Ignorant man with an interesting van

Hello to an unfamiliar corner of the internet!

Classic cars and mechanics are things I know very little about, and I apologize for any headaches or dizziness that may result from exposure to my level of ignorance. I'm here to learn.

I purchased a project house "as-is" from the owner a few months ago which had been trashed by bad tenants. It was full of (largely worthless) personal property, which I've been processing over time, and I've finally gotten around to the van left in the garage, which I expected someone to come for, but seems to now be mine.

The van, which I had assumed was practically junk, turns out to be something of a classic—it's a 1962 Ford Econoline, which, aside from some pretty trashy decals, seems to be in pretty good shape. It's missing the rear wheels, and the rear axle is disassembled. (It looks like it was in the middle of a rebuild of some kind.) The body has been painted, but is fully intact, and I don't see signs of rot in the frame or panels.

I had a mechanic friend over to look at it—it has a bad starter, but the engine has oil in it, and isn't seized. There's reason to believe it was driving around in the last couple years.

So that's what I know, and what I don't know is...a lot.
What do I have here? What is it worth? How to I go about selling it so I can get what it's worth? Who would want it? What do I need to do before I price and sell it? Is it worth it for me to have work done on it before I sell it?

What I need is to hear some informed opinions from people who aren't trying to buy it from me. Is this the right place for that? My mechanic friend wants to give me $2500 for it as-is, which is more than I thought I would get out of it when I bought the house, but it seems like I could do better?

Obviously it's not worth the $20k they go for fully restored, but it seems like maybe someone somewhere wants one of these for a project, and would be willing to pay a bit more than that.

Any generous strangers have some advice for me?

Two things.....
You have said that you aren't a mechanic
It is abandoned on your property, so you likely don't have title to it....

Yes, it's worth a bit more if a buyer gets clear title from you and can drive it home, but getting there is (for you) likely going net you less coin than if you just sell it to your mechanic friend as-is/where-is and let him deal with getting ownership and making it run.....

If you enjoy these kinds of challenges, you need to learn your state's laws regarding abandoned vehicles left on your residential rental property and establish that you can charge him storage on a per-day basis (if it's allowed) and DO NOT fix or move it until you own it......Call towing companies and learn what their daily storage fee is because you can not reasonably charge more..... After about 90 days, the owner will owe more in storage than the vehicle is worth and you can start the process of notification that is the start of the lien sale process..... Keep in mind that at any time between now and then, the owner may try to claim his van without paying storage, even implying to police that you have stolen it....
By contrast, if your mechanic friend takes it, it's simply gone after an abandonment and your mechanic will have to pursue the abandonment process..... Regardless of who pursues it, the van will have to sit long enough to generate storage fees that exceed the van's value and the owner has to be given the opportunity to pay up and retrieve his van...
This is what towing and storage companies do for a living, but anybody else that tries this can easily end up defending their actions in court and you can bet your ass that he'd claim the van is worth Barrett Jackson money.....

Take the $2500!..... It's really not worth even that much in it's current condition and status!

I thought I recognized this van, and it's the same one that appeared in a lengthy build thread on a Datsun forum I used to visit. Not sure that it helps your situation but might yield some clues.

See if it is in fact, the same van.

https://ratsun.net/topic/66253-62-falcon-econoline/page/25/

It appears that it was in Arlington Tx in 2019 and then the thread just stops......I see front disc brakes on it and he shows quite a bit of wiring for a boosted stereo system.... Also a pretty nice hitch....
It could be worth as much as ten grand in roadworthy condition with good title....

I appreciate the replies and helpful info!
As an update, the story doesn't end super happy for me, but it does end happy for the registered owner of the van, who saw my post on one of these forums, and was able to show me a title with the correct serial number.

Working on getting it back to him.

Or, well. Enjoyed the mystery, and it will be good to actually have a garage to work with

But you will get paid for some storage, RIGHT?

If the owner is claiming it was stolen, he's most likely to try to not pay you a dime for storage as he merely brings the cops with him to retrieve it.....There are ways to be sure you'll get paid for storing it, but it's also important for him to get it back if he's the rightful owner.....Are you certain that he is the CURRENT owner and not a previous owner?

I got far enough in the title search to know the year and state it was last registered in. It's legit.
It's actually the guy who left it there. I had prematurely ruled that out because it was registered in a different state and several years ago. I had assumed it wasn't him also because he didn't come to get it, but apparently someone had told him that it was gone. Live and learn. You know what they say about assuming.
I'm...not intending to fight for a storage fee. I know I could, legally, but I don't see a reason to make enemies in this case. Certainly not with someone who knows my address.

If I abandoned a vehicle somewhere and later wanted to reclaim it, I would expect that I owed a storage bill....
If he would fight over owing you storage, he's being a jerk!
It's okay if you want to be a nice guy, but you are being taken advantage of.....