AWD explorer as hot rod chassis...

This was my original thread about this..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154183
I thought I'd move over here to the 95-01 side.
Just to recap, I am building a 1951 Ford F1 onto an Exporer AWD chassis.

Thanks to the advice from this board I finally went ahead and bought an Explorer
It's a 2000 Explorer limited, AWD in Black with a 5.0 124,000 miles $1600, almost exactly what I was looking for, less miles and a 98 would have been nicer but this will do. It has some very minor looking damage behind the back left wheel well and a couple of broken windows. I just have to pick it up from Wichita Kansas now. That'll be next Thursday

The plan is coming together well now and once I get the Explorer home and start tearing apart I'll really feel like I am getting somewhere.
Once i am tearing it down I'll be selling off nearly the whole interior and most of the body so if anyone has any special requests I'd be happy to repay the help I've got from the board by letting some of the stuff go cheap.

Thanks all.

Oooh nice work!!
Do you plan to rebuild the drivetrain?
I may be interested in some body parts

Jamie, you need more parts for another project.

Good luck with the 51 Ford, and let me know if the 2000 has rear air shocks. I'm soon going to be testing my 99 with an ARC system installed from a 98 set of parts. Regards,

i need some interior parts in grey?

sounds like an awesome project

http://public.fotki.com/wargames/51-ford-f1/page2.html
There are some pictures from the auction house up there.

410, I am planning as you said a 'soft rebuild' of the trans. Aside from that I'll be doing a lot of health checks and fluid changes while it's stripped. The suspension will stay with it for now until I figure out how to bag the front. Expo5.0 ? I may need your help and advice on that.

Bodyparts, and interior parts aside from the steering column will all be up for grabs. I'll have a better idea when I get it back here.
Start calling dibs

entire front seat belt assemblies

door sill pieces

a and b pillar pieces

Sure, no problem. I'll try not to f#ck them up getting them out.

Hey while you're about. You mentioned your X is bagged once in the extreme suspension section, you said you used air rods ? I will be bagging the chassis and I want to keep the AWD - is there anything that will bolt straight in where the shocks go (assuming I reinforce the mounts) , or will I have to fabricate some new upper mounts and run shockwaves ?
Also are you running a parallel four bar or such in the back ?

Are you personally coming to Kansas for the Explorer?

you will want to just go with bags- i ended up with a bag system with slam specialties stuff. I'll help you with what i can.

I currently don't run a 4-link in the rear, but i will eventually (stereo was more of a priority for now)

cut me a good deal on those parts and i'll spend hrs helping you with any suspension knowledge i have

JTS, yup, I'll be in Kansas next Thursday picking the X up.
Where are you compared to Wichita ?

Expo - I need the kind of experience you have dropping the X, I don't need the trim in the car, so I will definitely cut you a deal. So far you're the only person I have first hand contact with who has bagged an Explorer and kept the AWD.
I'll send you a PM and we'll get something sorted out once I have the X.

I was actually expecting to spend more than this on a much worse X, so this is a pleasant surprise.

I appreciate all the help.

ah, i did eventuall ditch the awd

but i know how you can do it and keep it (just don't try to take it too far like i did--- you simply can't drive it dropped as far as i wanted to and have it live for long) You will have to settle for driving it at 3-4" of drop ---- i'll defintely do what i can to help. I only got 6,000 miles out of it with awd while bagged before i blew things up (often driving with it down 6-8")

You have a PM Hope you can help me out.

Looks like a great project. Can't wait to see how it comes along.

Not sure if my PM went through, but I'm looking for the components for the Auto Climate control. Few sensors, main unit, dash harness. As well as the steering wheel/clock springs/airbag.

No worries Todd, got the PM's.

Expo, I have the luxury you didn't of being able to mount the F1 body at any height I like on the chassis. I will probably mount it all so with Ex chassis at stock ride height, the bottoms of the fenders are at about 8 inchs, that way with a normal drop of about 3~4 (say a torsion twist and some blocks) I'll be down under coke can height, and fully deflated (once I get bags in) I'll be scraping.
I won't ever need to drive it at full drop, and if i did it'd be a tail drag - this is an old school (looking) rod.

I haven't figured out yet if I'll be able to bag it before I drop the body on or after, it really depends how much the sheet metal runs to. I got lucky and scored a complete RUST FREE unmolested body, front sheetmetal and bed/fenders from a guy in Cali, so that ought to cut costs down a bit.

I almost feel bad about junking such a nice Exp to be honest, so I won't be letting any parts go to waste.

yeah, you'll be well set-up then.

for your needs I would start right away and Z the frame up before you even begin so that you can get the front as low as you will want.

i'm hoping those parts i need are in decent shape in the truck- i still have all those parts in green in mine (with plans of painting the whoel thing black and grey... including the interior... yuck)

The way i'm going to recommend you do the front your likely to only have 4-5" of travel up there... which is the same as you would likely get from sort sort of an "air rod" type set-up, but still not a huge amount (i get like 10" currently)

also, bagging it after the body is on won't be a huge deal-

how much of the stock abs/cruise/etc. junk you keeping?

OKay this one I know.
ABS has got to go, I hate that stuff and think it's just an overcomplicated waste of time.
Cruise control will probably get trashed as well, too much engine bay clutter and not really necessary on a rod, I barely use it on my dailey drivers anyway.

All the climate control stuff, you say you have it all in green ? So you just want it for a colour change ? Electronic climate control is something I might try and incorporate, we'll see.

Is Z'ing the frame really necessary with the way I'm going to be doing things ?

expo5.0 said:

also, bagging it after the body is on won't be a huge deal-

how much of the stock abs/cruise/etc. junk you keeping?

Click to expand...

no, it isn't

i'd want to make a LOT of measurements first to be sure though- might be worth the effort (i thinkn it will be) the front is what will be your issue to get low and the front is what you need to get low on that truck to have it look good.

for the record- someone else wanted climate control stuff

i just need the door sills, entire seat belt assemblies, and a and b pillar pieces for my color change