the time as if there was low or no oil pressure; engine still sounded & ran fine; look back now, I bet it was oil pressure sending unit. Transmission started to act-up; you put it in drive first time driving it, it took 30 seconds or, so to kick in after slightly revving the engine a few times; as I look back now, thinking it could've been low on fluid. Mother was a florist; wanted her own business; needed a van. She opened her business in September of 1983; had the van until Sept 1985 when it was unfortunately sent to a wrecking yard; they gave her $300.00; still running though with 150,000+ miles. I think it could've lasted more. She replaced it with a new 1986 Aerostar van with a 2.8 V6; that lasted 25 years with 290,000 miles. As you can tell, I like to share stories about vehicle ownership. 😁
My father had a 1971 Ford Econoline van from March of 1983 until September of 1984. He paid $50 for it customized it during that time he had it. Unfortunately it started having transmission issues in it towards the end so he sold it to a friend of his and replaced it with a 1976 AMC Hornet Wagon, which he owned into 1987 and junked it because its head gasket went out.
I didnt much care for the Chevy, it was ugly compared to the E-150, heavy, got stuck in the mud easily and got horrible gas Milage with its 305 v8. I have owned both and my fav was a 78 E-150 with captains chairs, fender flairs, and twin rear circle tinted back windows. A "Crack" wagon my friends called it, when I was 17. That 300 inline was a beast and with its combined 3 (4 speed OD) manual. You couldn't even shift into 4th unless you hit 50 mph, or it would stall. At 55 it almost sounded like it was at idle. I replaced its 2 inch pipes with a 3.5 inch and added a turnout at the back wheel. Up hills it moaned like a deuce and 1/4 under load. It was comfortable, Best seats I have ever had in a vehicle. The bad- it had a terrible 1/4 inch clutch engagement rod design from the pedal through the floor that was recalled because it would break under normal use due to its short design and tremendous pressure. It was never fixed before I got it and I had to "Dry start" it in gear, then shift without a clutch to get it home long enough to re-weld the rod from time to time. Made me a better driver though a I never wore out a clutch in all my years. I gutted the back and installed light panels with sound deadening, 12 inch speakers, a small roof mounted TV, and a rear seat / bed. Funky cold medina would pound the pavement on the weekend. As I was the favorite "Group transport" in my town, it found itself escorting all the trouble makers back then. The 80's were fun, and I still think there is a mad husbands lawyer still hunting me to this day for the fun I had in that thing. I left for basic training, and it sat for 4 years, became a rats nest, and died a horrible rusty mess by 95. I pulled the engine and placed it into a 70 e-100. I miss the crack wagon for many reasons of getting older
I worked for a company for over 30 years modifying vehicles for people with disabilities. I worked on both Ford and Chevrolet vans with Ford being the most common. The Ford vans definitely were roomier in the front seats, it felt very claustrophobic sitting in the Chevy van. The Ford with the longer wheelbase in theory should ride better. There was one weird thing I noticed with both vans. The floor in the Chevy sloped up from the B pillar to the firewall and the Ford sloped down from the B pillar to the firewall. This contributed to the claustrophobic feeling in the Chevy and the footwell was definitely narrower in the Chevy. I was never a fan of the twin I beam suspension.
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 Is there any way to install a flat surface (piece of wood?) on the wheel well on the driver's side foot well? I need some place flat to put my left foot... I'm envisioning a triangular wooden block that could be bolted to the wheel well? Or perhaps a metal triangle that could be welded? Thoughts pls?
Twin I-beams are rugged and simple. They have a very long service life with minimal maintenance. They are not sporty nor kind to cheap tires but commercial tires with closed shoulders do great on them.
Dodge was really competitive in the van market during this time as well. People forget that many of the first class C van chassis RVs were Dodges too, until Ford took that over with this econoline in the 80s
My buddy had a surplus Dodge "Church Van". Extra, extra long (15 or maybe 18 passenger). He drove that thing to every Western state with his band. Never had any problems with it but parking it in town was a bit tough.
@@imzjustplayin gvwr and gcwr are higher on the fords. 400 lbs of payload is nothing. Most of these vans spent their entire lives overloaded anyway so having a frame to handle the weight is a huge benefit.
Back in the mid 80s, I *almost* got my hands on a long wheelbase van the same color as the one featured here, but it had the chrome bumpers. The engine and tranny were spent, at the last minute the seller changed his mind. I would have bought the Chevy over the Ford without hesitation, and in those days I leaned toward Ford.
I hope you get to drive one. They are TERRIBLE. Sloppy driving dynamics, and absolutely abysmal driver comfort. (drove both gm and ford vans for a few years) You have to be child sized to be “comfortable” in the joke of a cabin, yes, even in the “new” chevy express. Compared to modern “euro” vans, american vans are laughably uncomfortable.
My mom used to do amazon, and she only liked the fords because they had better fuel economy and speed, but she wasn't a big fan of them, the dodge vans and the chevy were terrible
@@Lopaaz Having spent extensive time driving all of them, the ford transit is definitely NOT faster than the promaster, nor is it more economical. The most economical van is the Chevy express, due to its 8 speed transmission.
The older ones all look great. I like the modern chevy and ford ones too but the current dodge cargo van line up looks atrocious. Just oversized minivan looking things.
Texas still has em all day running paint and carpet to new home construction, about the same as Ford. They must have so many miles on their bodies but still chugging
Back in 1984 my dad had a super loaded 1978 Chevy van on his car lot. It had the super rare 400-4bbl. That was the last year you could get that engine and the last year before Chevy put catalytic converters on vans and trucks. He sold that thing in a matter of minutes. Got to drive it. Very good acceleration. That was the only Chevy van I ever saw wih a 400 under the hood.
Like a picture she was laying there, moonlight dancing off her hair. She woke up and took me by the hand. She’s gonna love me in my Chevy van and that’s all right with me… -Sammy Johns
When I was a kid my family drove a '76 G20 as a family vehicle for a couple years. Had a 292 in line six, and three on the tree manual transmission. I would love to get one sometime. C
I remember when EATONS was still around they had a whole bunch of these Chevy and GMC vans and it was iconic to see them cause they were painted dark blue including the hubcaps with the red stripe and the word EATONS in the middle.
hahaha hell yeah..... Ive got 2 mechanic friends, one is a transmission specialist wont even rebuild ford trans/transfer cases because they dont hold up no matter how he builds it. The other is Ford specific diesel Tech and is always swamped with work due to the work load and has made a VERY nice life for himself! Hahaha Chevy Wins!
@@coltheesacker5656 Nice anecdotal story too bad facts say otherwise. GM's warranty costs bankrupted them once and they are on the verge of it once again due to warranty costs...
@@coltheesacker5656 Might be cute but also the truth. And why the General Motors Corporation no longer exists, replaced by the taxpayer saved out of bankruptcy General Motors Company. And the 6.0L had zero impact on Ford, they still turned profits (record ones for that matter ) and were reimbursed for all warranty costs by Navistar and got damages on top of that also. Nice try but you clearly have no clue.
@@matthewq4b Ford owes me about 10k for my 6.0. When I took it to the local dealership they bs'd me told me had no idea what was going on with it, so I left it with them for a couple days to run some "tests" I walk in the back to talk to the tech after I hadn't heard anything in a week, tech says see all these trucks in here, they all have the same problem as yours, every bay was a 6.0, about 15 trucks, the aholes then charged me 2,400 $ and quoted me 15k for an engine that clearly had a design flaw , they could have just told me what it probably was and saved me the 2400$ a holes, it was a great engine with a few little issues that destroyed it. They never fessed up to it and warranty those trucks, cost hard working men many pay checks and drug people over the coals for years milking those engine rebuilds. They should have started recalling them in 03 when they first had problems and redesigned a few things would have been fine, accept they never owned up to it and drained hard working men's pockets. I'm not partial to Ford or Chevy, there designed to break now, they both use to make great vehicles but that 6.0 ordeal was a dam shame.
Ive seen more chevys than ford when i was growing up. My dad borrowed a chevy van from his workplace to haul logs. It drove like a tank and it was solid. When he took it back i was sad that we didn't keep it . I love it. I don't think a new van can hold up to that king of punishment.
A few years back, the company I work for got rid of my 2010 E-150 and got me a 2017 Chevy 2500 with the longer wheelbase. Even though the van is considerably longer, the turning radius is waaaay smaller. It's hard to believe that that bus is more maneuverable than the smaller ford
If you think the express turns sharpness should drive a ford transit, they turn on a dime, although between the two ill take the chevy, way better van any day of the week
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 I drive a transit 350 every day, i wouldn't quite say car like but it's definitely more refined than the express or e series
A interesting thing about the Ford Trucks and vans of that era (70,s) was that the engine/ drive train was off set to the passengers side about 2" most people don't notice it but check for yourself.it was done for foot room, also more room for a inside frame rails Gas tank.
Ah the 70’s. I was a kid back then lol. I wish these old school boxy vans would make a comeback. It won’t happen though. I wish I had the resources to purchase one and restore it.
Had many of these on my fleet, totally incredible truck. Had a few fords, they where just not the same as ford. Several GM vans with 600,00 Kim’s on them.
My Electric utility company....2nd biggest in California bought 30 Ford E350 econolines and 20 Chevy C30 cargo vans. They were used to deliver inter company light mail to the various Divisions in Southern California. Guess what the drivers who drove these vans 8 hours every day three shifts per day 7 days a week preferred? Yup the Ford Van. WHY ? First of all the body on frame design insulates the body from road noise as the vans are not insulated. Bare steel. The Chevy van was like some noise sound chamber which resonates especialy with rough road surfaces because its unibody. The Chevy van with 454 engine all got rear main oil leaks...the 460..no oil leaks. The drivers area...in the chevy you it has very limited room inside and you feel squished inside while the Ford..lots of space as the engine dog house is almost flush with the dash. You can swing into the cargo area easily without lifting your feet....in the chevy...not so easy. You have to lift your feet around the dog house. By the way I am a Chevy fan but in fleet service these Econolines cannot be beat and i say that through experience.
"Cause like a picture She was layin' there. Moonlight dancin' off her hair. She woke up & took me by the hand. She's gonna love me in my Chevy Van And that's all right with me."
Great design that stood the test of time 24 model years. I have a '79 G30 class C RV with 34k miles. Runs and drives absolutely great although the TH350 and 4.10 gears make anything north of 55-60 a nerve wracking, gas guzzling experience. Someday I'll swap a 700R4 in and actually be able to take it on road trips!
I have seen an axle break on a pickup truck going down the highway. it was full of recycled paper, must have been overladed triple its weight capacity. when it slammed to the ground about half of the crap in the back came out. what a mess
it was easier but tool up space. most vans and trucks today are easy to get the spare down. the worst was the ford design with the carriage holder that pivoted down.
Any possible advantages of the Chevy van are eliminated simply due to their unibody construction. That's the last thing commercial applications needed. With all the miles and hard wear businesses put on their fleets through all kinds of weather, the Chevy vans rusted and rotted out very quickly while Ford's framed econoline vans lasted in many cases for decades. Businesses want to get the most miles and years out of their vans, which wasn't possible in Chevy vans. Also, the engines and drivetrains in the Chevy vans were not up to the towing tasks as much as GM claimed. Premature engine failures among people who towed even lightweight loads with them were very common. The Fords were easier to service too and had longer intervals between necessary routine service than Chevy. Those interior engine covers on the Chevys were always off and the hoods were always up so that something could be adjusted or fixed and it was a knuckle busting job every time.
I suspect that is also why the Fords were also superior for the mini-motorhomes... as well as that wider hatch accommodating the 460 engine. Had a '76 Midas 22-footer and the chassis was better built than any other part of it, plus I could crest Donner Summit still making 50+ mph with a low-comp smog motor. Of course, Ford still had to put some of their non Better Ideas in it - I was not happy in the middle of summer finding out on one of those trips that replacing the alternator belt required removing the fan & pulley!
The configuration of both Chevrolet Express, and Ford E series still has the same issue today. Less room between the pedals driver side, and left leg cramped on the passenger side on the Ford. Paramedics in Montreal asked their service to return to the Chevrolet Express from the Ford Econoline, for more leg room up front.
I mean, yes, ease of servicing was something people cared about back in the day, but, I that had a lot more to do with how often you actually had to service them. In a time when all vehicles needed points adjusted, oil topped off, carbs adjusted, and a plethora of other routine maintenance every 10,000 miles or less, you needed to be able to get to things. Today, marketing that it's easy to fix would be brand suicide as customers would wonder why you need to fix it, when every other make on the market will run for a hundred thousand miles with nothing more than regular oil changes.
that's cool that it can be done, I can't knock the transit. ford is now doing some really weird stuff like plastic oil pans on trucks. why? sheet steel can't be that much more expensive.
Still plenty of them and a lotta of the saveable ones are being restored or turned into show Van's and people are buying them more here in the midwest now then a newer work Van's. And are either a. Keeping them as show cars or b. Turning them back into work Van's. The past few yrs have been seeing a reemergence of old school everything here in the midwest. Everyone wants the dinosaurs because they never die and there dependable and the parts are fairly cheap now and with plenty if ways for rust prevention here in the midwest now you can keep them on the roads forever now compared to 40 yrs ago.
I had the 76 Chevy short with the V8 an it was a great truck may have the last one they built made into a shag mobile van man I wish I had the days back
@@mcqueenfanman "I did a lot of ball joints on those Chev vans." There fixed it for ya. As the Fords did not have Ball joints but King Pins. So either you mistyped or are full of BS. And the Chev and GM vans absolutely ate ball joints in this era..
Yes Chevy was the best for the 60s 70s 80s into mid 90s I’ve been driving vans for a long time and it’s been since 2000 switch to ford I have too much issue Worth my last Chevy I wish Chevrolet will come back I wish😷😷😷
Back when manufactures actually wanted you to work on your cars and when they told you why they were better and not just that one car is better than the other
But if you notice they put the pipes in the middle of the chevy so it would fit. They put the same pipes in the ford van behind the passenger seat so they would not fit if you put them in the same spot right in the middle they will fit.
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 Technically I still have mine, but it'll never be road worthy again without mega bucks. I live in southern Ontario and they season the roads quite well up here every winter. It used to be my summer project, but I fell into hard financial times and my daily got t boned. So I drove the van through one winter and that was it. Tried to wash it every chance I could, but to no avail. Rockers completely gone. I just can't bring myself to get rid of it because I'm pretty sure it'll just get picked for parts then scrapped.
definitely, we had one in our shop last week. yesterday I did some suspension work on a 75 c10, replaced the upper control arms. they were original with the bushings were coming out. overall, it is still in nice shape
never owned a ford I owed a 1980 B black chevy van series 10 great van in every way nice ride steering was ok ride was Excellent never had a reason to complain about it can't see ford having anything better
Who would ever imagine back then, this generation of Chevy Vans would last until 1996? Amazing! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
they kept them going and going
Chevy's doing it again with their current Express Van lineup. The overall body's been the same since 1996, however many different drivetrains since then. I'm very glad they still come with V8's unlike the rest of the market.
So true. And the Ford lasted until '91.
First year since 1971 released on April 1970.
Mine is a 1994, 330,000 miles and drives perfectly. Has for the last 20 years I’ve owned it. It’s a light duty G30 350tbi/4L60E.
I had a 1975 Chevy 1 ton cargo van that I used as a subcontractor doing deliveries back in the late 70's while in college. I also had a 1975 3/4 ton Beauville window van that I drove from 1983 until 2000 and then sold to some scrap metal haulers with 225K on it and zero issues. Saw those guys driving that thing around for several years towing a big cargo trail filled with scrap metal. What beasts those thing were!
yes, they were. scrappers love those old chevies
I absolutely loved these vans. There was one we had at a dealership I worked at with 380K on the clock. It drove great and rode great, I liked it much better than the early 2000S vans. If there was any complaint it would be that the footwell was a little narrow, so either your feet were crammed in next to the pedals, or you had to put your foot on the wheel well.
same complaint here, my feet are 4e's. I think my dodge tradesman van had more room
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 I agree completely. I had a 71 Dodge Tradesman and now a 91 G30... the foot area may be a show stopper for me. After I get all the front suspension issues straightened out, I will know then. ps... love this vid. thank you. Did they make one for the 91 models?
Also, what do they mean by the "massive girder beam front suspension"? I have not heard that term. the front suspension on mine is loosey goosey.... I just bought it and was told all was fine, but is not the case as I discovered driving up the curvy hilly road to my house. Was just told by a mechanic he will start by replacing the pitman and idler arms (which move a lot) and also the 4 bushings for the stabilizer bar. Is the stabilizer bar the girder beam? thanks for any info.
I worked at a GMC dealer years ago, we had a customer with a ~82 g20 van with the 6.2. last time I saw it, it had >760k miles!! My fellow mechanics claimed it was the original engine, but ate many many transmissions.
@@metrawatt The 6.2 was a great engine GM had several great engines the 350, 327, 4.3, 3.8, 2.5, a few slant 6s in there. You knew GM was going to hell when they stopped making every single one of these engines and started building crap that was based off of these but offered nothing better in terms of quality and reliability, but that is how they sell cars today.
@@jeremypilot1015 seems gm still did not learn there lesson after 2 to 3 federal bailouts. With the last bailout being in 08. And now there right back to not listening to there customers which is why there longtime gm fans are switching to the other brands like honda toyota or dodge now. (Mostly due to gm stating to go all electric with therr models that were there bread and butter back in the day when a mah of gm customers don't want an all electric pickup or work van) I have been hearing life long brand lovers from gm have been getting rid of them in flocks recently MAYBE Gm better noticed before they need another bailout.
My dad had 72 econoline as a daily driver from 72-96 . Replaced engine once . It was a beast
sounds like it must have been pretty beat by then
My dad bought a new one in 1974 for business and personal use. He had it for over 20 yrs before the body rust finally got too bad to pass PA inspection.
As a fellow Pennsylvanian, I am very surprised that he was able to use it for more than 20 years before it was too rusty, especially for work and in winter. I have seen 5 year old cars rusted through around here.
Inspection? What?
Thanks for sharing & posting this on RUclips. 2:18 It's cool to see a 1975 Econoline brand spankin new. My parents bought a used 1976 Econoline 100 white with a tan interior for $950.00 from a garden center in Palos Verdes, CA in June 1980. Garden center bought the van used at a Chevrolet dealer in I think Ontario, CA. I don't know how long the garden center had it from the time they bought until my parents bought it. It was a strip model. I think the only options it had was an automatic transmission & the 351 V8. It didn't have power steering or radio hell; it didn't even have a passenger seat. During that time, the delivery drivers beat the hell out of it; left rear door bent slightly outward; bought a used one. Swing out doors on the side slightly dented & creased in but still closed OK. It rode like a hay wagon, sounded like a rattle trap & a bucket of bolts. Dad installed power steering. He found & installed an AM/FM radio/stereo from an early to mid 60's Cadillac; why he didn't just find a radio from another Econoline van I don't know. Found someone who was selling a passenger seat exactly the same as the drivers; lucked out on that. We went camping in it a number of times, driving to Northern California & Kernville, CA. It started to leak oil from the rear main seal; had a repair; still leaked. Just found out recently it had a rope seal design. It had the base cluster, so it had idiot lights. Oil light flickered all the time as if there was low or no oil pressure; engine still sounded & ran fine; look back now, I bet it was oil pressure sending unit. Transmission started to act-up; you put it in drive first time driving it, it took 30 seconds or, so to kick in after slightly revving the engine a few times; as I look back now, thinking it could've been low on fluid. Mother was a florist; wanted her own business; needed a van. She opened her business in September of 1983; had the van until Sept 1985 when it was unfortunately sent to a wrecking yard; they gave her $300.00; still running though with 150,000+ miles. I think it could've lasted more. She replaced it with a new 1986 Aerostar van with a 2.8 V6; that lasted 25 years with 290,000 miles.
As you can tell, I like to share stories about vehicle ownership. 😁
My father had a 1971 Ford Econoline van from March of 1983 until September of 1984. He paid $50 for it customized it during that time he had it. Unfortunately it started having transmission issues in it towards the end so he sold it to a friend of his and replaced it with a 1976 AMC Hornet Wagon, which he owned into 1987 and junked it because its head gasket went out.
I do too, enjoyed reading it.
I didnt much care for the Chevy, it was ugly compared to the E-150, heavy, got stuck in the mud easily and got horrible gas Milage with its 305 v8. I have owned both and my fav was a 78 E-150 with captains chairs, fender flairs, and twin rear circle tinted back windows. A "Crack" wagon my friends called it, when I was 17. That 300 inline was a beast and with its combined 3 (4 speed OD) manual. You couldn't even shift into 4th unless you hit 50 mph, or it would stall. At 55 it almost sounded like it was at idle. I replaced its 2 inch pipes with a 3.5 inch and added a turnout at the back wheel. Up hills it moaned like a deuce and 1/4 under load. It was comfortable, Best seats I have ever had in a vehicle. The bad- it had a terrible 1/4 inch clutch engagement rod design from the pedal through the floor that was recalled because it would break under normal use due to its short design and tremendous pressure. It was never fixed before I got it and I had to "Dry start" it in gear, then shift without a clutch to get it home long enough to re-weld the rod from time to time. Made me a better driver though a I never wore out a clutch in all my years. I gutted the back and installed light panels with sound deadening, 12 inch speakers, a small roof mounted TV, and a rear seat / bed. Funky cold medina would pound the pavement on the weekend. As I was the favorite "Group transport" in my town, it found itself escorting all the trouble makers back then. The 80's were fun, and I still think there is a mad husbands lawyer still hunting me to this day for the fun I had in that thing. I left for basic training, and it sat for 4 years, became a rats nest, and died a horrible rusty mess by 95. I pulled the engine and placed it into a 70 e-100. I miss the crack wagon for many reasons of getting older
I had a 75 Chevy Van G10 Shorty with 6 Cyl 3 speed manual. Great vehicle. Customized it as my surfer van. Lots of good times with it!
Very cool! I had a shorty too but was a dodge 225 with a 3 on the tree. wish I still had it. was just big enough to fit my KDX 400 in the back
I just found it funny how Chevy advertised their unibody design as better than the competition back then, and now their vans are body on frame.
And the Ford (Transit) is a Unibody. Haha
I worked for a company for over 30 years modifying vehicles for people with disabilities. I worked on both Ford and Chevrolet vans with Ford being the most common. The Ford vans definitely were roomier in the front seats, it felt very claustrophobic sitting in the Chevy van. The Ford with the longer wheelbase in theory should ride better. There was one weird thing I noticed with both vans. The floor in the Chevy sloped up from the B pillar to the firewall and the Ford sloped down from the B pillar to the firewall. This contributed to the claustrophobic feeling in the Chevy and the footwell was definitely narrower in the Chevy. I was never a fan of the twin I beam suspension.
great observation, I couldn't agree with you more on the I-beam design
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 Is there any way to install a flat surface (piece of wood?) on the wheel well on the driver's side foot well? I need some place flat to put my left foot... I'm envisioning a triangular wooden block that could be bolted to the wheel well? Or perhaps a metal triangle that could be welded? Thoughts pls?
Twin I-beams are rugged and simple. They have a very long service life with minimal maintenance. They are not sporty nor kind to cheap tires but commercial tires with closed shoulders do great on them.
Id take the Ford in an accident...
The Chevy van has a wider footwell though!
Same opening sequence as "Who's the Boss?" - lol - Love these vans!
I watched every episode growing up
Dodge was really competitive in the van market during this time as well. People forget that many of the first class C van chassis RVs were Dodges too, until Ford took that over with this econoline in the 80s
dodges were EveryWare . that 440 was a staple in trucks and vans.
They dident use dodge because dodge beat the chevy. Can't have that
My buddy had a surplus Dodge "Church Van". Extra, extra long (15 or maybe 18 passenger). He drove that thing to every Western state with his band. Never had any problems with it but parking it in town was a bit tough.
Can we just appreciate that both of these vans are better than the junk being made in 2021.
🤣 ok
You are absolutely right.
Definitely!
I love the old vans, the have so much more personality. but compared to vans today I don't think they were as reliable
Just . . .no
I never knew this Era chevy van was a unibody, always figured they were body on frame
they make the ford sound better, heavier duty with an actual frame
all irrelevant if it has a lower GVWR and cargo carrying capacity.
@@imzjustplayin GM failed to mention how Ford had a 460 V8 option which gives them the win
@@1983jblack - a win in the weight department
@@imzjustplayin gvwr and gcwr are higher on the fords. 400 lbs of payload is nothing. Most of these vans spent their entire lives overloaded anyway so having a frame to handle the weight is a huge benefit.
@@1983jblack sounds pretty dope lol
Back in the mid 80s, I *almost* got my hands on a long wheelbase van the same color as the one featured here, but it had the chrome bumpers. The engine and tranny were spent, at the last minute the seller changed his mind. I would have bought the Chevy over the Ford without hesitation, and in those days I leaned toward Ford.
it's hard to choose between the two, I had a 78-dodge van with a 3 on the tree and a slant six. I beat the crap out of that thing, and it kept going
Amazing. The 2018 curbs at about 6600 pounds, nearly twice as much. But the shorter wheelbase now is longer than the long wheelbase then.
Well, should I ever be deciding between the two of these here vans, I know what I’ll be choosing!
Awsome stuff....love this channel!!!!
thank you, I love these films and have to share. many more to come
I’ve driven both before, i liked the footwell / drivers area of the Ford by far over the Chevy.
These Chevy vans ( and GMC) lasted so long until 1996, now you hardly see them on the road anymore. These vans were TRUE work horses.
American vans are so dope, i genuinely find an Express van or E-series van cooler than a supercar
I hope you get to drive one. They are TERRIBLE. Sloppy driving dynamics, and absolutely abysmal driver comfort. (drove both gm and ford vans for a few years)
You have to be child sized to be “comfortable” in the joke of a cabin, yes, even in the “new” chevy express. Compared to modern “euro” vans, american vans are laughably uncomfortable.
@@goclunker Haha that may be
My mom used to do amazon, and she only liked the fords because they had better fuel economy and speed, but she wasn't a big fan of them, the dodge vans and the chevy were terrible
@@Lopaaz Having spent extensive time driving all of them, the ford transit is definitely NOT faster than the promaster, nor is it more economical. The most economical van is the Chevy express, due to its 8 speed transmission.
The older ones all look great. I like the modern chevy and ford ones too but the current dodge cargo van line up looks atrocious. Just oversized minivan looking things.
This guys where good at throwing shade with actual facts back in the day😅
Pretty much all of these Chevy vans in the Midwest have dissolved into clouds of rust. You hardly ever see them anymore
still plenty in California
Still see them being used as work vehicles here in the south
there are a good amount of remains of vans, some rusty, but some in good condition in the east
Texas still has em all day running paint and carpet to new home construction, about the same as Ford. They must have so many miles on their bodies but still chugging
@@ttgk8506 in Michigan, at least in my neck of the woods they're rare.
Ominous opening music - a windowless van moving with purpose - look out kids - that candy comes with a hefty price.
we used to call them raper vans
They knew their target market, that's for sure.
That opening music really makes this start of this film seem like a police drama t.v. show..
book um Dano
I'm sure these vans were used for many burglaries.
“Should be easy to park.”
Backs into football field 0:20
The narrator voice brings back memories of auto shop back in high school.
Frakkin. Indestructable. We had 5 between 1970 and 1978
tough as nails
I feel like a new van from the 70s is better than a new one
simple and to the point, a box with and engine. no navigation and Bluetooth
They weren’t.
This is the only kind of vehicle made today that is similar to the past. If only there was a sedan out there like that.
The Ford Crown Victoria was like that too.
True. The express van is one of the last vehicles still offered with seal beamed headlights.
1:23 Ford Econoline moved the front axle and nose forward (which improves crash performance and serviceability) and that’s a bad thing?
I guess so, but they are both a pain to work on
These must be on backorder because I can't find them availible new anywhere!
check the inventory list as pick and pull auto wreckers. you will find them there
I'm sorry but how does moving the engine forward decrease driver space?
I don't know. neither has enough pedal room
Back in 1984 my dad had a super loaded 1978 Chevy van on his car lot. It had the super rare 400-4bbl. That was the last year you could get that engine and the last year before Chevy put catalytic converters on vans and trucks. He sold that thing in a matter of minutes. Got to drive it. Very good acceleration. That was the only Chevy van I ever saw wih a 400 under the hood.
I have never seen one
I wish I was alive to see the streets full of classic cars, what a wonderful time it was in the 70's
So Much style back then
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 agreed, performance was very basic though
They were and are gorgeous to look at for sure. Driving? Ehhhhhhh
@@tobyl55 True, it was like driving a boat
Like a picture she was laying there, moonlight dancing off her hair. She woke up and took me by the hand. She’s gonna love me in my Chevy van and that’s all right with me… -Sammy Johns
When I was a kid my family drove a '76 G20 as a family vehicle for a couple years. Had a 292 in line six, and three on the tree manual transmission. I would love to get one sometime. C
There aren’t many left. You might find one sitting in a field somewhere just waiting to be restored
I remember when EATONS was still around they had a whole bunch of these Chevy and GMC vans and it was iconic to see them cause they were painted dark blue including the hubcaps with the red stripe and the word EATONS in the middle.
I think chevy was savage for stating every inconsistency that ford had with their van lol. That's why they're my go to American car brand
hahaha hell yeah..... Ive got 2 mechanic friends, one is a transmission specialist wont even rebuild ford trans/transfer cases because they dont hold up no matter how he builds it. The other is Ford specific diesel Tech and is always swamped with work due to the work load and has made a VERY nice life for himself! Hahaha Chevy Wins!
@@coltheesacker5656 Nice anecdotal story too bad facts say otherwise. GM's warranty costs bankrupted them once and they are on the verge of it once again due to warranty costs...
That’s a cute story also. The 6.0 powerjoke almost did the same for Furd so………..???
@@coltheesacker5656 Might be cute but also the truth. And why the General Motors Corporation no longer exists, replaced by the taxpayer saved out of bankruptcy General Motors Company.
And the 6.0L had zero impact on Ford, they still turned profits (record ones for that matter ) and were reimbursed for all warranty costs by Navistar and got damages on top of that also. Nice try but you clearly have no clue.
@@matthewq4b Ford owes me about 10k for my 6.0. When I took it to the local dealership they bs'd me told me had no idea what was going on with it, so I left it with them for a couple days to run some "tests" I walk in the back to talk to the tech after I hadn't heard anything in a week, tech says see all these trucks in here, they all have the same problem as yours, every bay was a 6.0, about 15 trucks, the aholes then charged me 2,400 $ and quoted me 15k for an engine that clearly had a design flaw , they could have just told me what it probably was and saved me the 2400$ a holes, it was a great engine with a few little issues that destroyed it. They never fessed up to it and warranty those trucks, cost hard working men many pay checks and drug people over the coals for years milking those engine rebuilds. They should have started recalling them in 03 when they first had problems and redesigned a few things would have been fine, accept they never owned up to it and drained hard working men's pockets. I'm not partial to Ford or Chevy, there designed to break now, they both use to make great vehicles but that 6.0 ordeal was a dam shame.
Ive seen more chevys than ford when i was growing up. My dad borrowed a chevy van from his workplace to haul logs. It drove like a tank and it was solid. When he took it back i was sad that we didn't keep it . I love it. I don't think a new van can hold up to that king of punishment.
Here in the midwest, with all the salt put down on the roads in winter, these vans would be rust buckets in no time.
no cars lasted in the salt belt. not even new cars
They all did Ford Chevy/GMC and Dodge
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 No kidding, everything rusts there, maybe don't use so much road salt y'all 🤦♂️
@@rustyjeep2469 Try driving our roads with snow and ice without road treatment you might change your tune.
A few years back, the company I work for got rid of my 2010 E-150 and got me a 2017 Chevy 2500 with the longer wheelbase. Even though the van is considerably longer, the turning radius is waaaay smaller. It's hard to believe that that bus is more maneuverable than the smaller ford
If you think the express turns sharpness should drive a ford transit, they turn on a dime, although between the two ill take the chevy, way better van any day of the week
the transit drives like a car.
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 I drive a transit 350 every day, i wouldn't quite say car like but it's definitely more refined than the express or e series
Ford Econoline Vans have always set the bar they were the best vans on the road.
the Econoline's were tough work vans. tons of them still on the road
Having a frame is a major plus for trucks and vans. GM failed there
Used both for work.. Chev was far more functional. Thanks for posting.
You're welcome! more films to come
A interesting thing about the Ford Trucks and vans of that era (70,s) was that the engine/ drive train was off set to the passengers side about 2" most people don't notice it but check for yourself.it was done for foot room, also more room for a inside frame rails Gas tank.
the passenger had almost no leg room
My 2007 e350 has the motor offset slightly to the passenger side
65 and newer Ford trucks with Twin I Beam front ends were the first ones to set the drive line and engines slightly
off to the right.
Ah the 70’s. I was a kid back then lol. I wish these old school boxy vans would make a comeback. It won’t happen though. I wish I had the resources to purchase one and restore it.
they still are out there. priorities
Had many of these on my fleet, totally incredible truck. Had a few fords, they where just not the same as ford. Several GM vans with 600,00 Kim’s on them.
Full-sized vans: where development goes to die.
Chevy van :
✔️ We can write "Free candy" with spray paint on the van.
Ford van :
✔️ We can write "Free candy" with spray paint on the van.
lmao what
what about the dodge van?
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 of course the dodge one too 🤣
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 "We can't afford to give away free candy."
My Electric utility company....2nd biggest in California bought 30 Ford E350 econolines and 20 Chevy C30 cargo vans.
They were used to deliver inter company light mail to the various Divisions in Southern California. Guess what the drivers who drove these vans 8 hours every day three shifts per day 7 days a week preferred? Yup the Ford Van. WHY ? First of all the body on frame design insulates the body from road noise as the vans are not insulated. Bare steel. The Chevy van was like some noise sound chamber which resonates especialy with rough road surfaces because its unibody. The Chevy van with 454 engine all got rear main oil leaks...the 460..no oil leaks. The drivers area...in the chevy you it has very limited room inside and you feel squished inside while the Ford..lots of space as the engine dog house is almost flush with the dash. You can swing into the cargo area easily without lifting your feet....in the chevy...not so easy. You have to lift your feet around the dog house. By the way I am a Chevy fan but in fleet service these Econolines cannot be beat and i say that through experience.
chevies notoriously leak oil. even the newer ones. can't tell you how many trucks I have seen dripping oil from the cover holding the rear main seal.
My uncle had a 70’s Chevy conversion van complete with custom paint, shag carpeting and a bar. It was groovy lol
love those 70's vans. if you haven't seen it yet, check out the film 'corvette summer'.
Awesome I'm a big fan of these keep up the good work
thanks, more to come
Had a 1988 Chevy custom van, paid $800 for it. Ran very nice and got 14mpg. No foot room in the chevy van drivers position was my biggest complaint.
not much they could do to improve on the leg room, sounds like your van did you well
the fords of this era were the best and chevy could not compete. i serveced fleets back then and the fords lasted 2x as long
hard to kill a ford 6. they lasted forever
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 so true. the last chev van in the fleet i took care of had the 305 v8 with defective camshaft.
"Cause like a picture
She was layin' there.
Moonlight dancin' off her hair.
She woke up & took me by the hand.
She's gonna love me in my Chevy Van
And that's all right with me."
Great design that stood the test of time 24 model years. I have a '79 G30 class C RV with 34k miles. Runs and drives absolutely great although the TH350 and 4.10 gears make anything north of 55-60 a nerve wracking, gas guzzling experience. Someday I'll swap a 700R4 in and actually be able to take it on road trips!
nothing wrong with 4:10's except for a top end of about 85mph and a little thirsty over 65mph. I honestly wouldn't take one of these much faster
I get where you're going but that 700R4 aint going like that overdrive lugging in that big tank. It'll be burned up in no time.
Chevy and GMC vans are my favorite.
Chevy vans were 10000 times better than the other brand and the 350 will never be matched.
It's all about looks and the GM one wins by a mile. Currently own a 95 GMC Vandura conversion van love that Van
This guy really likes his Chevy Van
My dream vehicle!
Thank you kanya very cool
Glad you enjoyed
True my 1973chevy van is still going fine
nice, keep it alive
Sure no frame for Chevy, but the next generation vans express/savanna have frames.
Yeah it's like they made a mistake then corrected it
I wish we had the Toyota HiAce in the US.
Who ever weighed what goes in a van?? No one. If it fits, it ships. Both vans carried much more weight, until the axles could snap.
I have seen an axle break on a pickup truck going down the highway. it was full of recycled paper, must have been overladed triple its weight capacity. when it slammed to the ground about half of the crap in the back came out. what a mess
Remember when the spare tire was inside the vans? I do and it was so much easier to remove then being it underneath it.
it was easier but tool up space. most vans and trucks today are easy to get the spare down. the worst was the ford design with the carriage holder that pivoted down.
Any possible advantages of the Chevy van are eliminated simply due to their unibody construction. That's the last thing commercial applications needed. With all the miles and hard wear businesses put on their fleets through all kinds of weather, the Chevy vans rusted and rotted out very quickly while Ford's framed econoline vans lasted in many cases for decades. Businesses want to get the most miles and years out of their vans, which wasn't possible in Chevy vans. Also, the engines and drivetrains in the Chevy vans were not up to the towing tasks as much as GM claimed. Premature engine failures among people who towed even lightweight loads with them were very common. The Fords were easier to service too and had longer intervals between necessary routine service than Chevy. Those interior engine covers on the Chevys were always off and the hoods were always up so that something could be adjusted or fixed and it was a knuckle busting job every time.
I suspect that is also why the Fords were also superior for the mini-motorhomes... as well as that wider hatch accommodating the 460 engine.
Had a '76 Midas 22-footer and the chassis was better built than any other part of it, plus I could crest Donner Summit still making 50+ mph with a low-comp smog motor.
Of course, Ford still had to put some of their non Better Ideas in it - I was not happy in the middle of summer finding out on one of those trips that replacing the alternator belt required removing the fan & pulley!
The dodge vans were also unibody.
The configuration of both Chevrolet Express, and Ford E series still has the same issue today. Less room between the pedals driver side, and left leg cramped on the passenger side on the Ford. Paramedics in Montreal asked their service to return to the Chevrolet Express from the Ford Econoline, for more leg room up front.
Easy access to the cargo from the front? Most modern vans have a safety cage separating the cargo from the people
Back then it was easy to service and hard facts in advertisement.
Nowadays: look! There's bling! Buy!
today the first priority is leather seats, oversized tires, Bluetooth, navigation, and hands-free steering.
I mean, yes, ease of servicing was something people cared about back in the day, but, I that had a lot more to do with how often you actually had to service them. In a time when all vehicles needed points adjusted, oil topped off, carbs adjusted, and a plethora of other routine maintenance every 10,000 miles or less, you needed to be able to get to things. Today, marketing that it's easy to fix would be brand suicide as customers would wonder why you need to fix it, when every other make on the market will run for a hundred thousand miles with nothing more than regular oil changes.
@@johngaltline9933 but today if something goes wrong than you'll have some real trouble and some cars don't make 100k without trouble.
Better than my 2020 Ford transit. Needed brake pads@20K. Their fix was to program downshift transmission when I break hard
that's cool that it can be done, I can't knock the transit. ford is now doing some really weird stuff like plastic oil pans on trucks. why? sheet steel can't be that much more expensive.
Tbh im considering buying one of these old ones
Still plenty of them and a lotta of the saveable ones are being restored or turned into show Van's and people are buying them more here in the midwest now then a newer work Van's. And are either a. Keeping them as show cars or b. Turning them back into work Van's. The past few yrs have been seeing a reemergence of old school everything here in the midwest. Everyone wants the dinosaurs because they never die and there dependable and the parts are fairly cheap now and with plenty if ways for rust prevention here in the midwest now you can keep them on the roads forever now compared to 40 yrs ago.
there are still plenty on the road, most are pretty beat up by now. maybe look for a clean one in Arizona.
An excellent video. 💙 T.E.N.
Thank you very much! glad to have you watching
I had the 76 Chevy short with the V8 an it was a great truck may have the last one they built made into a shag mobile van man I wish I had the days back
Those were the days
Both were a PITA to work on but ran forever. Plus the old Chevy engine were very modifiable.
I did a lot of ball joints on those ford vans.
pull that doghouse out
@@mcqueenfanman I don't think you did any ball joints on those pre-1992 Ford Vans. They didn't have ball joints, they used king pins.
I heard the 454 1996+ Express vans were really difficult to work on.
@@mcqueenfanman "I did a lot of ball joints on those Chev vans." There fixed it for ya. As the Fords did not have Ball joints but King Pins. So either you mistyped or are full of BS. And the Chev and GM vans absolutely ate ball joints in this era..
Be it as it may, there are way more old ford econolines on the road than old chevy vans. Im a van guy . I love all the big 3 vans but facts are facts.
Hard to say for sure what was the best. My favorite was dodge
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 i love all three , i really cant pick a favorite. I grew up around all three so they all have a special place in my heart
The best van of the time period!
Yes Chevy was the best for the 60s 70s 80s into mid 90s I’ve been driving vans for a long time and it’s been since 2000 switch to ford I have too much issue Worth my last Chevy I wish Chevrolet will come back I wish😷😷😷
the new ford vans are different animals
3:20 can't read the graphic, the watermark is in the way
that's 2208 lbs.
Why are they comparing a 3/4 ton chassis vs a 1/2 ton chassis?
trying to make their product look better. its goal is to sell chevy
I love the design of these compared to the current!! I know it’s just a “box” but I don’t know why Hahaha 🤣
the new fords and Nissan's are boxier than these
Still see these on the road today they where built to last unlike today's crap
Back when manufactures actually wanted you to work on your cars and when they told you why they were better and not just that one car is better than the other
This was back before RUclips and cell phones.
That was when manufactures actually put out good inovative products and not just a parts bin unibody crossover
All these ads depend on which brand makes them, they always find a way to rig it,
yes, they were 10-minute commercials. you would not see the ford or dodge films at the chevy dealer
I wonder why they didn't mention the KILLER feature of their vans: they have free candy in them!
put down the candy and step away from the little girl
But if you notice they put the pipes in the middle of the chevy so it would fit. They put the same pipes in the ford van behind the passenger seat so they would not fit if you put them in the same spot right in the middle they will fit.
on the ford they put the pipes so close to the radius arm bushings on the right side they would melt. I have installed hundreds over the years
Don Messick doing the voice over
i think you are right
I want one of these vans. Where can I get one?
Time machine or a wad of cash
Amazing
Cool channel you have here. Subscribed.
thank you. so much of these old films are lost, the ones that are still around are deteriorating. doing my best to preserve what I can
Just imagine all the people kidnapped in these vans🤔
we used to call the rape vans
I love old vans!
Scooby doo
God I miss my G20 shorty. Best vehicle I ever owned.
there are still plenty left, I don't expect for much longer though. they are being recycled into Hondas and Toyotas
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 Technically I still have mine, but it'll never be road worthy again without mega bucks. I live in southern Ontario and they season the roads quite well up here every winter. It used to be my summer project, but I fell into hard financial times and my daily got t boned. So I drove the van through one winter and that was it. Tried to wash it every chance I could, but to no avail. Rockers completely gone. I just can't bring myself to get rid of it because I'm pretty sure it'll just get picked for parts then scrapped.
Damm Chevy out here giving shit ain't scared of no one
I bet some of these are still running
definitely, we had one in our shop last week. yesterday I did some suspension work on a 75 c10, replaced the upper control arms. they were original with the bushings were coming out. overall, it is still in nice shape
Love this..!
thanks for watching. more of these films to come
never owned a ford I owed a 1980 B black chevy van series 10 great van in every way nice ride steering was ok ride was Excellent never had a reason to complain about it can't see ford having anything better
not better, just different
I have a 87 Chevy C10 and I love that truck to death
cool, hope you still have it
Ladder frame, and an optional 460 cu in V8?
I’ll take the Ford! (At 70’s gas prices)