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'00 V8 Ex Project

2000 Ford Explorer with a 5.0, my second Explorer and my first V8.

A little about my last Explorer(2000 XLT), I had big plans for it. I wanted a street drivable mellow trail rig, mostly just lift and tires and a few clearance lights and a brush guard. I got as far as a chrome exhaust tip and throwing 31s under it and it had to go. It was my first car and my dad bought it from the dealership he worked at for $600. She was a beautiful blue, no dents no scratches no rust 150k and brand new tires. Had the snappy 4.0 SOHC, and at first I hated it but I eventually got attached and it became the love of my life. It also became riddled in dents and gouges, missing mirrors and rusting out, and horrible pink rattle can rally stripes. I didn't know what I had until it was too far gone. My mechanic boyfriend, Ben, performed all regular maintenance and repairs, save for the destroyed front end, my dad just had the dealership fix it. Eventually 2nd gear began slipping badly the transmission cut out O/D on its own agenda, and the dealership said "2nd gear bolt backed out, JUNK, take her to scrap" but that wasn't happening so it sat and I drove a 96 4Runner 2WD which I despised. So I convinced Ben to fix the transmission and a simple retightened bolt, filter, and gasket, and she ended up giving me another year. In four years she climbed up to over 200k and eventually the transmission started stuttering into O/D again, she had to go. I sold it for three times what my dad paid for it. Got another ridiculously good deal when I came across my current Explorer and I obviously had to have it, which brings me to the present.

I've had it for a month now, and I hope to be able to document the progress of my build here. Lucky me, I got it with aftermarket rims and nice tires, as well as true dual exhaust. So I got a little bit of a jump start. As she sits, she needs simple repairs like a ball joints, IAC valve, passenger side manifold, EGR tube, wheel speed sensor, and whatever is going on with my door ajar light. Just replaced the air filter.

Its the same truck as my old one, literally. 2000 XLT, except leather interior, sunroof, a V8, and factory fender flares(No plastic running boards). Same color, same year, same trim package, same truck. 147k miles, new tires (same ones my last X had when I got it). Pretty much Deja Vu. Had a little rust along the bottoms of the doors but Ben fixed those already. I will need a new liftgate though, its gone. :(

The future is looking bright with this one, lights are already tinted and I'm hoping for a Warrior/TT lift, some 285s, a brush guard, Recon smoked cab lights, older Super Duty tow mirrors, a couple KCs up front, matching front tint, CAI, headers, and a cowl hood. May dump the exhaust right after the axle, big shiny tips on either side of the diff. :) And a few other simple mods, paint matching small trim pieces and wiring the fog lights differently (for some reason they only come on with the low beams, not the running lights). Ben is in love with it already, and is currently looking for a 2wd to mate a 5 speed behind and make it into a street machine for himself. :) If that happens, maybe we'll both post our progress here. Pictures will come soon!

**To give credit where credit is due: All work done to my Xs have been by Ben, including any and all mods, repairs, and maintenance on the running gear, interior, and body.
 






Old Explorer
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New Explorer
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Ben ended up acquiring a 1997 Explorer Eclipse Sport Truck conversion. Got a bunch of paperwork on it, from the certificates to the recall paperwork and even the new window sticker. Its white, 4x4, has the 4.0 SOHC (which I love, since I had one too) and completely stock other than the conversion.

It was also extremely ugly (90s style) so we removed the ridiculous taillight covers, the powder coated step tubes, and the outrageous fender flares. Already replaced one shock in the rear and it will need the other one soon I'm sure, as well as replaced the front two tires that were cupped to all hell. We also painted the rims black, since they were in poor condition and pitted, and left the center caps chrome. I think in the next few days we might get the "cheapy" version of the WAR153 shackles from our local Farm & Fleet for it, as well as a helper spring on the drivers side since it has the infamous drivers rear sag.

All in all, the truck has a few paint chips and that's about it. Never seen an underbody of a Northern truck so clean. Turning left it bucks at low speeds as if you were to jump the throttle, still looking into that issue, its more of an annoyance than anything. We're pretty excited to build these rigs up, that is if Ben keeps it. He's pretty partial to the V8 I believe. Plus this is his 33rd vehicle. :) Pictures will be posted soon.
 






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