Rebuilding a 2nd gen Explorer with a 1st gen rear clip

[wood1]

Great read Don, nice work.

Woody.

 

[Sparky94]

Well as I changed the title after beginning the project, really what I did is just swapped the back half of the 95-01 vehicle.

I started out wanting to retain the whole 91-94 body to use on a 95-01 chassis. It had been discussed a time or two before I began my project. But no one had really gone into trying to swap just a firewall or enough of a front end to swap the front body parts.

Ryan more recently swapped the firewall to allow the use of the later dash, and wiring etc.

I could have kept the 93 front end and still used the 99 firewall, but the work would have been harder to "section" the front clip to mesh the 91-94 radiator support and upper fender aprons, with the lower portions of those.

Parts are cheaper now so it's easier to pick and choose what you like best or want. The earlier front end is only better visually for the people who like it the best. The later 1995-01's are better for everything else, functionally, for cooling, engine fitment etc.

ok. So I would not have to swap the fire wall to put a SOHC, and a later chassis up under a 94. Because i plan on keeping the interior and body the way it is, but not most of the electronics. Would that work? Love the truck. Thank You!!

 

[CDW6212R]

I'm not sure if the AC unit does clear the SOHC, I'm sure there are some examples here of members swapping the SOHC into the pre-95's though. Check on that before starting.

If you maintain the electrical system of the older truck, then the older body will be an easier project, besides the engine management.

You can check out Ryan's white 92 Explorer to see how his evolved from small projects, to finally a new firewall and a 302. It's possible to locate the engine computer to the firewall as the later trucks have it. I think Ryan did that too before changing the whole firewall. He wanted the later dash and electrical system, thus he had to change the firewall.

 

[Turdle]

I spoke with CDW6212R (Don) on the phone, and he is doing well. His Computer is whacked but he'll be back around.

 

[delexploder]

I spoke with CDW6212R (Don) on the phone, and he is doing well. His Computer is whacked but he'll be back around.

I was starting to wonder, he is usually around and i haven't seen him on here in a long time, thanks for letting us know jon

 

[benjammin97624]

just out of curiosity does the body mounts on a first gen match the body mounts on a 2nd gen explerer. the reason i ask is i am wanting to keep the ttb front end from a first gen and use the lift i already have while having the look of a second gen. or are the frames on a first gen the same as a second gen.

 

[kanuck15]

I have the same question but for the opposite reason. Id love a 1st gen body on a 2nd gen 5.0 platform

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

The body mounts line up except the two front ones on the radiator core support. The 2nd gen mounts on the frame are spaced further apart.

 

[kanuck15]

Thats an easy fix

 

[CDW6212R]

Here's an update of two pictures I should have included. This is the left quarter panel area where I added a power source in the hatch jamb, plus the strobe controller and relays within the OEM relay box.

 

[deamon3]

I still think you should use first gen tail lights so it truly looks like a half first half second gen.

As far as the blinker is concerned just make another hole in the main chamber for the blinker bulb.

 

[CDW6212R]

Actually I'm thinking of changing the rear hatch and the bumper, plus the 98-01 quarter panel section that meets the tail lights. The paint has gone away on top over the years, and I'd rather be able to bolt on a 98-01 tail light instead of cutting up more of the others. I saw a 98 Mountaineer 302 in the local yard recently, in green with a 302 and a good LF door(mine's a 91 with a little rust in the lower seam). If painting is in the future, it'd be smart to make any body changes first. I am also thinking of what it'd take to swap a 302/AWD into it, once the SOHC 4.0 gives me trouble at some point.

 

[deamon3]

I thought you were blending the two, my mistake

 

[CDW6212R]

It was a rebuild of a wrecked 99, using the parts I had already. My 93 was also previously totaled, so its value was very low to sell, but very valuable to repair the newer truck. It was a big learning experience, and I saved some money, but I would do things a little differently if I could go back. I'm good with how the truck has performed for what I needed it to. Now it's going to be my dirty job SUV, plus a snow vehicle for work. I want to fix my Mercury up so it's very nice again, keep it that way and make it a for fun SUV.

 

[gmanpaint]

Just read this entire thread while enjoying my Sunday Morning Coffee.

Don, This was a very interesting build from start to finish. You took your time with it, and learned a lot from the experience. This kind of project takes massive amounts of patience, a keen eye for details, and the gift of foresight. You sir, have all that.

My hats off to you on this incredible build, and the willingness to share the journey with complete strangers.

 

[CDW6212R]

Thank you, it was a project that changed as it went along, from saving money and to get a lift, work vehicle, to learning what can work and not, what else is possible, to gaining ideas for other things. Like most things, I won't do that again, but it will help if I get involved in other things.

I'm sorry if I have cluttered your great thread a little, you have done a bunch of interesting things yourself, and many have or will help me soon. I like this forum a lot for obvious reasons, but also we can edit or own posts long into the future. If there's anything you want me to trim from my posts, you just point me to them and I'll be glad to.

For this 99 Explorer work truck, soon I will be able to use it again on my route. The USPS had been trying to push all of their old worn out LLV's onto rural routes. Now after many years they begin to see what it's going to cost to replace or rebuild tens of thousands of worn out trucks(imagine them all with over 300k miles, and all over 25 years old).

They offered us back in January to convert our routes back to personal vehicle use, giving us the vehicle allowance back. I found another 98 Limited in March, so I'm about to put that on my route temporarily. I'll rebuild the trans in this 99, do the SOHC valvetrain work on both ends, then use it for work again.

Eventually I want to alter the body at the tail lights to accept the 98-01 tail lights, swap to a 98-01 hatch and bumper, fill the sunroof hole, and get a cheap paint job in the OEM dark green of the 98-01 models.

The PO has gotten **** about roll-aways since about 2013, so the world would end if the engine is left running to step out to go five feet to a blocked mailbox. We've been removing the keys about 50-75 times per day since then, that's a lot of wear and tear on the starter, battery, and ignition switch, plus the extra time which they pay us nothing for.

That being said, I'm imagining what I can do to improve the process of starting/stopping the engine, and what to do about the parking brake. From renting a Fusion a year back, I know Ford has a push button control for the parking brake. I wonder if I can use some of those parts to install into my 99 and control the parking brake from the right seat.

I also would love to retrofit a keyless(keyfob sensor) starting system, and how about voice activated. Stop messing with a key, leave it in my pocket, and either push a start button, or say a word or two to start and stop the engine. For work it's not laziness, imagine how long it'd take anyone to start their shut their engine off and take the key out, plus the opposite to start it again, about 50 times in a few hours.

 

[gmanpaint]

No need to trim anything. It's part of it for the learning curve and provides insight to how brainstorming evolves into a reality.

As far as the starting issue, I would just look into the latest gen remote starting kits. They have come a long way. Bluetooth cell phone apps instead of fobs, greater distance capabilities, etc... You could leave the engine running and use these remote / security kits to lock the truck with it running if you can get away with it.

 

[CDW6212R]

Very good.

I'll have to have some way to shut the engine off every time, and have no key in the ignition. Their premise is that if the engine is running, it could roll away, and the same with a key there. They have not said that a key sensing starting system is not allowed, yet, so I'd rather ask for forgiveness than permission. I'll do the parking brake first if I can find some Fusion parts.

Then I'll see what remote starting systems are like now, one with the new style no-key-needed-get-in-and-push-a-button at least. The idea of a voice control is just a wishful thought, I need to keep things out of my hands. I've got my hands full with the mail, packages, and the scanner. The key is just a nuisance. When I swapped to a different route in 2010, that route had no group boxes. I literally could start the truck once and never shut it off, everything was close enough to be safe to leave it running. Now that same route has to shut the engine off and take the key out about 30+ times. We gained the Amazon account in 2014, so our parcels have more than doubled, and virtually none of them fit in a mailbox. Our job has become "engine off, key out, go to the door, start engine" drive a little and do it again. I feel for Fedex and UPS drivers, but the regular mail is tedious enough. I liked it better before.

 

[1998rollover]

Build an electric Explorer, with some range stretching solar panels on the roof.

 

[Devan]

here is the remote and push button start, proximity entry, security system that I have in my truck. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSF5EIS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Its a decent system, their are better ones out there. This kit also came with a cover for the ignition lock cylinder, you just have to pop off the black plastic key guide. The only down side was that I had to put the IGN cylinder slide into the ACC position permanently and in doing so the shift interlock doesnt work when the truck is off. I can take it out of park without pressing the brake when the truck is not running. When the push button system is in the ON position or running the shift lock actuator works as it should. I tried putting the slide in every different position to make it work properly plus the lock cylinder pin only allows the lock cylinder to be inserted in the column when the tumbler is positioned in a certain way. you also have to disable the steering column lock because that is totally mechanical of course and it works in conjunction with the ign lock cylinder slide. I could have taken apart the column and positioned the slide the way I wanted to make the shift lock actuator work properly and disable the steering column lock that way but I just never did plus if the battery is ever dead or I cant get the system into the on position I can put it in neutral if I really need a tow. And I also just thought up the idea of installing a relay on the shift lock acutator I would wire it in such a way that if the battery is dead and I need a toe it would be disabled so i could get it into neuch if need be but the point is that it would work as it should when the push button system is in the off or acc position. I was going to exchange this kit for a similar viper system because the viper system has a module add on so you can use an app on your cell phone with it. O and one other thing worth mentioning is the truck automatically locks and unlocks when you walk up to it and you can disable that feature. When Im walking to my truck and im about 5-10 ft from it, It unlocks. That feature has its own antenna and when i tried mounting it at the top of the windshield it didnt work so good when i was walking up to the truck from the back to open the liftgate it wouldnt unlock. I tried a whole bunch of different positions and I found that the best place to mount that antenna was in the rear left side window of the luggage compartment. I mounted it in the foward most part of the window at the bottom. Thats the best place for it. If im walking up to the truck from the right side to the passenger door you have to be a little closer to the truck before it unlocks as opposed to if your walking up on the driver side to the driver door. But it still unlocks before I can touch the truck. The last thing ill say about the system is when you activate the remote start if the truck doesnt fire the system doesnt know that so it puts the system in the run position it doesnt attempt to start a 2nd time and theirs no way to adjust the starter timing but the amount of time that it engages the starter is fine. My truck always starts on the remote start. Also if your starting the truck via the push button you can hold down the push button and it keeps the starter engaged until you let go, or you can just tap it real quick and it will start it on its own granted your pressing the brake of course. sorry i wrote so much CDW i just know your interested in a system like this and theyre definatly worth it, I love the system i installed in my truck theirs nothing wrong with the way it is. I bet the viper system is better tho. But if you really wanna go crazy and design your own system look up arduino. arduino is a circuit board you design and then you can program it with computer software, you can make them do anything. Arduino Project Hub jees i really did write to much sorry