Captain Morgan, '95 D44 Sas

[Spas]

“Captain Morgan”
1995 Explorer Sport
Originally Willow Green

Engine:
4.0 OHV

Transmission:
M5oD manual transmission

Cooling:
Summit Racing aluminum 2.5” radiator, driver drop outlet
Summit Racing aluminum power steering cooler
Summit Racing flex hose & 90* elbow

Drivetrain:
Manual 1354 Borg Warner
Steel Tube front driveshaft
Extended, reinforced rear driveshaft

Front Axle:
‘84 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Widetrac Dana 44 low pinion
OX locker & Cover
5.13 Yukon Ring & Pinion
All Spicer U-joints, bearings & races
Kevlar braided stainless 32” long brakelines
Stock Waggy shafts (until I break one!)
Warn manual locking hubs

Rear Axle:
Explorer 8.8 31 spline
Dutchman hardened shafts, 6x5.5 pattern, screw-in studs
Aussie Locker
5.13 Yukon Ring & Pinion
Currie 6x5.5 rotors
All Ford bearings & races
Trailmaster 2” tapered rear lift blocks
Superlift spring-over perches
Stock 8.8 metal cover

Suspension:
Explorer ProComp MX6 nitro front shocks
Regular Monroe stock height (go figure!) rear shocks
JC Whitney stock Waggy 7 leaf front packs
Rear leaf packs out of XLT v8 w/ tow package

Tires:
Winter: 315/70r17 Mickey Thompson Baja Mtz’s
Balanced using 5oz powder and filtered valve stems
Summer/mud: 36x13.5r15 Super Swamper TSl Sx Bias Ply

Rims:
Winter:17x9 Black steel RockCrawler Series 97
Summer/mud: 15x10 Black round-holed aluminum something or anothers

Body Mods:
Premium Sport flares
Euro Diamond headlights
Euro Diamond corner lights
Sylvania amber blue 3157 turn bulbs
Sylvania Silverstar 9007 headlight bulbs
Hella 500 Driving lights
Maaco semi-gloss dark Charcoal paint. No wait, now he's grey.. oh man, now he looks silver... IS MY ROOF TURNING WHITE..?!
Black herculiner on lower doors and rock sliders

Body Armor:
DraperBuilt rock sliders
Steel rear bumper w/ swing out carrier, from sn0border88's late Emily Rose

Sound System:
Pioneer 7300 Premier head unit
4 6x8 Kenwood 3 way 220w speakers
10” Kicker VR Comp dual voice coil
Kenwood 729S Amplifier
Cobra 19 CB in center console, w/ external speaker
Semi style short CB whip, hard mounted to rear bumper

Miscellaneous modifications:
Doofy looking Skull knob for T-case shifter (thanks Rook )
Fire Extinguisher & LED Maglite hard mounted to D-Pillars
02-05 Explorer IRS breather tube neck for front axle breather tube
Shaved 8.8 Center pin
Shaved inside fin off of Dana 44 housing to clear OX shift fork
Royal Purple full synthetic Mercon III trans fluid
Modified, fully boxed & reinforced trans cross member to pass over front driveshaft
Custom front sway bar
2wd explorer radio bezel
‘95 F350 Front shock towers
Removed stock air filter fender duct
1.5" Steel front driverside leaf block (to make him sit level again)
Totally rebuilt both front & rear double cardans (just shoot yourself in the foot. It'd be less painful)
Blackjack's front leather power seats
Interior light kill switch
Many many many mini bungees and zipties





Started out looking like this:


Did a little bit of this:


And a little bit of that:


To get this:



Had some fun breaking him in:




And then realized a little too late that I have a serious center of gravity issue:


But clean it all up and throw some paint on and things will look a lot better



And if it wasn't blatantly obvious, I'm a chick


Full write up can be found here: How to waste a ton of $$. Much thanks to Rookie, Wolf, Micah, 95Exploderboy and IZwack for the design/build, and Skunk for the inspiration


EDIT: Morgan wouldn't be the beast that he is today were it not for the two horribly abused first gens who came before him and taught me what it means to have a wheelable Explorer (lots of patience, time and money!). Here's to Shelby and Tank May they rest in pieces wherever they are!

[FROADER]

Hey, cool pics...

[Spas]

Har har har, it's 2:10 am and I've had more than a little Captain of the liquid variety so bite me

Thanks for deleting the messed up first attempt at a thread

[FlyBoyCoe]

Looks to me like Morgan could use some racing stripes!! But wait, you're trying to make him slower, huh? Guess that's out of the question.

[Spas]

Originally Posted by FlyBoyCoe

Looks to me like Morgan could use some racing stripes!! But wait, you're trying to make him slower, huh? Guess that's out of the question.

Not at all! I just can't decide if I want black or silver... otherwise he'd have his stripe-age already I just don't want people thinking that I'm ripping off Skunky if I do light colored stripes

[FlyBoyCoe]

But stripes would make him like 1000 miles per hour faster...haha.

[Mud Bug 94]

what about sidways racing stripes?

[JDraper]

I think it needs airbags...on the outside to protect the truck from the driver...

[Turdle]

Originally Posted by JDraper

I think it needs airbags...on the outside to protect the truck from the driver...

Hmm not a bad idea actually--

[Spas]

You guys are evil.

[Lefy]

freakin sweet truck
I love it

[slammer67]

cool truck.
what front springs are you using?
and lets see a pic of the aluminum radiator-

[95exploderboy]

Originally Posted by Spas

Full write up can be found here: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...ad.php?t=51448

I think you want this for your build thread: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=156488

Sure was a good time....

[Spas]

Originally Posted by 95exploderboy

I think you want this for your build thread: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=156488

Sure was a good time....

Haha, WOOPS. I did mention that I was tired and tipsy when I created this thread, didn't I? Thanks Jake.

Lefy: Damn dude, long time no see! Where have you been hiding yourself?

Slammer, Those are just JC Whitney stock Wagoneer springs. They're soft, but since they're new they don't arch quite as negatively as the 20 year old ones I had on there previously. Except for a small leak caused by overheating the aluminum (had to weld on brackets to hold it in place and it's super difficult to weld aluminum), the aluminum radiator has been priceless so far. Even after hard wheeling on a hot day the temperature gauge never reaches half way, and after 6,000 miles the coolant is still florescent green despite the fact that the radiator itself is considerably shorter than factory Jake and Rook had the great idea to use a first gen fan shroud, and Wolf took care of the fab work involved to get it to sit in there properly.


This is what the second gen shroud looks like over it

[DB_1]

Nice rig Spas, hope to see it at Moab next year

[IZwack]

Originally Posted by DB_1

Nice rig Spas, hope to see it at Moab next year

[hijack]
Funny, Spas mentioned that at the M&G tonight.

I'm actually considering it too -- given school/work cooperates. Google maps says its a 30 hr drive!

[95exploderboy]

To follow IZ's comment, I am strongly considering it too. I will have the F250 and a trailer, so lets GO!

[FAT CAT]

Very cool truck! You did a lot of good work

[Spas]

Thanks CG

I thought I had a line on a beater diesel at work but apparently the guy wants to keep it now. Oh well. If I can get Morgan back into safely driveable shape (and there's no reason I shouldn't be able to) and get a new engine in him, I'd really like to try driving him out for next year's Moab. Jake, IZ, I say we make a trip out of it! You guys won't regret it, trust me

[sn0border88]

if you guys want to throw some money together I have a good friend with a semi and a flatbed. I bet we can get 3/4 rigs on it.