jg09
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- November 21, 2007
- Messages
- 349
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Everson, WA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '93 Eddie Bauer Explorer
Considering the fact that so much has changed from the time I wrote this originally to now, I'm completely rewriting my registry.
The truck is a 1991 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition 4x4. It was purchased in Dec. of '07. I found the truck on craigslist for $950. Some of the "mechanical issues" that the ad said it had was a sticking front brake caliper (more on that later), 4WD shift motor that didn't work, a bad starter solenoid, and a faulty fuel gauge. I talked the owner down to $600 and went to look at it. The interior is in near perfect condition and the motor runs well for having 209k miles. I paid the $600 and drove it home.
Let's not forget about that sticking caliper, remember? Well, on the way home, the caliper built up so much heat, that it started an under hood fire on the freeway. I brought a fire extinguisher just in case, so I got the fire out, only to find that I locked myself out of the truck. So after breaking a window with the fire extinguisher, I got in, got my phone, and called AAA to tow it home. Luckily, the only damage done by the fire was to the brake system.
I replaced the front calipers, hoses, pads, and rotors myself later that week. Since I was tired of having to start the truck from the outside, I also replace the starter solenoid. As it stands, the fuel gauge still doesn't work (Ford considers the part obsolete) and the 4WD shift motor still doesn't work. I printed out the DIY fix on here right after I bought the truck, but still haven't got to it.
Here's a pic of the truck right after I bought it
As many of you know, I later decided that it needed to be covered in truck bed liner (heck, why not?). I bought $250 worth of Dupli-Color truck bed liner and went to work. I also painted the bumpers, trim, and wheels flat black. After I was done, it looked a little something like this
The truck stayed stock for a long time after that. Sometimes, it only went in reverse. In 209k miles, the previous owners only had one fluid flush and that was it for transmission maintenance. At one point, I bought Superwinch manual locking hubs, but installed them incorrectly and had catastrophic hub failure after driving it in reverse, then forward for about a 30 ft. round trip. Since then, the truck has sat in the same spot in my driveway. I really hated to see it like that since I really love that truck. When I got the opportunity to work on it for my senior project, I jumped on it immediately.
My suspension plans changed greatly, but I finally decided on the Camburg Entry Level 4x4 kit. Along with suspension, I'd install new fiberglass fenders and hood (see below) and quarter panel flares. A rebuilt A4LD will go in, too. I'll run 33s with the new suspension for now, but 35s will go on once I get the money to regear. Here's the Explorer currently:
The truck is a 1991 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition 4x4. It was purchased in Dec. of '07. I found the truck on craigslist for $950. Some of the "mechanical issues" that the ad said it had was a sticking front brake caliper (more on that later), 4WD shift motor that didn't work, a bad starter solenoid, and a faulty fuel gauge. I talked the owner down to $600 and went to look at it. The interior is in near perfect condition and the motor runs well for having 209k miles. I paid the $600 and drove it home.
Let's not forget about that sticking caliper, remember? Well, on the way home, the caliper built up so much heat, that it started an under hood fire on the freeway. I brought a fire extinguisher just in case, so I got the fire out, only to find that I locked myself out of the truck. So after breaking a window with the fire extinguisher, I got in, got my phone, and called AAA to tow it home. Luckily, the only damage done by the fire was to the brake system.
I replaced the front calipers, hoses, pads, and rotors myself later that week. Since I was tired of having to start the truck from the outside, I also replace the starter solenoid. As it stands, the fuel gauge still doesn't work (Ford considers the part obsolete) and the 4WD shift motor still doesn't work. I printed out the DIY fix on here right after I bought the truck, but still haven't got to it.
Here's a pic of the truck right after I bought it
As many of you know, I later decided that it needed to be covered in truck bed liner (heck, why not?). I bought $250 worth of Dupli-Color truck bed liner and went to work. I also painted the bumpers, trim, and wheels flat black. After I was done, it looked a little something like this
The truck stayed stock for a long time after that. Sometimes, it only went in reverse. In 209k miles, the previous owners only had one fluid flush and that was it for transmission maintenance. At one point, I bought Superwinch manual locking hubs, but installed them incorrectly and had catastrophic hub failure after driving it in reverse, then forward for about a 30 ft. round trip. Since then, the truck has sat in the same spot in my driveway. I really hated to see it like that since I really love that truck. When I got the opportunity to work on it for my senior project, I jumped on it immediately.
My suspension plans changed greatly, but I finally decided on the Camburg Entry Level 4x4 kit. Along with suspension, I'd install new fiberglass fenders and hood (see below) and quarter panel flares. A rebuilt A4LD will go in, too. I'll run 33s with the new suspension for now, but 35s will go on once I get the money to regear. Here's the Explorer currently:
