Ford Econoline Twins Go Drag Racing, They're Quicker Than You Think

Well, this unlikely duel happened at the 2022 Glory Days vintage drag race car show, which took between August 19-21, 2022. And not only are these Econolines part of the same generation, but both are of the pickup variety and both are finished in very similar liveries. They're seafoam green Econoline twins.

And no, they don't belong to the same guy. The one that has "Haulin" hand-painted on the sides belongs to Johnny "Bucket" Scheele and it's a 1961 model. And both the livery, the stance, and the wheels are inspired by early 1960s gassers.

The second truck is based on a 1963 Econoline and belongs to John Erdman. Unlike "Haulin," it's squeaky clean on the outside but its nose is up in the air and it still sports its production bumpers.

And here's one cool thing they have in common: both are powered by 347-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) stroker small-block V8s of the Ford variety. There's no info as to how powerful they are, but they're definitely quicker than their stock counterparts.

How fast are these trucks down the quarter-mile? Well, the first run shows the clean 1963 Econoline going against a 1930s hot-rod and covering the distance in 12.92 seconds at 102 mph (164 kph). Then we see "Hauler" bravely taking on a slingshot dragster and crossing the line in 11.61 seconds at 112 mph (180 kph).

Finally, the Econolines lineup up at the Christmas tree to settle the record straight. Not surprisingly, "Hauler" wins the duel with an 11.38-second and 112-mph pass, but John's truck also makes a good run at 12.85 seconds and 101 mph (163 kph).

Needless to say, these Econolines are nowhere near as quick as a Dodge Challenger Demon or a modern, full-blown dragster, but they're amazingly fast for a pair of pickups that started life as affordable and painfully slow haulers. Check them out in the video below.

As a brief reminder, the Ford Econoline was introduced in 1960. The first-gen model remained in production until 1967. Ford offered passenger and panel vans, as well as a pickup truck, all powered by inline-six engines. The Econoline kickstarted the E-Series range, which remained in production in various forms until 2015.