New Explorer (MK 3?) sighted in Birmingham

[Jon Burns]

I've just this afternoon seen some lucky so and so driving around Birmingham (UK) in a new 2003 Explorer LHD of course but very very nice to see all the same. It's really sad Ford won't bring RHD's in any more. Unless anyone here knows different it looks like we're going to be a diminishing number in short order.


Cheers



Jon

 

[Black Magic]

So do you have a mix of Right and Left hand drive auto's over there?

 

[Jon Burns]

Hi Matt,

No not really. Sure, you see some imports and cars driven by tourists and business types from Europe and Foreign semis and big trucks from allover. Hairdressers here seem to have a thing about driving the latest offering from VW Audi etc (New Beetle, TT100, That Smart thing - should have been called the Stupid IMO).
They pay the full on price for a LHD model that will lose half its value on resale because the manufacturer wants to test the market before they have to commit to tooling up to make a properly built RHD version which in most cases they do only after a year or more. Still theres no telling how dumb people can be.

LHD's are IMHO a liability here. Traffic density is fearsome here. Until you are right out in the boonies it's like driving in the Manhattan rush hour everywhere 24/7. Remember we drive on the left (most of us most of the time anyway) on any two lane road that puts you the driver in the gutter. You can't see around, over or through semis and the like, so you have to pull out to see. Right? Wrong! Do that and you get wiped out by the semi coming the other way doing 60. Roads generally are quite narrow here compared to the US. It's not much better with a passenger to "spot" for you. ("Whaddya mean you thought there was nothing coming the other way!!!!!!?") The motorways (kinda like Freeways)are more of the same. But you can only pass on the right and again with a LHD that can be a problem. I guess I just don't like them. (Unless I'm somewhere they drive on the right)

So I'm afraid that unless Ford start bringing in RHD's again I will eventually have to start driving something else

Rant Off


Regards


Jon

 

[jgilbs]

i have a solution - drive on the right side like normal people! im just kidding.
seriously tho, jon, do you have the same body styles for the explorers that we have(your avatar is too small and there are no pics in your gallery) cuz i know for some models, they use the same name but completley different vehicle. just wondering.

 

[MeatyCrab]

We have 2003 models here Australia...RHD...

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

And our petrol is 94c a litre...

BK

 

[MICHAEL PARKER]

PETROL

Hey meatycrab your 94c for petrol ha,ha,ha
How about 34p (uk) LPG & seven seats....beat that

 

[Jon Burns]

Hi jgilbs,

I'm a lazy git and I haven't got around to putting up pictures of my ride yet but I will.....eventually. This is what my X looks like when its clean

It's basically an XLT with power leather seats. At least I think thats what it would be in the States. Some have said that the fender flares are a little more pronounced than US versions I don't know. There are detail differences like air ride that only works on the rear suspension. It would seem that we got the same truck throughout Europe and Australia (?) with only minor mods to suit individual markets. If you want to see a UK spec RHD look up Howard's gallery he as a load of pics of his '98. Although the body styles are virtually the same we never got the three door sport versions officially here. The market for small 4x4's would'nt wear what would be seen as a luxury vehicle. You have to take into account that until comparatively recently in the UK only very top end cars came with power windows so the level of equipment on the Explorer places it up there with the likes of Range Rover etc.

My trail rig is more representative of the small 4x4 market here than a Sport X. There are no prizes for guessing what it is but I'll be very impressed if you get it and you are American.


Cheers



Jon

 

[Jon Burns]

Okay well that didn't go as planned so...



My Ex

 

[Jon Burns]

And for an encore


My trail rig:

 

[scorgnetic]

it looks like they use the Sport flares.....

 

[DasFrem]

I was over in London about a month or so ago and snapped these pics of one I saw. I think I only saw about 6 the whole week, wherease I saw at least 3 times as many ferraris. I like the flares they put on them over there better than the one's in the states. I tried to go and buy some parts at a local ford dealer that I'd been to before, but when I got there they had moved 5 miles down the road, this was after I walked about 5 miles to the old dealership (I bought the wrong zoned travelpass so I was cheap and avoided busses)
EDIT: Notice the side markers and rear fog lights in the bumper that are required to make it MOT legal