***THIS VEHICLE IS BEING CONSIGNED TO THE UPCOMING OWLS HEAD AUCTION BEING HELD AT THE OWLS HEAD TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM IN OWLS HEAD, ME AUGUST 16-17. IT WILL BE SELLING WITH NO RESERVE ON SATURDAY AUGUST 17TH. LOT #94***
This exciting 1963 Ford Econline Cargo Van is a true survivor with only 53,431 original miles. Ford Econolines are seldom seen as a cargo van with windows. This van gets a ton of attention and is a blast to drive. The first generation of the Ford Econoline made its debut on September 21, 1960. Introduced for the 1961 model year as a cargo van, pickup truck and passenger van, the Econoline began development based on design sketches that were dated 1957. While remaining a forward–control vehicle, Ford adopted a mid-engine configuration as the engine was placed between the front seats instead of behind the rear axles as on a Chevrolet Corvair, a larger rear door and flat load floor was created allowing for additional load capacity. The first-generation Ford Econoline was produced from 1961-1967. As the VIN number and warranty tag indicates this van is a 1963 Ford Econoline Cargo Van that was built April 1963 in Lorain, OH. It was painted Honey Beige and powered by a 170 inline 6 cylinder with a 3-speed manual transmission. The gross vehicle weight is 3,600 lbs with 1/2 –ton payload. This van was originally sold new in Texas which is documented with multiple registrations and insurance identification papers which are all included. It spent about 10 years in Texas and then went into an indoor storage facility in the early 70’s for about 35 years. A collector bought it out of the storage facility around 2005. He did a complete service and got it on the road. It was purchased by a gentleman in Peoria, IL in 2009 with 45,000 original miles showing on the odometer. He drove the van as his daily driver accumulating nearly 6,000 miles between a 25 mile daily round trip to work and weekend cruiser. He even took it on a 250 mile trip once with no issues. He eventually decided to sell the van and it was purchased by a gentleman in Berkeley Heights, NJ in 2010. This gentleman owned this van until June 2019 and this is the first time it’s being offered for sale since. During his time of ownership he had it serviced and all the service documentation is included. This van is a true survivor and shows very well considering its 56 years old. It has the perfect amount of patina throughout. The original exterior body is rust free and has a few imperfections here and there as expected. It sports its original Honey Beige paint which has recently been detailed. Everything on the exterior is original such as the glass, weather stripping, mirrors, door handles, headlight bezels, bumpers, emblems and wheels. It still has an inspection sticker on the front windshield from 1964. The original Honey Beige interior is in overall very good condition. The interior is very spacious and the bucket seats are comfortable. There is great visibility throughout especially with the side windows. The rear cargo area is empty and can used for multiple purposes. The original engine compartment is clean and well sorted. The engine starts instantly and runs beautifully. The engine is coupled to a 3-speed manual column shift transmission which shifts very smoothly. The original undercarriage is also clean and well sorted. The rear end was upgraded to a GM 8.5” 10 bolt for durability. Over the years brake and suspension work was completed which is documented on the service invoices. This 1963 Ford Econoline Cargo Van with 53,431 original miles is a great opportunity. This vehicle has recently been serviced and detailed which is documented with an invoice that is included.
