RustyMacintosh
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- August 5, 2018
- Messages
- 190
- Reaction score
- 50
- City, State
- Monterey
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 94 XLT 4x4 Exploder
I bought this 94 XLT 4x4 from the original owner. She essentially had been ripped off in my humble, big time by a shop in North Vegas. I think the shop saw her as an easy victim to exploit.
That being said I paid $400 for a very clean 1 owner with 211k on the clock. New trans, transfer, brakes, KYB's, suspension, AC, water-pump (which failed last weekend), the list goes on and one.
She kept meticulous records. Even has a U-Haul receiver hitch.
OK...so she moves from Vegas to Cal. She had to have it smogged per Taxifornia's commie regulations which made no sense to anyone but a loony lib. It passed. Twice. Once when she tried and once more when I bought it because the original smog was more than 90 days old.
The smog shop said the XLT passed but has a cracked head. So she drove it home, parked it. She bought a Kia.
Listed on CL for months I saw this SUV. While I own five 2nd gen, I really did not have any desire to own yet another SUV but once I saw it, i bought it. Mainly because I liked it plus the price was right. I noticed when I first went to look at the Ford a slight misfire (engine shaking slightly) when she first started it up. I peeked down the radiator throat, no bubbles, no milk on the oil cap, the engine had now smoothed out.
For $400, I bought it.
Yeah, it had a misfire upon startup that was annoying. I wrote it off as what the smog shop said,. Cracked head. Yet it was not using any anti-freeze nor exchanging with oil in the crankcase. In fact, it does NOT even use any oil. Even after 3,000 miles, I have driven it now.
Once it started and ran for a minute it smoothed out. Then it ran fine for the day unless it sat for several hours.
I stumbled upon a custom built very thick almost brand new radiator at Pick A Part for the 1st gen. It was one of those days at P-a-P where everything was 1/2 off.
I decided to swap it in just for ***** and giggles. Everything went as it should until my youngest grandson (#4) handed me the snorkel that runs from the airbox to the Throttle Body.
In the process of smoothing out the ends so they would slip back on the TB and airbox, I noticed a 1 inch crack about 1/4" wide on the airbox side, on the accordion flexible hard rubber. On the bottom. Hmmm the snorkel is cracked.
Out came some Flex Glue, patched it up, then made a mental note to snag one the next time I am wondering out at the self-service Pick a Part for a replacement.
I started the engine, I noticed immediately there was no misfire. Next morning, Still no misfire. After two weeks of daily driving, no misfire.
I wonder, was this what the smog shop called a "cracked head?"
I did note that every snorkel from every 4.0 1st generation Explorer in 3 separate self-service auto parts lot were gone. And none listed on Ebay.
In conclusion of all the Explorers I own, this is my favorite daily ride. One because it is so clean, it gets compliments from a lot of people. No, it is not as tight as the 96,99 and 01. Pinion has its benefits. No it does not have the power the 2nd generations have, and yes, the V-8 version is a blast to drive while it drinks fuel like my 99 Suburban 4x4 5.7. But that model does lay some nice black tire burnouts on the driveway that the grandkids think is "COOL". Grandpa did about 45 feet of burnout on the concrete driveway just so the grandkids would notice....and they did.
Yesterday I took a road trip. 300 miles. 65mph most highway with the cruise on. 22mph. Usually gets about 15 give or take around town.
See below for 4 of 5 that I own. My 90 yr old mother is driving a 98 4.0 XLT which probably is good considering her driving habits.
View attachment 163755
That being said I paid $400 for a very clean 1 owner with 211k on the clock. New trans, transfer, brakes, KYB's, suspension, AC, water-pump (which failed last weekend), the list goes on and one.
She kept meticulous records. Even has a U-Haul receiver hitch.
OK...so she moves from Vegas to Cal. She had to have it smogged per Taxifornia's commie regulations which made no sense to anyone but a loony lib. It passed. Twice. Once when she tried and once more when I bought it because the original smog was more than 90 days old.
The smog shop said the XLT passed but has a cracked head. So she drove it home, parked it. She bought a Kia.
Listed on CL for months I saw this SUV. While I own five 2nd gen, I really did not have any desire to own yet another SUV but once I saw it, i bought it. Mainly because I liked it plus the price was right. I noticed when I first went to look at the Ford a slight misfire (engine shaking slightly) when she first started it up. I peeked down the radiator throat, no bubbles, no milk on the oil cap, the engine had now smoothed out.
For $400, I bought it.
Yeah, it had a misfire upon startup that was annoying. I wrote it off as what the smog shop said,. Cracked head. Yet it was not using any anti-freeze nor exchanging with oil in the crankcase. In fact, it does NOT even use any oil. Even after 3,000 miles, I have driven it now.
Once it started and ran for a minute it smoothed out. Then it ran fine for the day unless it sat for several hours.
I stumbled upon a custom built very thick almost brand new radiator at Pick A Part for the 1st gen. It was one of those days at P-a-P where everything was 1/2 off.
I decided to swap it in just for ***** and giggles. Everything went as it should until my youngest grandson (#4) handed me the snorkel that runs from the airbox to the Throttle Body.
In the process of smoothing out the ends so they would slip back on the TB and airbox, I noticed a 1 inch crack about 1/4" wide on the airbox side, on the accordion flexible hard rubber. On the bottom. Hmmm the snorkel is cracked.
Out came some Flex Glue, patched it up, then made a mental note to snag one the next time I am wondering out at the self-service Pick a Part for a replacement.
I started the engine, I noticed immediately there was no misfire. Next morning, Still no misfire. After two weeks of daily driving, no misfire.
I wonder, was this what the smog shop called a "cracked head?"
I did note that every snorkel from every 4.0 1st generation Explorer in 3 separate self-service auto parts lot were gone. And none listed on Ebay.
In conclusion of all the Explorers I own, this is my favorite daily ride. One because it is so clean, it gets compliments from a lot of people. No, it is not as tight as the 96,99 and 01. Pinion has its benefits. No it does not have the power the 2nd generations have, and yes, the V-8 version is a blast to drive while it drinks fuel like my 99 Suburban 4x4 5.7. But that model does lay some nice black tire burnouts on the driveway that the grandkids think is "COOL". Grandpa did about 45 feet of burnout on the concrete driveway just so the grandkids would notice....and they did.
Yesterday I took a road trip. 300 miles. 65mph most highway with the cruise on. 22mph. Usually gets about 15 give or take around town.
See below for 4 of 5 that I own. My 90 yr old mother is driving a 98 4.0 XLT which probably is good considering her driving habits.
View attachment 163755
