(first posted 3/21/2012) Can a vehicle be a Curbside Classic if it is still in production? When it is a throwback like the Club Wagon Chateau (and when I am the appointed arbiter) the answer is a resounding YES. After all, if the Law & Order television shows can be both in classic reruns and in current airing, why not the big Clubber?
From the late 1960s and lasting well into the 1990s, the Ford Club Wagon set the standard for passenger vans in the US. The full sized passenger van became a growth business in the 70s. By 1971, each of the big 3 (big 4 if we count GMC) had moved beyond the early passenger vans which were hopelessly crude in comparison with the big station wagons that ruled the family market at that time. Although the competition made a good run for the business in the early 70s, the debut of the third generation Econoline in 1975 put Ford out front in this segment for the next generation.
The Chateau as the top trim level of the Club Wagon goes back to at least 1969, and included passenger accommodations on a par with the contemporary Country Squire. No more metal and rubber interiors, no sirree. The Chateau Club Wagon was all cloth, vinyl and carpet. Why was it called Chateau? My cousin’s answer when his wife asked this question was as good of an answer as I ever heard: It was the size of an average house in Switzerland.
If you were a kid in the early 70s, chances are that someone you knew traded a station wagon for a van for family hauler duty. Once that happened, you got to experience the luxury of room, room, room. In 1973, my friend Dan’s dad traded his Travelall on a new Dodge Royal Sportsman. In 1976, my friend Tom’s dad traded a strippo ’69 Ford Van (metal floors and all) on a new silver Custom Club Wagon. Tom and I were both, however, chagrined that his parents had chosen the Custom and not splurged on the Chateau. But then, spending other peoples’ money is always easy.
My mind was made up. When I got older and had my own family, I would not make them crawl into the back of cramped two door cars (which I considered a form of child abuse at the time) but would provide them with the luxury of spacious accommodations which would make everyone happy and joyful at all times.
Fast-forward about twenty years. After a 1995 trip from Indianapolis to Dallas and back, I learned how small a Crown Victoria really was with two kids in car seats in the back. Diaper change? Snack? Another toy? Stop the stupid car, get into the trunk and root around for the necessary supplies. Does one of the boys absolutely require Mom to sit next to him? Stop the car again, horse around with moving a child seat into the front (this was pre-air bag) and resume.
Not long after that trip, I remembered my vow and started looking into vans. By 1995, the Suburban was becoming the official car of soccer moms and little league dads everywhere. But for family transport, I always considered it inferior to a big passenger van, which provided more room for people, lots more room for cargo, and was quite a bit less expensive.
Then too, there was the minivan, then at the peak of its popularity. For the same price you got a smaller vehicle with a fuel economy improvement of only about three to four miles per gallon. With gas prices of around $1.25 per gallon, the minivan remained in consideration for about 45 seconds.
In the 1970s through the 1990s (and beyond) you had one big choice when it came to vans. Factory or Custom. Custom vans were hugely popular in in the 70s (at least in the midwest) and they maintained a following for a long time. Custom vans started life as a base level commercial van, custom fitted (by lots of companies in and around Elkhart, Indiana) with big windows, deep velour captains chairs, varnished wood trim and built-in electronics like stereos and even TVs. The problem with the Custom vans is that their quality varied widely and their resale value often dropped like a rock as they aged.
This was not so with the high end factory vans. In the used market, they were always harder to find and were much more expensive when you found them. Plus, the factory interiors were generally MUCH more durable, if not as flashy.
In truth, I really wanted a Dodge Ram Wagon. But Dodge had not invested more than about $1.35 in passenger accommodations since the ’70s and stubbornly refused to provide shoulder belts to rear passengers in the two bench seats other than the two window-seat passengers behind the driver. This was a safety tradeoff that I was unwilling to make.
Then I drove past a Ford dealer one day with two of these sitting near the building. Both 1 year old ’94s in Chateau trim, one red with a 302 and the other, green with the 351. Once Mrs. JPC set foot inside, she was hooked. You see, I had showed her a minivan, but she liked the room of the big van, proving for the upteenth time that I married the right girl. (After test driving a Grand Caravan, she asked if we could look at the extended model. Good Girl!) This Ford Chateau provided the niceties that the minivans provided, and the beautiful interior (which always elicited “ooohs and ahhs”) sealed the deal. I was happy that she preferred green, because I preferred the 351.
That Club Wagon became one of my favorite vehicles of all time, and to this day I feel a warm sense of smug whenever somebody in a Suburban passes me with luggage and crap piled up and covering the back window because there is not enough room behind the third row for real cargo. Seriously: you buy a three ton vehicle that gets thirteen miles per gallon and you STILL need a cartop or hitch-mounted carrier? Oh, I’m sorry. Was I ranting? Maybe a little.
You Suburban partisans must understand that I was just used to a cargo area behind the third row that looked like this. Actually, this van cost me a lot of money, because a lot of big things from a lot of stores rode home in the back of it. Maybe Mrs. JPC had this plan all along.
Anyhow, our family of 5 went on to explore much of the eastern half of the United States over the next eleven years in this van. Scout campouts, school carpools, field trips, baseball and football practices and games, this car became part of the family. These two photos of my sons illustrate the lifestyle span that our Club Wagon bridged, always with convenience and comfort. And we never outgrew it.
Although I spent the first 80k sorting out ball joint and tire wear issues, a set of ball joints with these really cool things called grease fittings and a set of Michelens made this one of the best highway cruisers ever. The second 80,000 miles were quite trouble-free, and by the time I let go of it in 2006, my big Emerald Ford smashed my previous record for time of ownership of a car (five years with a 1971 Plymouth Scamp).
This particular generation of Club Wagon (still in production) goes back to 1992. Most people remember the re-body job done on the big Panther platform cars, but forget that the Ford guys pulled the same rabbit out of the hat on the E series vans. By 1991, the 1975-vintage Econoline was virtually unchanged, then with a new body popped onto what was essentially the old chassis, Voila! We have a new van. There actually were quite a few changes under the skin. Although the running gear was largely carried over, the suspension, steering and other parts got some tweaking.
Also new was the elimination of the twin gas tanks (25 and 15 gallons) with their complicated and troublesome switching mechanisms, replaced with a single 35 gallon tank. There was enough that was new for this van to be declared Motor Trend’s 1992 Truck of the Year. (Pause for great flourish and fanfare.) But despite all of the changes, you still had a very familiar Twin I Beam Ford van, for better or for worse.
When I spotted this 1995 model in the same color combo as my old 94, a flood of memories hit me and I had to stop and photograph it. I may be one of the few people who could instantly identify this as a ’95. It is easy, because that was the first year for these wheels (which I liked better than mine) and the last year of this color (at least with this front end treatment).
It is unfortunate that Jacques Nasser’s cost cutting blade hit these vans in 1997 (coinciding with the discontinuance of the iron engines and the addition of one of the more unfortunate grilles on a Ford truck).
In fact, it seems that Ford stylists have been having an office pool for years on how to top an ugly existing design with an even uglier one.
Each series seems to have done so, right up to the present day. It is also unfortunate that the interior accommodations have never recovered from that 1997 attack of the cost-cutting machete. Styles change, and the Suburban remained cool while the venerable van became like the ex marine with a flat top and wingtips in 1972 – extremely capable but hopelessly basic and out of style.
If I have been convincing enough, you can still buy a version of this big wagon today. Only now it is called an E-150 XLT Premium. It is hard to imagine how buyers can pass up a vehicle with such a catchy name. Maybe it is the fact that Ford does not promote it at all, or that it lacks most of the luxury features that people expect today. Or that you can visit two hundred different Ford dealers and never see one.
I have thought once or twice in the ensuing years about joining Club Chateau again. But used ones are getting harder than ever to find and, truthfully, owning one of the mid 90s versions (that goes down as one of my favorite vehicles ever-or did I already say that?) would ruin me for one of the newer cheaped-out units.
So, let us (or me, at least) savor this big, old, comfortable box one more time. I am glad that someone is still enjoying this one. And in the Sam’s Club parking lot, I am confident that those big swinging doors will close behind anything that its owner can roll out on a cart, and seven people besides. Try THAT with your Suburban.
A neighbouring family had one of these one of these, in the same colour scheme, in a Bay Area apartment complex we lived in 7 years ago.
As I recall they were deeply religious, with numerous children and children’s children, and they piled them all in the Econoline on Sundays. The van wore some odd bumper stickers, and there were often soiled diapers scattered around it as it sat in the carpark, along with–for reasons unknown–large quantities of latex gloves. ‘Unknown’ because they wouldn’t talk to me (for I was cohabitating with my then-girlfriend, now-wife, at the time).
Over the course of our lease, I noticed the hard-working Econoline was taking longer (and longer, and longer) to turn over. Towards the end, I’d hear the starter cranking for several minutes every evening.
Finally, one night at around 2 AM, I heard a “wree-wree-wree-wree-wree-wree-wree-WHOOMP.” Looked out the window and, sure enough, the Ford’s V10 was on fire, its owner running in circles, hands over his head. The van’s interior was so filled with familial detritus that it went up in a matter of minutes, pouring oily smoke from the melted plastic. The roof over the carpark burned up as well, and while our car was undamaged, sitting a few spots over, other neighbours ended up with melted mirrors and door mouldings.
From then on, the complex owners made them park their remaining car (a white Sable) on the street. Never found out what they replaced the Econoline with. Moral of the story: by the 1990s, full-size passenger vans were being bought by some odd ducks–all due respect to the writer, of course.
” Moral of the story: by the 1990s, full-size passenger vans were being bought by some odd ducks.”
I resemble that remark ! 🙂
I’ve read horror stories about sparkplugs in E350s with the Triton V10 where a dealer would charge $1 to 1.5K to change them.
Maybe this particular one had “deferred maintenance”.
Consider yourself lucky that they wouldn’t talk to you. These are the same kind of nuts that gave us the Salem witch trials.
Judging people you don’t even know: That’s the error that led to the Witch Trials in the 1st place.
Many years ago, I was in what had been east Berlin drinking beer with an old man, then about seventy. When the topic of life under the Nazi’s came up, he described it thus:
“Imagine if every cut throat, miscreant, pervert, petty criminal or gangster suddenly ran the place and have the power to do really nasty things to you, and even kill you any time they feel like it, for no reason. That was life under the Nazis.”
At the time I didn’t understand what he meant. Now, I do.
I shuddered reading that. Thanks for telling us, though.
Our judicial system appoints juries everyday to judge people that they don’t know. The witch trials were about intolerance.
Of course it should, but it relies on testimony & evidence, missing from your comment. Littering dirty diapers & being labeled “deeply religious” (whatever that means) is not a logical reason to infer they’d also give credence to superstitious claims from hysterical teenage girls.
In my experience, people who make the most noise about “intolerance” are intolerant themselves.
Very nice write up. Brings back a flood of memories for me as well. I owned a 1992 Ford Club Wagon XLT..the E350 version ( 1 ton, 12 passenger variant ), also with the 351 motor. Hauled more people and flotsam than like no other vehicle.
And the really nice thing about the Club Wagon’s, as opposed to the strippo Econoline’s, was when you removed all the seats, you still had a nicely insulated and appointed cargo hauler, with full rear heat and air conditioning.
I think we put close to 250,000 clicks on that puppy. But alas, due to road salt up here in the northland, the tin worm got a hold of her and started the disintegration process and her eventual demise.
Pilot a 2000 Dodge Ram Van 3500 series now.
And you are so correct…1997 was their down fall…especially with the Triton engines and their spark plug blowing abilities….absolute crap motors.
Thanks for taking us on a trip down memory lane with the Club Wagon’s.
I worked in the college maint department during my undergrad years (1995 – 1999) and one of the departments responsibilities was the motor pool of full size vans for transporting sports teams and campus clubs. During the time I was there we had models from each of the big 3. The Fords were the most pleasant to drive (noise/comfort/ect) the Dodges were the most stone age and the GMC/Chevys were the squirliest in the snow. One of our Fords was one of the last built with a 460V8 before the switch over to the modular engines – it could pass everything but a gas station.
Actually, my favorite driving van was that 73 Dodge I referenced in the piece. He kept that one well into my teenaged driving years, and I got to drive it several times. The structure was really rigid and the combination of the 360 V8 and Torqueflite was just as nice in a van as in anything else. The fact that Dan’s dad (who was my car-mentor Howard) eventually equipped it with dual exhausts with glasspacks and slotted wheels with big fat Goodrich T/As made it all the more fun to drive.
These things came with a dizzying array of engines over the years. The earliest (up to about 96) had the old 300 I6, 302, 351, 460 gas and the Powerstroke diesel. The modular V8s hit in 97 and a V6 replaced the old 300 about that time. The V10 replaced the 460 somewhere in there, and there was a later generation (or two) of diesel.
On my 94, the 351 was mated to a 3:55 axle, a much shorter ratio than if you got the 302. All that torque and a 3:55 axle made that van a rocket at stoplights. On long uphill grades on the interstates it was the polar opposite of my 85 Crown Vic with the no-torque 302 and a super tall axle.
Gas mileage stayed in an incredibly narrow band with my 351/3:55. Until it started getting really old, mileage was never under 12 and never over 16, no matter how hard or easy you drove it. Another noteworthy attribute of my 351 was that I never, ever had to add a quart of oil between changes. The oil on the stick would get darker, but it would never go down, not even with 160K+ miles on it. I cannot say the same for the 4.6 in my 93 Vic.
E-series initially got the same 6.9/7.3 IDI diesels that the pickups did, and changed over to the 7.3 Powerstroke in ’94 or ’95. In ’04 it changed over to the 6.0 Powerstroke (an enormous piece of junk courtesy Navistar) which was the last diesel offered. The 6.4 couldn’t fit due to the sequential turbos, and the 6.7 doesn’t fit due to all of the emissions equipment (seriously, look under the hood of a 6.7 Super Duty- you can’t even see the engine.)
These vans are nothing short of work horses. I worked in the Car Rental business and have driven many a mile in anything from the basic E150 Cargo to the loaded E350 15 passenger. I’ll never forget working for a Car Rental company that overbooked 15 passenger vans. In a lurch we had to buy a van from another Car Rental company. This was around 1990 or so. It was a brown E350 15 passenger with a 300 6cyl and front air only. Not a good combination for 15 people in Florida. Great vans and in my opinion, Ford dominates this market. It will be interesting to see it’s replacement. As I understand, it’s a European Ford van.
Don’t underestimate the Euro vans. Years ago we went to Munich and I remember seeing about 90-100mph on the speedo of the tall-roof VW van, and the driver thinking he was Michael Schumacher on the autobahn off-ramp. Ford has turned off a few customers out here with previous generation Transits though, fuel pumps etc. No relevance to the US though unless you actually get the diesels and even then they are completely different now.
I’ve *never* liked driving any of the american full-size vans. awkward seating position, cramped footwell thanks to the engine doghouse, structure that twists and shudders and every piece of interior trim creaks and rattles.
Transit is *much* more pleasant to drive.
One of my uncles bought a club van in the early 70s. It was a substitute for a traditional station wagon. It’ worked well, except that my aunt refused to drive it. She did not appreciate the Ralph Cramden driving position. For the same reason, my mother refused to consider such a vehicle, so we would remain crammed into the traditional wagons. It would take Chrysler and their mini-van to revolutionize the station wagon market.
Your mother’s reaction is understandable. The Gen2 Ford (thru 1974) and the Dodge B series (at least the earlier ones) had a very bus-like angle on the steering column. I drove both and remember them pretty well. The Gen3 Ford was much more car-like, right down to the fake wood slathered all over the dash.
Forgive a question from the other side of the pond, but Wikipedia is of no help here. Anyone knows why/how Elkhart, Indiana ever became some sort of hotbed for custom vans? Who started that? Why just in Elkhart? Oh well. I’m just wondering, because this article really rings a bell. The first (and, if truth be told, last) US custom van I ever saw in my French hometown when I was a child had an emblem from an Elkhart-based company. That was in the late 1970s, the van was a Dodge with German number plates, and somehow the name “Elkhart” has stuck in my mind since then.
Elkhart is a center for RV production. The van customizing was handled by RV companies, or companies that started in Elkhart because that’s were the “talent” for that sort of work was (and is). How Elkhart became the center for RV manufacturing I don’t know.
I have no earthly idea, Oliver, but I can hazard a few guesses. Elkhart was best known as a city that manufactured musical instruments. The C. G. Conn company was located there, so lots of trumpets, trombones and such were born there. There has been a lot of camper and RV manufacturing there, and I suspect that those companies started converting vans. Elkhart County borders lower Michigan and is about halfway between Chicago and Fort Wayne, Indiana on I-80. I suspect that it was convenient go get vans delivered from the Big3 and convenient to ship them out from. Also, there have traditionally been a lot of Amish woodworkers in that area, and not as much Union activity as in some of the bigger cities in the upper midwest. I think that they sort of started there by accident and as the business grew, it sort of became a mecca. When the economy went into the tank in 2008, Elkhart County had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country for awhile, as the RV market is extremely sensitive to recessions.
Nice article; I have SO MUCH to say, but I’ll *try* to remain short and to the point!
My parents met when they were both working at the Selmer Band Instrument Company, Elkart, Indiana, and were later married in 1938. My oldest brother was born in Elkart (May 1940). For the longest time, nearly all of my extended family lived there too, but now down to just one (1) cousin that I haven’t seen in 40+ years.
Not sure of what year the folks moved to Detroit__my father was born there in 1913 (Mother born 1918, in somewhere around Nashville)__but my older brother (born 1944 ) and I (1954) are products of Detroit too.
From the time I was born, my dad sold used cars, and did not even own a car (until buying a Brand new 1960 Valiant, sometime around September 1959) so he always drove something home from the lot__never anything mundane, so typically a Packard, Hudson, Metropolitan or ?? Sometime around mid-late 1964, the lot’s owner decided to sell a few “campers” (slide-in pick-up truck camping bodies, “travel-trailers” and the relatively new truck-chassis mounted camping bodies). One of their biggest sellers were the simple “caps” to put on a pick-up truck bed. ALL OF THESE offerings hailed from Elkart! Before wrapping up that intro, I’d say that by the time 1967 rolled around, they had stopped selling “used cars” altogether, but with arrangements made through local Chevrolet, Dodge & Ford dealerships, they sold/delivered A LOT of brand new pickup trucks for their “camper” customers! The Motor Homes were always ordered in as completed vehicles, but chassis choices and brand preferences were available.
Fast-forward to the late 1990s, and my father, long since retired, “inherited” an *outfitted van* from the widow of one of their Florida neighbors. The woman’s husband had bought it (fancy too, with a slightly raised roof, IIRC, Captain’s Chairs (4) a fold-down bed and lots of real wooden bins/cubbies, window shades and “mood-lighting”) presumably to use when traveling to visit their grown children, but must’ve gotten very little use out of it. I’d have to scrounge up some paperwork, but I’m thinking it was probably built/converted (when new) between 1985 & 1989.
My dad initially was just going to have it serviced and get it back into usable shape for the woman, taking her to her doctor’s appointments and such a few times in it, and then she just decided to give it to him! My dad “played with it” for a few months, taking my Mom out in it, their dogs to the vet and stuff, then he asked me if I wanted it!
Again, I’d have to look up all the exact numbers, but certainly sometime early summer of 1999, my ex & I drove my ’74-1/2 MGBGT from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana__with a tow-bar in the back__over to Spring Hill, Florida to collect The Van! Either shortly before, or during the trip home, was when it turned over ten-thousand (10,000) miles! The thing was still literally like brand new, even though it had to be close to fifteen (<15) years old. Once back home, seemed there was still a little more maintenance to be done; maybe something like an a/c idler pulley or some such thing (I remember working from both under the exterior hood and also the interior with the engine cover off). Nothing major, or even expensive, but just "worn out" from not being used! I also did a routine tune-up, and changed a multitude of fluids and filters, all in the name of reliability and longevity 😉
I also had it professionally detailed, cleaning all the interior upholstery and waxing the massive expanse of sheetmetal bodywork, and it was like MINT CONDITION!
My ex-wife then used it mostly, taking her elderly Mother to a seemingly endless parade of doctor's appointments, and in general, it just became her daily driver. In our divorce, there were other cars I wanted/needed ('92 F-250 and a '57 Big Healey) so I let her keep the van and the MGB & MGBGTs (2 of the fixed-roof type, one with a Buick 3.8 V6 and 1 rdstr).
That was the last time I saw the van, nearly fifteen (<15) years ago, so I have no idea of how long it lasted, or what condition it remained in. At least it shouldn't have rusted out!
So there you have it; Chateau Van Conversion, done in Elkart__even had the coachbuilder's/manufacturer's association *shield* on the back door__and family ties to the same small town, all in one Curbside Classic!
My thanks for stirring up all the memories__even the bad ones are good now 😉
I KNOW I have a picture of it with the MGBGT hooked to the back…
Aha! Okay, so I was wrong about the raised roof, though there seemed to be plenty of headroom, but I did forget about it having dual tanks (seems like I might’ve had to “encourage” the valve to move, having spent so much time in only one position…).
Seems too, that I managed to misspell ElkHart everywhere I typed it. lol!
That’s a 1991 or older Club wagon…my favourite. I won’t say I’d kill for it…but that’s not too far from the truth.
That is one nice looking van; that is exactly what I am looking for now. The 91 and older vans are the best in my books!
I had the same question back in the 60s. The hot rod and custom magazines has lots of ads for custom body panels (mainly for Corvettes) and kit cars, all based in Elkhart.
Elkhart has one hell of an auto tradition. Back before the Depression, it was just about the alternative to Detroit, home to at least a dozen of the more substantial independents. Marques like Moon, Kissel, etc. if my memory is working. Unfortunately, none of the manufacturers survived the Depression. For the most part, they were all ‘assembled car’ manufacturers (Continental engines, Budd bodies, etc. – did very little designing on their own, relied on their suppliers instead).
Elkhart got it’s start back before WWI, when the American auto industry was a bit more scattered around the country. From the reading I did decades ago, I got the feeling that, as auto companies invariably fell by the wayside, Elkhart and Detroit became the two big manufacturing cities. The biggest difference was that Detroit had the bigger companies, companies that had the resources to manufacture their cars from design thru finished product. Once the economy crashed, this became of paramount importance, as none of the ‘assembled car’ manufacturers survived.
Not so much Elkhart, but Indiana in general seemed to be a center of non-assembly-line coach-truck assembly. The American school-bus industry was heavily present, in Richmond and Mitchell – Wayne and Carpenter, respectively. The earlier school-bus industry somewhat resembled the later RV industry, in that it was low-volume, manpower-heavy, semi-automated manual assembly.
My brother’s friend runs an part-time airport shuttle from a small town in Iowa, and his similar-vintage 351 Econoline has well over 400k miles. The engine is still strong, but he has put two transmissions in it.
Could never really get into full-size vans. I like small minivans. I grew up with a ’79 Chateau with a 351W. Me and my dad drove it all over. While it was good, I couldn’t live with one everyday. Truck-based people carriers just seem like driving a bus or large ship. I have four kids, and I’ve preferred station wagons, we now have a Mazda MPV and Mazda5.
In my experience (mainly Japanese pickups) there is a world of difference between roadholding and handling of passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and only part of it is the tyres. When I put the original spec light truck tyres on my Falcon ute it would give you the same ‘approaching the limit’ feel at least 10mph sooner on open road corners.
A friend would not buy an F100 or F150 purely because he hated the camber and track change of the Ford twin I-beam setup – basically big swing axles.
It would be interesting to see this vehicle format with a modern design, I’d expect a lower floor height would be achievable, seat mounted lap-sash belts all round etc
I didn’t realize these actually dated back to 1975. Wow, that’s older than the Mercedes G-Class!
To me, the 1992 redesign looked quite thorough from the outside, but I guess I was wrong. Anyway, it seems like it has been the right tool for many jobs for many years and still is.
jpcavanaugh: Not a classic… any more than a 1997 Prius or a 1995 Ford F-150 is a “classic”… if we use “throwback” to define a classic, then pretty much every car built in the USA for the last decade would meet that definition. If you want to post non-classics, maybe you could start your OWN blog: “Curbside cars that might be a classic 20 years from now”.
It was introduced for 1992 (and many parts date back to 1975), so it certainly fits some definitions of “classic”.
Is the original VW bus not a classic because it was made in Brazil until recently (or maybe still is)?
Besides, didn’t Paul Niedermeyer say that any interesting old car can be considered a classic to some?
I enjoyed the Club Wagon post and feel that it belongs on this site. I had no idea that there were “deluxe” factory full size band made as recently as the 1990s…in my mind vans by this time were conversions of debatable taste, airport shuttles, or HVAC repairperson specials.
JP – thanks for posting.
Any vehicle built prior to 2000 is a curbside classic…lighten up already.
The growing popularity of passenger vans for family transportation use during the 70s always struck me as odd, simply due to the fact it coincided with the worst fuel crisis in the country’s history.
Probably the same allure as a full-size van has now. If everything goes completely to hell, you can live in the thing in relative comfort.
I dont see many of these full size vans, wonder if the $350.00 to fill from empty is why?
Same, I’d think I could count on one hand the number I’ve seen in the last 10 years (not counting seeing the same 2000-era Chev van a few times)
Like the 91-2 Panthers many people wrongly assume that the 92 Econoline/Club Wagon was just a re-body on the same only frame. In the case of the Econolne even less is shared with it’s predecessor than in the case of the Panther. Pretty much the only thing that is a direct interchange are the wheels on the 250 and 350 versions. Yes it still uses Leafs in the back and the famous twin-I beam front suspension with very similar geometry but none of it interchanges. According to one of engineers who worked on it, they did start out planning to do just a rebody but then they decided that this needed tweaking which lead to tweaking that and the next thing you new the chassis was pretty much all new.
Thanks for your input, Eric. I had never owned a 75-91 version and had presumed that much more of the two were interchangeable. I had also recalled a piece from one of the car mags back then (in one of the few pieces ever written about these vans) that treated the change as a basic re-body. This just proves that the Curbside Commentariat with its years of experience with these vehicles is more informed than the glossy motoring press after a road test and a press conference. Who’d a thought? I have made some revisions to the text to reflect the greater dissimilarities between the generations.
Also, I think that this piece may increase the sum total ever written about these by about 45%. 🙂
Well, I guess that makes the Econoline the second oldest production vehicle, excluding very heavy trucks, available in the US (after the Geländewagen). Still, 21 years isn’t a bad run!
I used to refer to these kinds of vans as snail mobiles due to the fact that you’re (in effect) carrying all of your stuff with you everywhere you go.
My in-laws have a Ford from the 90’s that they still use. It may even be a 1995 model. It’s actually pretty good when you have a person in a wheel chair, as the van height seating makes it good for ingress and egress. And there’s plenty of room for the power chair, if you’re not taking anyone in the back seat. My FIL built a little ramp for the power chair to go up into the back of the van. He takes out the seats so there’s maximum cargo room.
Great post! I’m so lucky today that i was able to read your post which gives me a lot of ideas that I’ve been looking for. Thanks a lot.
Eleven passenger van rental
I wanna new one with 6.8 V10!
I saw one of these in blue (1997-2002) earlier this weekend that was RUST-FREE in the rust belt!
Great post! We think alike.
I made this video about my van. I think you’ll enjoy it
Nice old van. After checking out your video, I miss mine again.
I heard this is the last year for the Econoline. If that’s true then that’s a shame.
Take a plunger to that dent. It couldn’t hurt.
Awesome looking van! I’ve always preferred these rear-wheel drive vans over the front-wheel drive vans. Thanks for the video. 🙂
This is one of my top 5 vehicles I’ve ever owned. That’s how I found this blog. Just looking up Econoline stories. I’ve made a lot of changes to this van since I made this video. Totally different vehicle now.
I had two Gen2 Econolines; and then I drove any number of a fleet of these, Gen3 and Gen4 while working for an airport-shuttle company between Denver and Vail, Colorado, in 1995. That shuttle company also ran Dodge vans of the same generation; and I’ve since owned a 2003 Dodge Ram Van…the last year of it.
For my money the Dodges drove better…the 1990s example the best; then the 2003; than my old 1977. Since I never drove a late ’70s model new, that may not be a fair rating.
But the Econoline…I somewhat disliked, from a driver’s-view standpoint, the longer hood and higher dash of the 1995 bodystyle. The Gen3s were preferable, even if their trim was more industrial and the package worn from years in livery service.
To JCCAVENAUGH. I loved your story. Thanks for writing it and all the detail. Enjoyed reading it and am having second thoughts about selling my van, which still runs perfectly. I currently own a 1995 club wagon chateau with 124 k miles, new tires, new brakes and just serviced. I am theoriginal owner. It looks like the day it drove off the showroom floor other than two minor superficial items that fell iff and can easily be replaced. I am trying to sell it because i purchased a new one. Are you interested in purchasing it. I do not live in a rust area so it is rust free. My interior color is the sme as in your photos. Beige with maroon trim. Sliding side door. Chateau trim. 5.8L V8. If you are interested please reply. Writing this on Oct. 27 2014.
Thanks for the compliments! The maroon 95 was the one I really wanted, it was on the cover of the brochure. As much as I would love to relive the experience, Mrs. JPC and I are now mostly empty nesters now, so it really doesn’t fill a current need. With gas prices dropping, you should easily find a family that will love it.
TP JPCAVANAUGH: yes, I loved that maroonish color also. It was called torreador red. I also wanted that color. My van is white with beige/maroon trim interior. I just had it detailed at the ford dealer and new sealant put on the paint. It looks brand new, like the day I drove it off the showroom floor. It is up to 125k miles now and purrs like a kitten. I broke down and purchaded a 2014 E-150 XLT premium right before Dec. 31, 2014, when they were officially discontinued. I currently have both vans and I must say that I still prefer to drive my 95 club wagon Chateau. I really don’t know too much about engines but my 95 Chateau has a 5.8L V-8. My new 2014 only had a 5.4L V-8 as the highest option. I hope I will not miss any power. My 95 goes up mountains or anywhere else with loads of power. I also just noticed that a lot of gadgets and gismos are missing on my 2014 that Zi just took for granted. For example, the quad seat behind my driver seat in my 95 Chateau had my daughter’s ” command center” with the ability to put on her own radio station and heaphones, etc. the 2014 does not have that. I also have not figured out if there is a place that i can turn on all overhead lights with just one turn of a knob like I could on my 95. So far, i think i have o hit the overhead switch manually on the 2014, although I cannot comprehend that any car’s overhead interior lights would operate individually. I must be missing something. When i just got my 95 back from being detailed, the ford dealer asked me how to put the ash tray back in. The detailer had left it out. I did not know. Then, i found a fabulous little hiding spot. The entire ash tray in the 95 Chateau actually pulls out like a drawer and has a cup holder attached. There are no little amenities like that on my new 2015. I was unable to order my new 2014 from the factory because I missed the cutoff date. But i managed to find the very last XLTpremium level trim with a 5.4 engine in the entire country. It has a lot of stuff but does not compare with my 95. Personally, I do not even enjoy driving it yet. So i am driving the 95 Chateau. The new 2914 with the XLT Premium level trim has leather seats. It also has quad seating. Their top level trim for 2014. Anyhow, how can Ford be either so stupid or so CHEAP that neither my driver seat nor my front passenger seats have an arm rest on the side next to the door/window. so, one arm rests higher than the other because i have to rest my left elbow/arm on the door ledge rather than a pull down arm rest like it has for my right arm. Both rear quad seats each have two arm rests!!!! That does not make any sense whatsoever to me. Also, my 95 has the 1queen size fold down bed seat in the rear. Not only does the 2014 not convert to a bed, but it looks as if Ford substituted a center bench seat for the rear seat because it does not fully go across the back. It is too narrow. For example, my old seat could fit 4 people sitting side by side (only 3 seatbelts) but this new 2014 woyld be lucky to fit 3 people crammed together side-by-side in the rear seat. There is no slide out drawer under my front passenger’s seat in the 2014 like there is in my 95 chateau. My 95 Chateau has power lumbar seat for driver. The 2014 has some cheap powerless lumbar adjustment. All in all, I purchased my 2014 because I need a van for my disabled child and did not think my 95 would last another 20 years. But honestly, I am really thinking about just letting the 2014 sit while I drive the 95 into the ground, if that is even possible. I do not drive much or put on many miles. Usually just to church or the hospital or market. But when I do, I really love my 95 so much more than my brand new 2014. I have. Managed to put 800 miles on my new van so far, since I purchased it last November (2014). I guess the miles add up quickly. But I have put 358 miles on my 95 in that sme time. I canmot bear to part with my 95 Club Wagon Chateau. So, JPCAVENAUGH, when I read your pist I can relate to evety single word you say. I cannot help sing the praises of my 95 Club Wagon Chateau. I supposedly have it for sale if anyone asks me for it. So far, two serious buyers have asked when they can look at it. I guess I am just too busy. I just finished paying for an entire new year of car insurance on both vans. I guess that means that I am now officially driving in year # 21 of my 95 van. It was built in Dec. 94 at the factory. I purchased it new in June 95. This is now March 2015. I wonder how long this really will last! I am going to see if i can figure out how to photograph it and post a photo. There are only two things wrong with my 95 van and I noticed that your green/pumice van has one of the same things. My front bumper top trim on grill pulled off when the garage door went up. Your photo has the same issue with that narrow piece of plastic “chhrome” trim. The other thing is that the words ” club wagon Chateau” on the left rear door finally melted off from the sun. An easy fix but sad for me. Otherwise, my 95 is like brand new and I absolutely adore it. I think Ford must have really cut them back and gotten cheap like you mentioned in your pist JP, but I did not know that until after I purchaded it. As you mentioned, if you go to 200 Ford dealers, you will not find one in stock to see what it looks like. And yet, my Ford dealer brought in a new Transit. I sat in the Transit for about 5-10 minutes. When I transferred back into my 95 chateau, i felt like i just escaped from a clset. The thing was so cramped and uncomfortable. The Transit only has 1/2 a front window that rolls down. I imagine that would be pure hell in summer heat. It reminded me of an old Aerostar. I really do think Ford should have kept both vans for at least 5 years to see if the Transit really could prevail over the E series. I think the move to discontinue the E series was one of the worst moves Ford has ever done. The only large car they have left ( not counting F series truck) is the Expedition. But i compare my vans to that and the room inside an Expedition is just a joke. Like you said, JP, i can go to costco, load the entire rear cargo area and still have SEVEN ROOMY seats for passengers. I don’t think Ford execs have been thinking right for several years. First, they dumped the Merc. marquis, then the Crown Vic. These were used by every police dept. And taxi in the country. Then the Lincoln Towncar, used by every single lumousine service and cheauffer company in the country. Now, you have to have a family of sardines to fit into any car they make. The only thing I can say about them is that the cars are now matching the airlines. You can’t fit any luggage so you don’t have to worry about getting charged for any.
I am glad you posted your story about your 95 Chateau, JPC. Thanks. I truly love mine. No one I meet believes that my car is 20 years old. They all think it is only a year or two or pretty new. That is because Ford has not changed body styles. I like that about the E series. As to the front grill, actually, JPC, I would have to say that I actually like the 2014 grill. I have not actually examined it yet but it just looks more dynamic and powerful and makes more of a statement than my 95 grill. I plan to post some photos of my 95 chateau when I get some time to take them.
To JPCavanaugh: i forgot to tell you that you are correct. The exact photo that you posted in the maroon IS the cover of the 95 brochure. I actually still have a copy of that brochure and it is still in perfect condition. And if I am not mistaking, I believe the name of that color was Torreador red. It is the color that I also wanted. I was finally lucky to even get one from my dealer and my only choice was white. It turned out that white was an excellent choice in the long run. I cannot imagine washing a dark color in a van that size. Are you trying to say that washing that dark green did not take all your time? White does not show dirt as much. I once owned a 1970 MGB roadster. The thing was tiny. It was navy blue. All i did was wash and dust the dirt off it practically every five minutes. It showed every grain of dust! I always think that I was lucky to have learned my “dark paint color” mistake on an MG. I would die if I had learned it on a car the size of an E series. I just don’t know how men with their big trucks can want them in black or navy!
I apologize for all my typos. I meant mistaken not mistaking. And i meant closet not clset. And post not pist. And a few other typos. I really do know English! Mea Culpa por favor!
Can’t look at these without remembering a really terrific 85 Ford van I had for a considerable spell. 300-6, C6, extended body. Would carry all I needed and allow me to work myself to death without breaking for supply runs. My helpers weren’t nearly so fond of it as I.
My family of five was about 10 years behind yours, and being a car nut, I always thought of all vehicle types as possible candidates for my family, including a full-size van.
But, as you note, 10 years behind you these were truly very obscure in the family consumer market. It seemed like sometime around 2000 or so that I noticed there was no longer a small display of full-size conversion vans at our annual auto show.
Sometime back, I found some ten year old copies of Midwest Living – which to a degree is a travel magazine. I saw ads for both the GMC and Chevy full-size vans being promoted as family vehicles – probably among the last family car promotions, and in a fairly obscure publication.
If you thought your quest was a bit obscure in the mid 1990s, it was really out there in 2005. I even wondered if I’d be a bit ridiculed as being from another time, especially if it was confused with a conversion van. The Suburban, the minivan, and arguably the F-150 Supercrew had truly vanquished the full-size family van.
My parents own a van similar to this, an ’06 E350 Club Wagon. Thiers is a 12 passenger version, which works well, as I was the oldest of 5, all boys. My poor mother!! Our van has been used mostly as my father’s transportation, as well as seeing occational farm use, but my fondest memories of it are when we would go on vacation and use it to pull a 30′ camping trailer, which is did admirably, as long as the terrain was reasonably flat. A long, hard pull up a steep grade in South Eastern California stressed the transmission, necessitating a rebuild at 100k miles. Other than that, the van has been reliable, and there is plenty of room for family and friends. I just wish the bench seats felt less like a park bench!
A friend of mine owned a used 1981 Dodge B250 extended length cargo van which he used to haul equipment around as part of his business. The van had either a 318 or 360 V8 with no overdrive…I am guessing that it had 3.90 or 4.10 rear axle gears because the engine was really screaming in high gear at 60-65 mph. He eventually sold that van after buying a used 96 Ford E250 extended length cargo van….That van has the 300 6 cylinder and overdrive transmission so it is more pleasant to use on highway trips along with better fuel economy compared to the Dodge.
“When I spotted this 1995 model in the same color combo as my old 94, a flood of memories hit me and I had to stop and photograph it. I may be one of the few people who could instantly identify this as a ’95. It is easy, because that was the first year for these wheels (which I liked better than mine) and the last year of this color (at least with this front end treatment).”
Am I the only one to argue that is NOT a 1995 model, but a 1992? The amber turn signal taillights were only out for one year.
This is a terrific thread. My family has owned quite a few Econoline Super Cargo vans: (1978 E-150 with Chateau trim, 1985 E-350 Super with the 351, 1992 E-250HD Super with that 300 I6, 1995 E-250HD Super with the 351 and finally a 1998 E-250HD Super with the V6). All w4 for me. I was googling gen3 econolines and thats how I found this thread.
Anyway – the amber turn signal tailights in the Gen4’s were only used between 1992-1994. 1995-2014 had the mostly red tail lights.
Well, here it is June, 2016. Time for an update. My wonderful 1995 Club Wagon Chateau just had its 21st birthday last week. Yesterday, it blew a heater hose. And needs a new radiator. I can’t complain after 21 years of nothing serious, mechanicaly speaking. It is still running like the day it drove off the showroom floor. Still has perfect paint. No dents and still very shiny and bright because I had the dealer put a new coat of that dealer sealant in Dec. 2014. I LOVE my 95 Club Wagon Chateau!!! (if you can’t already tell). I often wonder if my van is so good because it was made so well or because of thevfact that it has gone to the dealer for regular servicing since the day it drove off the showroom floor. I tend to think that it is because I have never let anyone else, other than the dealer touch it and I take it in for regular servicings. I even change the oil religously every six months even if it hasn’t gone the recommended miliage for an oil change. I wonder how many future years I will be returning to this page, writing anual updates. Will my 95 Club Wagon Chateau ever die? I sure hope not!
And, as an aside, on to my brand new 2014 Club Wagon XLT premium with all the bells and whistles that Ford offered (they offered practically none, other than back up camera, quad seat leather trim, sirius and navigation, step up rear bumper)…
I really do NOT like my brand bew 2014 van!!! Such a differencee from the 95 Chateau.
My leather driver with no arm rest is terribly uncomfortable. The rear quad leather seats seem to be a bit larger than the two front seats and a bit more comfortable. But I do not think a long road trip would be so great. The steereing is horrendous!!! The “power steering” steering wheel is so darned stiff to steer that I feel like I am driving a huge Mac truck with no power steering. Does anyone here happen to know if I can ask the dealer to loosen it up a bit? I can barely turn a corner. I can drive my 95 Chateau and maneuver corners and curves like a race car driver (I was a professionally trained high speed driver). With my new 2014, I can barely turn a corner with the stiffness. The “premium” sound system stinks. It is just mediocre. I finally found the overhead light switch. It is in a spot that is more difficult to reach and I have to lean over the steering wheel and “work” to find and turn on the switch – unlike the easy overhead swith on the 95 Chateau. I have 3700 miles on the 2014 (June 2016) and have really not enjoyed more than maybe 30 minutes of driving time in it. The gray interior color is a bit depressing. My 95 Chateau is tan with maroon trim interior. I know these are minor things but they add up monumentally if a driver is not comfortable. I just do not feel in any way comfortable driving the 2014. I just cannot “sink in” to that uncomfortable leather driver seat with no left arm rest. I feel like I am fighting a battle with every turn of the stiff steering wheel. It requires “muscles” rather than driving technique to steer the 2014 van.
You are absolutely correct JPC, the 94 and 95 Club Wagon Chateaus were the best van ever made by Ford. I am so glad you wrote this article. I am so happy to still own my 95 and hope I can drive it to my grave. Since it seems that I must be the last remaining owner of one of these vehicles, I will continue to update your article/post at least annually. That way, JPC, you can live your Chateau memories vicariously through me. You never should have sold yours!!! I would be happy to will my chateau to you upon my death.
I have decided to keep mine until there is a repair so expensive that it would not be cost effective to fix – hopefully, forever.
Earlier this year I was fortunate to find a 1996 Club Wagon Chateau (E350 w/ 7.5L engine). I say fortunate because it only had 52k miles since new. It is in very nice shape as befits a vehicle with low mileage. I’m working on getting somethings fixed or upgraded but I am not in a hurry. The biggest flaw is the stereo, excuse me audio system, it sucks! I was used to the system on my 1998 Safari with built in subwoofer and separate amp. The Safari was like a Caddy compared to CWC, with many convenience features. The CWC reminds me of my old 1994 Ford Ranger SC XLT. Same switch gear, carpet, and color…etc.
The steering is a little twitchy I had a front end alignment done so maybe it’s the old tires.
I hope my CWC lasts as long as your becuase I am planning on keeping it for a long time.
@Fortee9er: I hope you will have many happy years rolling along in your new 96 Club Wagon Chateau. I have talked to many people with 350’s and it is not unusual to hear that they go 500,000 miles and more. For sure, over 200,000 miles is the norm for all of them. I am hoping for at least 200k miles with my 95 because mine is only a 150 engine. It sounds like you purchased it from someone who did not drive much at all and took good care of it. Yours is just like buying a brand new car! I hope you will enjoy many years of happy driving like I have had and continue to have in my 95. I have not heard too much about the 96 model year but I think it is the last good year, according to what JPCAVANAUGH says. I think you will love your new van and probably be singing the 96 Club Wagon Chateau praises before too long. It is so wonderful to have any car that one can rely on faithfully, that never breaks down and that does not run you into debt with repair bills and that is what you have in your Club Wagon Chateau. I am not sure what “twitchy” steering means – perhaps you need a four wheel alignment. When I purchased my 95 Club Wagon Chateau brand new, it came from Ford with regular tires and not light truck tires. Since you purchased it with only 52k miles on it, I am wondering if you might still also have the original tires from the factory and whether they might be regular/non-light truck tires. Make sure you use light truck tires. Maybe that will help your steering issue. I buy Michelins at Costco for the cheapest and best light truck tires. Can you post a photo?
“Seriously: you buy a three ton vehicle (Suburban) that gets thirteen miles per gallon and you STILL need a cartop or hitch-mounted carrier?” (& it costs $10,000 more too!)
Exactly! There just aren’t enough people out there anymore who can appreciate the ample passenger AND cargo space a 7-or-8-passenger full-size van provides, even without folding OR removing the seats. You know how the 2nd row seats in an Expedition or Suburban always have to be folded forward to get to the 3rd row? They don’t even have to be touched in my Aerostar, an Astro, or a full-size passenger van; there’s already a clear path going AROUND or through the 2nd row the instant you open the door(s) to get in. If I could no longer drive my Aerostar b/c of needing an out-of-budget repair, a low-roof 8-passenger version of the new Transit such as this one I spotted at Herndon Chevrolet in Lexington, SC is definitely in the cards for my next vehicle (used, of course). Fuel economy in real-world driving for this vehicle is hardly any different from that of a modern full-size SUV, EPA estimates notwithstanding. And they’re roughly the same size on the outside, too, give or take several inches of roof clearance (I don’t use parking garages often if at all). Anything I can fit in my current vehicle would be no problem for this rig.
“You Suburban partisans must understand that I was just used to a cargo area behind the third row that looked like this.”
“And in the Sam’s Club parking lot, I am confident that those big swinging doors will close behind anything that its owner can roll out on a cart, and seven people besides. Try THAT with your Suburban.”
The view of the cargo area in the Transit I found has all that covered.
Great post.
I have a 1995 Chateau ready for a new home. If there are any interested buyers, see Craigslist Gaithersburg, Maryland
I bought a 1971 (Gen 2) club wagon about two years back and have been working through it, fixing the differed repairs and making a few upgrades. There is definitely an endearing quality to this thing. It’s a 12 passenger E300 with a 302 and a C4 3 speed auto. After running it around a bit, it’s hard to imagine not having a van in the garage. I’ve loaded it up with furniture, potted plants, recycling, car parts, you name it, and it just takes it all and does the job with no complaints. I love the low-back seats and the big bus-like steering wheel position. The gen 2 has a much flatter, shorter nose on it with a bull-dog like stance and you sit high and up front. I think the size of the gen 2 is perfect. It’s allot of fun to drive with the old school power steering making cup holders redundant. I can drive it with a couple fingers on one hand while hanging on to my coffee in the other. Having all the windows is great, and since they didn’t tint them black like they do now, people can look in for reassurance to see that I ain’t got nobody tied up back in there. It makes allot of people smile. Parts are hit and miss but that may change. I will likely own this a long time.
Testing class b and c vans many
The gen 2 Ford was the most ponderous nasty thing in every form o tried
You sat much higher than a dodge or chest by a foot but it felt like you were picketing it from the roof
Worse than an army truck
The Gen 3 were a revelation a fricken total revelation
But I still liked the refined Chevy gn and agile dodges a bit better
Gen 2 rvs have lowest miles cause they were ponderous scary and miserable to drive
And everyone I talked to agreed, except an owner of a roofing Co who didn’t have to drive them durable tanks much