My new Project. Any other Ideas?

[Kris Guilbeaux]

Ok, Here is what I am going to start working on.

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This is our 1991 Xlt 2wd. My sister is going to be driving this Explorer when she turns 16 this summer. So, I want to customize it a bit. Right now I have a set of rims just like the ones on it I am Going to color key the rims I also plan to paint a sport grill and bumpers white to match. I got a paint gun and Have been painting stuff.

Do any of you have some good cheap Ideas to make this Explorer stand out. I say cheap cause I still have the Navajo to worry about.

 

[Raceit]

This is just my preference. But I say remove the red pin striping. That makes it stand out already, but not in a good way.
Anyway probably the best 'dress-up' you could do is slap on a http://www.explorer4x4.com sticker!

 

[DarkFox1]

ya, unless you have red interior. then the pinstripe is fine.. it makes a vehicle individual in its own way.. the first thing I would do is get some white door handles.. those black things are very contrasting.. then some better rims.. maybe a billet grille or grille guard?

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

The Grill, bumpers, and rims. are going to be customized factory. The Door handle are plastic and very hard to paint. I tried with my Navajo I even tried getting 95+ door handles and they do not fit.

 

[DarkFox1]

oh, heh, kinda sorry bought that.. I guess I overlooked that part of your post.. its not the first time I've done it .. hey, did the limitd explorer '94 and down have paintable door handles?

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

All 91-94 Explorers had the cheap plastic door handles. Later down the Road I plan on buying the Explorer adn installing a 5.0 and paint some racing stripes but I want to kind of start small with my own style...

 

[leebo]

skip it....just shave the handles. A friend of mine had his done for about 400 for his. Give it a paintjob and it's sharp.

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

Leebo,

I talking some thing cheap... If I am Going to spend that kinda cash it will be on my Navajo first.

 

[mrboyle]

Originally posted by leebo
skip it....just shave the handles.

Shaved door handles are a pain in the A**. :fire: They work for a few weeks then when you least expect it they like to quit, the pull cables stretch or break, the remote quits, etc...
Eeveryone I know that has svaved the handles on their daily driver has regreted it. They are cool on toys (ie: street rods, customs, etc..) but leave them off something you rely on. OK..OK.. I know someone out there is going to say that they have or know of someone that has never had trouble with their's, but for every one that works I'll show you ten that have problems.

 

[newbz]

400 dollars for shaved door handles? thats insane!

I'd take off the pinstriping, its free, takes about an hour.

Paint the grill white, I think it'd look sharp.

Get clears all around if you can.

Put ventvisors or something maybe

Take off the front license plate holder if you can.

Get a roof rack, I think they give it a "complete" look, let me know if you need one

For a little more dramatic get white window wiper arms....

Black out the windows....


Thats my ideas that are cheap.....of course rims, a grille guard, tail light guard, and all that stuff would make it look different and custom but it ain't cheap.

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

Clears are one thing I was really thinking about. I cant take the front license plate off I live in texas they are required on the front. The Grill guard would be nice but I have never seen a 91 with one that I like a alot.


BTW: any one have a driver side headlight trim in black?

 

[rock883]

Hey Kris, what about this brush guard?

 

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

either do clears or blackouts on the lights, im partial to blackouts myself

performance-wise, the cheapest thing you can do is take the airbox off, its free and give you much better sound and acceleration

i dont think you should put a brush guard on, maybe a push bar or something, and i think a roof rack would look fantastic

and perhaps a torsion/shackle lift, gets you 2 inches for under $100! im doing mine thursday!

 

[DarkFox1]

ya, I decided not to say anything about clears earlier, I didn't know how legal they are elsewhere, but I'd recommend a full set, front and rear if the police tolerate it... it looks good on a white vehicle.

shaved door handles look awesome, but ya they can be a pain, what I've seen done is rather than making them remote powered.. just flattening the handle.. I saw it in a magazine, a guy cut an oval shape out of the door, smoothed the edges, and made it into a door button.. so it sat flush on the door, but still didn't hafta relocate anything, it looked very nice, although the cost would be rather high I imagine.

 

[FROADER]

Splatter paint the whole truck. It'll stand out!

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[Gopher]

Whats kinda a cool is painting the rear drum brakes. I painted mine blue to match the rest of my suspension. I used engine enamal to try and hold up to some of the heat. I just sanded down the drums farely well with a wire brush and then blew off the dust and then painted them. Just a couple coats and it looks good.