New from The Netherlands

[techflow]

Hello everybody,

I am Brian from the netherlands and am looking into buying a Ford USA Explorer,
but because there arent a lot of these cars sold here it is hard for me to find the right one..

At the moment i think of buying 1998 4.0 4x4 XLT version, but maybe you
can tell me if this is a good idea? Maybe there are faults with this build year?
I at the moment own a Toyota Celica GTi and now everything about jap cars.
My dad is american and always loved proper Ford SUV cars, but he passed away
not so long ago so for me it is also a bit of an emotional thing to buy this car.

I hope you guys can help me along a bit so i buy the right one and can enjoy it for years.

Thanks, hope i didnt bore you to death yet! ;-)

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

Welcome to the forum. The V8 explorers of the 95'-01' year range have the longest lasting drivetrain. The 4.0 is a strong motor but the timing chain tensioners ofter have to be replaced.

 

[JohnnyO]

On a 98 if it's a 4.0 SOHC, the timing chain tensioner problems have probably been dealt with already. It may also have a 4.0 OHV instead, then it's not an issue. Agree that the 5.0 V8 is the best drivetrain for those years. Any of them will use a lot of fuel and my understanding is that fuel in Europe costs a lot more than it costs here.

 

[techflow]

$2,15 per Liter where i live..

But, for me it is worth it.. and for commuting i want to use my Toyota Celica.
So you can gues where most of my salary will go to..

Oh and 1 Liter = 0.26 US Gallon

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! You could save fuel if you get a 2WD instead of a 4WD.

 

[1AJeremyD]

Welcome to the forum! How far of a round trip do you have to and from your job? That is normally a big deciding factor especially when considering a truck like this. Normally I got around 13 to 17 MPG depending on traffic and of course the weather.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Brian- if you can somehow find a V8, really- that's the one. Maybe just for reliability, I just worry about the engine and transmission issues with the V6. If trucks are that scarce in the Netherlands, parts must be also. It would be a much more stout truck for you. Now, with that said, you can get a V6 and have no issues- it's just a percentage thing- more V6's had more common issues than the V8's did...

Good luck, and sorry about your losing your Dad.

 

[1Aauto]

welcome to the site