Why did you buy a 3rd gen and what made you want to mod it?

[NHarris]

Just wanting to see why you bought a third gen ex.

I guess I'll start:
I bought mine because it was a cheap vehicle that could take on the task of being my dd. I liked it because I thought it would be as reliable as my old 98. I decided to mod it for better gas mileage and better capability. Also for the look

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

I liked the general utility, I thought had more interior space than the grand cherokee, and the price was right.

 

[Ronin8002]

I was originally looking for a 1st Gen because I was hoping to build it up like JD4242 did with his, but I had a hard time finding just the right truck. Then I found my 3rd gen with a nice color, low miles, and all the features I wanted and that was that.

First mods I did were trying to copy Aldive's fuel economy mods. I had some good results but after the big snow in 2009-2010 on the east coast I realized I wanted my truck to be more capable in the snow and offroad without sacrificing driveability, reliability, and too much fuel economy. So I put on bigger tires, new wheels, and the lifts. Now with the 4.10 gears, aussie locker in the rear axle ,and BTF upper control arms coming I think it'll handle any wheeling I want to do and deep snow will be no problem Haven't driven it for a few weeks because I've been out of town, but I expect the mileage is going to be close to stock now from the 4.10 gears.

 

[armysoldier30263]

i got mine for my wife. she wanted an suv and we needed a "truck" she didnt want a true truck so this was the compromise. i wasnt too concerned about modding it until i found this website and seeing what these explorers can look like with just a little work. obviously i love it now and have "taken over" the grocery getter. the X is the vehicle that stands out in the family (my truck is a 98 ext cab z71) so i take pride in that WOW factor and obviously i get that everywhere. now its like a disease. THANKS EF haha

 

[PabloMike]

My parents had a first gen, my grandparents had a 97, my brother had a 98 which he then passed on to me, so I wanted to keep the tradition going, and the price was right.

 

[auburnfan138]

Stumbled upon it and it was a hell of a deal so I bought it.

I like to mod anything I buy, from 4 wheelers, jet skis, boats.

 

[Cozmik]

I had a 2nd Gen Sport. My wife purchased a black 03 XLT. I loved driving her truck, it was just so NICE! My Sport needed a lot of work, so instead of dumping money into it I started looking for a 3rd Gen for myself. I found a smoking deal on my 05 Eddie Bauer and the rest is history.

As for modding, well I just don't like stock. I just need the money to fulfill the desires now....

 

[gamecocks]

Drove one when i worked at used a car lot a few years back and loved how it rode, the overall size was great for just about anything and i just pictured how it would look with a few inches of lift and some meaty tires. So not to long after that my old Isuzu rodeo blew up and i bought my first X, and found this forum, long story with that one but that particular one didn't last too long (totaled) so then I was looking at F150s but found the X I have now for an unbelievable price and couldn't pass it up, so i rejoined the forum and started modding!!

 

[JDT]

My parents were lookin at a jeep liberty, but the ex has more room and we bought it off the lot in 02 and when I turned 16 I just got it from my dad and I started modin it cause I couldn't keep it stock lol

 

[not8taxi]

i actually never wanted anything but a car...went with my dad and saw my ex...liked the exterior of the truck and the way it looked...interior was leather and looked great...def needed some upgrades (thats what i always think with every car/truck) price was right so i bought it....as for modding...i cant drive anything stock...i need to make it my own...

 

[jad2411]

I needed room for baby, it was a PITA to get the car seat into the 97 sport, so I got a 3rd gen (blue), started moding it because I wanted to mod the 2nd gen and couldn't afford it :.
The other one (white) is stock tho'

 

[lynchy wa]

I made the choice because I wanted a ford, price was great for the year and mileage, lots of room inside compared to similar type vehicles (jeep, land rover) and looks 1000x better than those as well.

I had a 4x4 high light flashing issue (f*****' mice!) found this joint and have been addicted to getting my X just the way I want it ever since.

 

[therover1991]

I didnt buy the car because it was handed down to me from my dad when he no longer needed it for work anymore. My parents had purchased it back when it first came out and has been in the family ever since.

I modded it basically from being on the forum. It really opened up my eyes to what was out there mod wise for the 3rd gens. The 3rd gen is one of the nicest looking explorers on the road and I really love it.

 

[n.gardner]

my X is my first car, i bought it cause i loved the look and the price, i wanted to mod it so she'd be more capable and stand out more

 

[Black Dynomite]

I bought mine because I needed alot of cargo area and the X had the most without having the wheel wells inside in the cargo area either.
plus, always liked Ford, always wanted a V8.

Started modding after reading Al's quest for 30 thread.

*edit - my first vehicle too

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

It fit the bill for everything we needed in our second vehicle: truck, mommy-mobile, "necessary" options like leather/sunroof/heated seats, and still be something I could easily work on. Mods are a necessity; why leave it stock when I can make it better?

 

[Inspector13]

I originally had a Focus ZX3 hatchback and a Mustang GT that was a street car. After a few years, moving out of the town I worked in, buying a house 30 minutes away from work, and setting up the Mustang for more drag racing then street duty I needed something that could get through 14 inches of snow (because we get dumped on like that quite often up north here), haul building supplies and/or a trailer with building supplies, carry four people (me, my girlfriend, and her two little girls), and haul the Mustang to the drag strip on an open car trailer. I started looking for SUV's and found a 4.0L V6, 4x4 Explorer XLT for the right price and I liked how it drove and it's tow rating was enough (barely). They couldn't tell me if it had a tow package or not but whatever.

I decided to mod it for more utility, fuel economy, and capability. I don't plan on much. I have a CAI, and I'm going to remove the 3ed cat, add a cat-back eventually, and do an electric fan. Add mudflaps, and tow hooks up front. I also have yellow fog light film on the fogs. Might do some HID's but the Silvania Silverstar Ultras are doing the job very well.

 

[Limited02]

Bought a boat and needed to pull it. As far as modding, I never leave anything stock and I like to make it my own/stand out(in a good way) I used to be into lifted trucks('92 Ranger/10"lift/35's/V8) because my dad used to own/drive 2 monster trucks, but in college I bough a built '89 Fox Mustang and then it was all about speed So I'm currently about hauling ass more than I am about crawling over something.

As for the boat, it sat for 4 years before I sold it and got my money back, never really took it out on the water

 

[armysoldier30263]

Stumbled upon it and it was a hell of a deal so I bought it.

I like to mod anything I buy, from 4 wheelers, jet skis, boats.

we REALLY need to get together ... i havent rode a 4 wheeler in so long haha

 

[matt0248]

My old man got an 02 in late 01 and I loved it. So I bought mine is July 02. I still like it, but it is starting to be a financial drain. I modify it because I can't leave anything alone.