Picked up a clean '97 Sport

[edman1000]

Back at the explorer game again after a few year hiatus. Picked up a ’97 …Clean! Beyond Clean! Showroom Clean! Got really lucky on this one. All the northern guys will know what I mean and know why I’m excited. Anyway, she’s low mileage – 88k only been through 1 Buffalo winter. Originally from Missouri. All stock. Only rust on it was the factory shackles and that metal plate above the spare tire that holds the Charcoal canister. Gotta find one of them. Nothing major planned right away aside from some heavy rustproofing. Maybe bumpers and tires… Anyway, here she is…

 

[edman1000]

And here's that plate, It's bolt on. Anyone know where to get one? Do I even need it?

 

[Mike65]

Nice find, looks good.

 

[koda2000]

Wow, incredibly clean. Looks brand new. Here's a pic of the '97 Sport I picked up (a year ago April) for my son-in-law. It's clean for a '97, not as clean as yours, but zero rust. GA truck all its life.

http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/kodabear2000/media/109_0136_zpszf8cansc.jpg.html

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Nice Sport!

The support plate is probably better than any you'd be able
to find. I'd unbolt it, treat it with rust removal solution, and paint it.

 

[edman1000]

Nice Sport!

The support plate is probably better than any you'd be able
to find. I'd unbolt it, treat it with rust removal solution, and paint it.

I'd do that if I could but it's real spongy. Every time I touch it, it just disintegrates even more! I can basically poke my finger through it. They'd have been better off making them out of osb plywood! I'll prolly just pull it off an make a new one.

 

[edman1000]

Wow, incredibly clean. Looks brand new. Here's a pic of the '97 Sport I picked up (a year ago April) for my son-in-law. It's clean for a '97, not as clean as yours, but zero rust. GA truck all its life.

http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/kodabear2000/media/109_0136_zpszf8cansc.jpg.html

Wow! All your trucks are Clean! I like the 4-door. IMO they ride better than the sports. I bought a '99 sport brand new back then and I cant remeber how it rode but this one is real choppy. The wheel is very tight and it almost feels like it wants to wander around a bit. Tippy if I dare say it. Just had an alignment before I started to drive it too... oh well. Lift it an bigger tires then it'll be my fault it rides like crap!

 

[Sitcoms]

That's gorgeous. I have a 99 sport, and it's got some rust - rockers are getting worse and there's a lot of surface rust underneath, but she holds together. Sports are great but potholes/cracks/etc will kill you, you'll feel everything

 

[masospaghetti]

Looks great, congrats on the find. I really like the Sport, very easy to maneuver and super tight turning radius.

Like others I did not like the ride quality when I got mine. Better tires helped (the originals were LT tires that rode more harshly - Michelin LTX-MS or Bridgestone Alenzas both ride much better). I tried Monroe Reflex shocks but they were way too stiff and made the ride very uncomfortable. Sensatracs work much better. Upgrading to a progressive leaf pack in the rear also helps too. Last, poly sway bar bushings will help keep the truck more level when going over bumps.

Really looks like a brand new truck!

 

[edman1000]

Well... it was clean... Let GF borrow truck, truck needs door.... Dont wanna talk about it! ...anybody got a keyless entry sport door layin around?

 

[jimmyznutz]

Ouch. Damn..Sorry to see that. Still one of the cleanest I've seen in a bit. Good luck finding the door. Maybe check the jy.

 

[koda2000]

That sucks! I hope she's (or whoever hit her) is paying for the repair. Your insurance company (assuming you had collusion, which I doubt) would total that truck in a hear beat. Sorry to see that. The PO would probably cry if he/she saw that.

 

[edman1000]

Nah, No collision. It was a cash deal. Would've been to hard to insure it for what it was worth anyway. Now I gotta fix the fricken thing. The PO is gonna be sick when he see's it. I still talk to him every so often. I'm not showing him until it's fixed! Piss me off! She knows I'm not happy wit her. I'm really frustrated! haha! such is life I guess.

Trying to find parts now. Needs a rocker, a door, a scuff plate and weather stripping. Cant open the Door yet to see what else. The scuff plate did not have a scratch on it! This thing was absolutley perfect!

 

[koda2000]

Nah, No collision. It was a cash deal. Would've been to hard to insure it for what it was worth anyway. Now I gotta fix the fricken thing. The PO is gonna be sick when he see's it. I still talk to him every so often. I'm not showing him until it's fixed! Piss me off! She knows I'm not happy wit her. I'm really frustrated! haha! such is life I guess.

Trying to find parts now. Needs a rocker, a door, a scuff plate and weather stripping. Cant open the Door yet to see what else. The scuff plate did not have a scratch on it! This thing was absolutley perfect!

Yeah, I didn't figure you had collision coverage on a '97. It's a shame. I'd find a new GF, or a least never let her drive one of my vehicles ever again.

 

[edman1000]

OK! Back in the Game!

I just picked up a parts truck, Came from west Virginia. Southern body, no rot. Good motor, tranny, transfer case. Disc brake 8.8 rear end (not sure what gears yet). Perfect Lift gate, Fenders passenger door, hood. Interior is not the best but it's complete.... Let me know if anyone needs anything, I'm gonna post the parts in the classifieds when I get done picking through it! oh and check out the shackles... I just did mine before it got whacked!

http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/q503/edman1000/explorer/0818150748a_zpsfnsyjrny.jpg

http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/q503/edman1000/explorer/0818150748_zpsrcacmaqj.jpg

 

[edman1000]

Progressing nicely....

Still unbelievable how Clean this thing is. The body man is a friend of mine and his is still in awe. Says its a pleasure to work on them when they are this clean! haha! hopefully it'll be reflected in the price.

 

[Sitcoms]

I'm still so jealous of how clean this thing is when every once in a while when i get i/out of mine and scrape my leg on the rust...

 

[edman1000]

Yeah but when something like this happens, you prolly could care a heck of alot less then I did...

 

[koda2000]

Glad to see you're getting it fixed. That has to be the cleanest '97 on the planet. Did the previous owner ever find out it got wrecked?

I once traded-in a super nice '70 Mustang Mach 1 at a dealership on a new car. I stopped in at the dealership a week later to see that someone had t-boned the Mustang while it was parked on their lot and then took off. Made me feel sick, even though it wasn't mine anymore.

 

[JLindley]

Nice find!! Hate it your GF wrecked it! Glad your having it fixed; very nice example of a 2nd gen Ex sport. I also found me a very clean Explorer. Mine is a '97 Explorer Eddie Bauer 4x4 that only had 35,500 miles on it when I bought it in June. It now has 39,000 miles on it. It originally came from California and the man that owned it (1 owner car) moved to Cary, NC two years ago. I only live like 40 mins from the guy I bought it from. I was also extremely lucky!! I only paid $3,500 for it I get comments on it every time I drive it. A friend of mine offered me $6,500 for it but I can't let it go. I love these old explorers and will never find another one like it. I need to take a pick of the undercarriage and post it on here; Its never seen mud yet alone a dirt road. Looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. It even still has the original brake pads on it. I also need to put new tires on it, the tires on it now are 15yrs old :O