New guy, should i buy it

[voodoofire1]

"it seems these days all the cool v8 powered stuff is getting parked or junked, and replaced with 4cyl eco boxes.. all because they are unaffordable to drive."

As an owner of a cool v-8 power hot rod, I can sure vouch for that statement,mine gets about 10 on the highway and with the flame on it burns 3 gallons a minute, so it may be sitting this summer getting a much needed facelift, and we just bought a v-8 explorer, a 99 awd, and it seems to do a bit better than my lifted 92 with the ohv 4.0, and I picked up a 98 sport last weekend that runs and drives great, has a bit of chain noise, and it got slow rolled onto a snowbank and pushed in the top breaking the winshield, cost me $300, and I drove it 50 miles home......it seems to get better mileage than my others so far.....

 

[italianbigsky]

I already paid my first Explorer but I'm still waiting for the car.
Anyway, I agree with all the considerations about V8 and how expensive they are.
Also, living in Italy and paying more that $8 per gallon just to go to work and back home everyday, isn't that smart.

On the other side, if you are in love with American cars, and with old American engines in particular, I think you deserve one of those cars once in your lifetime.
What I really can't understand are people who buy big modern Suvs here in my country, they don't have road big enough to drive those monsters, and they are useless at all. It's some kind of status symbol, you know what I mean.

I bought a 1996 4.0 V6 limited, spent a lot of money compared to your Us prices, put on LPG (so that I should spend around $4.2 per gallon , which is more reasonable and also similar to my previous Mazda3, 1600cc). I don't have a gargen to park the car all year long, and I don't have another car for everyday use. I also don't have $ to throw away.

I simply cross my fingers hoping the car is still in good shape after 140k and 15 years, try to go to work by bicycle (money saving and good exercise), and when I want to drive I can ear something nice from an engine, not those modern car with no heart and no soul! LOL just kidding... it's some kind of poetry and madness that makes people buy Explorers!

 

[voodoofire1]

"On the other side, if you are in love with American cars, and with old American engines in particular, I think you deserve one of those cars once in your lifetime."

When I read this statement, it really got me thinking, I was lucky enough to grow up in the muscle car era of america, but I sure didn't know how lucky I was at the time, it was just the way things were here, but it's left something in me that will never die till I do, the emotional connection to a rumbling v-8's raw power, and it's something I'll never be without by choice, I built my warmed over hot rod up from a rotting hulk left in a field, it helped bring my family closer in the hours we spent working on it, and it has become a part of the family because of not only that, but also for the many hours of enjoyment we have recieved in owning it, it also helped me put my eldest son to rest by leading his funeral procession throwing fire every inch of the way, after all he was the first one to light the fire on it, and one day when it's my time to go, I hope they toss me in the back, fire up that v-8 so it can shake my bones, and light up that flamethrower so the man upstairs knows I'm on my way..............the american v-8 has defined my life, and took me down roads that I'm still travelling.......How lucky we are........

 

[italianbigsky]

Voodoofire,

let me tell you that I just try to do my best here miles and miles away from your country, and the places where V8 legends were born, to keep this mixture of tech and poetry still alive.

I feel that just like the true American soul. Sometimes I think it's just that I missed those years and those places I just seen on TV that makes me so addicted to Almerican cars.

We have meetings here. Many people are fond of them. But too many don't even know what they buy or drive.
Some others spend hours and money, just like they were in the US.
You are lucky. But people like you, helped people like me to be lucky too, because you taught about feeling betweens men and car - and family, sparetime, offroad, on-the-road living.

I was born in the Ferrari country. I don't know if you feel the "Ferrari" myth over there, just like I feel the old V8-V6 here. If that "ferrari red" gives you the same emotions overseas, just like those bigfoot, or muscle cars, or old fashioned movie car do here.

Thanks for sharing this piece of American dream, this forum is part of it for sure.

 

[voodoofire1]

Sometimes dreams are all we have, but the lucky ones make those dreams come true, and the really lucky ones, live that dream with every breath.....

 

[WD8CBO]

Okay did top off coolant this morning, started right up, let warm up to operating temp. It was 30 degrees out today so it took 20 minutes or so. I heard what sounded like the stat opening up and felt the top radiator hose getting warmer - at first it was cold and didnt feel "full". The overflow tank fluctuated a tiny bit. Once I shut the engine off the overflow "burped" a few times. I opened the cap to the radiator after the engine cooled a bit and then heard a swoosh noise. Did not locate any leaks while it was running or while it was cooling down. No leaks detected by observing my cleverly placed white material under the engine compartment. Coolant at the same level as after I filled it.

Time for a road test maybe - see if it really does "use coolant" as reported by previous owner.

And yes, this is a second car. I drive something that gets 30 mpg to work when it is cold, motorcycle when warm. Or bicycle to work if the prices keep rising - 3.54 gal for 87 octane today !

 

[voodoofire1]

WD, How'd the road test turn out?

italianbigsky, Got the hot rod out today, first time since October and took it on a 60 mile cruise, I really love my Explorers but they sure can't put a smile on my face like this can, chirps the tires with every shift, and a blip of the throttle introduces your head to the headrest in quick fashion, I almost forgot how fun this is to drive, so I'm going to tweak the carb, and lose the soft compound tires, throw on some handmade stainless tri-y headers and see if I can get it over 20mpg again, the headers needed to be handmade because I ditched the stock twin I beam in favor of a smoky and the bandit WS6 suspension with stiffer springs( yep I cut one up), When I built this I did it to get from point A to point B as fast as possible, and it does it better than I ever imagined, probably nothing compared to a Ferrari, but it sure gets your blood pumping, so with the insurance cost 1/3 that of my daily explorer, and as of now with them getting the same mileage, I think I need a break from my explorer for a while....and being able to throw 10 meters of fire out the back at will, well, That's pretty fun too......it's my also my anti-tailgating device,lol,lol.......

 

[WD8CBO]

Almost forgot to post about the road test. Started easy, ran up the road 7 miles, speeds up to 55. Temp came up as expected, went to about mid scale - higher than the time I sat in the drive for 20 minutes. Sat up at midscale for about a minute, then came right back to what I consider the normal level about 1/3 up from the bottom. Did this cycle a couple of times. No coolant smell inside. None noticed outside one the walk around. Drove back home, cycle repeated. No leaks noted as it cooled off. Topped off radiator - was down a bit. Will go road test again tomorrow. Been working longer shifts so havent had time to do much with it. Maybe just needed a good burp or a new stat - I am thinking a stat and flush and fill certainly would not hurt as i suspect it has never been done. Sorry for highjacking the thread.

 

[voodoofire1]

WoW, I didn't realize....... I too apologise for hijacking the thread1!

donaldderby..How'd things turn out?