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

[CDW6212R]

The hood will end up costing over $100 more to repaint, as I need more paint, etc.

 

[Spdrcer34]

NICE!

VERY COOL....VERY COOL.....

So when do you plan on getting it all together, and on the road?....by the looks of it, your pretty darn close.....maybe by Mid to late June?

Ryan

P.S. As soon as I finish rebuilding my M5OD and doing the write-up on it, I'll start working on my 13" brake swap.

 

[90ranajo]

I really like that color. I may have missed it earlier but what is the name of that color?

 

[CDW6212R]

The color is Dark Tourmaline I believe, a paint code of NA. It is a beautiful pearl color, and as a single stage paint it is harder to paint than as a base/clear system.

Thanks Ryan, I hope to be getting close by mid May. It's been hard to get much done while working, and the vehicle accross town at a friend's. Tomorrow I plan to get quite a bit done, and maybe I'll be able to take off the following week. Most of my work left is wiring and reassembly.

I will also get to finishing the tail light trimming and filling. This body work has been my biggest slow down. Welding etc. aren't my typical tasks, we learn a little as we go.

 

[Spdrcer34]

---okay---

Been over a month now.....

Where are the pics? LOL

I've made more headway on my projects!... I can do 13" Cobra Brakes on a 1st Gen 2WD, and 90% of the parts list will consist of OEM Ford Parts!

Ryan

 

[CDW6212R]

I'll be posting some more pictures this coming week. I have discovered the maximum brake power that the ABS can handle. My 98 can leave rubber with the brakes. The ABS cannot interrupt the brake pressure quick enough to stop wheel speed from being different than vehicle speed. That results in some tire scrubbing at full brake pressure. I'm pondering a master cylinder change, or a proportioning valve.

I'm doing the reassembly and wiring now. I'll have more worthy pictures in a few days. Regards,

 

[b2ornotb2]

I have a situation similar to yours. I have a '93 Explorer that has a decent body but a lot of miles (and a shot A4LD transmission) and a '98 Explorer with lower miles that was rolled. Both are Eddie Bauers, 4x4, automatics but the '98 has a leather interior. I like your project/solution but am thinking of something a little different in that I want to keep the entire '93 body on the '98 chassis. I have some concerns about the mounting of items on the firewall, I am considering cutting out the fire wall from the '98 and put into the '93 body if that would make it simpler. I plan to use all of the '98 wiring.

To make sure I'm doing the right thing and to save some time, I have the following questions for you:

1. Do the body mounts all line up? (even the front?)
2. Will the '93 front fenders, hood, grill all work? or is the frame different enough to cause issues with the front body parts?
3. Since I'll be keeping the entire '93 body, I expect some issues in the engine compartment and with using the '98 dash. Will using the '98 firewall solve most of the issues with mounting items in the engine compartment (air conditioning, brakes, steering column, etc) and using the '98 dash?
4. Will other interior parts from the '98 fit in the '93? I'd like to use the seats and door panels if possible.

Other than that how is your project going?

Thanks.

Don

 

[Spdrcer34]

Swapping out the firewall (everything from about 1/2" under the windshield down to the floorpan) will alleviate ALOT of the problems that would incur from such a swap. It will allow you to bolt the new dash up, inside of an otherwise 1st Gen Interior.

The Electrical connections, and locations will be correct with the 'new' firewall in place...

As for the seats, yes. All buckets from 92-01 will swap,

You will need the wiring diagrams from BOTH 1993, and 1998 to splice in the power for the windows/mirrors/brakes/locks/turn signals....you get the idea...

Ryan

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

I am in the Middle of doing the Exact same, with my 92 and a 98 Eddie Bauers. All the body mounts will work between the two Except the front two that hold up the core support. The 93 mounts are spaced 3" narrower between the two different years. To properly mount the 98 Dash on the 93 body you will need to cut the body to a point past the front piller. just like CDW6212R did. You will need the inner fenders and core support to mount your Fenders and front clip. the 98 seat will mount the the 93 body as well.

I have a situation similar to yours. I have a '93 Explorer that has a decent body but a lot of miles (and a shot A4LD transmission) and a '98 Explorer with lower miles that was rolled. Both are Eddie Bauers, 4x4, automatics but the '98 has a leather interior. I like your project/solution but am thinking of something a little different in that I want to keep the entire '93 body on the '98 chassis. I have some concerns about the mounting of items on the firewall, I am considering cutting out the fire wall from the '98 and put into the '93 body if that would make it simpler. I plan to use all of the '98 wiring.

To make sure I'm doing the right thing and to save some time, I have the following questions for you:

1. Do the body mounts all line up? (even the front?)
2. Will the '93 front fenders, hood, grill all work? or is the frame different enough to cause issues with the front body parts?
3. Since I'll be keeping the entire '93 body, I expect some issues in the engine compartment and with using the '98 dash. Will using the '98 firewall solve most of the issues with mounting items in the engine compartment (air conditioning, brakes, steering column, etc) and using the '98 dash?
4. Will other interior parts from the '98 fit in the '93? I'd like to use the seats and door panels if possible.

Other than that how is your project going?

Thanks.

Don

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

that is one kick ass color

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes guys you are on the right track. If I could do it again I might either have sold the 93 and bought a good 98+, or chose a V6 OHV 98+ model. I hope that you are working with the OHV 4.0, and not the SOHC. The AC of the early model body cannot be used with the wider later engine.

I was at a second stage thinking of only cutting the firewall out of the 99 I have. I retired pro body man suggested that clipping the whole front/rear would be easier to do. I then had to decide on which fornt body work to use, etc.

There are definately many ways to swap parts between models. It comes down to time, money, tools, and then your goal. I have taken much longer because of the project being far from home(friend's garage), the major body work that I didn't do completely( I did most and/or got help), and my laziness.

I'm actually within a couple of weeks of being able to start mine. I'm finishing meshing two wiring harnesses. My original 99 body harness had been cut, I bought a 2000 EB model and started the truck when still assembled. I have added the 99+ rear air leveling suspension, which has many many wires throughout the truck. I have the four main harnesses from a 98 Limited model, which had the ARC suspension. So I have to be careful to not screw up the basic original wiring, and still add the extra 98 wiring.

I'll be taking many pictures as I go, and I'll post a few pictures as I go. Regards,

 

[410Fortune]

The AC of the early model body cannot be used with the wider later engine.

My Buddy Brett has a 93 Explorer sport with a 2004 Ranger SOHC under the hood (no firewall modifications) however the HVAC plenum was modified but AC was retained.
He also has the TTB and steering gear box, the SOHC can fit a first gen though it is tighter fit then my V8 even

 

[CDW6212R]

I did make the conclusion from other members, including yourself. I had originally wanted to just drop the body onto the late chassis.

The real problem would/will come down to wiring. There are hundreds of wires, and mixing harnesses is a massive task. Changing one circuit, or adding one circuit, is no big deal. But to try to mix the whole drivetrain harness from one type of wiring system with another is huge. I have done an engine transplant like the Sport you mentioned. I stuck an 88 Mustang 302 in place of a carbureted 351W in my 86 Crown Vic.

The older vehicles have somewhat simpler wiring in them. The newer(90ish and up) Fords have better separation between harnesses, but there are more wires yet to deal with. Now you have the two types of fuel systems(pre 99, 99+), electronic speed sensors, speedometers, etc.

Anything can be done, it is still about how much trouble, and is it worth it. I made several decisions as the project progressed. I basically chose the easiest way, and that usually meant more money, more complication, and more time.

Ford itself creates most of these retrofitting issues. They purposely change wiring colors for the same circuits, year to year. They change connectors usually with every model change, etc. It takes a lot of time and patience to do it right, to achieve equal or better reliability and safety. Regards,

 

[410Fortune]

and mixing harnesses is a massive task

I presonally love your project, but changing a Gen I to be OBD-II is alot less work then what you have done here
my 88 thinks its a 97.5, yes the harness was alot of work, and yes wiring is what I do. Ford is not the only maufacturer who changes wiring year to year.
I would gladly trade you a wiring harness for some body work and paint!!! hahaha to each his own, to me its just perspective...

besides your project here was a perfect excuse to buy that lift you have!! drool....

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, I did figure that into my budget. My final cost will be just under what a complete change of vehicle would have been, the $2600 or so of the lift ate the planned gain.

Oh, guys, if you do use that later body, plus wiring, you will be slowed by the driver's door wiring. The two types of door wiring is vastly different. As I hinted above, I chose the easiest way, which is taking longer. I cut my 93 doors to accept the 99 door jamb connectors. There is plenty of room, the cutting is tedious, and has to be done off of the car. You could more feasibly cut the later wiring to splice through the older 91-94 harness connectors. Those older connectors are hell to work with in the hole of the body, good luck.

 

[Dre]

Know how it feels... I have myself been working on the wiring of my 94 Limited for the past couple of weeks. PO has installed a few gadgets but never cared to properly run wires (can you say duct tape baby!!!)... ever since I got the truck I've been replacing parts of the wiring plus splicing where needed and adding more and more stuff myself. Extra gauges, lights, lights and more lights, conversion to 95+ taillights, stereo, extra power points, extra driving lights, headlight conversion to euro-spec... etc, etc, etc. Driver door wiring is pretty darn tuff... even instrument clusters are not interchangeble between years and wire colors... never the same to make it easier. Know the pain... it takes time and patience. I love what you're doing... don't think I would do it the same way myself... perhaps a full frame off resto with custom changes and additions? perhaps? maybe some day...

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Updates?

 

[CDW6212R]

I will begine posting some of my newer pictures soon. Thanks for asking, I have been sitting for quite a while, pulling apart the main wiring harnesses of three vehicles to build one. I have pulled the ARC suspension wiring from a 98 Limited to add, and the original 99 body harness was cut. I am using a different body harness from a 2000 EB, so the memory seats have to be added separately. I will have a master window switch on both front doors, so I am adding a pair of wires and relays to each of three doors, plus side view mirror wiring for the right door panel also.

I'll get the main wiring in the first of this week, then I will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Regards,

 

[badmonkey]

Holy Crap......I'm not worthy....nice project

 

[Premier]

bump