I love these vehicles - Gen 2 - V8 5.0 AWD 4R70W - driving my new purchase

[ExplorerDude33]

That 97 is a terrible deal. 7k is WAY too much.

I wouldn't buy either he heh

 

[SVO42]

And here's I am dreaming of having a DD/weekend warrior Explorer after turning my '94 into a dedicated rock crawler on 40s. But now I'm thinking about a '98-'01 Mounty 5.0 AWD.

How does the ride and handling compare to a 1st gen 4.0 OHV 5-speed with long 3.27 gears? I'm sure the 5.0 with 3.73s feels like a rocket in comparison. Again, curious about ride and handling differences between generations.

I'd like to sell my '94 but I'm not in a rush since I'm traveling extensively right now (partially work-related, Ex is parked at a friend's in Missouri).

Hope that truck is still treating you well, LeBlanc.

 

[Mbrooks420]

And here's I am dreaming of having a DD/weekend warrior Explorer after turning my '94 into a dedicated rock crawler on 40s. But now I'm thinking about a '98-'01 Mounty 5.0 AWD.

How does the ride and handling compare to a 1st gen 4.0 OHV 5-speed with long 3.27 gears? I'm sure the 5.0 with 3.73s feels like a rocket in comparison. Again, curious about ride and handling differences between generations.

I'd like to sell my '94 but I'm not in a rush since I'm traveling extensively right now (partially work-related, Ex is parked at a friend's in Missouri).

Hope that truck is still treating you well, LeBlanc.

The V8 is solid, and has a decent amount of torque and pulling power *for its time*. Head and shoulders above a 4.0 and 3.27s. The ride isn’t great, however. The t-bar setup leaves MUCH to be desired.

 

[CDW6212R]

The 2nd gen's handle a little better due to better sway bars mostly, and you can upgrade any of them. If you need a serious rock crawler or off road rig, the 2nd gen's take more work to be competent, but IMO they are better on road.

The 302 and 4R trans are very reliable but at this age most people are neglecting things. The water pump is a PITA to do on any 20+ year old SBF, the timing cover too. Besides basic known items like those, you should love any 98-01(I prefer the upgrades done on them compared to the 95-97's).

If you hunt one, notice the slight changes to body trim items. The wide fender flares came on many Explorers, none on the Mountaineers, in 95-98 they were rounded, and 99-01 they had a sharper outer edge. It's a taste thing, see what's out there and narrow your search.

 

[C420sailor]

Pull the accumulator springs in accordance with the J-Mod and the truck will chirp tires and snap your neck on a 1-2 WOT shift. It hauls ass.

The AWD box is fine for on-road and gentle off road...but if you’re a big off-roader, it won’t cut it.

IMO, the 5.0 is the best on-road daily driver Ex ever made.