This site has been kind of dead lately so I thought I would wake it up.
Well my 94 is going to the junkyard soon, but im already looking for a replacement, What do you guys think the best year was?
FORDBOYpete
FBp's Opinion of the premium years of Aero production
Well Ahhh ERrr let me see now. . . .
Although I have a warm spot in my consciousness for all Aeros, simply because the worst Aero is by far better than the best of either Mopar/ Fiat and/or Government Motors. That includes those ratty 2.0L I-4's of '80's & the dieapponting 2.9 L V6's with those crummy Mazda 3Spd A/T's and the ridicoulous floor shifted Manual 3 Spds also of the early days. Wjhat was FoMoCo thinking with those things???????
I have never been a fan what's now Government Motors, formerly GM, even when Durant bought the Chevrolet brothers out from under Henry in the early 20th century to form General Motors. Louis & his Brother were perfecting OHV Cylnder Heads that Henry had designs of putting on his venerable Model T 4 Bangers. Henry the tinkerer wanted to be able to whip Oldfield and Durant after his victories with good old 999, his race car that put Henry Ford on the map of Automobilia. . . . .
But all that nostalgic Auto History aside, the question is what do I believe to be the primo years for the Aerostars FoMoCo produced ?
I will have to logically say from late 1990-91 thru 1995. I would also say I have to give preference to the XLTN or long Wheel Base Aeros, the 4.6L Cologne Engines, especially 94/ 95 editions with their improvements in Cylinder Head &Head Gasket Design and exhaust flow characteristics. 96 & 97 have the same improvements, except the PCM runs on EEC IV-OBD II Op-Sys & OBD II is the work of US Government intervention to unify DTC's & the language or vernacular of System Diagnostics. Unified codes create a complicated over sensed multiple signaled situation that has the bans of good disgnostics known as a "pending code" along with the Fault Codes mormally used as DTC's id digital system diagnostics.
Prior to 1996 all the SEFI - TP/EFI Set Ups ran an EEC IV using OBD I system diagnostics. Simpler, more accurate, less trouble prone and with less sensors but more "sense" IMHO ! Although OBD I is hard to download DTC's from because OBD I code readers are vastly more expensivse & few & far between. None the less, once the DTC's are read the repair is usually simpler,faster, less expenive and more successful because the DTC's are to the point when it comes to defining the trouble(s).
I would suggest a 4spd AOD A/T with RWD as opposed to AWD. It seems
the weak link in AWD Aeros is their transfercase which runs fulltime & is subject to wear and failure. Besides that driving two differentials and four axles kills fuel economy and overall general performance also. The worst condition is when the AWD transfercase fails. they are really pricey. Plus if the failures results in the case poerion of the transfer case cracks or breaks you have no core so a core charge results. $2500 to $3,000 is a reasonable price and the core charge can run as much as $500 each.
Besides that an AWD is considerably heavier since it has extra drivetrain components to carry around full time too.
There's More of course but this is enough to ponder at 1 time I believe.
If you care to read more just ask, there is plenty and it's all based in logic, reason, experience, and history. . . . .
I will take my '95 XLTN 4.0L V6 Cologne Engined, RWD, 4 Gear AOD, 2+2 luxury Aero to the grave with me, unless FoMoCo starts building them again. I will not sell it nor get rid of it and I will maintain & repair it until I am no longer able to, that's how much I believe what I'm saying on here about what my opinion of the best Ford Aerostar for the buck is.
I will not bore you with my brags about performance, but leave it to say My Aero is no longer as Henry Built it, Oh it's spec'd OEM but it's tweaked & improved and some non OEM aftermarket replacement parts have been installed. you can believe it's a sleeper and not a slug.
If y'all want to try it bring money.
CIAO 4 Now
FBp
Canadian
Ya im going with an AWD Aero and swapping the tranny and transfer case from a ranger in so I can choose to be in 2 or 4 wheel drive.
FORDBOYpete
Sounds like a good plan, since the 4X4 options should be an "optional" one IMHO. I never thought much about using the "TC" from a ranger. The AWD that came OEM is great for running the interstates in the rain, or getting on & off the beach ocassionally, but turning all those parts when they are not needed proves both expensive to operate and costly to repair too.
On the ranger set up is the T/C siamese with the transmission or separate from it? and. . . . . Do you plan on using an A/T or Manual Transmission in your conversion
If so you can put the clutch linkage set up form an 85 - 89 manual shift aero in any aero without much trouble, just like the entire headlight assy's with the $6.00 sealed beams instead of those $20 halogen bulbs and $200 acrylic lens coverings. Hah. . . .
I have a 93 AWD XLTN that is solid as far as the body, suspension and running gear go. The engine is a 4.0L it runs well and performs great but the drive train spit out it's 4th transfercase . I'm not going to replace it. It's a $2500 price tag exchange for a rebuilt, and if it's wrecked as well as broken, so it can't be rebuilt, there's also a core charge.
I have a spare 4.0L with a good AWD powertrain, on a dolly in the shop I was going to pull the 4.0L out of the 93 & get rid of the rest of it. I can use the spare engine for other stuff.
I also thought of putting a 460 FoMoCo Engine I have lying around in as "mid ship" or mid engine set up to have a little fun at a local drag strip.
I hate to get rid of a good solid body with clear title like that. Interior is okay but it has wear & tear of a 16 yr old Van used for everything from family transportation & Vacations to carrying 1/2 a girls soccer team and being driven by responsible children both learning to drive with and for a form of transportation to & from school, then being my work van for a few years. It has neve been wrecked or damaged severely, and I am the 2nd owner. We bought it from an original owner when 3 or 4 years old. It's been a great vehicle but for the inherent AWD Transfer case problems.
As usual the plastic( Urethane) bumper trim is history from both the Solar UV degradation we get here, and parking lot damage. Glass is good there are a few dings & scrapes and some way old hail damage on the roof too, but as said above in this post, it's solid & pretty much still all there.
Ooops, I Gotta go chase money now. It's coming up on 0900 hrs EDT or 9:00am EDST on a friday Morn'.
CIAO
FBp
Canadian
The TC and tranny on the rangers can be split but my dads had several AWD Aeros and the trannys go in them because there not designed to be AWD so I want to put a more solid tanny in it. Probably stranded.
