Rear Hatch conversion

[exteo]

I know a guy that works in a body shop so the parts are going to come dirt cheap. I just need to know which parts do I need for a 95 to 98+ tail gate conversion I already have the tail lights what else do I need besides the hatch I read you need the bump as well is that nessasary?

get back to me and let me know
Thanks

 

[jimbo74]

what bump are you referring to?

if you have the taillights, that should be it... you are going to need to modify the rear fenders to accept the 98+ lights as they are more rounded

 

[section525]

He means bumper. It would look a lot better if you switched that too. But you wouldn't have to.

 

[jimbo74]

oh, good point... yeah the bumper would look better too as the early ones had the plates in the bumper and the later didnt as they were moved to the hatch..... it would look goofy with 2 spots for license plates unless you decided to run with a vanity covering in one of them.....

 

[Flounder]

To use a 98-01 rear, you'll need rear cargo area windows, rear cargo outside body panels, new rear bumper, and new taillights.

The body sides are not necessary, but the sides accommodate the new rear glass which matches the hatch better than the 95-97 body panels and rear glass do...

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

it's bolt up..i will be doing it too..hatch,plastic on the inside,hatch window,tail light's..if you want a new bumper..i will be keeping my plate on the bumper cause that's where it suppposed to be on a truck..i will have the holes for the plate on the hatch shaved..so it look's right

 

[jimbo74]

wow, i didnt know the gleass sides had to be changed also......

not that it really matters, im not doing the swap....

 

[section525]

Adam, youre saying they made the side bodies different to accomdate different glass? I don't see how the sheet metal is different between 97 and 98.

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

it's not..it's just bolt on

 

[exteo]

sweet I dont think I will go with the rear bumper just so I dont have to rewire the lic plate lights. I will just but a custom dumby plate on the hatch like a Italian or canadian flag or something will see. Does anyone have any pictures of this hatch conversion I would like to see what it looks like. Hey if any of you are wondering you can pull the wire out of the stock wiring connectors with a pick there are little plastic tabs inside then you just use the old connector in on the new hatch, the wire will simply click in.

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

no your going to have to do some wireing..like for the window poper..ect on the new ones

i don't know of anyone that has actually done this yet..darn i wanted to be the first

 

[jimbo74]

i think the rear poper is mechanical, meaning no power involved.....

 

[exteo]

The popper on the rear glass didnt come out till later after 2000 I actually think the 2002 models started that I can recall anything in the 2nd gen body style but I maybe wrong as far as I know it is mechanical the only reason I want to do this is bcause I hate that gay handle on the hatch and the tail lights.

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

no in 98-01 they use the electric poper(if the battery's dead it won't open the window)..to open the glass..if you don't trust me you will find out on your own..so don't listion to me!

 

[exteo]

oh really sorry like I said I could be wrong. well then I guess I will have to just wire that to the same wire I am going to use for the sub seeing as I will probably never use the 2 at the same time. Not a problem

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

sorry for sanping..im just mad right now..sorry

 

[exteo]

no worries

 

[Flounder]

I thought the new rear body panels were needed to accommodate the new taillight housings (you know how they stick out when you put a 98-01 taillight on a 95-97); the new glass is needed to match the black trim that is on the rear hatch...

For example:

and

versus

Of course, it's hard for me to see a difference in the photos, and I could be wrong -- perhaps it's only the window glass that's needed to create a match with the tailgate.

Someone on the board... perhaps a few... have looked into doing this swap. I think espnfreak was one of them. You may want to PM him and see what he knows about the swap. And if he didn't look into it, my apologies to espn for the useless TMs...

I don't know. I like my Sport Trac.

 

[section525]

I like my Sport Trac.

Ha... yeah.. the tail lights are the same as far as body paneling goes. The hatch is what makes them work or not work. But yeah, the side window trim is what really makes or breaks the look of a 98 hatch on a 97 truck. Hee haw.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

I think the side glasses look the same and is interchangable between '95-'97 and '98-'01 Explorers.

A dude actually have done this before with his '97 Eddie Bauer 3 or 4 years ago. All he did was swap the liftgate, rear lights, and the bumper. Wiring is required to make the license plate lights work. But other than that, everything is a direct swap. Good luck!