Evaluating Fix-up of '91 Explorer

[bjjt30303]

Originally posted a first draft of this Jan 10: I have a '91 Explorer 4X4, had since new, 185,000 miles. I love my "ride" and would like to fix it up. I am not a gear head. How can I evaluate the practicality of fixing it up -- maybe needs transmission overhaul, a few drips here and there, needs painting (would love a loud orange job - ideas on color combos?), new front seats, otherwise interior is very good, new sound system (I ride around with an old am-fm portable radio now), I occasionally have to "wiggle" wires in the driver's side wire harness to get windows up and down, few other bugs. Just had the A/C overhauled. I basically would like to "pimp my ride". Any advice on the life expectancy of the drive train and body? See lots in the threads about updating the A/C, new plugs and wires, instake tube kit, etc. Ideas and suggestions appreciated, especially on deciding whether to spend $5,000 or so.

 

[explorerguy27]

The question you need to ask your self is: Is this car going to be worth it when its done? Could I buy a nicer one for that kind of money? Just a thought.

 

[Creager]

dude i was just like you. I bought my 92 back in 2001, loved it... and pimped it. Ill just tell ya what i did that made me happy...

first off i went and got a flowmaster 40 series muffler put on there, damn that thing sounded awsome. costed me like 200 bucks from mine-a-key. Later i put 3 JL w0's with 500/1 JL amp and wal-mart wires... thing bumps man. then i went to autofx here in charlotte and put 15% platnium mirror on. After a while i finally started sanding my truck, shaved the rear window whiper, rear window washer fluid thing, and had a buddy of mine up at CPCC paint it with the only sherwin william's color black that was actually named "black." freeking explorer is jet black with mirror tint dude it looks great. Then after a while i put a body lift on (took 3 days of no car), and put 15x8 rock crawlers, 32" kumhos'. about 2 months later (like 2 months ago actually) i took the entire front and rear ends apart... painted everything with rustoium, and replaced all the bushings with Energy suspention bushings, put Explorer Pro Comp 3000 ES shocks and a ES2000 steering stabalizer. A month later i finally had saved up all the parts and tools to put 4.56 gears in my axles. That was a true test of my skills, but after 4 hours (and a lot of help from a buddy of mine who learned how to do it in class) i had new gears. My next ventrue = Detroit Lockers, and autoFab engine/Transmission mounts. After that im gonna be able to try my baby out in the mud for the first time since i lifted her. After that i got some rust in the driverside rocker panel that is looking pretty cancerous.


Spend yr money, once you're done you're explorer gonna eat jeeps =P

 

[zebrex]

I dont see anything wrong with putting some love into an older car. You just have to be practicale and relize that the car wont be worth what you have in it. With that out of the way. Who cares? your not fixing it up to sell it. if you want to sink some money into your car I say go for it. You already know what your getting into you have had the car since new so there is no used car this has to be fixed suprises. At worst you end up with a car that gets compliments all the time. and if you take care of it you can get years and years or service out of it.