Introducing . . . . . . THE PIG !!! (a.k.a PROJECT PIG)

[Roadkill]

Ford Aerostar, 3.0 Litre V6, 5-Speed Manual.  Eddie Bauer "Sport" Edition.

Dayvan's aren't pretty but this certainly ain't !!

That said she isn't as bad in the flesh - I was surprised.

Typical 2+2+3 seating arrangement but with a single top-hinged rear tailgate !

And she got roof bars !!!



Got her for £620, with loads of spares plus the oil and filter for a service.  Loads of paperwork, manuals, MOT's etc, 7 months MoT and a little tax . . .

Picked her up with just under a full tank of petrol ~ £80 !!!

Drove 90 miles home and used well under 1/4 of a tank.  

Drove nice.  Very happy.

She doesn't appear to need much . . . I'll start with a damn good clear out and hoover the inside.

Will probably give the front and rear bumpers a little tidy up, too.

[Andy]

Jesus Christ.

Not only is it ugly, but it looks sad! It's sad about being ugly.

Still, with that price, parts, paperwork and T&T happy days!

[Cunning Plan]

That's awesome, I like unusual modern-ish vehicles

Are they the original stock hub-caps? They look a bit nasty.

More pictures please!

[F Body]

Quoting: Roadkill

Dayvan's aren't pretty but this certainly ain't !!

The Neighbors must love you, mind you I did put a fully liveried working Ambulance on my drive for a couple of weeks  

I think it's just the silver bumpers and side skirts that make it look particularly ugly

If they were blue of even black it would blend into the background a lot more

[FUBAR]

Fair play, has Sammy got Triplets in the Oven or something?

Not the best looking vehicle ever but purely on Looks i'd still rather have that than one of these:

Quoting: F Body

If they were blue of even black it would blend into the background a lot more

That could be an option actually, got any spare Satin Black left over?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Are they the original stock hub-caps?

I think so.

Quoting: Cunning Plan

They look a bit nasty.

I know . . . the wheels are something I'm considering addressing . . .

Quoting: Cunning Plan

More pictures please!

Will do tomorrow . . .

Quoting: F Body

I think it's just the silver bumpers and side skirts that make it look particularly ugly  

If they were blue of even black it would blend into the background a lot more

Yeah, I know what you're saying . . . I'm intending to get a quote for some paint as they're a bit scabby so we'll see . . . not a major priority at the moment, though.

Quoting: FUBAR

Fair play, has Sammy got Triplets in the Oven or something?

No.

I'm hoping we can arrange some group outings at some point and utilise it a bit . . . also I think it maybe handy for the car shows - certainly gives us some options.

[Roadkill]

Has anyone got the skillz on Photoshop  (and a spare 10 minutes) to do two concepts :

One with the silver painted gloss black, and one with the silver painted as per the rest of the car ??

Doesn't need to be perfect - just so maybe we could set up a poll ?

[Roadkill]

From Wiki :

"Eddie Bauer Wagon (1988–1996)

The Aerostar was one of the first Fords (as of 2010, the only van) to be branded in Eddie Bauer trim. Introduced in 1988, the Aerostar Eddie Bauer was the first minivan by to be offered in luxury trim; at the time, the Chrysler Town & Country nameplate referred to either a station wagon or convertible.
Eddie Bauer trim combined the features of the XLT with two-tone exterior paint (tan as the accent color on the rocker panels and wheel trim) and a tan outdoors-themed interior. As on the XLT, cloth seating surfaces were standard, but after 1992, leather seats became an option. One usually overlooked feature of the option package is that the middle and rear bench seats would fold out flat converting the two bench seats into a bed, though quad seats ("captain's chairs") were often ordered as an option.
The Eddie Bauer was available in either body length; the extended-length version was far more popular.[citation needed] It was offered only with the largest engine, so only the 1988-1989 versions came with a 3.0L V6. Like the XLT, there was choice of rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, with the latter proving very popular."

Odd.

"Sport (1994–1996)

From 1994 to 1996, the Sport option package was available for any non-Eddie Bauer Wagon. However, this was a cosmetic upgrade only; the 140-hp Vulcan V6 was still under the hood of XL versions with this option. Sport-package Aerostars are most easily identifiable by their 2-tone paint; these are a combination of silver with bright pastel colors (or red).
The Sport Package upgrades consisted of:
Front Air Dam
Integrated Running Boards with an "AEROSTAR" logo
Full Wheel Covers (on XL-trim)
Alloy Wheels (on XLT-trim)
Color-keyed Rear Mud Flaps
Available with:
Aerostar XL Wagon (both lengths)
Aerostar XLT Wagon (both lengths)"

It's one or the other, anyway !!!

[art b]

yup its a pig....

[ianjpage]

good ol van, as you say not the prettiest but hey so long as it works / runs / drives etc then all good

[Incursus]

I don't actually find it that offensive looking

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Incursus

I don't actually find it that offensive looking

The front end, square-on is the worst but the original pics the guy took didn't help.

It's growing on me.



Some pics :









The spares I got with her :



I also found just under £5 in change in the centre-console this morning, too - she's practically paid for herself in change, parts and petrol !!!

[Roadkill]

I had a quiclk look this morning and that nasty, bulbous chin spoiler can be removed in minutes . . . . also the dodgy wing-like side steps, too.

I think I may well do that as all the bits which were part of the "Sport Kit" just make it look $hit !

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

Some pics :

Those rear lights are very 90's American.

Quoting: Roadkill

I also found just under £5 in change in the centre-console this morning, too - she's practically paid for herself in change, parts and petrol

[ianjpage]

not bad looking as you say - nice lot of spares there!!!

[Roadkill]

Wow !

I spent about 3 hours going through the paperwork that came with her last night . . .

Looks like I've got EVERY single receipt for EVERY part bought for her from day one !!



EVERY service has been recorded and notes made.

I have the Nebraska bill of sale, the build sheet (in perfect condition) and even the sales brochure from the dealer where she was bought from !!!

Turns out she was bought in Nebraska, then appears to have been shipped to Germany (owner was in the U.S.A.F) for about 4 years before coming to England in 1999.
She only technically left U.S soil in 2005, from what I gather, as she'd spent all the time up to that point registered at Airbases.  

It's clear that she's been very well looked after by her owners (all servicemen up to now by the looks of it).

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

Looks like I've got EVERY single receipt for EVERY part bought for her from day one !!

 

EVERY service has been recorded and notes made.

Nice! Sounds like a good-honest buy

Quoting: Roadkill

(all servicemen up to now by the looks of it).

It is not quite the same, but my Cherokee was bought by someone in the USAF and stationed on a base somewhere in England (Lincolnshire I think). They must like to have American vehicles to remind them of home or what they are used to driving etc. (I know, I know, my Cherokee is a UK specification, but my point is American servicemen seem to prefer to drive American vehicles).

I wonder when the servicemen are based overseas if they have free shipping of any items they would like, because that van is not the most..... unique, special, powerful, classic, expensive vehicle they could have chosen from (no offence ). It would seem an odd choice and a lot of expense to ship that overseas with them.

Off-topic slightly I really like how you play with vehicles and get new interesting ones when you can, but your insurance bill must be huge?

[F Body]

Quoting: Roadkill

Has anyone got the skillz on Photoshop (and a spare 10 minutes) to do two concepts :

One with the silver painted gloss black, and one with the silver painted as per the rest of the car ??

No longer have Photoshop at home, tried doing it in Paint but the filters just aren't fine enough


Come on Geeks

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

I wonder when the servicemen are based overseas if they have free shipping of any items they would like

I think they do, yes as he did offer to bring me over any bits I needed for it (within reason).

[Andy]

Quoting: F Body

No longer have Photoshop at home, tried doing it in Paint but the filters just aren't fine enough

Must have a bumpf version of Paint Martin, my filters were pretty fine enough...

[Roadkill]

Oooh, ooh, and in Black ?

[Andy]

think i got a bit of over spray, sorry about that!

[Roadkill]

I mean't the lower portion in black - just use the bucket tool !  

Just insured her - £150 per year @ 1500 miles a year, TPFT.

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

Has anyone got the skillz on Photoshop (and a spare 10 minutes) to do two concepts :

One with the silver painted gloss black, and one with the silver painted as per the rest of the car ??

Doesn't need to be perfect - just so maybe we could set up a poll ?

I'll do this for you later, work is too busy right now

[Roadkill]

No worries, cheers.

I'm seriously considering taking off the crappy front spoiler/air dam and side wings this weekend.

I think, after that, that the two-tone paint would work A LOT better.

The "Sport Kit" may've been the tits in 1994, but it looks $hite in 2013 !!