Chance to buy 100% rust free southern '98 Explorer 168k 4.0 rwd: Advice?

[MrCreosote]

Here's a real noob console lid question: How do you open it? I couldn't see a latch and don't know if it a simple snap you just pull open.

 

[donalds]

Here's a real noob console lid question: How do you open it? I couldn't see a latch and don't know if it a simple snap you just pull open.

Yank it

 

[donalds]

probably im wrong LOL youre the resident expert i just remember reading something about studs on these somewhere, but cant remember where.

4point shadow runs over 20 lbs not sure If he installed head studs on his old engine
His current setup does have studs tho
And I'm no expert lol

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Here's a real noob console lid question: How do you open it? I couldn't see a latch and don't know if it a simple snap you just pull open.

"if brute force isnt working, youre not using enough" (within reason)

 

[Fix4Dirt]

4point shadow runs over 20 lbs not sure If he installed head studs on his old engine
His current setup does have studs tho
And I'm no expert lol

oh ok and i found it it was on supersix article on the SOHCs and compared to me you sure are an expert man!

 

[MrCreosote]

RE: Console Opening: LOL I thought it might simply snap open, but if not, new stuff breaks so easy!

20 # boost: 4000# vehicle, I'd want a TopLoader in it. I just have no faith in modern automatics and big HP. (at least if you want them to last.)

The Hemi 4-spd was perhaps the strongest (135#) but the 2.78 Top Loader had the best spreads: 1.4, 1.35, 1.3 (I think they ran those in LeMans in the GT40 etc. but not sure) I put one in my '63 Factory Paxton Supercharged Studebaker Lark to replace the pathetic Wide Ratio "Beethoven's Fifth" T-10.

 

[Josh P]

The mustang guys

RE: Console Opening: LOL I thought it might simply snap open, but if not, new stuff breaks so easy!

20 # boost: 4000# vehicle, I'd want a TopLoader in it. I just have no faith in modern automatics and big HP. (at least if you want them to last.)

The Hemi 4-spd was perhaps the strongest (135#) but the 2.78 Top Loader had the best spreads: 1.4, 1.35, 1.3 (I think they ran those in LeMans in the GT40 etc. but not sure) I put one in my '63 Factory Paxton Supercharged Studebaker Lark to replace the pathetic Wide Ratio "Beethoven's Fifth" T-10.

My neighbor has 2 Studebaker cars. One says super hawk and an Avanti.

 

[MrCreosote]

The mustang guys

My neighbor has 2 Studebaker cars. One says super hawk and an Avanti.

It it's a Super Hawk, it's either a 63 or 64. R1: high compression 4-bbl. R2: Paxton SN-60 Supercharged, 4-bbl same deal for Avanti except also 62. They made hyper rare R3: big port heads Paxton and R4: 12:0 compression dual quad (!) same for Avanti.

 

[Josh P]

It it's a Super Hawk, it's either a 63 or 64. R1: high compression 4-bbl. R2: Paxton SN-60 Supercharged, 4-bbl same deal for Avanti except also 62. They made hyper rare R3: big port heads Paxton and R4: 12:0 compression dual quad (!) same for Avanti.

The Super Hawk is an R1, 63. Not sure about the Avanti. He sold new old stock parts from a shop behind his house for about 40 years. He told me the stories about both cars but it's been so long I don't remember all the details.

 

[MrCreosote]

The Super Hawk is an R1, 63. Not sure about the Avanti. He sold new old stock parts from a shop behind his house for about 40 years. He told me the stories about both cars but it's been so long I don't remember all the details.

I street raced my 63 R2 in the early 70's. It ran high 13's just over 100 mph which was fast back then. Back then, people didn't know about sleepers and a fast Studebaker was the ultimate sleeper - cop eye's would not focus on it (!) I was like a cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey LOL. The stories I could tell. One summer beat every single regular at the local hang out. Car was notorious, people climbed over each other to introduce "fresh meat" to the Lowly Studebaker (!) Everyone I knew loved the car and the utter amazement when I beat some newcomer. Never missed a shift always power shifting. Nowadays, its all about money and there are no surprises. and the cops are militarized. Boring. Now I'm more interested in MPG. LOL

 

[Josh P]

My comment I started to make about the mustang guys is, some of them run 12 lbs boost on stock engines and they hold up pretty well.

 

[MrCreosote]

Good to know abut the Mustang guys running boost. Speaks of good bottom end robustness. Really need that kind of robustness in the automatics. But even if all that is stellar, high mileage head gasket issues and timing chains/belts can easily be the weakest link.

I wish the automatics were as good as these modern engines

 

[C420sailor]

The 4R70W behind the 5.0 V8 is very stout. If you want an explorer with a robust driveline, that’s your huckleberry.

 

[joney]

Thank You so much for the tips!

• No belt or chain to worry about is music to my ears! (I'm a lifetime Studebaker guy and those cams are gear drive!)
• Fluids for sure. Hadn't thought of the brake fluid, but yes, definitely.
• Blend doors: yep, have encountered them especially in my 1969 C20 w/AC and really like the cutting hole in heater box!

That's the way I looked at it. I feel the same way about southern rust free vehicles. And I'm sure there is an Explorer fanbase - especially here in the rust belt. This is going to get the best, most thorough Fluid Film seam weld/cavity/internal application possible. Then the CRC Marine / Blaster Surface Shield on the outer surfaces.

I've see Escape rust outs (mine and many in junkyard). The wheel arches are horrific, the panels don't mate properly, the pinch welds pull them together at the weld while they bulge apart between welds and so rust out. The inner construction in the floor/frame at the dog leg is a complicated structure that even "triple construction" I don't think would characterize it.

I'm hoping this Gen 2 Explorer has "older school" unibody tech and is not as rust prone as the Escape. For one, the Explorer wheel arches are absolute perfection as far as fit. So there definitely is a superior build quality.​

I have a 98 XLT with the SOHC and 176.5 K on it. Wish it was rust free, but originating from MN, it's not too bad. For rust prevention, have been spraying the underside, door insides, etc. with Fluid Film the 2 yrs. I've had it, going to switch to Surface Shield this fall. I like that it has a frame, previous unibody sedans I've had were more rust prone.

 

[MrCreosote]

I have a 98 XLT with the SOHC and 176.5 K on it. Wish it was rust free, but originating from MN, it's not too bad. For rust prevention, have been spraying the underside, door insides, etc. with Fluid Film the 2 yrs. I've had it, going to switch to Surface Shield this fall. I like that it has a frame, previous unibody sedans I've had were more rust prone.

That's exactly what I'm going to do. Only issue with that is, get your welding done before you FF it, stuff is flammable and a real problem when loaded up in cavities - I just did a small frame weld patch near fuel tank in my Escape and rigged a CO2 purge to the inside of the frame where I had previous just FF'd - probably overkill but not taking any chances near fuel system.

The pinch weld "integrity" on the 98 is stellar while the 10 Escape is abysmal and responsible for premature rustout in wheel arches.​