My Explorer is totalled

[Robman]

poor design and hard on fuel.

 

[sickwilly]

With my sport trac totaled last week, the offered me if I did not take the loss, their initial offer minus what a salvage junkyard was going to pay them. That was $600. I would think you would get $2600. You will have to check your state laws. Here in TN with an older truck that does not make your title a rebuilt title. Your state could be different.

 

[96firephoenix]

insurance buy-back in indiana gets you a salvage title, but for this damage, it would be trivial to get that converted to a rebuilt title just by replacing the bumper and having a shop do the frame repairs.

 

[96eb96]

Perhaps with regular oil changes the timing chains are less problematic (honestly I doubt it) but most of us here are buying well-used vehicles with 150-250K on them with who knows how many owners. Beginning with good maintenance on a 18 year old vehicle with high miles is too little too late. I stand by my opinion that the 4.0L SOHC engine (with it's hydraulic chain tensioners) is a poor design.

Yeah, it is like the 3v engines with the VVT cam phasors. Not a matter of if but when. Maintenance is usually not an issue. Some were on fleet maintenance schedules but still failed, because of a very lousy design.

 

[imp]

Perhaps with regular oil changes the timing chains are less problematic (honestly I doubt it) but most of us here are buying well-used vehicles with 150-250K on them with who knows how many owners. Beginning with good maintenance on a 18 year old vehicle with high miles is too little too late. I stand by my opinion that the 4.0L SOHC engine (with it's hydraulic chain tensioners) is a poor design.

@koda2000
It IS a poor design, beyond a doubt. But those of us who bought one before finding that out are hip-swiveling feathers in the wind now! Much rather have a 4.6, knowing Ford designed it. Maybe Cologne did even the 4.0 design work, along with building them, with little or no help from Ford. imp

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I honestly, after the work done to the 4.0, the MPG, and all that considered, if this car didn't get a one of a kind reputation among my friends for shiny due to my detailing it, I'd have been sold it for a V8, and I'm looking at a body for the V8 rollover RN, looking at a couple a friend has offered me.

 

[Robman]

The 4.0L OHV w/manual trans and 5.0 are the best explorers, don't let ANYBODY tell you different.

 

[Robman]

The 4.0L OHV w/manual trans and 5.0 are the best Explorers, do NOT let ANYBODY tell you different.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

In experience, the 4.0 was a bit lacking, the 5.0 is a wonder in these though, It'll hold it's own

 

[imp]

In experience, the 4.0 was a bit lacking, the 5.0 is a wonder in these though, It'll hold it's own

@RandomNerd2000
The 5.0 HO as used in Mustang was discontinued after '94. Replaced by 4.6. Then, 5.0 was resurrected for Explorers, in what, '95 or '96, used for several more mores in them? I heard the heads were somewhat different, something about exhaust manifolds. Mustangs came with tube headers, short, made of Stainless Steel. Were the Ex 5.0s as good as Mustang HO? imp

 

[RandomNerd2000]

@imp The 96s came with GT40 heads, which afaik match 92-96 F-150s and maybe other years, I like the sound of those more, the 97-01s came with GT40Ps, which in experience have a noticeable sound difference and I can notice a slight power difference. If you're doing headers, you want a 96 donor, I've sold the heads on eBay before I bought out scrap yards, there's a demand for GT40s, although I kept myself a set in the event I decided to do something else with a V8. Also worth noting that Explorers were roller cam, and they put out more than tappet afaik, plus with good care have been seen at over 350K, forum member has a 454K one I think. I love the 5.0s, in almost anything, and one of my racing friends does too so I've learned a wealth of info about these.

 

[imp]

@imp The 96s came with GT40 heads, which afaik match 92-96 F-150s and maybe other years, I like the sound of those more, the 97-01s came with GT40Ps, which in experience have a noticeable sound difference and I can notice a slight power difference. If you're doing headers, you want a 96 donor, I've sold the heads on eBay before I bought out scrap yards, there's a demand for GT40s, although I kept myself a set in the event I decided to do something else with a V8. Also worth noting that Explorers were roller cam, and they put out more than tappet afaik, plus with good care have been seen at over 350K, forum member has a 454K one I think. I love the 5.0s, in almost anything, and one of my racing friends does too so I've learned a wealth of info about these.

@RandomNerd2000
Thanks for that! The Mustang 5.0s had roller lifters, but plain old rocker arms; '93 Cobra had roller lifters as well as roller rockers as I recall. By that stage in the lifetime of the venerable 302, these were the epitome of the OHV small blocks. '93 Cobra also used 24 lb. injectors vs. 19 lb. in regular HOs; Ford Motorsports sold a kit back then using 24s, Cobra PCM, harness, and a GT-40 intake manifold, to convert 351W engines to EFI from carburetion. I used that kit to convert a kid's '68 Mustang. Turned out amazingly well. Charged his Dad $5000, they picked up the car at my shop in PHX, drove it back to Albuquerque, got 25 mpg! They were delighted! Here's the only pics I have of it:

 

[Afrojoe]

If it were my X I'd but that money into some custom bumpers and safe the rest. But I'm attached to my Explorer and wouldn't mind just cutting the old frame horns off and welding new ones on. That's something your not supposed to do because the horns are meant to be crumble zones to absorb impact, but if it's cheaper and would fix her that's what I'd do.

 

[wcjeep]

My opinion is this. Over $3k for a truck worth less than $2k sounds like a deal to me if your not attached.

The damage seems very minor. Unknown is the hidden damage. Usually insurance companies try to low ball. It sounds like they are giving a decent deal. I would be deciding on the color of the next vehicle.

 

[Bootless]

I did not read all the post so some one might of mentioned it but you can get pretty much all the parts from lmc truck

 

[97LTD]

Sorry for not posting update in a while... .had a busy peak at UPS. This Explorer is a 4.0L SOHC with just over 207,000 highway miles on it and still averages 22-24 MPG. I opted to surrender to the insurance and get the money which is more than what's it's worth. I'll consider the upgrade at a later time, I'm still the fan of the Ford Explorers and it never let me down ever since I owned it. 1993 Explorer Limited (retired) and this 1997 Explorer.

This is the car that hit me in the back of my Explorer and is trashed.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

Now's an ideal time to find yourself a mint 98-01 with the V8 in it, I personally don't like the 3rd gens much, see too many of them being junked

 

[bluestream1]

Perhaps with regular oil changes the timing chains are less problematic (honestly I doubt it) but most of us here are buying well-used vehicles with 150-250K on them with who knows how many owners. Beginning with good maintenance on a 18 year old vehicle with high miles is too little too late. I stand by my opinion that the 4.0L SOHC engine (with it's hydraulic chain tensioners) is a poor design.

Oil changes have noting to do with the timing chains. I suspect heat is the enemy and the plastic get brittle over time. I use mine mostly in the winter now, and so far so good. But the chains can go anytime...

 

[bluestream1]

Here's a few pictures of the accident...and they offered $3150 if I surrender my Explorer... that's well more than the KBB value of my Explorer.

I have a pair of the bumper support brackets you need. New and rust free... Yours will be bent beyond using.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

Oil changes, as well as oil quality, seem to have an association with how far you get.