Hey guys, been around lurking on the site for a while and just became elite a few months ago. Finally getting around to creating my first registry so here goes.
My Explorer is a 1998 XLT with 125k miles on it. It is light blue metallic in color with a blue interior. My dad bought it new in 98, traded a first gen that was having problems on this one. Its first role in my family was my moms grocery getter/ errand runner; then my dad drove it back and forth to work for a while (about and hour round trip everyday). Then I got the Explorer with 85k miles on it when I got my license about 5 years ago. Interestingly, the factory brake pads lasted until this point and really still were not due to be changed-- amazing to me! The explorer has always been meticulously maintained. All mechanic work was done by my dad and myself. The truck was garage kept most of its life until I started college 3 years ago, where it endures more traffic and being parked outdoors than I would wish for her. I still keep up on maintenance/ improvements but I unfortunately can't keep her as clean as I used to parking her in a garage, but I still try my best to show her the love she deserves. I have never driven a vehicle I like better more than my Explorer. Its been a great first vehicle. Since I got the Explorer from my dad, I have done a few things to it. First i changed the rear wiper arm, to one that cleaned the rear glass completely. I then added 2 8 inch rockford fosgate subwoofers and an amp in a box that used to be my dads. They fit perfectly under the rear cargo cover. When i found this forum, I proceeded to go for an AAL and TT, continuing to ride around on stock 235 tires. Next was 35% tint on the front windows. Last fall I put on 31 10.5R15 Goodyear Tires (which suck btw) I added a spectre cone type air filter. Fast forward to this summer. I was traveling west on interstate 68 near morgantown, WV in the rain, my girlfriend following me (on my way to my grandparents house). I hit a bridge with a sharp turn too fast. Luckily, I saved from flipping the explorer, I tried to correct myself sliding back and forth. I slid bac and forth left and right about four times, veered into the other lane, tapped the guardrail on the right side of the highway with my rear bumper, sending me into a spin to the otherside of the highway, where the i hit the guardrail with the front end. It knockd the headlight out, didn't toouch the hood or the grille. Smashed in the front bumper, denting the right front fender but not breaking the paint. Scuff on the rear bumper, no airbags deployed. I ended up backwards in the fast lane, facing my girlfriend head on who had been following me. Definitely slowed me down from then on, though I was unharmed. My uncle and I tore the front end apart and replaced the broken pieces with junkyard parts off of an explorer the same color as mine (lucky to find one the same color) left the back bumper scuffed.
I have since tinted the back windows to 5% and no other mods, just replacing some aging parts.
Sorry for the lengthy post... here's a link to my pics (hopefully they work) and here a big thanks to the forum for all the help they've given me on making my explorer better, and continuing to get better all the time!
http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/chrispitek/library/?sort=3&page=1
My Explorer is a 1998 XLT with 125k miles on it. It is light blue metallic in color with a blue interior. My dad bought it new in 98, traded a first gen that was having problems on this one. Its first role in my family was my moms grocery getter/ errand runner; then my dad drove it back and forth to work for a while (about and hour round trip everyday). Then I got the Explorer with 85k miles on it when I got my license about 5 years ago. Interestingly, the factory brake pads lasted until this point and really still were not due to be changed-- amazing to me! The explorer has always been meticulously maintained. All mechanic work was done by my dad and myself. The truck was garage kept most of its life until I started college 3 years ago, where it endures more traffic and being parked outdoors than I would wish for her. I still keep up on maintenance/ improvements but I unfortunately can't keep her as clean as I used to parking her in a garage, but I still try my best to show her the love she deserves. I have never driven a vehicle I like better more than my Explorer. Its been a great first vehicle. Since I got the Explorer from my dad, I have done a few things to it. First i changed the rear wiper arm, to one that cleaned the rear glass completely. I then added 2 8 inch rockford fosgate subwoofers and an amp in a box that used to be my dads. They fit perfectly under the rear cargo cover. When i found this forum, I proceeded to go for an AAL and TT, continuing to ride around on stock 235 tires. Next was 35% tint on the front windows. Last fall I put on 31 10.5R15 Goodyear Tires (which suck btw) I added a spectre cone type air filter. Fast forward to this summer. I was traveling west on interstate 68 near morgantown, WV in the rain, my girlfriend following me (on my way to my grandparents house). I hit a bridge with a sharp turn too fast. Luckily, I saved from flipping the explorer, I tried to correct myself sliding back and forth. I slid bac and forth left and right about four times, veered into the other lane, tapped the guardrail on the right side of the highway with my rear bumper, sending me into a spin to the otherside of the highway, where the i hit the guardrail with the front end. It knockd the headlight out, didn't toouch the hood or the grille. Smashed in the front bumper, denting the right front fender but not breaking the paint. Scuff on the rear bumper, no airbags deployed. I ended up backwards in the fast lane, facing my girlfriend head on who had been following me. Definitely slowed me down from then on, though I was unharmed. My uncle and I tore the front end apart and replaced the broken pieces with junkyard parts off of an explorer the same color as mine (lucky to find one the same color) left the back bumper scuffed.
I have since tinted the back windows to 5% and no other mods, just replacing some aging parts.
Sorry for the lengthy post... here's a link to my pics (hopefully they work) and here a big thanks to the forum for all the help they've given me on making my explorer better, and continuing to get better all the time!
http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/chrispitek/library/?sort=3&page=1
