Junkyard Find: 1985 Ford Econoline with 4-on-the-floor manual
Buyers of Detroit full-size vans became increasingly unwilling to take manual transmissions as the 1960s became the 1970s, but new three-pedal big vans were available long after that. I found this ultra-rare manual-equipped E-150 in Colorado Springs last week.
I check for interesting stuff on the inventory listings for all the Colorado U-Pull-&-Pay yards, so I knew that an Econoline with a six-cylinder engine resided at the Colorado Springs facility. The half-ton version with the base engine was likely to have a manual transmission, so I headed down there.
Sure enough, it did have a manual transmission! I had had high hopes that it would have a three-on-the-tree column-shift manual transmission, which was still base equipment for 1985 Ford F-150s and E-150s.
This van was built with a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive fourth gear. It was a $290 option in the base E-150 cargo van (about $891 in 2026 dollars). If you bought the long-wheelbase E-150 SuperVan, you got the four-speed as base equipment.
The four-speed's floor shifter was mounted just behind and to the left of the engine doghouse.
Because Dodge vans had a short snout that set the engine further back than in an Econoline and early-1980s Chrysler was too cheap to modify its four-speed manual to provide an ergonomic shifter location, the driver had to reach back to shift gears. If you were in second or fourth gear when you wanted to shift, you had to reach behind your seat and fumble for the shift knob. Serves you right for not paying extra for an automatic!
I've found a few 1970s Detroit vans with three-on-the-tree rigs, including this '78 Chevy Sportvan Beauville. When Detroit (grudgingly) went to four-speed manuals later on, they refused to make column shifters for them (though some of the forward-control 1964-1970 Chevrolet/GMC vans had four-on-the-tree manual setups).
Someone removed the shifter from today's Junkyard Find but then left it here.
The engine is the base 300-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) pushrod straight-six, essentially a stroked 240. It was rated at 115 horsepower and 223 pound-feet.
It appears that this van was a mobile home-repair truck during its career.
Equipment shelves are still here.
The final model year for a manual transmission of any kind in the US-market Ford Econoline/Club Wagon was 1989. GM went all-automatic at the same time with its full-size Chevrolet and GMC vans, while Chrysler kept selling full-size Dodge vans with manuals all the way through 1993 (some Detroit minivans kept manuals available for a couple more years after that).
I found this handy instruction decal for overdrive-equipped manual and automatic transmissions under the driver's seat.
It will go to The Crusher full of Front Range AAA road maps.
If you're serious about winning, your team has to be rugged and versatile… like the '85 Ford Econoline.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
1985 Ford Econoline in Colorado junkyard.
[Images: The Author]
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Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Hagerty and The Truth About Cars.
More by Murilee Martin
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Murilee--What is the mileage on this van?
Did you say you found this vehicle in Colonnade Springs?