Project Hazey

[DintDobbs]

Recently found and bought a 2000 Ford Explorer Limited, to be the little... big... little (?) sister of The Vulture. Let's not waste time with descriptions, and get on to the pics, shall we?

216k miles, 4.0 SOHC, auto, Control Trac, 4.10's. Very small bit of surface rust on the frame rails and front crossmember, hail dings and one pea-sized paint chip on the hood, and a little bit of paint peel and minimal rust on the roof.

Already did a touch of tidy-up work on her - a few clips for the left front fender flare, put the rear cup holder back in, and threw out a vast collection of straw papers hidden in the various pockets and recessions out of sight to human eyes. Need to tighten up the gauge cluster lights, figure out why the Mach CD player doesn't display, sounds like the factory subwoofer has a loose bolt... Ya know, little stuff!

Gonna keep it simple, and keep it clean. Maybe 2" key/shackle lift, 1" spacers, and nothing bigger than 31's.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Recently found and bought a 2000 Ford Explorer Limited, to be the little... big... little (?) sister of The Vulture. Let's not waste time with descriptions, and get on to the pics, shall we?

View attachment 431907

215k miles, 4.0 SOHC, auto, Control Trac, 4.10's. Very small bit of surface rust on the frame rails and front crossmember, hail dings and one pea-sized paint chip on the hood, and a little bit of paint peel and minimal rust on the roof.

Already did a touch of tidy-up work on her - a few clips for the left front fender flare, put the rear cup holder back in, and threw out a vast collection of straw papers hidden in the various pockets and recessions out of sight to human eyes. Need to tighten up the gauge cluster lights, figure out why the Mach CD player doesn't display, sounds like the factory subwoofer has a loose bolt... Ya know, little stuff!

Gonna keep it simple, and keep it clean. Maybe 2" key/shackle lift, 1" spacers, and nothing bigger than 31's.

the pioneer radios have known display issues iirc theres a few resistors to replace that usally solves it!

 

[DemonMudder]

Yeah, even my oem stereo worked when I nabbed mine, but about a year later it went out and I replaced it after about a month and a half. I'm sure there are some simple little fixes ya can do for it. But overall, looks good, man! Especially already having 4.10s! Looking forward to seeing the progress made!

 

[donalds]

Looks good

 

[DintDobbs]

Thanks to all! I've been driving her around yesterday and to day, just enjoyin' stock, after being modified for so long. I forgot how lightweight these felt, with small wheels.

ABS light doesn't want to turn off, so I'll add that to the list of stuff to check out (not that I mind, I know how to drive), and there's a little yellow wire with an in-line fuse kinda hanging loosely around the positive battery post (looks like whatever connector it was stuck on with broke off). So I'll have some things to chase when I get some more time. I checked the fuses and relays first, they all seem secure and not blown, but as I've told others, secure and not blown doesn't always mean a good connection...

Meanwhile, some more pics for your thirsty eyes!

"Limitea" (sic)

After some complications with The Vulture's tailgate handle and latch mechanism, and its passenger door, I decided to shoot some WD-40 into Hazey's latches and tailgate handle too.

If you feel stiffness in the tailgate handle AT ALL, oil it ASAP. The longer you leave it, the worse it will get, until eventually the stupid plastic clip that connects the handle to the latch release will break (or worse, get bent and not break), rendering the tail gate unusable. Then, you have to remove the plastic panel from the inside, with the gate closed (not easy on a 2-door with a 33" spare tire in the back), and while that's off and you've got your hands inside there working the mechanism, you have no excuse not to shoot some WD-40 in there before you put it back together. Don't forget to work it a few times after you shoot it, shoot it again after you work it, and work it again after you shoot it again. Ya know... Routine stuff.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Thanks to all! I've been driving her around yesterday and to day, just enjoyin' stock, after being modified for so long. I forgot how lightweight these felt, with small wheels.

ABS light doesn't want to turn off, so I'll add that to the list of stuff to check out (not that I mind, I know how to drive), and there's a little yellow wire with an in-line fuse kinda hanging loosely around the positive battery post (looks like whatever connector it was stuck on with broke off). So I'll have some things to chase when I get some more time. I checked the fuses and relays first, they all seem secure and not blown, but as I've told others, secure and not blown doesn't always mean a good connection...

Meanwhile, some more pics for your thirsty eyes!

View attachment 431915

"Limitea" (sic)

View attachment 431916

After some complications with The Vulture's tailgate handle and latch mechanism, and its passenger door, I decided to shoot some WD-40 into Hazey's latches and tailgate handle too.

If you feel stiffness in the tailgate handle AT ALL, oil it ASAP. The longer you leave it, the worse it will get, until eventually the stupid plastic clip that connects the handle to the latch release will break (or worse, get bent and not break), rendering the tail gate unusable. Then, you have to remove the plastic panel from the inside, with the gate closed (not easy on a 2-door with a 33" spare tire in the back), and while that's off and you've got your hands inside there working the mechanism, you have no excuse not to shoot some WD-40 in there before you put it back together. Don't forget to work it a few times after you shoot it, shoot it again after you work it, and work it again after you shoot it again. Ya know... Routine stuff.

thats one nice rig!!!!! ok jmo but TT and shackle and just leave it as is! and the obligatory spacers since its got the flares.

 

[DemonMudder]

Well as said at the start, he said he may go that lift route and max out at 31s. Which would still be a nice build, sit about the way yours does @Fix4Dirt, will sit just slightly lower than mine did, just by like half an inch though because I had a 1" taller tire!
Very nice, very nice, always fun to find connections and wires that are randomly here and there with no explanation. Had one on the X, but that was for an aftermarket charging port under the steering wheel, which was handy now and then. This truck has a few, like under the dash theres some cut wires not sure what they're for, may be why my a/c ain't working. So I wish ya luck on following that fuse line. Yeah, get an off day and just check around the truck for dirty or loose connections, it's not the biggest priority as long as it's running fine right now. I love the pinstripe going around the tail light, was always a nice touch! WD-40 is smart in all the moving joints, handles, hinges, all could use it especially at the age of our trucks. Always better to be safe than sorry!

 

[DintDobbs]

She's loaded, too! Premium everything... Whoever bought this new must have been rich, or something. The inside is incredibly clean, not a mark on anything (except some scuffing on the ceiling, somehow) and it came with all the factory floor mats as well as some color-matched rubber mats. I don't particularly care for the steering wheel cover, they always feel loose to me, and that really scares the part of me that is a performance driver (performance, not speed).

Look at that console lid! Can you imagine 215k miles and no gaping hole in the lid? Is that even possible?

The steering feels really tight, so I'll venture to say the front end was done relatively recently (everything looks great underneath).

Rear wiper motor doesn't seem to want to work, so there's another little thing to add to the tinker list.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

She's loaded, too! Premium everything... Whoever bought this new must have been rich, or something. The inside is incredibly clean, not a mark on anything (except some scuffing on the ceiling, somehow) and it came with all the factory floor mats as well as some color-matched rubber mats. I don't particularly care for the steering wheel cover, they always feel loose to me, and that really scares the part of me that is a performance driver (performance, not speed).

View attachment 431917

Look at that console lid! Can you imagine 215k miles and no gaping hole in the lid? Is that even possible?

The steering feels really tight, so I'll venture to say the front end was done relatively recently (everything looks great underneath).

Rear wiper motor doesn't seem to want to work, so there's another little thing to add to the tinker list.

mine didnt get hole till 250!!! but yes, every one ive seen has that hole!!! and a dead wiper!!!! its the X trademark!!! seems like a great deal!

also how do you like the MACH hu? like mine so far, but ive got upgraded speakers. hows it sound?

also also... update your sig!!!

Well as said at the start, he said he may go that lift route and max out at 31s. Which would still be a nice build, sit about the way yours does @Fix4Dirt, will sit just slightly lower than mine did, just by like half an inch though because I had a 1" taller tire!
Very nice, very nice, always fun to find connections and wires that are randomly here and there with no explanation. Had one on the X, but that was for an aftermarket charging port under the steering wheel, which was handy now and then. This truck has a few, like under the dash theres some cut wires not sure what they're for, may be why my a/c ain't working. So I wish ya luck on following that fuse line. Yeah, get an off day and just check around the truck for dirty or loose connections, it's not the biggest priority as long as it's running fine right now. I love the pinstripe going around the tail light, was always a nice touch! WD-40 is smart in all the moving joints, handles, hinges, all could use it especially at the age of our trucks. Always better to be safe than sorry!

arent those tires on it like 30s? or 30 point something? forgot what they were, ahh man. hey hey if i adjust my tbars higher.... guess who's up higher!!!

 

[DemonMudder]

Yeah, my first console kid had holes at the start that only got worse till I swapped it for a nicer one, it was cracking but nicer than what I had! All the goodies! Even better than what I had! Though that's also an EB for ya, got the dad gum on board monitor thing I wish I had. Yeah, the rear wiper is a thing with all SUVs for the most part, even mine half worked, sometimes it acted like the internal teeth weren't working, other times it worked fine, it was funky. Nice to know it was well taken care of! Less work your part!

I want to say the oem tires like 29", at least mine were, 235/75r15s, was like 28.something"

 

[DintDobbs]

Mach head unit is great, but it would be better if I could see what it's trying to tell me, ha ha! It's a little hard to configure settings or know what radio station you're listening to, without being able to see. Also, being able to see and set the clock would be nice.

Sound quality, eh. It's acceptable, kind of mushy-sounding, next to the Pioneer with 13-band equalizer and Kicker co-ax's on the Vulture. I think I'll leave it all as-is, but maybe swap the head for another Mach if I can find one for the right price. I don't see that the Mach has anything over the regular combo radio/CD/cassette, except the integrated subwoofer. I plugged in the original HU from the Vulture, and really didn't hear an appreciable difference.

I'll get around to the signature and the profile pic eventually (pic has been outdated for some time).

 

[DemonMudder]

Yeah, my first console kid had holes at the start that only got worse till I swapped it for a nicer one, it was cracking but nicer than what I had! All the goodies! Even better than what I had! Though that's also an EB for ya, got the dad gum on board monitor thing I wish I had. Yeah, the rear wiper is a thing with all SUVs for the most part, even mine half worked, sometimes it acted like the internal teeth weren't working, other times it worked fine, it was funky. Nice to know it was well taken care of! Less work your part!

I want to say the oem tires like 29", at least mine were, 235/75r15s, was like 28.something"

Yeah, 28.9", so just say 29" at that point

Even the little monitor screen ain't lighting? Interesting, wonder if it's a solder joint like the overhead console is known for.

 

[DintDobbs]

@DemonMudder No, everything works except the display on the head unit. All the overhead stuff and all the console stuff and all the radio/CD/cassette stuff works flawlessly. Just no way to know what time it is, or what station I'm on, or which of the CD's in the changer is being played at the moment.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I want to say the oem tires like 29", at least mine were, 235/75r15s, was like 28.something"

yeah with the 15s it was 235/75/15, but the 16s has bigger tires couldve sworn iirc

Mach head unit is great, but it would be better if I could see what it's trying to tell me, ha ha! It's a little hard to confiure settings or know what radio station you're listening to, without being able to see. Also, being able to see and set the clock would be nice.

Sound quality, eh. It's acceptable, kind of mushy-sounding, next to the Pioneer with 13-band equalizer and Kicker co-ax's on the Vulture. I think I'll leave it all as-is, but maybe swap the head for another Mach if I can find one for the right price. I don't see that the Mach has anything over the regular combo radio/CD/cassette, except the integrated subwoofer. I plugged in the original HU from the Vulture, and really didn't hear an appreciable difference.

I'll get around to the signature and the profile pic eventually (pic has been outdated for some time).

hah yeah!!!

the mach is only different from the premium (ill sell ya a nice prem!!! already had the fixes resolved with the re done resistors!(though probably better to just redo yours)) in that the mach is 15x4 and then 85 after amp to the sub (not sure what it out of the HU) and it lowers bass to the door speakers, whereas the prem is full range 20x4 to the doors, and no sub output. yes my prem has the plug for it but nothing comes out, ive tried!!! but the prem has low level signal in it, which leads me to believe its very close to the mach internally but the mach takes the low level and pump to sub and lowers it to the doors. if you dont care about having the sub, the prem bumps quite well for stock! upgrade to kicker speakers like i did, and it goes hard, it will never be a sub, but for a stock HU it bumps quite well!

ive heard of people upgrading the prem before to work w sub but never followed up on it, but im quite sure the prem has low level in it

 

[joney]

Well as said at the start, he said he may go that lift route and max out at 31s. Which would still be a nice build, sit about the way yours does @Fix4Dirt, will sit just slightly lower than mine did, just by like half an inch though because I had a 1" taller tire!
Very nice, very nice, always fun to find connections and wires that are randomly here and there with no explanation. Had one on the X, but that was for an aftermarket charging port under the steering wheel, which was handy now and then. This truck has a few, like under the dash theres some cut wires not sure what they're for, may be why my a/c ain't working. So I wish ya luck on following that fuse line. Yeah, get an off day and just check around the truck for dirty or loose connections, it's not the biggest priority as long as it's running fine right now. I love the pinstripe going around the tail light, was always a nice touch! WD-40 is smart in all the moving joints, handles, hinges, all could use it especially at the age of our trucks. Always better to be safe than sorry!

No AC is hard here in July, HTH do you endure it in FL??

 

[DintDobbs]

@Fix4Dirt Thanks, but I have no need! I kept the premium from the Vulture when I swapped in the Pioneer. I used that to test the Mach's display (in case it was caused by the dash wiring - but it's the Mach), and that's how I evaluated that there's not much of an appreciable difference, besides the subwoofer integration. Which is a nice touch. Some day, I'll put my L7's into ONE of my trucks... Some day.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

@Fix4Dirt Thanks, but I have no need! I kept the premium from the Vulture when I swapped in the Pioneer. I used that to test the Mach's display (in case it was caused by the dash wiring - but it's the Mach), and that's how I evaluated that there's not much of an appreciable difference, besides the subwoofer integration. Which is a nice touch. Some day, I'll put my L7's into ONE of my trucks... Some day.

oh, alright then you already know the drill! i was lucky wnough to find a never used mach when i did my prem to mach conversion! it still has the film on it! maybe ya can find one of those or repair the current! yeah sound wise they should sound very close, but the mach does sub, and lowers door bass slightly. ive got a comp c8 in mine at the moment, does well but i need to upgrade amp to really see what i can do with it, stock amp limits alot!

 

[DintDobbs]

@Fix4Dirt Sweet find! I'll check around, but it's not a high priority at the moment. For now, I need to get through the routine "just bought" checks, and get those gauge lights working ASAP! Also, noticed a bit of play in the shifter handle, which I don't care for, so I'll make sure to tighten that up nice and good while I'm up in there. I need to get in the Vulture and do that too, so whenever I do one, I'll do the other...

 

[Fix4Dirt]

No AC is hard here in July, HTH do you endure it in FL??

^^^want to know too. if my ac ever kicked the can..... id be cooking!!! plus FL has moisture here its just dry heat

 

[Fix4Dirt]

@Fix4Dirt Sweet find! I'll check around, but it's not a high priority at the moment. For now, I need to get through the routine "just bought" checks, and get those gauge lights working ASAP! Also, noticed a bit of play in the shifter handle, which I don't care for, so I'll make sure to tighten that up nice and good while I'm up in there. I need to get in the Vulture and do that too, so whenever I do one, I'll do the other...

yeah priority 1 is make sure its mechanically solid then can work on that stuff! all the fluids changed and look good?