94 explorer xlt rebuild/buildup

[jme94xlt]

Hello ... I've been planning on doing some things to my Explorer for some time now, since my interest was sparked by stumbling on this site last summer. I drive a '94 dark green XLT 4.0L V6 automatic with 122k miles on it, and will probably drive it for another four years or so. Since I decided to keep it instead of trading in (it's the first car I've ever owned, kinda hard to part with it), I thought about doing some things that would make it more driveable and offroad worthy for when I start going 4wheeling (haven't been yet).

First of all, I'm spending this summer fixing it up. Here's the list of things that need to be fixed, mostly due to the accident I was in fall a year ago:
:fire:
bumper (already fixed)
front left fender
hood
grille
body piece under the grille
radiator support, possibly frame (haven't had it put on a frame machine yet)
repaint the exterior - faded spots on roof

Since I have all these things that need to be fixed on the body, I had considered simply having it converted to the '96-00 fiberglass body style by Perry's Fab 'n Fiber. My question is, is this route worth it? How much does the conversion cost? (I asked this in another post in the Body forum...) That's pretty much going to be this summer's doings to it. Once I get it fixed up, I can hopefully start building it up next summer. Here's the list of things I want to do to it:

rebuild engine, detail engine and engine bay
kkm true-rev w/ k&n conical filter
gibson stainless cat-back exhaust
-> either that, or just a flowmaster 3 chamber muffler and stainless tip
jet powerchip and thermostat
2" body lift (nothing too extreme)
rancho rs9000 shocks
32"x12.5 bfgoodrich mud-terrain t/a tires
american eagle 589 15" alloy wheels
skidplates for the diffs and the important engine stuff

After the suspension and performance, which are what really count, I'll move to the exterior appliances...:

black euro style brushguard
piaa headlights and foglights (are the foglights mountable on brushguard?)
rear black taillight guards
warn offroad lights (the good kind) mounted on hood in front of the-
con-ferr 4" roof rack
spare tire removed from under the car and custom mounted on the rack

Finally, I'll move to the electronics/communication/audio:

40chan CB radio w/ antenna mounted on rear bumper
kdc-mp8017 headunit (already installed)
some kind of smallish subwoofer/amp for the rear cargo net area (nothing too fancy, need suggestions on best price/performance)

As you can see, I basically just want to rebuild/restore the truck, and build it up a little bit. I don't want to do anything too extreme. I don't want to jack it 10 feet off the ground and make it so you can hear it from 10 miles away. I just want it a little more enjoyable for myself. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for your time.

- Jordan

 

[Derrick C.]

Well to answer your ? about the perry's kit. It will run you about $600 plus shipping. If you tell them your from here they'll give you a discount. And what you'll benefit from it is the ability to stuff your tires without fender contact and run a larger tire.


Reading through your list it looks like your on the right track. Be sure to keep us posted on your work.

 

[jme94xlt]

rebuild status

Thanks for the price info. I may definitely look into this, as I've looked into prices for the various replacement body parts I will need to repair the front end:

front fender: ~$60
oem hood: $200-$250 (the '95-99 are $350, so i took a little off that to estimate)
grillcraft custom replacement grill (for the '98-00 years): $180

After adding this up (two fenders - why replace only one -, hood, grille, and not to mention labor costs of the body repair and the radiator support repair - which will have to be done anyway), it looks like it will be more than $500. You say the conversion from Perry's will run about $600 minus the discount if you're a member here. Seeing as that's not much more than what it would cost to replace the existing body panels, it seems like it would be a better deal to go with the conversion, especially since I plan on keeping the car until it will no longer run. I'll look into this further and see if my dad would help me agree. Thanks for the information .

Also, do you or anyone else have any estimates on the cost of an engine rebuild? I may as well go ahead and rebuild the engine while the body panels are stripped off the frame...

TTYL :exp:

 

[Derrick C.]

I had mine rebuilt last year. I had everything redone or replaced. The total cost for me was $1200. The only reason it was that much was I had a local race shop do it. My local Ford guys said they would do it for $1000 but I don't really trust them.

 

[jme94xlt]

Thanks a bunch for the info again . Did you use any special parts like pistons (JE pistons or such), cams, etc when rebuilding it to make it better than before?

 

[jme94xlt]

corrections to the last few posts... "help my dad agree" should have been "convince my dad that it's worth it" or something. also by "special parts" i meant "special replacement parts". no biggie. sometimes i don't say what i meant to..

 

[ok89]

Vanir Tech makes performance rebuild products. http://www.vanirtech.com/