BrianDye's '95 Sport Registry!

Traded my old 95 (4 Door) for a mint 2001 Taurus SES, loved the car, drove great, great on gas, but it made me realize, im an SUV dude, not a car dude. (Unless its a muscle car or something classic ) I replied to a CL ad, about this 95 Explorer Sport, and the guy called me and told me about it. (There were no pics, nor information besides mileage, and that it needed nothing and ran great) I asked him if he wouldnt mind to email me some pictures of it before I come all that way up there (70mi) and he said he just put some on the ad, so I checked it out, and it looked like my 95's twin before I painted the stuff. One member on here pointed out that the last picture showed the top corners of the REAR doors, so I knew it was the wrong pictures. (I thought it was just the one, but they were all wrong)

So tonight I got there, (he brought it to his house because the dealer was already closed) and brought all the paperwork to transfer plates, and the title and whatnot, but I got there, and this thing was nothing what I expected, it was in MINT condition, chrome wheels shining like theyre brand new, paint looks no older than a year, and everything worked great, drove great, quiet exhaust, 4x4 works, all that good stuff, and only 138k miles. So we traded (signed all the papers, etc)

I cant get over how nice it is, theres nicer ones out there, but damn it wasnt what I was expecting haha.

Its got the stock JBL system, so its gonna be a PITA to put my system in!

(Snow)

I have NEVER in my life though seen such a DUSTY engine compartment

And I have never (even on newer cars) seen a functioning hood light!

AND a power antenna!!! (Dusty as hell on that side lol)

UPDATES:

Current Mods: (No order)

1. 3" off road lights behind the grille
2. 7 color changing LED bulbs in the reflectors on the door
3. 12" white LED strips (x4) to replace dome lighting
4. 36 LED reverse bulbs
5. 194 SMD LEDs in the gauge cluster, and temp. controls
6. Tinted taillights (Not the white part)
7. Removed roof rack (the bars, not the actual track yet)
8. Duralast Gold battery
9. Kinetik high power cell behind the backseats
10. Analog Voltimeter gauge in the center console
11. 194 SMD LEDs in the license plate lights
12. Scoche single din dash kit
13. Platimum Battery terminals
14. Removed CD changer
15. Became Elite!!!
16. Installed PAC Amp gain controller (Remote bass knob, uses RCA's) in the dash kit slot
17. Removed all dome light bulbs, still trying to figure something out for them...
18. Ran my own speaker wire until my wiring harness comes in the mail
19. Sanded & painted front wiper arms
20. Put SoundBox in the center console, mounted PS speaker behind grill (See page 4 video)
21. Added a Scosche In-line Noise Supressor (#ES034) Which eliminates bumps, and whining (interference) from speakers/subs etc
22. Ordered my Black Projector headlights! Hopefully ill have them by this week!

Future Mods:

1. 18/20 or 22" Rims
2. Lower 2"
3. Aftermarket CAI
4. Black 1 piece projectors w/ halos
5. 10,000k HIDs in the projectors
6. 10,000k HIDs in the fogs
7. Shave roof rack
8. Limo tint
9. Rear hatch update (98' Style hatch/tails)
10. Black altezza tails
11. LED taillights, and ALL blinkers/running lights
12. 16" flipdown monitor, or 2 10" flipdowns
13. Rust restoration
14. Heated mirrors w/ puddle lights (LED of course)
15. Paint the wiper valance
16. Newer style front bumper with cirlce fogs
17. Rollpan in back
18. Color changing underbody LED kit
19. HID Reverse lights!

 

[BrianDye]

Got a video of my subs this morning, I was bored LOL. I need a better camera, this is crappy sounding to the max, most cameras distort it real bad, mine just makes it sound like ass though haha



(Video wont play for me unless I click HQ)

 

[BrianDye]

Drove right up the dike in the backyard earlier lol

 

[BrianDye]

MORE LEDs!

Reverse bulbs!

I believe theres 36 LEDs in it, there are LEDs facing sideways too, to give it more of a "full" output I guess you could say

Comparison to my previous APC bulbs

APC (Blue bulb) on the left side, LED on the right side

Both LEDs

I paid I think 4$ for these things SHIPPED!

Lets see if they last Haha, Ill post back tonight and tell you how well the light output is when I come home

 

[BrianDye]

Anyone ever have a DULL hood?

I noticed the same thing on my 95.
The body's paint is fine, scratches here and there, but the hood is just FLAT.
Looks like someone rattle canned it flat black.

I had that bug deflector on there, and took it off, and the paint behind that is just fine, looks like the body.

Im assuming its just from the sun beatin down on it?

Is there anyway to "restore" it? Ive heard alot about wetsanding, but have no clue how todo it. Any waxes or anything that could bring the shine back?

 

[Mirge]

Anyone ever have a DULL hood?

I noticed the same thing on my 95.
The body's paint is fine, scratches here and there, but the hood is just FLAT.
Looks like someone rattle canned it flat black.

I had that bug deflector on there, and took it off, and the paint behind that is just fine, looks like the body.

Im assuming its just from the sun beatin down on it?

Is there anyway to "restore" it? Ive heard alot about wetsanding, but have no clue how todo it. Any waxes or anything that could bring the shine back?

Polish... and a rotary polisher.. my .02 cents. If you're unfamiliar, pay a detail shop to do it.

 

[BrianDye]

Yea, the guy I know who can do my tint for me owns a ZieBart, and I was just reading up on the website about it, im gonna try and get ahold of him tomorrow, and see if he can hook me up with it.
Its called "Diamond Gloss"

Why You Should Diamond® Gloss Your Vehicle

Diamond Gloss uses state-of-the-art technology to seal and protect your vehicles paint finish. Not to be confused with the typical over the counter carnauba wax, silicon polishes or even Teflon sealants. Diamond Gloss is a Ziebart proprietary technology for automotive paint finishes that never dulls and never needs waxing. It actually coats your paint finish to act as a protective shield. This shield is so tough and smooth, the same type of chemical technology is used on aircrafts to reduce wind drag while improving the ease of cleaning engine residue from the fuselage. Diamond Gloss paint coating is designed to benefit both new and pre-owned vehicle paint finishes.



Diamond Gloss Keeps Your Vehicle Looking Showroom-New All Year Long.

Brings out your vehicle's original shine and luster.
Some customers say it gives their vehicle a wet look after application.
Never dulls and never needs waxing for an entire year
Protects the value of your vehicle while it protects the finish
Backed by Ziebart's exclusive national warranty program from a company you've counted on for the past 50 years.
Diamond Gloss is an exclusive product of Ziebart International Corporation and is only available at your local Ziebart. So don't be fooled by imposters, it's available at Ziebart and no where else.
Diamond Gloss Is The Toughest Paint Protection On The Planet

Protects your vehicles paint from the effects of:

-Acid Rain
-Damaging UV Rays
-Salt
-Water Spotting
-Bird Droppings
-Pollution
-Bug Splatters
-Tree Sap
-Mud & Dirt


We Bring Your Vehicles' Shine Back To Showroom-New, Then Lock It In
When you purchase Diamond Gloss you get more than paint protection!

1.We thoroughly clean your vehicle's exterior right down to the microscopic pores of the paint, removing all contaminants.
2.Then we machine buff it to a brilliant shine.
3.Then we detail every curve with a micro-fiber cloth to remove all the dirt, even in those hard to see areas.
4.Only after your vehicle is looking spectacular do we apply the Diamond Gloss, which locks in that shine and provides a seal that not only protects your paint, but also enhances its shine and luster. And, we top it off with a rain repellant window treatment for your windshield, and clean and dress your wheels and tires.

 

[BrianDye]

*Updated the first post with current/future mod plans*

 

[BrianDye]

WOW! I remembered this bottle of stuff I got from work a couple months back, its like a scratch remover/restoring compound, and I totally forgot I had it.

I went out to look to see (after reading a thread) if I had a block heater, sadly I dont, but I decided to give that stuff a shot.

My paint is pretty good, but my hood is like FLAT black.

Heres the results!
About the best picture I could get to show how flat it really is, the fenders glossy but the hoods not

This side was the exact same until I tried the stuff out

(The white stuff was another coat)

Left side still not done in this pic, the right side is, look at how much better that looks!

Not quite a match, but A TON better

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

looks good brian keep up good work

 

[BrianDye]

YAY, my wiring harness came in today
Ill be installing that tonight.

Im debating on wether putting my Sony back in, or keeping the flipout...I miss the HD radio with my Sony, and the overall sound quality lol

 

[BrianDye]

Wow.
Over an hour of work, got all the wires ran, no headunit yet, hell half the truck is still apart.


I got the sub amp out, decided to leave everything else back there, put that panel back on, all the christmas tree things, seatbelt latches, and carpet and whatnot, and got the wires ran/hooked up from the amp all the way up to the headunit, which is not in yet, Best Buy sent me a POS dash kit, the damn top mounts snapped off, but I think it'l be fine, theres 4 more anyways.

I gotta basically re-hook up every speaker to the stock wires again, re-snap the drivers side panels in, take all my old speaker wire out, run the remote for my amp, and wire up the headunit and ill be done, im pooped out for tonight though, and im getting up about 730am tomorrow (well today actually lol) to get ready and meet this guy to trade my 92 for a nice quad, gotta go all the way up to Walled Lake where I used to live, hes all the way from Port Huron which was like 170 miles away LOL.

Then I get to rush home, unload it in the garage, not even ride it, and goto work from 2-10

 

[BrianDye]

Kid got the flu last night, didnt get the quad yet.

But tonight I installed my PA/Animal sounds/Sirens/Ice cream man song thing, and its great lol I cant wait til tomorrow to mess around in the neighborhood with it like I used to play the ice cream man song HAHA.

I mounted it in the center console and used the cd changer harness to power it, then ran the speaker wire all the way to the loudspeaker mounted behind the grille, and the deflector to keep it safe from the weather and whatnot.

My grandma bought it for me a couple years ago at meijers, for like 20 or 25 bucks, and its very worth it haha.


NOTE* Its quiet because I have it not even 1/8ths of the way up, everyone was in bed and this thing gets loud as you can tell with it being so low lol

 

[BrianDye]

WhiteLimited had an AMAZING idea about using HIDs as reverse lights, and were both gonna do it, me sooner than him probably, as he's waiting until summertime, I hope to get it in the next month.

What we would do it just get an appropriate HID kit (Bulb doesnt really matter) probably a very small bulb style, as theyre just gonna be "gooped" in as he called it lol, and then wire them up to the reverse light wires, and basically wam blam, now we have HID reverse lights, and it dont get any brighter than that

I also threw in the fact that we would need some kind of delayed relays, so when you go from P to D, they dont flash, and vice versa from D to P. The delayed relay would cause the lights to turn on about a second after you put it in reverse, so they dont flash when skipping reverse. HIDs flashing is HORRIBLE for them.

Im debating on wether or not to take the 10ks in my 92 out, I told the kid im trading that it has them, but I wanna keep them to use for this lol

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

looks good brian keep up good work be sure to post video clip of ur pa system when u drive around the neighborhood

 

[BrianDye]

Lol I will..that probably wont be until springtime though, when the kids are actually outside. Not too many are out in the 2 degree weather weve been having LOL.

I cant wait to get my train horns thats gonna be amazing.

Im buying my uncles as soon as he gets the next set higher than what hes got which is already ridiculously loud, it scares the SH*T outta me EVERYTIME I hear them haha.

He paid like 850$ or something like that for his compressor/tank/wiring/horns/valve, im buying an extra tank/compressor he has, and his horns for 200$, and I just need to get the control valve, and wire up a switch, and the tank and then im gonna blow my ears out haha

 

[BrianDye]

I finally got my dash kit in, wiring harness ran, all panels fully snapped and in place again (besides the drivers side kick panel, which I just now realized), all wires ran besides the remote for my amp, which I gotta buy some wire, but for now I still have my switch from just my Kinetik to the REM input on my amp. I also gotta find my damn in-line noise supressor. Its a little black box with RCA's (2 female, 2 male) (Input/output), which plugs into your amps input, and you plug your rcas from the headunit into it, and it gets rid of all the whining, hissing, popping etc from interference, and for some reason, 2 taurus'es, 2 explorers, and 4 different subs, 2 different amps, I always get the same interference.

But all in all, im done, and so happy, I was gonna crank it up for the first time in a few days again but I realized my mom was in bed LOL so I couldnt

I made a video of basically like a walkthrough of my explorer, subs, and headunit, but then I realized like halfway through, I let go of the camera kinda which shot right down at my lower waist area and I was only wearing boxers, so im not even gonna upload that LMAO.

I wouldda got pics, but my camera died RIGHT after that

 

[sport97]

HID reverse lights, nifty idea. Cant wait to see how they come out. Ive been checking out DDMs HID lights, they have decently priced sets, with a lifetime warrenty. I would imagine you only need to use the 35 watt type for fog lights, not the 55watt type for headlights. That is unless your going for some crazy reverse lights.

And for the interference, did you run the RCAs down the opposite side of the car as your power wire? The power wire can cause interference.

 

[BrianDye]

Yea lol, Ive always ran power and sound opposite of eachother, but yea as for the HIDs, only 35 watt bulbs, im VERY curious as to how they'll come out lol, im wondering how the light patterns gonna be...ill have a little switch wired up too so I can power them up at anytime :


AKA when someones being a dick and riding my ass for no reason haha

 

[BrianDye]

Decided on my lights:

In the tailights, I like the fact that id have a red blinker, rather than amber, also I would use the top slot for my running/brake lights, then the middle as my blinker, bottom for reverse obv.

(The chrome headlights are just part of that pic)

 

[BrianDye]

UPDATES! Pics & Vids!

After Feb 3rd, (Birthday, but not mine) I can start saving for & buying my housings! (Black Halo/LED Projectors w/ 10,000k HIDs, and the Smoked Altezza Tails, w/ ALL LEDs and HID reverse bulbs!)

Headunit, and my aftermarket bass knob:

iPod Cord also comes through the back of the dash kit

I never knew about this til tonight on my iPhone/iPod charger...

(more coming)