Astrobuf
Member
- Joined
- June 23, 2018
- Messages
- 26
- Reaction score
- 27
- City, State
- Minnesota
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2010, Explorer, Limited
I used to own an 4.6l 06 & now own a 4.6l 3V '10. I do most of my own work & am capable of doing anything to a vehicle includding engine & tranny rebuilds.Hello guys
Thanks for creating this awesome forum and meeting wonderful people here. I am looking to get a 1999 Ford explore or anything similar but I'm really interested in this one, unfortunately this car has salvage title and I am looking to the community to check if there is anything else I should be looking out for while doing my inspection day, and I will purchase the car report to see damage and other details.
Some things that I will be looking out for during my inspection today:
noises in the engine
check transmission for slips jolts etc
verify all electrics / features / lights,
coolant or oil leaks
They are asking for the price of $3,500 and it has 130000 miles with a Salvage Title.
If you guys have any suggestions on what to look at.
thanks
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As everyone else has advised, the salvage title is a big red flag. The report you provided does not have enough detail to be very helpful. I'd want to crawl under it, look at the core support and other structure points to see just what was done to fix it. The headlights look hazy, so unless the damage was quite old, those have been on there a long time.
Pull the tranny dipstick. What does it smell like & look like. If it's burnt smelling, dark red or bright red, I'd be asking questions. If bright red, is the fluid brand new, trying to cover up a problem?
At 23 years, does the ac still work?
Given its age, suspension bits and bushings are likely shot. Do the front struts show signs of oil leakage?
In addition to the front end damage assessment and drive train flags sent, explorer's of this vintage often have bad wheel bearings. Replacing the rear bearings can be quite a chore, not a diy task unless you have a large hydraulic press & know how to use it.
Lots of leaking seals at this age, I'd be looking for rear-end seals, shot bellows on the half shafts, oil pan & valve cover leaks...
Good luck
Astrobuf