I Need Help

[JSHzero]

can anybody help me, i have a twice used explorer, i am a dumb kid and want a fast explorer, what is the cheepest safest way to gain horsepower, i don't have alot of money but i think i have enough to at least get around a 100hp boost, i have a 91 6cyl 4.0 liter, i have some mechanics exp. but def not enough, does anybody got any tips?

 

[pughman]

Nitrous is the cheep way...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ZEX-...8QQihZ009QQcategoryZ33740QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[IZwack]

I know your going to hate me for this, but I'd like to quote Explorer4x4.com's FAQ page -- just to warn you as to what the future could be . The figures (operating cost, etc..) have dramatically changed over the years (for the worse unfortunately) -- but here it is:

Question: I'm 16 What Mods Should I Make To My Explorer

And the answer:
You will not like our response. But this is the hard truth...

Sell your Explorer (which costs over $.60/mile to operate) and get some small, used, ugly econobox with a miserly 4 cylinder (that costs more like $.25/mile to operate) Explorers are great, but they really cost a lot of money, both to buy parts for and feed. Plus the modifications you will eventually want to make on your Explorer can easily run in excess of $15,000

Given your age, we would take all our "spare" money (and all but the basics should be spare) and invest it in school, present and future. Get the hottest computer (Pentium MMX, preferably Pentium II or even newer) you can afford with the newest software, especially C and Java, and learn to program these languages. Take any available money and put it in a growth stock fund until you graduate from High School, then wait for a market high and get out with the money invested in a BBB-grade bond or preferred stock fund (about 8.75%) to provide income while you are in college or trade school.

If you are headed to college, consider this: Double major in college, that is do a full major in something you love (e.g. Art, Photography, Music Classics, History, Anthropology, Biology) and do a full major in something that will always provide you some good income (e.g. Business, Computer Science, Engineering). It will take you 4 years plus one additional semester.

If you intend to be an automotive mechanic, you still need to invest in the training such as Community College, including the computers, to be a good one these days. After this you will need to apprentice and maybe work for a specific manufacturer or dealership. You will be a step up on most toward building and modifying any fine vehicle.

When you get a decent job after all this, you need to save up one full years salary as a reserve. You need to begin to buy a place to live on your own before you buy toys. At the same time you need to be funding an employers retirement fund (e.g. 401k). If you are already working, even at a low paying job, you need to begin a Roth IRA. Fund the entire $2000 per year into your IRA and invest it into a growth stock fund...several after 10 years to spread the risk in several stock funds.

Here's your choices...you can have a really cool Explorer now that will probably be in the bone yard in 10 years and you will be $25,000 poorer and searching for your next "toy" car or you can be a millionaire+ at age 40 and buy any car you want. Go to Costco and buy a book called "The Millionaire Next Door" and read it cover to cover if you don’t believe us.

We’re not your mom or your dad or your guardian, who you probably don't like to listen to anyway. Yeah, we know we have *****in' Explorers...but we’ve "paid the price" and I don’t mean money…

Sorry to sound so practical, but these are the best modifications you can make at your age…right now...If you are not convinced or are already dripping with money, then by all means start building. Any modification will do wonders.

"The preceding statement has been endorsed by grouchy old farts with thin wallets and big payments."


http://www.explorer4x4.com/faq.htm

 

[Jason94sport]

I agree.......

If your looking at speed look into another car.
Sure you could get a ZEX dry NOS kit with a 100 shot. But don't expect the 14 year old tranny, drivetrain, & engine to like it. You'll blow through parts real quick.
You can make a 1st gen quick, but it will take a rebuild with perforamnce parts, or a V8 swap. Those cost $$.

 

[pughman]

Sure you could get a ZEX dry NOS kit with a 100 shot. But don't expect the 14 year old tranny, drivetrain, & engine to like it. You'll blow through parts real quick.

freak'n sweet !

 

[Jason94sport]

I mean yeah it would be cool if you wanted to have some fun with an X that you didn't want

 

[Anime]

The FAQ is right. If you want fast, you're better off going with an economy car like the popular Civics or something. With gas prices as high as they are, it might actually cost less money to sell the Explorer and get a faster car for a few thousand dollars more.

That said, if you wanted a truck and the Explorer is what you chose, theres a few things you can do to modify the Explorer for some more power, and gain some experience working on it. Before you do any of that though, you should take care of ALL the basics like an oil change, coolant change, transmission fluid change, differential fluid change, etc. since you say its a twice used vehicle. You should also due a tune-up, I suggest replacing all the spark plugs with Motorcraft ones from Ford. Get new spark plug wires too, Magnecor makes some great ones, though somewhat expensive. Next on your list of mods should be a cat-back exhaust, I suggest the Dynomax Super Turbo kit since its bolt-on. Go to Advance Auto and get the kit for the 91-92 Explorer. It's about $150, which isn't bad. Be sure to get a new gasket to seal the pipe between the catalytic converter and the cat-to-muffler pipe, too. After you get that, the next mod should probably be an intake. The KKM filter kit is what you should look at getting. Once thats all done, you should have spent a few hundred dollars already, and the Explorer should be much faster, though, it sucks more gas when you drive it faster, too.

 

[Lt.Jim]

As previously mentioned exhaust and intake are your two big mods. These will help some but remember a 91 ex has the aerodynamics of a brick so don't expect to race your friends in their pocket tuners without spending some serious $$$$$ good luck and keep us informed on what you do with it.

 

[Jason94sport]

Adding evey bolt on made for a 1st gen X still isn't going to do much for power. It's just not made for speed. The thing weighs 4K+LBS. You need some serious power to overcome that.

 

[Mjolnir]

... remember a 91 ex has the aerodynamics of a brick so don't expect to race your friends in their pocket tuners ...

Haha...Tru that!

 

[BMXunleashed]

well in my opinion a 16 year old should not have a FAST SUV hahaha the potential for rollover is very much there. it only took one close call to make me ease up on the throttle while im on the street. (had my ex on 2 left wheels)

like everyone else said get a civic, there low to the ground and are fun to play with if its got a 5spd.... and are cheap to fix when stuff goes wrong.....

sell it now while you still have mom and/or dad to give you rides or else youll be stuck with it

im 19 and i have an ex, its not so bad cuz i dont have to drive far for work but it does end up suckin up lots of money in gas.... and any mods i do have are from saving the measily amount of money i have left at the end of the month after ive put money into bills, food, gas, saving for SCHOOL, rent, girlfriend haha.......




if you want a cheap way to make yours fast though.....strip off parts, HAHAHA

civic with 5 spd, 240sx (s 13's are cheap cars, cheap insurance, and dont eat gas at all)

choose one of those cars and i garantee youll be happy

 

[JSHzero]

my grandpa has a 240 but he is hanging on to that thing like you woulden't belive we only bought the thing for 100$ and i have so far spen 1000 getting in shape for the road, i don't want to race, i just want something a little fun for my senior year, but thanks everybody, i am prolly gonna end up by just doing some little things to make it though this year,

 

[Killem234]

Yea I would start out with getting a cold air intake or something like that. Explorers aren't built for speed, it's a SUV not a car. If you want power get a car. SUV's and Trucks are for either cruising, mudding, or pulling that's what there really looked at for doing when they are being made. Unless you have a drag truck or something like an S10. I would love to hear what you do to this thing and how it comes out.

 

[IZwack]

..for either cruising, mudding, or pulling that's what there really looked at...

some people like rocks too