Am I Nuts?

[koda2000]

okay, so I've been looking for just the right Explorer for my daughter's baby daddy to use to get back/forth to work. it's of the upmost importance the bum keeps working to support his family. he's been using my pickup and beating it up pretty bad. it gets lousy gas mileage to boot (on premium) and he's commuting around 80 miles a day, 6 days a week.

I swore I'd never own another SOHC, but I found a super clean '97 Sport, which had the engine rebuilt a few years ago. it's got 200k on the odo, but you'd never know it to look at it. clean inside and out. the owner's are asking $1500 for it (which is very reasonable. I'm not even going to try to offer them less). owning another SOHC scares me, but for the price, if the timing chains are quiet and if he gets 2 years out of it I figure its worth it. the good news is another Gen II in the fleet makes for easy maintenance/repairs for the mechanic (me). it's a one-owner since new, Georgia truck - so no rust.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/4422160833.html

so am I nuts?

 

[chefduane]

I'd say make a run at it. Offer $1200 and if they say no, go the $1500. I'm not so down on the SOHC as others are but if its been rebuilt, its gotta' have another 50k in it, eh? Given its condition and area of operation it looks like a good bet. And you do know the Ex inside and out so whatever issues there are can be solved. (And besides, its another stick to hold over The Bum.)

Chef Duane

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I can't speak to your mental state, but that's a nice Explorer for $1500. And like you said, it gets him out of your truck and will get better mpgs.

 

[koda2000]

well, I bought it. when I arrived at the seller's place, the hood was up and he was trying to jump the battery off another vehicle with the thinnest, sorriest looking jumper cables I'd ever seen. all he was getting was clicks from the starter solenoid (not a good sign). he told me that the truck hadn't been started in 3 months and asked if I had better jumper cables. I told him I surely did, but not with me. with hope fading, he found a neighbor with some good cables and it started right up. I figured, if this was the first start-up in 3 months and there was no timing chain noise, things were looking up. I checked the truck out. 4 good tires, new brakes, all fluids fairly clean and full. no signs of any major leaks. other than it probably needing a battery and a half dozen burnt out light bulbs, I couldn't find anything wrong with it. offered him $1400 (because it needed a battery) and he said okay. drove it home 75 miles (I got lost) without a hitch. ran great, rode well, stopped well, steered well, shifted well and used less than 1/4 tank of fuel (half the miles in stop/go traffic). I almost hate to give it to the bum... updates and pics to follow.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I almost hate to give it to the bum.

I know the feeling. You just have to remember why you bought it, hand him the keys, close your eyes and let it go.

 

[Tbars4]

. I didn't see a poll but I vote yes...:biggthump

 

[Turdle]

I know the feeling. You just have to remember why you bought it, hand him the keys, close your eyes and let it go.

Yep. Hopefully it will treat him well, so you can sleep.

 

[jremington59]

It'll be OK Koda.... The link is gone so I can't see the pic but at least the son in law will have a comfy ride.

Do you have anymore Daughters, lmao? Better yet, do you have a son? My stepdaughters car is about to crap and she recently became single..... She's be 1500 miles south but I could assure my wife she'd be well taken care of.,,,

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Sounds like the guy's trying, and you've given him
some help. It'll work out. If the chains aren't rattling
after sitting for that long, I wouldn't worry a bit...

 

[koda2000]

It'll be OK Koda.... The link is gone so I can't see the pic but at least the son in law will have a comfy ride.

Do you have anymore Daughters, lmao? Better yet, do you have a son? My stepdaughters car is about to crap and she recently became single..... She's be 1500 miles south but I could assure my wife she'd be well taken care of.,,,

i'll be posting some pics as soon as it stops raining and it gets a bath. for the life of me I can't figure out how to post pics in a thread... any idea how to do that?

on Sunday the full inspection and the maintenance will begin under my close supervision. my son-in-law did an oil/filter change on my pickup a few months ago and I didn't check his work. the filter was left so loose you could easily turn it another 1/2 turn by hand and was leaking. I guess verbal instruction isn't good enough.

sorry all daughter's are spoken for and the only "son" is my 2yr old grandson.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Add an attachment (click paperclip above when you post), upload photos, then click the paperclip again and the drop down will say "manage attachments". Click on that and it will imbed the photos in your post.

 

[koda2000]

add an attachment (click paperclip above when you post), upload photos, then click the paperclip again and the drop down will say "manage attachments". Click on that and it will imbed the photos in your post.

hey, how about that? thanks!

 

[delexploder]

Welcome back to the dark side, I know how much you " love " the sohc

 

[koda2000]

Welcome back to the dark side, I know how much you " love " the sohc

hater's gonna hate...

 

[drdoom]

Mine shot a cam follower through the RH valve cover...sixty thousand miles ago. Caught on fire too. Just popped the cam follower back in with a carpenter's pencil, filed the boogered up cam lobe with a flat file, and replaced valve cover. Still runs great and uses no oil between changes.

 

[koda2000]

some pics as promised:

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Wow, nice looking Sport!

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but those wheels look
like they're off a late 90's Ranger. Sorta rare, IIRC...

 

[delexploder]

Is it 2wd?

 

[delexploder]

Oops never mind I see the control track badge

 

[SoNic67]

Oops never mind I see the control track badge

I don't.

But it looks clean. Good luck with it koda!