Rare Find: 2000 Ford E-350 4x4 Chateau Van
It’s been 10 years since Ford discontinued the full-bodied E-Series van. Despite this, the aftermarket support continues to thrive for the 4th Generation platform. While there’s a tremendous variety of E-Series vans, one of the most sought after continues to be the ones outfitted with the 7.3L V8 diesel engine. Known more for reliability than power, the classic Power Stroke powertrain has been increasingly more difficult to find.
For those looking for a clean passenger van, a Chateau with the diesel V8 is at the top of the list. This is why when this 2000 Ford E-350 you see here became available, it was quickly snatched off of the lot. Found with only 140,000 miles (which equates to less than 6,000 miles per year), this Chateau edition was incredibly clean inside and out. The new owners, however, needed more than just a clean E-Series, they needed a van with off-road capability.
This is why before starting its new life in Texas, it made a detour to Fletcher, North Carolina, with the E-Series experts at Ujoint Offroad. The goal with the van wasn’t to create some over-the-top overlander, but rather something that was capable of getting to the Texas backcountry safely and often with an off-road trailer in tow. To accomplish this goal, Ujoint upfit the E-Series with bumpers, racks, and most importantly, a four-wheel-drive conversion. The end result was one incredibly unique and rare E-350.
Power Stroke
The 7.3L diesel engine is one of the most coveted in the Ford world. While this generation Power Stroke doesn’t pack the massive horsepower and torque figures like it’s modern equivalent, it does have a tremendous reputation for reliability. The van’s 140,000 miles are hardly anything to worry about for a V8 with an engine bearing life of 350,000 miles.
Transferred
The original 4R100 automatic transmission was given a full refresh and upfitted with a four-wheel drive tailhousing. Splitting the power between the axles is a manual-shift NV271 transfer case.
Rear Refresh
The original Dana 60 rear was also completely rebuilt and fit with a set of 4.10 differential gears. In addition to the custom leaf-springs, Ujoint’s overload air bag kit was set in place. This kit allows the bottom of the bag to float, so the suspension travel isn’t limited.
4x4 Conversion
Replacing the original front suspension is Ujoint’s four-wheel drive conversion kit, which uses custom leaf packs that are designed specifically for the weight of the van. This particular leaf bundle works with Fox IFP Performance Series shocks and provides a total of six inches of lift over stock.
Dana 60
New for 2024, Ujoint now uses a high-pinon Dana 60 front axle that’s build specifically for its 4x4 conversions. Along with matching 4.10 gears, a Detroit Truetrac was installed. To increase the handling of the rig, Ujoint uses a track bar to isolate the axle and a sway bar from a Ford Super Duty.
Steering
While the original steering gearbox remains in place, Ujoint’s crossover steering system makes turning duties effortless. To increase braking performance, 8-pistion front calipers and heat-treated rotors from SSBC were used.
Recon Grapplers
One commonality on many of Ujoint’s builds is the use of Nitto tires. Many of these vans travel extreme distances on and off-road throughout North America. As the only part of the van designed to touch the road, Ujoint puts its trust in Nitto tires to get the job done. This van is fit with Nitto’s most versatile all-terrain option, the Recon Grappler A/T. This 35x12.50R17 is paired with a 17-inch American Racing Baja wheel, making for an extremely quiet, reliable, and great looking combination.
Upfront
Increasing the approach angle, and housing a Warn winch, is Ujoint’s FB003 front bumper. This all-aluminum bumper not only shaves weight over a steel unit but provides a home for six Baja Designs lights.
Covered Rear
Out back, the dual-swing hybrid rear bumper creates a safe and secure way to haul the full-size spare and massive Pelican case. There are also air fittings, which allow access to the van’s ARB twin-air compressor and valves leading to the rear air bags.
Moving Up
To make getting in and out of the van easier, Ujoint paired the passenger van with its aluminum side steps. Accessing the roof rack is made easy thanks to the Aluminess ladder.
Roof Rack
The Ujoint roof rack was built with the optional center strip flooring. This makes it easier to secure longer items such as kayaks to the rack, while having a secure place to stand. Ujoint also notes that they offer complete flooring panels to cover the entirety of the rack, which helps tremendously with heat reduction.
Captain’s Quarters
Inside, the van remains mostly stock, with the exception of a door-mounted switch panel that controls the sPOD under the hood. Since this is a Chateau, it came with four captain’s chairs and a single rear bench seat.
Texas Bound
We were fortunate to check out this van while it was still in Fletcher, North Carolina, as Ujoint had just wrapped up the build. Its next stop is Texas, where it will live out its days being mostly used as a hunting rig that hauls a trailer. If you want to learn more about the van, be sure to visit our YouTube channel to watch our full video feature.
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