[robertlane]

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[BORG]

Somebody on here mentioned this update was going to happen and it was going to look like the new Super Duty. This is before anybody knew what the Super-Duty was going to look like.

[swenson88]

BORG, on Apr 17 2006, 06:11 PM, said:

Somebody on here mentioned this update was going to happen and it was going to look like the new Super Duty. This is before anybody knew what the Super-Duty was going to look like.

So it's really just another front-end job? Kind of depressing. Not that the market segment requires frequent updates, but still, would have been nice to see a new Econoline running around.

[J2D]

It's about time Ford addressed some changes to this vehicle. 1992 was a long time ago for an exterior change.
I would like to know if they've also updated the interior?

[NLPRacing]

Are the only exterior changes going to be the front end?

I'm a big Econoline fan, my first car was a 78 E250 and I also drove my parent's 89 E150 in high school after smashing up my 78. I even had a 2000 E150 conversion van for a company car that I requested on purpose. It was a great van, my parents purchased it from the company I work for and still have it. I was really hoping the sides would be updated as well with wheel arches that match the current F-series. Oh well, maybe Ford will surprise me with an all-new T1 based E150 in a few years with IRS, AWD, stow-and-go type seating, 4.4 diesel and 6.2 gas options, etc.

Ford now sells nearly 200,000 Econolines a year with a van that has only changed once in the last 30+ years. If Ford came out with a real innovative van, how many could they sell then? Vans will always be needed for certain things like transport buses, delivery, etc. The market for these will always be there. Nissan has already made noise about developing a full size van to use up capacity where they build the slow selling Titan. How long until Toyota comes out with one to keep their plant busy when they can't sell their full size truck? The point is, the market is there, and Ford owns it. Hopefully they won't give it away to Nissan, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, etc.

[BORG]

I never thought I'd see the day the E-Series would get a substantial cosmetic update. I'm almost certain we will NEVER see an all-new or reskined E-Series. Really, there was nothing cosmetically wrong with the existing design, it was always quite attractive for a van. When it first came out in 1992, the design was very contemporary. Obviously it has held up well.

I'm not confident in the Super-Duty derived nose; it looks awful on the truck and it probably won't look good on the van.

This post has been edited by BORG: 17 April 2006 - 10:37 PM

[philsshon2]

i think with the new front end it will sell more. Please give it a new dash, too

[J2D]

What do they mean by Idle? Does this mean that the E-Series will be idled for a short term (like re-tooling)or closed all together for another Flexible ( Michigan and Dearborn Truck type) Truck plant to pick up the difference?
Does this mean that the new E-series will have a new Frame?

[J-150]

NLPRacing, on Apr 17 2006, 11:19 PM, said:

Ford now sells nearly 200,000 Econolines a year with a van that has only changed once in the last 30+ years. If Ford came out with a real innovative van, how many could they sell then?

probably 200,000

[robertlane]

I do not know for certain if the next gen will receive a new interior or not. I do not even want to guess. I'd have to see it, but the idea of a super duty grille on the E-Series?

By idle, I mean that the Ohio plant might be closed and production of the E-Series moved to another truck plant.

[bolita]

robertlane, on Apr 19 2006, 05:24 PM, said:

I do not know for certain if the next gen will receive a new interior or not. I do not even want to guess. I'd have to see it, but the idea of a super duty grille on the E-Series?

By idle, I mean that the Ohio plant might be closed and production of the E-Series moved to another truck plant.

I don't understand why Ford has an ultra modern super versatile van in Europe (Transit) and the US gets a 30 year model. :doh:

[NickF1011]

bolita, on Apr 20 2006, 11:49 AM, said:

I don't understand why Ford has an ultra modern super versatile van in Europe (Transit) and the US gets a 30 year model. :doh:

Transit would work great to pick up a lot of the E-150 sales, but when it comes to chassis cabs and such, the more robust E-250/E-350 are definitely where the bulk of the profits in this segment are. There's also the ever-so-small but highly profitable conversion van market that all but completely belongs to Ford now.

[J-150]

does anyone here actually use a work van?

More importantly, a heavy duty one?


May father's construction company has many HD vans and let me tell you, these Euro thingsa with 5 cyl diesel would not last.


Our 1 ton vans are equipped with Powerstrokes as we kept blowing up the gassers.


Yes they are taking excessive weight... but guess what? Thats why we call them work trucks.

[J2D]

Though I don't have the work truck edition. I do have a $55K Conversion Van that I enjoy and love. and this is the only Ford that I've had that hasn't giving me any problems besides changing the front brakes every year. That is why I'm so interested in seeing a different type of look and change come to this vehicle.
But I do have to agree that putting a SD front on such a vehicle could pose a problem if not executed the right way. even though we can't really tell anything from the camo. it looks to be a clean design kind of similar to the GM vehicles but possibly more futuristic in a way. it also reminds me of the concept of a Ford minivan in the aerostar days.

Alright Boys I did again. I compared it to the wrong concept, it wasn't the FX Ghia after all. It was the F....... But I could be wrong.

This post has been edited by J2D: 21 April 2006 - 12:52 AM

[ha paschold]

i liked the e series for many year s also, learned to drive on a '76 e250, owned '89, '92, '96psd, '99psd, '01psd, '03psd, and now a '04 psd. all cargo vans.

just wish ford would have done alittle better with the 6.0 psd.....

i use for a daily driver

be fine with me if they didnt change for another 20 years. could never drive a gm van for daily driver. not very comfortable for me.

[NLPRacing]

J-150, on Apr 19 2006, 08:08 AM, said:

probably 200,000

Probably quite a bit less if Ford keeps the current design with no major changes if Nissan & Toyota get into the game. Think about this, a Nissan full-size Van with Quest features (dual power sliding doors, fold into the floor seats, etc.) on an Armada chassis with IRS ,at least 305 HP and a towing capacity over 9000 lbs. Unless Nissan kills the styling, which is VERY likely, a van like that would really hurt non-fleet Ford & GM van sales. Now imagine a Toyota full size van with Sienna features, their new 5.7 V8, etc...

Ford has the hardware to dominate. Use the T1 with IRS, AWD and the new Hurricane with a 6 speed auto for the E150 (except call it Econoline) and the the Super Duty chassis for the E250/E350/E450 and bring back the E550 with the new Power Stoke for RV chassis'. Incorporate some minivan features in the Econoline (dual power sliding doors, power hatch, store-in-the-floor seating, etc.) and they would have a winner! Then bring the Transit over from Europe and offer a small disel in the E250 and kill off the Sprinter once and for all.

[J-150]

NLPRacing, on Apr 23 2006, 12:28 AM, said:

Probably quite a bit less if Ford keeps the current design with no major changes if Nissan & Toyota get into the game. Think about this, a Nissan full-size Van with Quest features (dual power sliding doors, fold into the floor seats, etc.) on an Armada chassis with IRS ,at least 305 HP and a towing capacity over 9000 lbs. Unless Nissan kills the styling, which is VERY likely, a van like that would really hurt non-fleet Ford & GM van sales. Now imagine a Toyota full size van with Sienna features, their new 5.7 V8, etc...

very fair points... the only problem is that neither competitor can make a decent work truck.

Making 4x4 supercab playthings has been fine so far... but Nissan and Toyota are still trying to make a decent work truck.


If Nissan and Toyota make a van with all of the quality and undersized components of the Titan and Tundra, Ford and GM have nothing to worry about.

[phrog]

Check out www.vannin.com for the vanners point of view.

Chevys new Avalanche version of the Express/GMC Savannah full sized vans have an extreme problem with the steering geometry. Driving one is like driving an Explorer with the cruise on and a blown out rear tire.

Fords rule vanning we only wish for better interiors and updated features... Hurricanes engines or at least lightnings would be nice too

This post has been edited by phrog: 10 May 2006 - 10:27 AM

[isellford]

I attended a marketing seminar several years ago. There were 2 Transits, 2 Sprinters, and an Econoline. We were given the opportunity to drive each one over a pre-set course in town and do an evaluation. There were other truck salespersons as well as a lot of consumers in attendance. It was put on by an outside marketing company.
We all liked the Transit and the consensus was that our fleet customers would sacrifice power for fuel mileage [and that was WAY before $3.00 diesel fuel].
There was talk about bringing it over but in the end, Ford scrapped the E550 [just as sales were finally starting to take off], and we got the LCF instead of the Transit as Ford felt that the econoline would compete with the Sprinter [not enough volume of Sprinter top worry about].

[NLPRacing]

Does anybody know anything new?