Newbie wants to say thanks, introduce myself

[Spoontoad]

I'll cut to the chase and say thank you to the great, knowledgeable, and sometimes funny members on here!

The last few days I have been researching this site and have come across the help I've been needing while working on my newly acquired 2001 Ford Explorer Sport 4.0 SOHC with 161,938 miles on it, that I paid a case of beer for ($17) I got it from a friend of mine who just wanted it out of her driveway after sitting for over a year! Down side is it had a lien on it but the bank didn't want it either lol So with the help of a friend of mine who owns a towing & impound business, we got a clear title after waiting the mandatory 45 days... just in case the bank decided they did want it back.

With the exception of some minor surface rust on the running boards, 2 small dents in the body, and a couple minor scratches, the body & interior is in great shape! But it needed a complete brake job all around, outer tie rod ends, & sway bar end links which I did this weekend, and still needs some minor engine work, and a couple other minor things - exhaust work, better tires, fluids need changing, transfer case leaks a bit, etc...

Now, I am mechanically inclined and work as a heavy truck & trailer mechanic, but when it comes to cars & light trucks, I'm almost clueless except for the basics. But tru this forum, I've fixed the Idle Air Control Valve (due to high idle/check engine light issues), and found out why the turn signal & hazards stopped working (the locking tab on the plug in the steering column was broke, sliding out the plug). I've also found some other interesting things just browsing, such as how to reprogram the keyless entry (even though I cant find that dang box with the factory code sticker lol) among other things.

So again, thanks! The forums have helped me save some money big time, and I look forward to gaining some more knowledge from you all, and hopefully help out some people in the process with some of their issues!

Now I'm just deciding how much money I want to put into this, not including some of the minor maintenance issues. But I cant complain as I only have about $350 in to it including title/tabs/towing and the parts I've put in so far!

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum!

[Joe Dirt]

[Crutchfield Vlad]

Awesome, Welcome to the forum.

[1ATony]

Welcome to the site