V8 Aerostar ( 5.0 HO )

Ford should have made a V8 Aerostar. I got 5 mpg better than the 2.8L V6 5-spd, it sounds better, and its more fun to drive (power). Sitting 1 ½ inches lower with large swaybars made it handle like a car. I've had A LOT of fun with this van, now it's time for a change. If you ever get a chance to be part of the Hot Rod Power Tour I highly recommend it. It doesnt matter if you do the long haul or just one venue, you wont regret it or forget it!!!

[@brain240sx]

13 years later still an awesome van by todays standards

[@fixit4u73]

After the Big Boom all that will be left is roaches, Aerostars, Twinkies, and one last Big Kmart struggling to stay open.

[@Rezzapee]

bush

[@BisMaxx]

As a fan of Aerostars I can say that I haven't seen one this nice in the last few years. Nice attention to detail!

[@watergate528]

Nice to see some people still take pride in their work! Great job on the van.

[@Bradenst]

He's my instructor at a tech school for into to transportation careers

[@ikutoisahobo]

Extremely well made. It doesn't overdo the customizations like many others. I love the way you did things right and didn't leave them dangling around. Interior is amazing, wheel choice is amazing, hood is awesome, kudos.

[@stevenking2980]

Cool van! We had an 87 3.0l. It was a great van and did 200,000 miles original tranny when we sold it. Sweet video!

[@woottastic]

Holy crap this is EXCEPTIONAL! I am humbled by your fabrication skills. Great job!!

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!!! You'd like the car I'm building now!! In June I'll have owned it for 43 years and the modifications go a lot further than they did with the van. Checkout my channel. Thanks again!!

[@terrellk3087]

i had a '89 aerostar back in high school. it was the 5 speed stick and ran great till the clutch went out and the heater core. tried to bypass the heater but it ended up blowing the head gasket. if i had the chance to buy another aerostar i would in a heart beat.

[@grayfox4554]

Wow! What a fantastic concept and completion. I too owned an 86 Aerostar new and a new 93 and a 94 extended. Best darn vans ever. Reliable and trouble free. I never conceived the magnificent mods you made to yours. Wish I had. I'd still have them instead of the pile of junk 02 Montana. Your Aerostars, wow!

[@AdamLucio]

Love the van! I miss my '97 It is currently sitting in my garage with a blown head gasket. I cant wait for it to live again some day.

[@funguy7979]

ok those bed folding back seats just made me really jealous. I want that in my '92 Astro RS

[@LS-ye5pp]

Love that oil filter placement! That's where it should always be

[@blvelpa]

LS 400 Thank you!!! That was just one of the things that had to be figured out. The rack-and-pinion to steering column coupler took up the space for the filter. You’re right, filters should all be that easy to change!!!

[@sluce8623]

This is awesome dude! I was actually asking my cousin who is a brilliant mechanic by the way, if this conversion could actually be done. He said it couldn't be done because even the four cylinder version of this van has the engine in so tightly fitted that you almost have to remove the engine to replace the spark plugs. To see that someone actually did it is awesome. I'm a big fan of light duty vehicles with a V8.

[@account4info]

I've seen a few V8 aerostar vans. This is the cleanest install. There are pictures of an LS powered aerostar floating around the net. I think it ran a 10 second 1/4 mile.

[@cj4ebay]

dude this is an awesome motor swap. I love the older fords and this is so cool

[@87mustangconvert]

U sir have some skillz.....Nice van!

[@williamherbaughlegend8294]

would of been nice to at least hear it start up and run!! but still cool .

[@blvelpa]

Check out the other videos. When I told my son I was going to sell it, he wanted some videos of it, so together we made some. He loaded 3 of them on KZbin and there were so many hits and questions that I put this video together from pictures I had taken through the years. The videos he has on here are actually videos instead of photos made into a video. You'll like them, the van sounds nothing like an Aerostar. The tires would chirp going into second with the camper on the back. It was a really fun and dependable van!!!

[@williamherbaughlegend8294]

Awesome

[@horseplop9]

@@blvelpa How fast was this beast?

[@blvelpa]

Uncle Chuckles There was one time a Mustang GT (not stock) pulled away from me very slowly. We were on an open highway and there was no traffic in front of us. After that happened, the first thing owner of the Mustang told me, was that he couldn’t believe how fast the van was! I told him I never had it going that fast and that it wouldn’t go any faster. My speedometer only went to 85 so I had no idea how fast we were going. He said that he was topped out at 145 and that I was going at least 140 and maybe faster. I didn’t know him and before he left he told me that he was in complete shock when he couldn’t get away from a minivan. I liked how well it handled at that speed, but I never did it again. Shit happens - you know??

[@horseplop9]

@@blvelpa Hahha I love the story man.. Cool as hell Thanks for answering so fast 3 years later.

[@Royrockbrain]

That is a great looking Aerostar and great upgrades

[@johnherbold6539]

Aerosmith playing over a video of a Aerostar. How fitting

[@SE578]

Wow, that's a pretty sweet looking ride for an Aerostar, I like what you did with it! Probably the craziest thing I ever saw anyone do with these was the one time I was parked at Princess Auto, someone pulled in with one that was converted into a truck, it had lots of bed space, that was for sure! ;)

[@mattsrepair10]

This thing is a legend in its own self.....needless to say,what an AMAZING job and great attention to detail! Purely one of a kind.I dont know how I stumbled upon this video,but Im sure glad I did! Its making it to my favorites list for sure!And Im not much of a Ford fan either,but this is just B.A.D.-A.S.S.!!! Great job sir......YOU,have got talent and patience!

[@grandtheftauto1233]

Super cool hope the new owners treating it well! Thanks for sharing

[@blvelpa]

grandtheftauto1233 I also hope the owners after me have taken care of it and enjoyed it!!! I live in PA and have had it on many 3500 to 4500 mile trips. 2 of those were the Hot Rod Power Tour weeks. The public response was always amazing!!!! A stoplight, gas station, stopping at a store, or at a show we’re all the same. When the camper was on I’d pass trucks with shorter campers on the hills and mountains. It was just time to work on my first car and sell the van. Check the car out on my channel.

[@blvelpa]

Thank you. As far as your skills, if you don't try something, you'll never learn it. Think of it like a LOT of very little tasks. Do one thing at a time because if you think of everything that needs to be done, you might be overwhelmed and never finish it or just sell it. The Fury is slow because I'm so busy. It's all in pieces, but I hope have most of the parts ready for paint before school starts in the fall. I teach an automotive class at a Career and Technology Center.

[@jimwatkins2834]

That was the most awesome Aerostar Ever built ! My only negative is I wish you had sold it to me (: I would love to see you work to learn. Good luck with your car.

[@JohnSmith-yw4bh]

what a great build and nice touch with the old photo with the 90s camper.

[@blvelpa]

I think the camper was a late 90s, probably 11 to 13 years newer than the van and I took the picture the day someone was coming to buy it. I never thought I would have been showing it to anyone on KZbin, I'd have had better pictures. Wish I had videos from the drags. It was within a second of what the stock Mustangs do.

[@redetroitwing]

Every you did was right, looks as svt themselves made this, truly awesome job

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!!! I was at car show once and a lady and her granddaughter stop at the van. The lady looked it over and came up to me and said "I like your van, it's really nice and I'm not putting it down, but why is it here? It looks like a factory van" I thanked here and showed her why it was different. Before they left she said she was blown away by how factory it all looked! That happened a lot and that's OK, I wanted it to be like the factory built it! I drove the van around 300,000 miles as a V8, 60,000 of those were the way you see it in the video. I'm planning to do the same miles with the car I'm building now. Checkout my channel, I think you'll also like that!!

[@bobross7730]

I got a 94 It was the first vehicle my parents got me new. It was a damn good vehicle I still got it but I haven't done any work on it since 06.

[@vassa1972]

I can't believe that you put a 5.0 v8 in this wow

[@bohemialite6371]

that was one hell of a van

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!! I really liked having something different. I put 200,000 miles on it as a V8 aod (150,000 as a factory V6 5-speed manual) and never parked beside one like it at a car show.

[@Sir.AdamsVIII]

Sweet van,I especially love that ram air scoop you made. I just finished a ho swap in my 86 vic and I want that same ram air set up, any advise?

[@saulhernandez8620]

It would be awesome if this Can is still alive.

[@blvelpa]

Saul Hernandez It would be awesome!! I truly hope others could enjoy this van as much as I did!!! It was one of a kind and so dependable - it never broke down on me!!!

[@papawoody7352]

Had a 93 4 liter extended only put 1 trans in it and still ran albeit like shit when junked with 470,000, spent more on tires than anything, cheapest longest lasting vehicle I ever owned.

[@slimmyers1441]

I'm late seeing this. interestingly cool. do you do the swaps for people as well? I have a '94 myself with a 3.0. I would love to see the looks on my friends face if I pulled up in one like that. lol

[@funguy7979]

That hood scoop was the first thing that scared me. ahahahaha

[@herbienbrian2]

this is awesome, I would have loved to see it in action.

[@echobarty]

love my 91,girl friend wants me to get rid of it.231000 miles only bolt on replacement parts so far.I get way above 17 in the city with the factory 3.0 more like 21.the body is another story,rust has a way of eating the areostar up. i love this version of my fav all time mini van.Nice work looks close to stock.Do you have overheating issues?

[@SBS_Auto]

This is so sick!!! I just finished my 5.0 97 ranger

[@DarellEby]

Thank you! I'm sure it's a lot of fun!! I've been in a "99 4x4 super cab "Splash" trim. It was great and like the van, enjoyable to drive. The V8 doesn't make them into a race car, but the extra power and the V8 sound is just awesome!!! Checkout the build I'm doing now. It's my first car, I've had it for over 43 years and it's a much bigger build than the van.

[@SBS_Auto]

@@DarellEby yup, its extremely fun! I will definitely check it out

[@blvelpa]

@echobarty -- No overheating issues, at least very bad ones. If I would get stopped in traffic for over 30 minutes when the temperature was 85 to 90 degrees the gauge would start to go up. Eventually I would turn the A/C off and the temp would go back down. This wasn’t a big problem, just something to watch for in traffic. I installed a new 4.0L rad when I put the HO engine in it. Before that I ran the 2.8L rad for about 120,000 miles and a used 4.0L rad for about 30,000 miles w/ 1st V8.

[@dangerdavefreestyle]

Most trucks/vans are underpowered, and have automatics. You go up the slightest hill n its wtf! Most awesome little van ever. Totally Jealous of that little Creampuff.

[@gfmvan]

that is awesome, exactly how i want to make mine someday (when i get the money lol =P and besides the motor mounts you didnt have to make any other adjustments, it held it up just fine and everything?

[@Flies2FLL]

I have to hand it to you- that car is VERY well done! The way you've integrated the front fog lights, the rear exhaust cutouts, and the hood bulge/scoop is VERY factory! I have a '97 Ford Aerostar, and an '85 Porsche 928. I ran across a guy with a V8 Aerostar one day on I-95, and played around with him- I was astounded how fast that minivan was! Keep up the good work! -Can you send me details as to the V8 conversion?

[@cofre777]

One the Best Song From The this bless Earth!

[@richpatrick3424]

Great job!!! A true labor of love!! Do you miss it??

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!!! It was a hard decision to make, but it was time. I had too many vehicles that I wouldn't drive in the snow and I wanted to free up the cash to work on my first car. I'm still working on it and it's WAY more work than the van was. Check out the Sport Fury on my channel, you'll see what I mean.

[@blvelpa]

Every Aerostar Ive seen with aftermarket wheels on looks strange. The tires stick out too far (wider track) in the front. This van was no exception. To fix this I narrowed the front track 3/4 of an inch by taking 3/8 of an inch out of each lower control arm. The upper control arm has plenty of room to move this much. The tires now fit perfectly in the wheel wells. I couldnt have been happier with the look and the alignment couldnt be better.

[@roadtrekralph311]

Were you able to swap the engine from the front? Or did you have to use a lift?

[@slaughterhousechi]

amazing. hoping to do the swap myself. just probably a stock 5.0gt and manual trans for a while, until i learn more about 5.0 tuning.

[@midgetmayo]

Awesome build , love the hood and intake combo , looks great and functions. Also love the hitch and back bumper set up. Fun AND function .. very kool

[@blvelpa]

midgetmayo Thank you!!! I made the hitch so that I could put another bumper on the van when I wasn’t pulling the camper. That bumper completely covered the hitch. I never changed the bumper because the bumper/hitch combo wasn’t bad looking. The hood was something I just thought up. I took a factory fiberglass hood and cut it up - duck taped it together until it looked right - molded the fiberglass (top and bottom) and painted it. I liked the fact that I never sat beside anything like it at a show and I could enjoy it, A LOT!!! I sold it with 350,000 miles on it. I bought it with 50,000.

[@midgetmayo]

@@blvelpa Wow , that is incredible .. I love being different myself. I'm not into the mainstream vehicles. Builds like this one right here are what it's about. Do you know if the van is still around ? Sounds like you enjoyed it lots

[@blvelpa]

midgetmayo I don’t know if it’s still around. There was a dealer that had it for a year or two at his beach house. I had a chance to talk to him. After that it ended up in northern PA. Someone spotted it and sent me a picture. That was in 2012 or “13. After that I have no idea. Since you like “something different”, check out my channel and what I’m building now. My first car - purchased in June of “79. There’s also a video of my sister’s rat rod. There’s going to be more videos of different cars. I have a “29 Mercedes Gazelle and a “94 Mustang GT convertible. I have some track videos of the Mustang I might put together.

[@midgetmayo]

@@blvelpa Very kool , thanks for the update. I will definitely check your channel out

[@HectorLopez-zl2lu]

La camioneta de mis sueños mis respetos amigo dónde puedo ver más vídeos de esta camioneta waw 👌👌💯

[@designerscorner]

Nice video. I just bought my third Aerostar van. First one, a 96, I sold with 225,000 miles on it. The second, a 95, I bought with 99,000 and it now has 263,000. The third a 95 has 119,000, but is AWD so I will sell the 2 wheel drive before winter. With all three...I have never been able to get the rear two seats to lay flat like in your video...what am I doing wrong?

[@DanteFox]

Not going to lie. That's badass.

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!!

[@NN-cw9rb]

This was done so nice it looks like it could've been a factory option!

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!!! - funny story 🙂 - I was at a show one time and a grandmother and granddaughter (about 5 or so) came over to talk to me. The grandmother said to me “I really like your van and please don’t take this the wrong way, but why is it at the show?”. After she saw the pictures and I explained what was done to it, she was shocked it wasn’t a factory built van. She had a lot of kind things to say about it and she was glad she stopped to talk to me. My son has a couple videos on here of it running if you want to hear it. I’m still building the Sport Fury on my channel - you may also like that build!! Thanks for checking out the van and your comment!!!

[@NN-cw9rb]

@@blvelpa I'm definitely going to check it out! Thank you for reply. Not often you get complimented on custom vehicle work by a grandmother! How cool

[@mrhwyhogg]

That is work to be proud of! Maybe I can let you work on my 56 ford panel truck...got a lot of ideas, but little fab skill....anyway, how's the Fury coming?

[@blvelpa]

@cmndrrm - I sold it in July of 2009. It started out as a 225 hp Mustang engine. All I did to it was raise the compression some, install 1.72 ratio roller rockers (opens the valves 30 thousandths more than the stock 1.6 ratio stamped steel ones), and use a Pro-M 75mm. mass air unit for 25 pound injectors. It wouldn't out run a Mustang, but the Mustang couldn't pull away very fast either. It's still a mini-van. One time I ran it to 140 mph(he said)next to a Mustang. He said he was at 145.

[@davidfuertes1973]

Very Nice the sound of that V8 must of turned heads.

[@blvelpa]

Yes, it wasn't uncommon for someone to make a comment about how it sounded or ask questions about it while I was getting gas. Also got a lot of thumbs up sitting at red lights. It was a really fun van!!!! Thanks for the comment!!

[@donnybra1230]

you uploaded this one my 13th birthday thats a sick ass van man but you should have dropped in a straight 6

[@blvelpa]

Good luck!! I would go with an OD trans because of mpg. If you turn the trans cross member end-to-end, the trans will be moved back and the holes are already there. The engine mounts are a different story. Not a real big deal, just make sure the engine is at the right height so the angle on the drive shaft is the same at both ends. If it's wrong, you'll have a vibration. There's a lot more, but you get the idea : ) If I could go back and change anything, I wouldn't. It worked like it should.

[@isakjohansson7134]

Thats cold jack!

[@blvelpa]

@hildnand000 It wasn’t too bad. I could have the engine and transmission out in around 3 ½ hours. One time with the first V8 I removed the intake, valve covers, water pump, timing chain cover, and oil pan (long blocked it) in the van. After reassembling it I wished I would have just pulled it, it would have taken less time. The alternator and water pump are probably the worst thing to work on. IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!!! Build something and enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@musicsimply9197]

Big ups, Super Hard, Super Cool

[@blvelpa]

Music Simply Thank you!!! I’m in the process of building the car I mentioned at the end of this video. You may also like that build or maybe my sisters rat rod video. Be safe!!!

[@norasteel5353]

love, love, love those aerostars!

[@AGBULLIT]

I want a 5.0 Aerostar!

[@bwardy1977]

Beautiful job- And yes, BadAss!

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!! I hated to sell it, but it was time. I had it a long time and drove it a lot of miles and I didn't want to build it again. I built it twice because of all of the miles I put on it.

[@uptownsamcv]

AWESOME JOB!!

[@jeremygeorgia4943]

The V6 version was already a good tow vehicle - especially with the 5 speed. The AWD version with an 8 might have been interesting, too. I never could get over how weird the looked, but I respected them. They ended up being far more popular & useful, than those GM aero vans. Hopefully, the lower center of mass cured the top heavy feeling around curves.

[@blvelpa]

You're right, the V8 would've been a great option. I got 5 miles per gallon better than the V6 5-speed and pulling the camper was great! I worked at a Ford dealership and remember the first 1986 Aerostar coming off the trailer in late '85. I also thought they were weird and in '89 I bought this '86 and had it for 20 years. I couldn't have been happier with it!!!

[@echobarty]

@designerscorner the latch is tricky,in my 91 it has to be pushed while you push the seat.....my 91 has 21k going strong

[@Kipple2088]

i love my 95 Aerostar , this is a nice one on this video .

[@jeffbarker730]

Well done!! i too have a ford aerostar and have plans to fabricate it into a truck,,lol..yep, im serious. i have 27 yrs paint and body under my belt..so why do you ask, cause i can !! i already have the van and its paid for , and i want a truck soooo why not! maybe a 5.0 in the future but i doubt it, money is an issue here, thanks for posting your van, well done indeed!!

[@JankyAF]

Immaculate work. Does anyone have any idea where this thing is currently?

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!!! The last I heard, it was in northern PA. I hope someone is enjoying it as much as I did!!! I put 300,000 miles on it. 200,000 after making it a V8 aod. It never broke down, always dependable!!!

[@JankyAF]

@@blvelpa That is incredible thanks for sharing! Wow if by chance it ever crosses your path again or you hear of it around I'd love to get in touch with the current owner! Hope your nest build after the Aerostar went well too!

[@blvelpa]

@@JankyAF You can checkout that build on my channel. It’s been a lot more work than the Aerostar, I just hope it’s as dependable!!! Yes, I’m still working on the ‘65 Sport Fury after all these years. If you check it out, leave a comment, subscribe if you like it!! Thank you for checking out the van!! It was a lot of fun with the V8!!!

[@JankyAF]

@@blvelpa of course, just subbed! Looking forward to watching along. Janky do thanky

[@blvelpa]

@@JankyAF Thank you!!! I’m putting another video together now, should have it up next week. I think it’s too long and I want to shorten some before posting it. If interested, here’s a forum with my Fury build: www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/threads/1965-sport-fury-restoration.44077/

[@funguy7979]

I'm not much of a ford guy but that was a cool build.

[@matveichx9162]

Dear D. Eby Your job here is fantastic. I wish I could repeat your experience with mine 1986 Aero. Mine has presumably dead overheated engine (cant say for sure - last time we started it was 5 years ago). I yet to discover a suitable engine for the swap (located in Russia). You mentioned that you managed to adapt rear heat and ac - I assume you took those from a restyled aero 92-97? And seatbelts - it seemed to me that you adapted 3point belts from later Aeros. How difficult was these adaptions? What gearbox did you use? Here in Russia Aerostars are very rear cars - even in Moscow you maybe meet it a couple times in a year. But I saw that some Aeros has lovely captain chairs for the second row. My dream is to find and get a pair of those for my car.

[@matveichx9162]

I found this description - seems a lot like about your vehicle. I purchased the van in 1989 with a V-6, 5 speed in it. I installed the first 5.0L EFI, automatic A-OD from a 1987 Mercury Grand-Marque in 1995. The van worked so well from the first time it was started, that three weeks after finishing the build, I took it on vacation (about 600 miles round trip). The van has always been dependable, even with the V-6, 5-speed it came from the factory with. In the winter of 2001, I purchased a 1990 HO-5.0L and rebuilt it. The heads were shaved (just a cleanup) and given a 3-angle valve job. The block was decked to make sure the deck was square and flat. The engine has forged TRW aluminum pistons, stock HO roller cam, true roller-double row timing chain, Ford motorsport 1.72 ratio roller rockers (same as a Cobra) that open the valves 30 thousandths over stock (stock 1.6 stamped steel), 24 lb. injectors, and a 75 mm Pro-M mass air unit with a K&N air cleaner . The oil filter has been relocated under the radiator. The headers are factory Mustang and the exhaust system is custom-made true duals with an X-pipe in front of the turbo mufflers. It also has flanges using header gaskets to bolt the system together in four places. There are no clamps holding it together. The exhaust sounds great!!! At this time a new radiator, heater core, and motor mounts were installed. The transmission is a 1989 A-OD, rebuilt shortly before I purchased it in 2002. A shift improver kit was added. It has a Lincoln Towncar tail-shaft for the added length. With that, a stock aluminum Aerostar drive shaft could be used. The stock cross member was utilized, however, I turned it around. The holes were already in the cross member and a new standard mount was used. There is a large transmission oil cooler in front of the A/C condenser. The rear axle is an 8.8 from a low mileage Aerostar cargo van. The van sits about an inch and a half lower than stock. I couldn’t find lowering springs so this was done by removing one ring on the front springs and two + rings from a set of extended length Aerostar rear springs. A set of Performance Suspension Technology (PST) sway-bars were added, 1 ¼ inch front and a 1 inch rear. The front lower control arms have been professionally shortened 3/8 of an inch to allow the larger wheels and tires to fit under the wheel wells properly, without rubbing, and are now stronger than stock. There was plenty of adjustment for the upper control arms to be moved this distance. Both upper and lower control arms received new bushings. The rear center control arm has a urethane bushing in the front to control torque. The van rides firmer than stock and handles great!!! The wheels are silver PR aluminum 6 spoke. Front 15x7 with P215/60R15’s. Rear 16x8 with P235/55 R16’s. The stance is right on!!! I built a custom trailer hitch for the van. It was built and installed before the bumper was cut. This was so the bumper could be switched out for one without a cutout (completely hiding the hitch). It’s wired for a camper or a utility trailer. There is also a trailer brake control between the driver seat and the console. The second bumper was never purchased because the cutout for the hitch is finished off so nice it looks as if it could be factory. The front brakes have been upgraded with 1990 all wheel drive calipers and pads. The rotors and pads were the best quality I could find. The new calipers were smoothed and painted red with industrial urethane. The rear brakes are stock, but had new wheel cylinders and spring kits installed in 2002. The interior is out of a low mileage 1993 XLT and was installed complete with the rear A/C and heat. The rear seats lay down into a bed. The front captain chairs are power lumbar and recline. The visors have mirrors and lights. The steering column is a tilt with an aftermarket wheel. There are two switches between the driver seat and the console in front of the trailer brake control. One of these switches is to shut the fuel pump off; a great anti-theft device. The other controls the power ports (cigarette lighters); one under the rear of the driver seat, and one behind the rear seat on the left side panel. Just type in "V8 Aerostar" and there it is.

[@blvelpa]

@@matveichx9162 To start with, I had found a wrecked/running car and installed the engine and transmission (fuel injected 5.0 and automatic overdrive transmission) with the complete wiring harness and computer. It ran great from the first start!! 150,000 miles later I built a 5.0 HO (Mustang GT engine) and transmission (added a shift kit) with another wiring harness and computer, again it ran great from the first start!! If you have some fabrication/welding skills you can do this. Secondly, what you found online was something I wrote about the van a long time ago and is about this van. I think it was a Ford or Aerostar forum. I explained the things I did to build it. It is correct and pretty complete. As I’ve mentioned many times when I’m describing the van, it was an AMAZING vehicle and I never saw anything like it!! If you check out my channel you’ll find the car I’m building now. It’s my first car, I purchased it in June of 1979. This build is way beyond the van. Thanks for checking out the van, I hope it inspires you to build something!!

[@matveichx9162]

@@blvelpa you are a great man, thank you for the reply. I managed to start - just hand up the car to a service station for engine diagnostics. Meanwhile I found wrecked Ford Explorer 2 with 5.0 v8 OHV on it and currently considering the possibility of swapping it's engine to Aerostar. Will wait until tuesday for engine status update - if it's dead than I think it should mean a green light for v8 and a 4wd upgrade :)

[@blvelpa]

@@matveichx9162 Thank you!! I’m a High School teacher, I teach auto mechanics to Juniors, so my job is to get them started on a track to be better than I am. If you continue with the engine replacement - some things to know after unhooking everything ….. • Remove grille, bumper, radiator, and top of the radiator support • Separate top ball joints and remove springs •. Leave 1 bolt in each side of subframe/crossmember - same with transmission crossmember - they come out later •. With everything else unhooked from engine and transmission, use the steel bumper reinforcement (it’s behind the bumper cover you’ve already removed) to pick the body off the engine/transmission. I put a 2x4 piece of wood under the reinforcement and used my engine hoist with a chain to raise the body (remove the last of the bolts from crossmembers first) •. I used an old creeper with steel wheels on it to hold the engine/transmission/lower control arms/crossmembers to roll everything out from under the van. An automotive lift would have been better, but I don’t have one in my personal garage •. After all of that I made the V8 mounts and then I kept lowering the body over the engine/transmission and cutting the body to fit •. After that weld new metal in, seal it up and move on the the wiring There will be lost of challenges to overcome, but if you get that far, you’ll figure it out. Take pictures and post the progress!!!

[@hiTekHOBO55]

hi, awesome job on your Aerostar... are you available for hire? have an '89 Aerostar extended cargo van, sorta rare that I'd like to restore as close to spec as possible thanks!

[@blvelpa]

What town do you live in? I would like to talk to the new owner and actually see the thing again. I lost track of it a few years ago. The last I knew of it, it was located in south east PA. The guy also had a beach house and kept the van there during the summer. He told me he just loved it - he could load everyone in it and go - the cool factor was also important. He ask me if everyone made a big deal about it everywhere I would drive it? Yes... the public responce was crazy!!

[@colinj5291]

The Aerostar was made be extremely lightweight. I believe it had a lot of aluminum parts and a fiberglass hood. The 5.0 probably really makes it move.

[@jquest43]

Nope..all steel,and hood is metal..are you making fantasy comments?

[@blvelpa]

@@jquest43 They all had a fiberglass hood and rear hatch. If you look at the hood I made for it in the video, you can see it was fiberglass. I don’t think they were a lightweight van. Heavier than a Mustang and slower in the 1/4 mile. Actually around a second. I ran it several times.

[@robertcornelisse8664]

​@blvelpa i wonder if it is still around

[@blvelpa]

I have a friend that makes custom exhaust systems and he lets me make my own systems. I put the van on a lift and made it the way I wanted it. I used plates to bolt it together instead of clamps. There are 6 sections. Check out the video, you'll see what I mean. The pipes need to go back the right side because of the gas tank and the spare tire had to be moved inside the van for this system and the trailer hitch I made. It hung freely before I welded it together. Good luck...you can do it.

[@Scarbmetalworks]

I love the van!! Im actually gathering parts to do the swap right now!. i saw the aluminum driveshaft still in there. Is it factory length? were there any serious issues with clearances? and what were the accessories from? i thought i saw an explorer upper intake or was it a 95 stang?? Any help would-be great!!

[@curious390]

.

[@blvelpa]

Linda Morana You're right, that's the factory driveshaft. If you take the trans cross member and bolt it in backwards the holes are already in it for the trans mount. I had to use a tail shaft out of a Towncar because it's about 3/4 of an inch longer. Get the tail shaft angle the same as the pinion at ride height and make the engine mounts. The floor/firewall needs a lot of work and you'll need to make a new engine cover for the inside (use the factory clamps and mount points). I used a 4.0L radiator and all the accessory drive is from a '94 5.0 Thunderbird. I turned the factory GT intake plenum around for a left side inlet - you'll need to grind off the throttle linkage, flip it and weld it in place - the bottom of the plenum also needs to be ground to fit over the fuel rail (you'll see what I mean). The 5.0 computer will fit in the same spot you remove the factory one from. The place for the gas pedal disappears and you'll need to make the new one work without over extending the cable at wide open throttle and still idle properly. The brake pedal arm will need to be bent to move it to the left just over an inch and still keep it level. There's a lot more, but if you can do all of this, you'll be able to figure the rest out. Good luck! When it's finished, you'll love driving something different than everyone else!! After driving this one for 200,000 miles as a V8, it still brings a smile to my face thinking about it. Do a Google search "V8 Aerostar" and you'll find some stuff I wrote about it 10 or so years ago.

[@Scarbmetalworks]

D. Eby Awesome!! and thanks for the helpful tips. I've got a coupe more questions for you. 1. Did you use the 5.0 power steering pump or the noisy v6 one? 2.What were the sway bars from?(rear looks like mustang but not sure) 3. Headers...??? I couldn't quite get a good look at what you chose to run in the video...what were they? Ive got almost all the parts together now and will be going with a t-5 5 speed. Any more help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

[@blvelpa]

Sebastiano Morana 1. The power steering pump was the one from the V6. It was only a few months old when I did the conversion. I had to move it down about a half inch which required cutting a section out of the bracket (from the Thunderbird) in a couple places and welding it back together. 2. The sway bars are the only ones I could find. They're from PST and really made a difference. I also liked the look. After installing the 8.8 (from a much newer cargo van) I had to move it back because it wouldn't fit under the 3rd member. If you look at the sway bar/differential picture you'll see it's behind the center instead of being under it like it was with the 7.5 diff.. You'll also see the brackets I made to fit the lower control arms to hold it in the new position. They're welded in place. 3. The headers are factory Ford pieces that came on the engine. I didn't think a larger tube header would fit on the right side because it was about an inch away from the flange on top of the frame. You can see the flange kind of goes over the header. I revamped the factory heat shield from the V6 and used it to control the heat at the floor area on the right side. There was a couple inches of room between the floor and the header. 4. My van started out as a 5-speed. The problem I see with that is the placement of the clutch pedal. The pedals need to move to be moved to the left and I thought that wouldn't feel right - kind of like sitting sideways behind the steering wheel. I installed an automatic brake pedal instead of leaving the small one in. I drove it 300,000 miles as a V8 and the only change I had to make after the first time it moved under it's own power was the longer tail shaft on the transmission and that was after about 8 months of driving it. Think everything through and don't think about the entire job all the time. It helps to write everything down and work on one thing at a time. After completing all the tasks, and some that will come up along the way, you'll be enjoying something that a lot of people never will - turning a thought into reality!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

[@Scarbmetalworks]

Awesome!! What were the sway bars off of? You mentioned pst but what's that? These are the last parts I need before I open her up.

[@OldSchoolNoe]

Wow it looked amazing!

[@blvelpa]

OldSchoolNoe Thank you!! Check out the Sport Fury I’m doing now. You may also like that project. I’ve owned that car for over 40 years.

[@nicklukacik95]

Where is the Aerostar today? Does it still exist, and who owns it now?

[@blvelpa]

@@nicklukacik95 There was an owner of the van that contacted me about 3 years after I sold it. It was awesome to hear how much he enjoyed it. He asked me if it always got lots of attention and people asking questions about it all the time. The answer was yes, just getting gas could turn into question and answer time. At this time I have no idea where it is. I’d love to know where it is and how it looks.

[@luiseduardohernandez7828]

Hi!! I'd like to start a project with Ls swap... Do you think that this idea imply too much problems??

[@blvelpa]

I think an LS swap would be great!!! With todays support from the aftermarket, I believe it would be easier than what I did here. I built this van with the first V8 automatic from December’95 through May ‘96. The HO 5.0 you see here went in ‘02. I put just over 200,000 miles on it as a V8. I drove it all the time if it wasn’t snowing, even on 2 Hot RodPower Tours. It never broke down on the side of the road. This video has many pictures of what it looked like when I sold it. I expect to never see another like it!!!

[@VinylToVideo]

All that work and you put on a Fram oil filter?!?

[@stevenking2980]

Well farm makes motorcraft, so you'd might as well read a book son.

[@VinylToVideo]

Steven King On which farm will I find this book?

[@blvelpa]

+VinylToVideo - I normally use wix and Mobile 1. I must have been out of wix filters that day, but the Mobile 1 is in the engine.

[@VinylToVideo]

+D. Eby Yes I've been using Mobil 1 in two of my cars as well. Apparently they don't have the dirt holding capacity of some other filters but changing them frequently should solve this. I've used K&N in the past which I believe are good filters. Royal Purple filters are probably good but I have to cross a border to buy them. I've heard good things about Wix but have never seen them for sale here. I just got another car with a 3.0 Duratec engine and might try finding Wix filters for it.

[@blvelpa]

+VinylToVideo - Go to Napa and pick up the Napa Gold filter, it's a Wix.

[@Ultraseven77]

Amazing Aerostar! Thank you for share this video.

[@fredugas]

i have a ford aerostar van too , to swap a 5.0 ho in this van , what i need ? special engien support? ( sorry for my english im quebecois )

[@greenmrt]

Sweet aerostar!

[@INNO222]

Super nice!

[@dangriffiths613]

Very nice 👍

[@bwardy1977]

MerkuXR4Ti has this in action... are they the new owner, or old?

[@blvelpa]

MerkurXR4Ti is my son and he posted the 3 videos on here. He made the videos when I told him I was going to sell it because we owned the van his whole life. Him and my daughter helped work on it (you know what I mean, help with the important stuff that helped them build confidence). The videos were for him to remember it and he ended up putting them on KZbin. There were so many hits and questions that I put together this video to show some of the pictures I have of it. The van was a great project and a very fun vehicle. When I sold it it had 350,000 miles on it and 300,000 of them were with a V8 in it.

[@WARD5KUSTOMZ]

how did you run the duals out the back? i got an aerostar that i wanting to put duals on

[@houseofno]

way cool...and thanks for building this wonderful 'stfu' to all the doubting flat-earthers who said it couldn't be done! kudos!!!

[@blvelpa]

Thank you!!!! It was a LOT of fun......

[@blvelpa]

@Flies2FLL To make changes like this to any vehicle I do not start by taking it apart. I measure everything (opening size, new and old engine dimensions, pinion angle, etc) and try to figure out the obstacles before I pick up a wrench. Almost anything can be done if you are prepared to do what it takes. DO NOT skip something or do poor work just to finish or drive the project, it WILL come back and burn you later!!

[@emilionaranjo5894]

This soundtrack is accurate asf

[@blvelpa]

Thanks, I thought the same thing and I also liked that the song lasted until the end of the video.

[@MellowMechanic87]

do you have any video of you doing the install?

[@notlostwonderer1811]

Do you still have it or know who dose?

[@pancudowny]

You say you swapped an 8.8" rear into it, but what gearing did it contain? \:|

[@blvelpa]

I think the factory differential was 3.45 (It's been a long time) and when I installed the 8.8 my speedometer didn't change so I can only assume it was the same. It didn't matter to me what the ratio was, I wanted the bigger diff. The 8.8 was out of a 1990 Aerostar cargo van.

[@jeffsherris6223]

So im currently looking to swap a 3.8L supercharged 90s thunderbird motor and trans into my 1993 extended AWD aerostar. Anyone with any experience swapping motors on these things want to chime in? Im playing it all by ear haha.

[@blvelpa]

I thing that would be an AWESOME swap!!! If you do that, make sure to post videos of it!!

[@waylinvanhalen]

tight aerostar! and i'm not talking "fitment"

[@hiTekHOBO55]

friggin awesome dude!!!

[@MellowMechanic87]

i have a 1993 aerostar its the short one to. im getting it ready for a v8. got any advice? lol

[@freddypedraza2066]

Yeah, put a for sale sign on it, get a truck and drive like a man. Lol jk, for any swap, always make sure your tranny is up to the task. I think that's a must

[@account4info]

A 2.0L ecoboost would make about the same power as the 302 and fit in there a lot easier

[@vernondouglas4425]

Aerosmith playing in the aerostar

[@blvelpa]

@ihateu1979 Thank You very much!!! I'm purchasing a '94 Mustang GT convertable, loaded, 5-speed, with 100k on it. I don't like that body style but this thing is really nice, works like new and the price is right!! When the Fury's done, who knows what might happen to the GT............

[@chefdan87]

I have a friend that did a 5.0 swap in his aerostar. To this day i have never rode in a car or truck that made giggle like that.

[@blvelpa]

LOL, Mine was also a fun van to drive!! Do you have any pictures of your friends van and the mods done? I'm interested to see how different the mods might be. I like to see other build styles.

[@chefdan87]

Sadly i have no pictures its been a few years since ive seen it, i have moved since then. But i remember some things he had done to it. Motor came from a explorer and was bored and stroked to a 347 stroker. Stock intake manifold and efi were replaced with either the holley or edelbrock low rise intake and their version of efi. He custom made a air filter because of clearance issues. I think i read one of your comments about very tight exhaust clearances and i think he had to stick with stock manifolds. Mechanical fan replaced with electric for the radiator. Like you he swapped in a 8.8 ford rear axle from that same explorer "disk brakes". I think he had lower gears though 4.11 or 4.56, it was a 1/8th mile sleeper. Tremec t5 five speed manual with home built tranny crossmember. It had a stance much like yours but i dont remember rim and tire sizes. Flowmaster 40s for a pretty loud exhaust. Always fun to watch his big boxy van take down mustangs and camaro's or kids in their hondas. I like cars trucks and vans that are different! And a super fast sweet sounding aerostar was just awesome.

[@vernondouglas4425]

It would be funny if minivans came factory with 5.0s

[@coffeeandsugar20]

Did you have to make a custom wiring harness for the V8?

[@blvelpa]

I used the wiring harness from a Mustang GT. The first 5.0 was from a Ford LTD and I used that harness after altering it. When I installed the HO engine I changed it to a Mustang harness. I laid the altered LTD harness on the floor and made the Mustang harness wire lengths the same. No one made a harness for the van with that engine which doesn't surprise me because I've never seen another V8 Aerostar. They'd be wasting money to make them.

[@coffeeandsugar20]

Thanks for the reply. I have a 1992 Aerostar with AWD and 4.0 V6. I want to do a V8 swap but I want to keep the digital dashboard. No idea how to do that yet.