Just bought a 98, now fixing it up

[EB4X]

/\ Exactly ...never heard of vehicle ant infestations until this....

 

[DintDobbs]

@Running an Explorer Odd, about the ants. Three of the vehicles my household has possessed over the years have had small numbers of ants inside at various times. There doesn't seem to be any common factor in it; one was a Ford Taurus used by the family (the ants came one summer and disappeared later, with no investigation from us) many years ago, one was my Hyundai Elantra (the ants were in there from a previous owner and left when they found out I don't eat in the car), and this year I bought a 2000 Ford Explorer without ants, but ants came in for about a week last month before again finding out that I don't eat in the car, and leaving on their own.

That Explorer is a beaut, make sure you treat her nice! I don't envy your V8, but I'm glad you like it!

 

[Running an Explorer]

This is one of the most fun explorer re-do I’ve seen. Was your truck buried in a sugar factory? What’s with all the damn ants?

Thank you, haha it must have been.
The guy I bought it from said it used to be parked in the his yard under a tree. I don't know how long it was there though, I could see the bare spot in the grass. It wasn't totally dirt, still just dead grass.

 

[Running an Explorer]

/\ Exactly ...never heard of vehicle ant infestations until this....

Yeah, I don't even know what they would be attracted to. I only found 1 chip and 1 fry under the seat and the ants weren't around them, so who knows.

 

[Running an Explorer]

@Running an Explorer Odd, about the ants. Three of the vehicles my household has possessed over the years have had small numbers of ants inside at various times. There doesn't seem to be any common factor in it; one was a Ford Taurus used by the family (the ants came one summer and disappeared later, with no investigation from us) many years ago, one was my Hyundai Elantra (the ants were in there from a previous owner and left when they found out I don't eat in the car), and this year I bought a 2000 Ford Explorer without ants, but ants came in for about a week last month before again finding out that I don't eat in the car, and leaving on their own.

That Explorer is a beaut, make sure you treat her nice! I don't envy your V8, but I'm glad you like it!

Wow that's strange, the cup holders were sticky but I never seen any ants on them. They all seem to be trying to hide up under whatever they can.
Thanks, yes! I'm good at staying on top of maintenance and I don't drive like a crazy person either. I often get honked at and lights flashed at me for accelerating too slow in my 94's (gotta try to save those a4ld's lol)
Yeah, I'm happy with the 4.0 in my 94's and just wanted to find a 5.0, not for power, but because I wanted an Explorer with a tougher auto transmission. That being said I've never had a problem with either of my a4ld's either.

 

[Running an Explorer]

The front valence and cruise control buttons came in the mail the other day and now I've got them on. The valence wasn't bad at all putting on, but the cruise control buttons is where I spent most of my time, like and idiot. Since the new buttons came with new wiring I went ahead a replaced the wiring and all that's involved to access that. As I was plugging in the new buttons to the wiring I realized I could have just used the old wiring and just plugged the new ones up and saved lots of time. But hindsight is 20/20.

I'm getting a tag for it this week and I had to sell one of my vehicles to make room for this one. After much agony of thinking I decided I'd sell my 94 Eddie Bauer. I sold it to someone I know really good so maybe in the future I'll be able to buy it back. I just don't have room for 4 vehicles.

The ants are almost gone. I only see a few on the hood crawling around at times. So they should pretty soon be going away, especially since I'll be driving it.

 

[Akexplod95]

The front valence and cruise control buttons came in the mail the other day and now I've got them on. The valence wasn't bad at all putting on, but the cruise control buttons is where I spent most of my time, like and idiot. Since the new buttons came with new wiring I went ahead a replaced the wiring and all that's involved to access that. As I was plugging in the new buttons to the wiring I realized I could have just used the old wiring and just plugged the new ones up and saved lots of time. But hindsight is 20/20.

I'm getting a tag for it this week and I had to sell one of my vehicles to make room for this one. After much agony of thinking I decided I'd sell my 94 Eddie Bauer. I sold it to someone I know really good so maybe in the future I'll be able to buy it back. I just don't have room for 4 vehicles.

The ants are almost gone. I only see a few on the hood crawling around at times. So they should pretty soon be going away, especially since I'll be driving it.

View attachment 446142

View attachment 446143

View attachment 446146

Looking good Reggie ray!

 

[Akexplod95]

Looking good Reggie ray!

We should start a thing where we take a picture of our area when we do a fix, I’ll post one tomorrow, Alaska time, so it will be evening for most of you guys. My alternator ain’t alternating anymore.

 

[Lazerskull]

Good score! 5.0 w/169K for $1,400 and clean body/ paint.
Question on this > "cut the opening to the blend door" ....So you fixed a blend door issue without removing dash ?

On my 97 there was a cut away behind the glove box. You lower the glove box and the plastic housing the blend door was cut away a square big enough for a hand and you just push or pull it manually. Push is winter pull summer mode I believe. (?)

 

[Running an Explorer]

Looking good Reggie ray!

Thanks! What or who is reggie ray?

 

[Akexplod95]

Thanks! What or who is reggie ray?

That’s a line from the end of trading places with Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy, but I just looked it up and the name is Billie ray not Reggie ray so……..I’m an idiot

 

[Running an Explorer]

That’s a line from the end of trading places with Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy, but I just looked it up and the name is Billie ray not Reggie ray so……..I’m an idiot

Ah, ok, no wonder why I didn't get it lol

 

[Fix4Dirt]

sometimes have noticed ants more so in cars that have soggy carpet/been wet

 

[Running an Explorer]

sometimes have noticed ants more so in cars that have soggy carpet/been wet

Everything is completely dry. Windows and door seals do not leak, I think it was just a case of don't care and pure neglect.

 

[Running an Explorer]

Got it all shined up!

 

[Running an Explorer]

Put on a hitch this evening. I've had the hitch for probably 2 years. We pick up scrap metal and got it and thought it might be good to keep, thankfully I did! The ball and receiver was also free, found it laying in the road at the scrapyard the other day.

Next thing on the list is front wheelbearings/hubs.

 

[Akexplod95]

Put on a hitch this evening. I've had the hitch for probably 2 years. We pick up scrap metal and got it and thought it might be good to keep, thankfully I did! The ball and receiver was also free, found it laying in the road at the scrapyard the other day.

Next thing on the list is front wheelbearings/hubs.

View attachment 446270

Looking damn good, nice job keeping this one on the road!

 

[DintDobbs]

@Running an Explorer She is a beaut! That brown stripe on the side, is that factory, or was that added later? Never seen one with that color stripe before.

 

[Running an Explorer]

@Running an Explorer She is a beaut! That brown stripe on the side, is that factory, or was that added later? Never seen one with that color stripe before.

I think it's original, all the 98 gold explorers I looked up online have it. Now if you're talking about the big scrape on the passenger side, that's complements of a guardrail from the previous owner lol.

 

[Paul]

Like all the work, and love these threads about keeping these rigs on the road - - but personally would not have let this one go. . .

. . . even if you enjoy destroying ants. Biased to 1st Gens, so the one you kept must be mint!

Paul