Andrew's 1996 Explorer XLT

Well I've been gathering information and giving information here for a while now and just found this thread!

Anyways, I got my explorer when I was 16 as my first vehicle 6.5 years ago with 61k on it from my Grandpa who recently then couldn't drive anymore. Ever since I got it I have made a project out of it. First it started with just fixing some spot rust and waxing and the story just gets longer!!

Since then over the years I have done many mods including:

-Gibson cat-back exhaust
-K&N intake system
-Custom electric fan set up with a painless controller. (I used a dual fan set-up from a 97 ford contour for clearance reasons)
-dimond-cut head lights
-"lego" tail lights, lol (I didn't realize they looked that that until I got them, but I've grown to like them)
-6000K HID's
-Blue LED grill & interrior lights
-LED gauge cluster conversion
-Eagle Alloy 17" rims with 245/70R17 Nitto Terra Grappler tires
-Aftermarket stainless steel running boards to prevent moisture/ salt being trapped against the body
-Pioneer 3100dvd double din radio
-Pioneer 6X8 door speakers and a 10" Audio Bahn sub
-Dynamat in all the doors including the hatch
-Grover 1650 Airhorn with a VIAIR 350C compressor and 2 custom steel air tanks
-Torsion Twist front lift and air shocks in the rear - soon to be custom shackels
-Changed the gear ratio from 3.55 to 3.73LS

Besides all of the mods, I've also replaced the head gaskets at 76k just to have them blow again at 91k so I put a new to me rebuilt engine in. This past summer I had to pull it again to replace the timing chain and tensioner. While it was out I found a bad push rod and rocker. Obviously I replaced those too. Note to self, never buy a reman engine from a huge corporation again (it was Proformance Powertrain if you were wondering). Next time I'll do it myself! Now all that frustration aside, it is running great again! I have done all of the work myself, except the engine rebuild... never never again.

My grandpa passed away 2.5 years ago so since then I've been trying to keep it as nice as possible. I replaced the rocker panels and dog legs myself 2 summers ago but they weren't welded in correctly ( I used mostly epoxy to prevent rust so the paint cracked at some of the joints but I'll get it fixed up right some day!

To further prevent it from rusting out I bought a 99 2wd ranger to drive as my every day crappy weather vehicle. We have a lot of salt on the roads up here in Northwest Ohio. I miss the 4wd in the snow though!!

In the future I plan to finish/ redo the rust repairs and have all the imperfect areas repainted. I'm a bit of a perfectionist if you couldn't tell

Here are a few pictures of it now with 123k on it. I'll get more but I didn't realize I only had 2 on Photo Bucket..

These pictures are when I got the rims and tires just about a year ago with the rockers and dog legs already replaced.

Since then I drove it to San Antonio, TX and back but not much else so I only put about 5k on it last year and it is currently sitting in the same place in the barn as this picture was taken. lol

EDIT: Since I've created this thread I have now swaped in a supercharged 347 with a TOD4406 transfercase. That progress can be seen here: 5.0 Swap Thread

 

[ahodges]

Here are a couple more pictures I found..

This is putting the engie back in the last time..

Electric fan install

 

[Joe Dirt]

Nice work Andrew!

 

[ahodges]

Thanks Joe! I'm in the middle of a "Joe Dirt" cleaning too. My interrior is gutted.. I'm trying to get ahold of one of those hand held upholstry cleaners to finish the carpet. I already powerwashed it like you. I did this last week also so it was freekin cold!

 

[FutureX]

wow shes super clean!!!!!!!

nice X!

 

[Joe Dirt]

Thanks Joe! I'm in the middle of a "Joe Dirt" cleaning too. My interrior is gutted.. I'm trying to get ahold of one of those hand held upholstry cleaners to finish the carpet. I already powerwashed it like you. I did this last week also so it was freekin cold!

I'm soooo sorry.

You can use the cleaner and a shop vac if you can't get a hold of an extractor...

Can you take a pic of your headlights straight on during daylight (lights not on)?
Trying to decide if I'm going clear or OEM...

 

[ahodges]

FutureX, thanks for the comment!

Joe, thanks for the suggestion. Any particular cleaner that you found to work better?

Here is a picture from a couple years ago before I replaced the grill with a new charcoal colored one..

 

[Joe Dirt]

Any water based cleaner works well, but I like Meg's APC since I have it around for other stuff too... Any Shop Vac over 5hp is going to be ok...

Here is a summary of the process courtesy of Nick Tucker over on MOL.


1. Vacumm carpet.

2. Dry brush carpet to loosen up dirt and debris.

3. Vacumm again.

4. Fill up two buckets of clean hot water.

5. Spray either APC or APC Plus on the section of the carpet you are working on.

6. Dip carpet brush into the first bucket of hot water.

7. Scrub carpet with brush, this will create some suds.

8. Dip a cotton or microfiber towel into the second bucket of plain hot water.

9. Ring out some of the excess water, not all of it. I like to have the cotton towel wet but not dripping wet.

10. Rinse the cleaning solution out with the wet microfiber or cotton towel, you will most likely have to repeat this two to three times to get the cleaning solution out of the carpet.

11. Extract any remaining solution with the shop vac.

12. Use large cotton towels to dry the area.

This should leave the carpet about 98% dry.

 

[lynchy wa]

Comprehensive cleaning tips there, and great looking rig. Those rims are sweet as.

 

[ahodges]

Any water based cleaner works well, but I like Meg's APC since I have it around for other stuff too... Any Shop Vac over 5hp is going to be ok...

Here is a summary of the process courtesy of Nick Tucker over on MOL.

OK! Thanks again Joe. I should be able to get an extractor by this weekend sometime, if not I'll deffinately use the shop vac method. I'll post back with pictures of after the powerwashing and then after the carpet cleaner, hopefully there will be a noticeable difference. I think the main reason it is soiled and it has an odor is because my grandpa used to smoke cigars in it.

Any tips for cleaning the head liner that has smoke tar on it? Or is that one of those things better left alone?

-Thanks lynchy wa!

 

[2TimingTom]

So you have a 2wd Ranger that you drive in the snow instead of your X? Interesting.

 

[ahodges]

So you have a 2wd Ranger that you drive in the snow instead of your X? Interesting.

Haha.. yeah. The ranger was the best deal I found in over a year of looking so I took it even though its only 2wd.. It had 77k on it when I bought it.
We don't get much snow right here anyhow, about 3-4 nice sized storms a winter. Everyone around this area gets a lot, I'm like in a hole or something because of the West end of Lake Erie.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Warm moist rag/microfiber with APC sprayed onto it (not directly onto the headliner) and lightly dab, or with very light pressure, pull the rag in one direction. Don't soak it, or the moisture will break down the adhesive eventually...

Headliners are very difficult, patience is essential...

 

[ahodges]

Alright thanks a lot! I figured out I would have to order that Meg's APC so I'm going to try some stuff I have and go from there. The headliner can wait so I might do that later with the Meg's.

 

[ahodges]

OMG.. so I just spent like 20 mins putting together a post about my interior and I lost all of it when I hit submit... It said the subscribtion expired or something..

 

[ahodges]

Interior Finished

I finally got it all done (well about a week ago but I just now got around to posting pictures)! I used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on all of the plastic and leather on the interior. I pulled all of the seats out and the carpet. Here are some pictures.

Right: Before, Left: After

Before the carpet came out

Dynamat

After I power washed it once and cleaned it with a Bissel Turbo Brush 3X's using Kirby Carpet Cleaner

Cleaning supplies

Cleaned going back in

I reconditioned the seats with Blue Magic leather cream conditioner. I would have used Meguiar's but I already had full bottel of this. I spent a lot of time getting it as clean as it could be. I wish I could have gotten the carpet a little cleaner but it's a lot better than it was. Now I don't want to drive it.. lol

 

[Joe Dirt]

5 Chocodile effort! Looks great! Did you get the armrest pads on the doors yet?

 

[Sbyrne97]

hows the dynomat? I always wanted to use this but on a nicer vehicle that I was going to keep nice...less road noise?

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

lookin good andrew keep up good work

 

[ahodges]

5 Chocodile effort! Looks great! Did you get the armrest pads on the doors yet?

Thanks Joe! Yeah I did do the armrest pads.. The magic eraser got them cleaner than anything else I have ever tried before.. I was amazed!! I forgot to take a picture of those though.

hows the dynomat? I always wanted to use this but on a nicer vehicle that I was going to keep nice...less road noise?

The dynamat does make it a bit quieter. I mean my explorer wasn't quiet to begin with since I have a Gibson exhaust, but it does keep the exhaust noise out a little better and deffinately cuts done on rattles big time.

lookin good andrew keep up good work

Thanks Sam!