Should I buy this, please help

[poecilotheria]

I want a project car for exploring trails offroad and driving in the snow and mud as well as getting me around town.

After a fair bit of research I was mostly sold on Ford Explorer.
I hear they are fairly reliable, roomy, tough, and not difficult to work on.
I'm not a pro when it comes to mechanics but i'm not bad either and this is will be my machine to work on.

Other than relibility and easyness to mantain I am looking for a machine that isnt going to be a money pit for hidden mechanical costs.

Some cash input is expected but I just dont want one that burns of my wallet over and over just to keep it running.

I was thinking of paying cash in the three grand canadian range for a used Explorer hoping to find one in the early 2000's... BUT in the search I found a 1994 for 800 bucks.

It belongs to a lady that owned it for most of its life and took good care of it.

She says that it ran very well until she parked it last year because she got a newer truck.

She just used it in town too and from work and never used the 4x4 however she says she doent think the 4x4 works because it wont shift into the gear.

She claims only two problems with the machine... the not shifting into 4x4 and a small leak on the transmission.

She has to sell it because she needs the room for her new truck.

Tomorrow I go look at it.

What I want to know is should I buy this, is it a good deal or should I hold out for a newer model.

It seems like only minor issues too me and as a first project car my instincts tell me 800 bucks I cant go wrong.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you !!

 

[Iron Weasel]

One of, if not the most common reason for the first gen (91 - 94) Explorers not going into 4WD is the fact that a little plastic bump stop in the shift motor becomes brittle and breaks which results in the motor becoming "lost". As a result, it will default to 2WD and stay there. It's an easy diagnosis and cheap & easy fix since it's a common issue. On the off chance that it's not the broken bump stop, there's still a small list of possible causes but still not overly difficult to figure out and fix.

I'll assume it's an automatic, so it has the A4LD which is infamous for breaking down unless you baby the crap out of it. Depending on where the leak is, it could be as simple as the pan gasket leaking or the output shaft seal. It could also be something like the front pump seal leaking which would require the transmission to be pulled in order to repair it.

If it's only $800 and you're willing to replace some things and spend some time with it, it sounds like a pretty good deal. Since you're in Canada, make sure you check it over for rust really well. Unfortunately (for you), I'm a desert dweller, so I don't worry about rust, so someone from up north might be able to give you some pointers on areas to look at.

 

[huntman58]

Do not look at it or buy it as you said you did not want some thing that will burn your wallet up and that is just what any Explorer will do to you. It may not happen in keeping it running but it will happen just the same. You will burn cash one goodies like custom bumpers wenches lift kits tires rimes gear changes and the list just keeps going on. Once you own on of these there is no turning back from its dark side!

now all joking aside $800.00 for a good running X is not to bad and even say if the tranny was shot that’s only a good reason to change it from an auto to a stick shift. Not a lot of go fast motor things for them but all the same they can be good off road rigs when set up right and driven right but take warning if you get the explorer bug your done domed and your wallet will never be heavy again.
as a side note my 93 xlt explorer if I were to sell it I would not let it go for even twice that amount! so whats that tell you?

 

[MudRunner90]

I have a 93 i love mine they are rather sheep to maintain, not that great on gas, at least not mine. If you look for rust; above the rear wheel, the leaf spring but they shouldent be a problem, under the side skirts if it has them and the shacles on the back, i just had to replace mine it was like 10 or 12 bucks.

As to building one for an off roadtruck i dont realy know mine is all stock, and it works prity good in the mud. as for the 4x4 not working it may because it hasent been used for a long time mine did that and i just had to hit the transfer case to get the dirt out, that is if the 4x4 clicks but doesnt go into 4wheel drive, just dont do it to hard, and it worked just fine after that.

If you have any other qwestions id be glad to help.

 

[poecilotheria]

Thanks for the advice!
I went and had a look at the machine today.
I'ts worth more like 500 bucks imo.
Some rust, lots of holes and cracks in the plastic interior, trunk door hinges are busted, and theres a crack in the frame... otherwise its absolutely filthy. It still may be worth it... just lots of work. being my first project truck im wondering now if this is too much to work on at once, perhaps I should hold out for a newer explorer in better condition.
On the other hand I am just going to rip it apart and turn it into a monster in the end.

How difficult is the explorer frame to take off the chassis ?? because the chassis is going to need some work.

 

[watt9386]

i think the body/chassis removal can be done with the removal of 8 bolts, and all the wiring and crap