Today’s Rare Ride was sort of off the radar as a present day vehicular category until your author was presented with one in an ad. It’s the sort of luxurious conversion van people bought to take their grandkids on vacation in the Nineties and early 2000s, but updated for today.
Presenting the Ford Transit Explorer Conversion. It’s quite large.
The Transit name is a longstanding one in Europe and places not North America, where it’s been on sale as a cargo hauler since 1965. The van entered its fourth generation in 2013 and debuted at NAIAS that year. Unlike other Transit generations which were Europe-centric, this generation was designed jointly by Ford teams in North America and Europe. The Transit entered North America as a replacement for the absolutely ancient E-Series van (still produced today in stripped chassis version). Transit went on sale as a 2015 model in North America.
Available in cutaway, chassis, cargo, and passenger versions, the Transit’s flexible platform is rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and front-wheel drive in some markets. The front- and rear- drivetrain optionality appeared for the first time on the third-generation Transit in 2000 (still in production for select Asian markets).
The Transit is presently available in cargo and passenger guise as standard 129.9-inch wheelbase, as well as a longer 147.6-inch version called the 150. Roof heights also vary, separated as low, medium, and high. Cab and cutaway versions have their own short, regular, and long wheelbases as well. A variety of small inline-four engines are available globally, but American versions have a 3.7-liter V6 (275hp) as standard, with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 (310hp) an optional extra.
Explorer conversions offer seven- and nine-passenger luxury versions of the Transit 150 as well as a Factory Medium Roof version of the Transit 250. All Explorer Transits have the EcoBoost engine, and all-wheel drive is optional on all models.
Today’s Rare Ride is a nine-passenger low roof version, to which Explorer fitted a luxurious two-tone brown interior. Leather and wood are almost everywhere you’d expect in a conversion van, along with the curtains and interior roof lighting. The extended roof also contains a large TV, a rear sunroof, and transom windows along both sides. It’s pretty far removed from a standard Transit passenger van, and that shows in the price. While our used 2017 example is $43,900, a new one will cost around $80,000. Here’s betting this is a much better vehicle than an old Econoline or Express conversion.
[Images: Explorer Conversions]
No Sega Saturn?
2.5/10
Harsh
He’s not wrong. We also would have accepted Dreamcast.
I had a friend growing up whose father was an anesthesiologist. Their family had a Chevy conversation van with a Super Nintendo *and* a Sega Genesis *and* a VCR *and* a mini-fridge.
Now that’s livin’.
Anesthesiologists, do know a thing or two about administering sedatives……
If that van’s a rockin’…
…the wind must be blowing.
…it probably needs new dampers.
I guess I wouldnt feel horrible driving this. This price is a bit much for something with nearly 65k miles on it. I realize that new is 80k and I dont expect them to give it away. I just think it is about 10k to much new and about 5k to much now.
Apparently, you have not seen what they are charging for used pickup trucks.
I can’t remember where I saw it (either CArfax or Cargurus) there was 2018 Ford with over 200K miles and they were asking for approx $50K.
Corey, help me not buy this:
https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/pittsburgh-1990-mercedes-benz-300se/7290394497.html
Oh man that is almost free. Get a can of octane boost and see how it is!
LOL you’re not helping!
You should definitely buy that.
Gold package is what sings to me there, its not something I see often on W126s outside of the movies.
Fortunately I don’t have room after today because I am picking this up in the afternoon:
https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/pittsburgh-2004-volvo-c70-convertible/7290160132.html
Hah! The minute I saw this I knew, I just knew, that it was from either Paul Sherry CDJR in Piqua or Dave Arbogast GMC/RV in Troy, Ohio. The conversions these dealers sell and have sold are the cockroaches that have been scurrying across the highways of the US for many years (and sitting on cinder blocks, engine/tranny dead, full of mice, and corroding in the backyards across the country as well). And, Dave Arbogast it is!
Dal – Wrong side of the country but this is you pal:
https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/pittsburgh-bmw-325ci/7283895331.html
Put the manual and sport seats in that one, and it would be perfect. Loooove that color combo.
I would love this in coupe format.
I mentioned to 28 the other day that, once my finances have stabilized from the remodel I’m currently starting, I want to buy a nice E46 convertible as a toy. I need one more manual car before either they all disappear or I kick the bucket.
I remembered that which is why I thought of you. I’ll keep my eyes out for a clean E46 manual convertible, not that I come across a lot of those but you never know.
@Corey
I have a friend who had maybe an ’06 manual 330ci coupe in 2010 which he bought out of the Youngstown region. Something was up with it (maybe a “miss” he noticed) and his friend at P&W diagnosed it as some kind of cylinder pressure issue which was going to be several grand to rectify. Car went bye bye not long after to my dismay.
In Europe, you can order an RV on the same Transit platform from your regular Ford Dealer:
The Ford Big Nugget
https://westfalia-mobil.de/modelle/bignugget/big_nugget.php
Or, even smaller, the small Transit with a pop-up roof, kitchen and toilet.
https://westfalia-mobil.de/en/modelle/westfalia-nugget-aufstelldach/westfalia-nugget-plus–pop-up-roof-en.php
(Prices are steep, as you would expect)
Possibly relevant (probably not):
https://www.amazon.com/Vannin-Terry-Cook/dp/B00ZDBJY2Q
https://www.hulu.com/movie/nomadland
Little late to this one, but that’s a heckuva nice looking ride!
My Dad and I rented one of the regular-length cargo versions to move the furniture out of my grandmother’s room at her assisted-living facility after she passed, and he was impressed with the pickup. He didn’t believe me when I said that it had a turbo V6 under the bonnet! It was reasonably comfortable, as well.