{"id":8991,"date":"2021-03-04T08:00:49","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T08:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=8991"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:18:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:18:45","slug":"1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 – Project Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vans, generally speaking, aren\u2019t built with the intention of stirring our soul or making us fall in love with them. A van is not a Jaguar E Type. It\u2019s a machine built to carry stuff, it\u2019s there to do a job, or to facilitate a person\u2019s ability to do a job. Look out on the street today and you\u2019ll not see anyone coveting or carefully waxing a new Transit. That\u2019s not why they exist. At least, that\u2019s the case at first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ford,<\/a><\/p>\n

Vans build themselves into social history. We can all remember the vans of BT, Securicor, White Arrow and of course, Royal Mail. As such, after a time we become nostalgic for them. That\u2019s why it\u2019s not uncommon to see said vans, complete with full livery, at any one of the many car shows up and down the country. Some vans transcend their origins, and get converted into cool retro campers or promotional vehicles for businesses. Still working, but as the pretty face of a company, rather than as the workforce. Yes, old vans are cool. And few are cooler than those from the USA. Again, they were once workaday vehicles, but we find ourselves drawn to the chrome and of course, the V8s. Buy a classic American van today and you\u2019ll be buying a head turner. Which is why this week\u2019s project of choice is a 1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is it?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Ford,<\/a><\/p>\n

The Econoline<\/a> is to Ford of America what the Transit is to Ford of Europe. Launched in 1961, the Econoline, or E Series, is still in production today, and is still as popular as ever. It\u2019s one of those vans you see in every configuration, too. The Econoline has been a minibus, an ambulance, a fire response vehicle, a breakdown truck, a box van, a motorhome, a\u2026 you get the idea. And back in the day, it was also available as a \u2018shorty\u2019. That\u2019s what we have here. An Econoline of charmingly diminutive stature.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Designed to lug lighter loads, and to be more manoeuvrable in urban areas, this Econoline hasn\u2019t been beaten as hard as its bigger brothers would have been. As such, this \u2018dry state\u2019 import is remarkably solid. Plus, being a second-generation Econoline, it has a V8 – a 302 in this case. And as we all know, V8s make everything better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s obviously been owned by a \u2018vanning\u2019 enthusiast in the past, as it has brilliant porthole windows fitted to the sides, as well as a small kitchenette inside. It\u2019s a bit weathered on the outside, with the odd ding, scrape and faded paint, but it adds to the charm if you ask us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it a project?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

This 1974 Ford Econoline<\/a> has been shipped here to the UK and that\u2019s about it. The vendor, who has a business bringing in solid, rust-free cars from America, has registered the car on NOVA and now it\u2019s ready for its new UK home. The vendor has an eye for finding solid, honest vehicles that are perfect for the budding restorer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The van, as we mentioned, is fitted with a 302 V8. The engine turns over, but that\u2019s all we know. However, parts for the Windsor V8 are plentiful, so don\u2019t be too concerned. In reality, you\u2019ll want to yank all the running gear out and give it a full freshen up and overhaul.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ford,<\/a><\/p>\n

The interior is all there, though you\u2019d want to pull it and retrim the seats and do something better suited to your own needs in the back. The old kitchenette is a cute nod to the past, but there\u2019s no denying it\u2019s probably best if it\u2019s removed or replaced. The rest of the cab is in decent condition, though the dash has succumbed to the hot Nevada sun, so will need work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Externally, the van is solid and free of any serious rust. It looks like the van was once yellow, but has since been painted green. The paint is brilliantly worn though, with the yellow creeping through. We love how it looks, and think some period signwriting would set it off a treat. The chrome face is present and correct, though has picked up some dings over the years. The vendor has also fitted a new set of Goodyear rubber to the van, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Five things to look for:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

1) Rust<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This vendor is known for bringing in cars that need very little structural work, if any at all. However, this is a van, so have a look underneath just to be safe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Poor Repairs<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Again, this was a working vehicle once, and working vehicles are often bodged to keep them going. Have a look for any poor past repairs that might need to be rectified.<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Wiring<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The part camper\/day van conversion that this van has been subjected to includes power outlets in the rear. We would be very keen to check and probably completely rewire this van for the sake of safety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Engine<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The engine turns over, which is good. However, no attempt has been made to start it. You\u2019re going to need to put a battery on it. If not, you can at least check for leaks, for damage and for anything that looks seized.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ford,<\/a><\/p>\n

5) Trim<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vans like this need the trim to be in good order, because it\u2019s what makes them stand out. So have a good, detailed look at the front end, the bumpers, the mirrors and any other specific trim. Finding replacement stuff is going to be tricky.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What should you do with it?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a van, so the world is very much your oyster. If it were our money, we\u2019d go for the ultimate car show cruiser. As well we all know, spending a day in the blazing sun at a car show or other event can be exhausting. So why not deck the back of this van out with comfy chairs, a fridge, maybe even some sort of air conditioning. Make it a little base to escape to. It could be super cool in there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ford,<\/a><\/p>\n

Failing that, you could go down the camper route, or you could even use it as, you know, a van. Perhaps as a promotional working vehicle for your business. Imagine this Econoline<\/a> with your company\u2019s logo painted on it. The business will come flooding in.<\/span><\/p>\n

If like us, you think old vans like this are cool, here’s where you can find a Ford Econoline for sale<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vans, generally speaking, aren\u2019t built with the intention of stirring our soul or making us fall in love with them. A van is not a Jaguar E Type. It\u2019s a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":8992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[322],"tags":[1710,427,2732,15,110,963,13,11,2375,1038,61,1037,915,14,1036,108,16,2376,2344],"yoast_head":"\n1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Old vans might have lived a life of hard graft, but once they get to a certain age, they simply become cool. Like this V8-powered 1974 Econoline.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Old vans might have lived a life of hard graft, but once they get to a certain age, they simply become cool. Like this V8-powered 1974 Econoline.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Car & Classic Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-04T08:00:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-12T09:18:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2021\/03\/14475650.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Car & Classic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Car & Classic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Car & Classic\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39\"},\"headline\":\"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 – Project Profile\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-04T08:00:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-12T09:18:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/\"},\"wordCount\":1102,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"American\",\"american car\",\"American van\",\"automotive\",\"barn find\",\"Car and Classic\",\"carandclassic.co.uk\",\"classic car\",\"classic van\",\"Econoline\",\"Ford\",\"Ford Econoline\",\"ford transit\",\"motoring\",\"project\",\"restoration project\",\"retro car\",\"retro van\",\"Transit\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Project Profile\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/\",\"name\":\"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-04T08:00:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-12T09:18:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"Old vans might have lived a life of hard graft, but once they get to a certain age, they simply become cool. Like this V8-powered 1974 Econoline.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 – Project Profile\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\",\"name\":\"Car & Classic Magazine\",\"description\":\"The latest in the classic car world - articles, news, how to's, advice and more\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Car and Classic Limited\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png\",\"width\":4262,\"height\":3881,\"caption\":\"Car and Classic Limited\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39\",\"name\":\"Car & Classic\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Car & Classic\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/author\/car-and-classic\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine","description":"Old vans might have lived a life of hard graft, but once they get to a certain age, they simply become cool. Like this V8-powered 1974 Econoline.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine","og_description":"Old vans might have lived a life of hard graft, but once they get to a certain age, they simply become cool. Like this V8-powered 1974 Econoline.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/","og_site_name":"Car & Classic Magazine","article_published_time":"2021-03-04T08:00:49+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-12T09:18:45+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2021\/03\/14475650.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Car & Classic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Car & Classic","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/"},"author":{"name":"Car & Classic","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39"},"headline":"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 – Project Profile","datePublished":"2021-03-04T08:00:49+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-12T09:18:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/"},"wordCount":1102,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization"},"keywords":["American","american car","American van","automotive","barn find","Car and Classic","carandclassic.co.uk","classic car","classic van","Econoline","Ford","Ford Econoline","ford transit","motoring","project","restoration project","retro car","retro van","Transit"],"articleSection":["Project Profile"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/","name":"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-03-04T08:00:49+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-12T09:18:45+00:00","description":"Old vans might have lived a life of hard graft, but once they get to a certain age, they simply become cool. Like this V8-powered 1974 Econoline.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1974-ford-econoline-shorty-project-profile\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"1974 Ford Econoline \u2018Shorty\u2019 – Project Profile"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/","name":"Car & Classic Magazine","description":"The latest in the classic car world - articles, news, how to's, advice and more","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization","name":"Car and Classic Limited","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png","width":4262,"height":3881,"caption":"Car and Classic Limited"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39","name":"Car & Classic","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Car & Classic"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.carandclassic.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/author\/car-and-classic\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8991"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8991"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22656,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8991\/revisions\/22656"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}