Buying an Explorer tonight!!

[koda2000]

I thought all Mounties were v8s?

they were all v8's after a certain year (2000?) but before that you could get a v6.

 

[koda2000]

both my 2000 Mountaineer's are equipped identically to my 2001 EB, except they have a plastic wood grain radio bezel. personally, i preferred the trim on the EB to start with, but the Mountaineer trim has grown on me. i think the Mountaineers look larger (they're not) than the EB Explorers because of the lack of the fender flairs. i also like the grille, headlights and fog lights better on the Mountaineer.

BTW. i replaced the black rubberized radio bezel in my EB with a wood grain one i found on ebay. the problem with that rubberized stuff is that it wears off and looks crappy.

 

[bill06447]

The paint is fading and peeling on the top really bad on the XLT, but the bumper and taillight on the Eddie Bauer would lead me to wonder about frame damage. Don't be in a hurry, look around as there are a lot of Explorers for sale in LA.

I had a 2000 Windstar in the same color with the same paint flaking at the roof, took two years but Mother Nature did an awesome job stripping the rest of the green paint down to gray primer. I know you stated you didn't care, but 6 months from now you might...

Bill

 

[koda2000]

That's what happens when you stare at these stupid things, year after year...

regarding the left tail light in the pic of the EB... what's the deal with the tail light with the gold paint/trim vs the more normal red/paint trim? except for my old xlt every truck i've bought has had one gold painted left tail light. i don't care which color, but i'd like them to match. i can't find anywhere that sells the gold one. were they gold on a particular year or trim level? i've asked this question twice before with no response.

 

[ALEXplorer24]

On my way to look at the 2000 green xlt. Will update later

 

[ALEXplorer24]

On my way to look at the 2000 green xlt. Will update later

So I went to look at the green xlt (see link below) and the ad and pics were very misleading, interior was all ratty and broken, cig stains etc. paint fading was worse then what he described and it drove terribly. I decided to pass
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/3923388661.html

However I found a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer. It doesn't have leather or any options, it's a base model but its in pretty good shape. Interior was very clean it drove great and only has 115k miles. Only issues were, rear wiper didn't work, the digital display were the headliner meets the windshield that tells you the temp outside doesn't work and both rear fender flares are missing due to the owners Gf scraping them off because she cant drive haha. Are these all relatives easy fixes?? If I could get it for $2400 do we think its a solid deal or should I keep looking.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/3905708576.html

 

[koda2000]

So I went to look at the green xlt (see link below) and the ad and pics were very misleading, interior was all ratty and broken, cig stains etc. paint fading was worse then what he described and it drove terribly. I decided to pass
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/3923388661.html

However I found a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer. It doesn't have leather or any options, it's a base model but its in pretty good shape. Interior was very clean it drove great and only has 115k miles. Only issues were, rear wiper didn't work, the digital display were the headliner meets the windshield that tells you the temp outside doesn't work and both rear fender flares are missing due to the owners Gf scraping them off because she cant drive haha. Are these all relatives easy fixes?? If I could get it for $2400 do we think its a solid deal or should I keep looking.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/3905708576.html

my short answer is buy it! even if you have to go close to the asking price, with new tires, service records, a clean interior and that mileage it's worth the asking price. the minor things you see wrong with it (temp/compass display and rear wiper) are common problems along with the radio display going blank on the high-end radio (which i don't think you have) and easy/inexpensive fixes, especially if you you can repair them yourself. the rear wipers never work very well even when they do work. i have never seen a 2000 Mountaineer with fender flares and i have 2 of them. if you can find the color flares you need in the salvage yard, on an Explorer or Mountaineer, they're easy enough to install (gray and gold are the most common trim colors) and it appears the fronts are the older style w/out the lip. makes me wonder if someone added them at some point.

 

[ALEXplorer24]

my short answer is buy it! the minor things you see wrong with it (temp/compass display and rear wiper) are common problems and easy fixes especially if you you can repair them yourself. i have never seen a 2000 Mountaineer with fender flares and i have 2 of them.

Interesting. So the previous owner must have added them..

 

[koda2000]

Interesting. So the previous owner must have added them..

could be someone added them. so let us know how the negotiation goes. but like i said, even if you have to pay the full asking price, it's still a good deal with the new tires and other recently replaced parts. i gave a bit more than $2k for my red 2wd 2000 Mountaineer, w/179k on it, last fall. it needed a radiator and a fuel pump, an a/c clutch assembly and a rear wiper motor. my repair costs added another $350 plus my labor. it was pretty dirty, but cleaned up very well, i just had to replace the center armrest cover ($12) now it's one of our favorite vehicles. it has leather interior power seats and the Autophile sound system with 6-disc changer and factory sub woofer, and someone installed a DVD player. my entire family drives these trucks and we love'em.

 

[Bobmbx]

regarding the left tail light in the pic of the EB... what's the deal with the tail light with the gold paint/trim vs the more normal red/paint trim? except for my old xlt every truck i've bought has had one gold painted left tail light. i don't care which color, but i'd like them to match. i can't find anywhere that sells the gold one. were they gold on a particular year or trim level? i've asked this question twice before with no response.

The left tail light is for a Mountaineer.

 

[koda2000]

The left tail light is for a Mountaineer.

thanks... finally an answer. now all i have to do is find a gold right one for my Mountaineer. i haven't found anyone who sells the replacement tail light assembly with the gold trim. only the red.

 

[Bobmbx]

thanks... finally an answer. now all i have to do is find a gold right one for my Mountaineer. i haven't found anyone who sells the replacement tail light assembly with the gold trim. only the red.

Wait a sec....I'm having the wife snap a photo of her '99 Mounty. I replaced a tail light a few years ago and remember having a "gold trim" issue, but now that I've thought about it, I can't remember if I needed the gold, or the one I got from the junkyard had it.

 

[Bobmbx]

Just checked, and the 99 Mounty does not have the gold trim.

 

[ALEXplorer24]

Why do I think the gold trim is off of an explorer limited..

 

[ALEXplorer24]

Welp I bought the white 2000 mountaineer today for $2400!!!

 

[yjzonie]

Nice find and buy. Good luck on your future project.....

 

[koda2000]

Welp I bought the white 2000 mountaineer today for $2400!!!

excellent! that's a very good price for a V8, AWD with only 115K on it. just broken in. with care if should be good for another 200K. other than the missing rear fender flares, is the body as good as it looks in the pics? best of luck with it and if you have questions, you know where to ask.

 

[ALEXplorer24]

excellent! that's a very good price for a V8, AWD with only 115K on it. just broken in. with care if should be good for another 200K. other than the missing rear fender flares, is the body as good as it looks in the pics? best of luck with it and if you have questions, you know where to ask.

Thanks! I think this truck was the best choice for the price. There is some damage on the wheel wells where the flares would go which I don't mind. Other then that its straight! Just needs a major detail. Paint is in great shape! Ill post pics later

 

[koda2000]

Thanks! I think this truck was the best choice for the price. There is some damage on the wheel wells where the flares would go which I don't mind. Other then that its straight! Just needs a major detail. Paint is in great shape! Ill post pics later

FYI: there are a couple of guys on the forum that sell used parts. one of them my have a set of rear fender flares. as far as the rear wiper, you can get a reman motor from Autozone for around $44, but before you get a motor you need to know if that's the problem. sometimes the shafts corrode and stick, sometimes the rear glass and lift-gate switches have problems and prevent the motor from running. like i said previously, they don't work very well anyway, but if you're OCD like me (and have to have everything working) i can give you advice on how to repair it.

 

[ALEXplorer24]

FYI: there are a couple of guys on the forum that sell used parts. one of them my have a set of rear fender flares. as far as the rear wiper, you can get a reman motor from Autozone for around $44, but before you get a motor you need to know if that's the problem. sometimes the shafts corrode and stick, sometimes the rear glass and lift-gate switches have problems and prevent the motor from running. like i said previously, they don't work very well anyway, but if you're OCD like me (and have to have everything working) i can give you advice on how to repair it.

I am OCD I like my **** to work lol. (Even tho it doesn't rain in southern cali) when I hit the switch I get zero noise, no clicking no buzzing. However when I push the button in I will hear the windshield fluid motor. As for the flares I might take the fronts off. Like you said they didn't come with then anyway right?