G'day from Sydney Australia

[robkinsey]

G'day Ladies and Gents. My name is Rob and I have just taken possesion of a 1998 Explorer.

I bought this vehicle as my othe 4X4 is off the road for at least 2 years while it recieves a completer rebuild from ground up. (Its a Nissan Patrol GQII)

The Explorer has seen better days but does run and drive very well (not bad for $1800.00) and with a bit of work it will be in great nick for me to continue exploring this wide brown land of ours.

I am looking for information in regards to this vehicle and will be scowering your most excelent forum for some answers.

In the mean time, I am not quite a novice at exploring and will gladly contribute any info I may have on destinations in Australia and 4X4 in general.

Cheers,

Rob

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum!

 

[explorer-aus]

Welcome, there is quite a few Australian drivers on the forum if you have any information specific to here!

 

[1Aauto]

Welcome to the site Rob.

 

[robkinsey]

Welcome, there is quite a few Australian drivers on the forum if you have any information specific to here!

Cheers mate.

I have been looking around for a few parts for my wagon. I have bought it as a run around for the next 18 odd months while I rebuild my GQ.

I was surprised by the power of the V6 in this thing and you are right (read some of your threads) the Explorer doesn't have a lot of clearance.

Dont know if I will taking the Explorer off road until I get a few things fixed first.

For starters there is the front tailshaft.... there isn't one!! would be a bit hard to put it into 4WD without it. Need to replace the front CVs as well (I can hear them knocking. Ill do the wheel bearings as well.

Parts prices are pretty good though. For the price of doing the bearings, CVs, bushes on the patrol (Just the front) I can do both front and rear on the Explorer and shocks and springs as well!!

 

[Juggernaut31]

Welcome to the site. your in the right place.

 

[1Aauto]

I have a friend Pete that lives in Sydney, He just moved back there from the US with his wife. I was on Skype with them on Tuesday.

The invited my wife and I to fly down sometime, can't wait to check it out someday. It looks really nice down there.

Tony

 

[explorer-aus]

Cheers mate.

I have been looking around for a few parts for my wagon. I have bought it as a run around for the next 18 odd months while I rebuild my GQ.

I was surprised by the power of the V6 in this thing and you are right (read some of your threads) the Explorer doesn't have a lot of clearance.

Dont know if I will taking the Explorer off road until I get a few things fixed first.

For starters there is the front tailshaft.... there isn't one!! would be a bit hard to put it into 4WD without it. Need to replace the front CVs as well (I can hear them knocking. Ill do the wheel bearings as well.

Parts prices are pretty good though. For the price of doing the bearings, CVs, bushes on the patrol (Just the front) I can do both front and rear on the Explorer and shocks and springs as well!!

What engine and kilometres are on it? The timing chains normally need re-doing at about 150k - 200k if its the OHC engine. The OHV while less powerful is a much more reliable engine.

My experience with new parts is they are extremely expensive, second hand parts from wreckers is well priced, all new **** is bought from the states though (bout 1/4 the price). Don't even bother asking ford, they are ridiculously priced for explorers. Also they have no idea what they are.

The explorer definitely needs a good lift to be a good height, it's very easy to list 2" suspension and 3" body, any more than that suspension becomes fairly complicated with the IFS.

 

[robkinsey]

I have a friend Pete that lives in Sydney, He just moved back there from the US with his wife. I was on Skype with them on Tuesday.

The invited my wife and I to fly down sometime, can't wait to check it out someday. It looks really nice down there.

Tony

G'day Tony.

Its not a bad place and there are quite a few places to explore within a few hours drive. Here is a link to an article I posted on the 4wdaction forum http://www.4wdaction.com.au/travel/day-trips-sydney-kanangra-walls

Three hours north of Sydney is the Barrington Tops National Park which is a great place to explore.

Four hours south is the Deua National Park and to the west there is the Blue Mountains National Park. There are State Forests and a heap of areas all in between. The wilderness in the Blue Mountains National Park has some great areas to have a picnic or go camping and you can only get there in a 4WD. (To the isolated areas I mean) you can still visit these areas in a normal 2WD vehicle. You can even catch the train to the Blue Mountains and spend a day or even a weekend exploring without needing a vehicle (but it does help to get away from the "Tourist centre"

Cheers,

Rob

 

[robkinsey]

What engine and kilometres are on it? The timing chains normally need re-doing at about 150k - 200k if its the OHC engine. The OHV while less powerful is a much more reliable engine.

My experience with new parts is they are extremely expensive, second hand parts from wreckers is well priced, all new **** is bought from the states though (bout 1/4 the price). Don't even bother asking ford, they are ridiculously priced for explorers. Also they have no idea what they are.

The explorer definitely needs a good lift to be a good height, it's very easy to list 2" suspension and 3" body, any more than that suspension becomes fairly complicated with the IFS.

It has 370K on it and it is still going strong. Yes it does need some work and that will happen over the next 12 months. im not sure just yet which motor is in it or the exact specs. I will be checking that out this weekend.

Im still searching the net for parts suppliers in the US and have found a few but they dont ship to AUS. Have these people never heard of Fed Ex? I have found that the prices are fairly reasonable. Compared to the Nissan Patrol (I was quoted $12,000.00 just to rebuild the engine)

Never go to the manufacturer for parts, the aftermarket stuff is just as good if not better and more reasonably priced. Although you have to watch out for the shonks as well.