Why did you buy your truck?

[Explorin'VA]

My dad was given an 84 Bronco II by his stepdad when I was around 10 years old. We drove it from Texas to Virginia. We loved it and wheeled it often. He sold it before I could drive, but he apparently knew there was something special with small chassis ford trucks, so he got me a 94 explorer when I turned 16 and it's still my daily driver. The cool thing is that I was able to buy the Bronco II back this year. Unfortunately the previous owners let it sit for a few years without running it and somewhere along the way it developed a rod knock. I'm really eager to get it running like new again.

Both trucks together

 

[ThreeJs]

We needed a vehicle to haul 4 adults comfortably and 2 80 lb. Labs at the same time. Trucks were not option as we didn't want our boys (dogs) riding in the bed or under a cap in the Las Vegas heat. At the time we had 2 89 Mustangs and a 70 Camaro. All not really 4 passenger cars or dog haulers. Originally I was looking for a Suburban or Tahoe but my wife said they were too big for her to drive and too high to get into. We settled on looking at Explorers and Durangos. Sold the 89 Mustang Convertible and bought the 96 EB 4x4 Explorer with 133K miles for $1950. Great condition inside and out. Soon after the trans went out and I had it rebuilt for another $1100. Replaced common items like upper control arms, shocks, and basic maint. items. All total, I'm into my Ex for well under $3500. A deal in my book. So far I'm loving it and have even considered getting a Sport as an additional vehicle so I can really get to rebuilding my 70 Camaro. It has been a great vehicle so far and will come in handy on our trips from Las Vegas, with the dogs, to the beaches in Ca..

 

[Camacorn]

I originally bought a 1993 F150 Flareside with the 5.8 351 for $1.6k, restored it inside-out to near showroom condition, and then fell on hard times and was forced to sell it before I could even register and drive the thing. So then I purchased a 1995 F150 Flareside Centurion with the 5.0 302 for $1.5k with 80,000 original miles, drove it for a few months, and started developing problems that I wont get into, so I sold it for 3 times what I paid ( LOL ).

On the side I was doing odd jobs, and one of my neighbors up the road wanted me to haul off some scrap, so I went over to get it, and saw the 1997 Mountaineer sitting under some trees in their backyard, I asked about it and they said they don't drive it because they just got an Escape, and the battery terminals on the Mountaineer keep corroding ( Cheap-O OEM tin can sized terminals ). So I asked if they would sell it, and they said they weren't interested right now. There was a lot of scrap, so over the course of about two hours, I asked like 5 more times, and they finally said "Ok, but if we're going to sell it, we won't take any less than $700." so I pulled out $700.00 cash, handed it to them, signed the title, cleaned the terminals, and drove it home. Come to find out it has the 5.0 High Output, and ZERO mechanical issues, even has AC. Just needed a really good cleaning, body is straight as a board with good paint, and it even had 4 brand new tires.

This is my first SUV, and to be honest I had zero intentions on even keeping it from the start, but it's growing on me, and I don't think I'm going to let it go anytime soon.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Bought a 2000 XLT 4.0L SOHC almost new in 2002 (all of 18k miles on it) for the wife as the typical suburban grocery-getter/child taxi/don't-wait-for-the-snowplow vehicle. She was getting tired of lugging two car seats in and out of her 98 SVT Mustang LOL. Still have it, original motor and trans. Ford replaced the timing chains/guides under extended warranty around 90k. It has experienced just about every danged explorer problem repair that is regularly reported on this forum. After warranty ran, I've fixed them all with one exception: tracking down the blown #13 fuse which threw the trans into a crazy state of blinking lights and horrible drivability. Took two different shops a week to figure that one out after I felt horribly overwhelmed. Tranny shop gave up, sent next door to general mechanic. He had given up too and told me to come get it. When I arrive it was fixed. Said the high-school kid working there changing oil was a smart-ass and said something about checking fuses. Low and behold found the problem. Charged me a whopping $50, though they had no desire to find the source of the blown fuse. I traced all the wiring connected to that fuse after getting home and found O2 sensor wire with bare spot from touching a heat shield. What a crazy journey. Anyway it's been all over the midwest and out to Yellowstone and the Badlands. Need to replace the muffler. Otherwise still running strong at 210k on the clock. Son drives it to work couple days a week.

Bought a 98 Limited AWD V8 as a hunting rig with 125k 6 years ago for darned near free. Very nice leather interior, but needed lots of mechanical work. Ball joints, CVs, hubs, tierods, shocks, tires, belts, hoses, pulleys, plugs/wires, a/c compressor, rear differential, jacked-up mach radio/CD changer. Knew what I was getting in to and really bought it more for the body/interior and solid engine/trans. Spent next month fixing on weekends. Ended up shy of $2000 in parts with addition of brush guards, tow hitch, and upsized tires. 75k miles later with no major complaints other than it eats up hubs and ball joints offroading with heavy tires. Have driven it across the US and up/down some serious mountain trails with nary a hitch (did bust belts in a 32" tire along with ripping off the exhaust when right rear slipped off a boulder, but that's my fault). Still have it with start of rust on wheel wells and plenty of well earned scratches. Interior has blood stains on the headliner in the rear that wouldn't wash out after loading deer in the back.

Neither is a daily driver any more, though I do take the 98 to work when its snowing. Cannot see selling them any time soon simply because for what they are worth (under $2k) I could not get newer/better replacements.

 

[MAS Tequila]

I bought mine because they wouldn't let me take it without paying.

Back in 2001 I bought a brand new Mountaineer Premier 5.0 2WD and loved it for 3 years until I rolled it.

Last year I was in desperate need of an inexpensive vehicle and found my current one sitting on a lot. It is a 2000 5.0 AWD that had 68000 verified miles on it. And all the options except a sunroof and air ride.

It took me about half a second to say sold.

They took it in as a trade the night before and hadn't touched it yet. The left front wheel hub was screaming, so they told me $2000 would take it.

One year and 10000 miles later I have put less than $500 into it and it looks like new, and has zero mechanical defects.

Now to swap the transfer case far a BW 4406.

MT

 

[96EXXLTinCO]

Was living in a friends basement during a marital separation, my only car, an 01 eclipse spyder GT broke down and I didnt have the money to fix it. My friend gladly offered to let me use his wife's 96 EX that was parked due to the recent purchase of a newer cherokee for her. I ended up driving it for about 5-6 months when he started hinting he wanted to get it sold. By this time I had the money to fix the car, but instead I used it to buy the EX for $1250. That was about may or march or so of this year. So far I have only upgraded the sound, some lights and little touches here and there. I'll be starting a build thread on it here before too long hopefullly.

 

[bill06447]

It was in someone's yard packed full of clothes and papers. Had 4 brand new tires on it (nubs still on the tread) the girl said she hit a snowbank then it would overheat every time she waited at the drive-thru so for $500 I brought it home thinking I'd take the tires and scrap the rest. Lo and behold, all the clothes kept the interior looking like new, and the snowbank hit tore off the lower valance that ducted air thru the radiator so 3 years and 20k miles later I'm still driving it.

Bill

 

[2TimingTom]

Originally bought as a daily driver and tow vehicle for the family popup camper. Bought it from a friend at work. When I forked over the money, I had never actually driven it- but I had ridden to lunch a time or 2 in it.

A lot has changed since then. Check out my registry in my signature and you can follow along in the transformation.

 

[Ryan87LX]

I had a 1989 Bronco that I had rescued and rebuilt. Love that truck so much, but with 2 growing kids it was beginning to be impractical. Then we had a seatbelt law change and I needed rear shoulder belts. Broncos are super-rare up here, and I couldn't find the parts I needed to convert it, so I had to sell it for something else. I figured that an Explorer would make a good vehicle for my needs (mild off-road/expedition vehicle/daily driver/family hauler), and found this one that needed a good bit of work, but had a solid V8.

It has such great power, ride quality, and is so quiet that I'm almost hesitant to modify it too much.

 

[Stick_man]

Obviously you wanted a truck for all the reasons that a truck has to offer.

But why a 20 year old one with 160,000 miles on it for $1200 instead of something a little newer is what I'm asking

 

[koda2000]

Obviously you wanted a truck for all the reasons that a truck has to offer.

But why a 20 year old one with 160,000 miles on it for $1200 instead of something a little newer is what I'm asking

I'm not sure who you're asking this question of (or whether you're just asking it in general) but the Gen II Explorer's/Mountaineer's (95-01) where still true trucks (body on frame) whereas the third gens are more like crossovers and minivans. The third gens also have a lousy track record. I wanted something to haul and tow, something reliable, easy and inexpensive to repair. As far as buying one that's 20 years old, I guess that depends on how much money you want to spend. I try to find good late examples, but they're all pretty much the same. With today's oils 160k is only maybe 1/2 used up. They still have plenty of good miles left in them.

 

[Tyleryac]

I bought my 1999 Mountaineer way back when becuase I need a premium feeling suv with AWD and a V8.

 

[97xlt4.0]

I bought my '97 because I desperately needed something with more room than my single cab mini truck. Up til I replaced the engine this year, it hasn't cost me much, and I don't plan on letting it go. Even picked up a daily driver so i can make the explorer exactly what I want! Great trucks, and can't lie, I find a good deal, I may soon own more than one!

 

[Ritsui]

Short vs: Recently moved to mountains. Needed 4WD SUV. 1st choice was Jeep, but Chrysler wouldn't finance (newly self employed). Ford did.

 

[radman]

Way back in the 87 I purchased an Eddie Bauer Bronco II with only 18K miles on it that had been T-boned on the passenger side, rolled over, the roof caved in, and all the glass broken out. Once it was put back together we drove it for about a year and a half and loved it. It was maroon and tan, a gorgeous paint scheme. It had a 2.9 with 4-speed OD stick and traction-lock front and rear. I believe that car could climb a tree if you wanted it to, it would go anywhere you pointed it.
My family loved that little car especially my wife. Our two boys were still in middle school and we found out that getting them in and out of the back seat with their big feet was getting to be a problem.

I had read all about the new for 1991 Explorer that was coming out and I knew we needed a vehicle like that so I rushed out and ordered one of the first ones built, it was still 1990 so mine was a current model for almost two years. My wife wanted another stick so this Eddie got that along with the new 4.0 engine and was painted in dark green with tan accent. We loved that car and knew we had made the right decision with the Explorer.

We kept this car until 1993 and ordered a new Limited in purple. The main difference on the LTD was we could not order it with a manual transmission as they only came with automatics. It never went out much in the winter and had a pampered life. My boys were getting where they were driving there own cars so when I heard about the new 1996 Mustang Cobra DOHC aluminum engine power and I ordered an new red convertible and it was a joy to drive, no more 4-door family trucksters for me. Putting the LTD up for sale with 18K on the clock it sold to the first looker.

Next thing I know two years later I find out I am about to become a grand father and a Mustang is not made for babies or baby seats. If you guessed the Mustang found a new home you are right. What I needed now was a 4-door vehicle suitable for baby transport. Back to Ford for what I knew was the best car for versatility and dependability. A new 1999 Eddie 5.0 loaded with options in Washington Blue was on order. The difference with this one was that I have kept this one and I still have it, it's like a family member now. It's 15 years old and just got 105K on it and still looks and runs as new, never any major issues in all that time.

I have owned a couple of other Bronco IIs over the years since I started buying Explorers and still think they were a great car that grew into a greater car.

The baby that I gave up my Cobra for is a high school senior now and she is more than worth a car or two.

Mike

 

[1992 Navajo]

I bought a 1992 Mazda Navajo 4x4 5 speed stick from the original owner with 206,000 miles on it for $250. Ran and drove great but probably had the ORIGINAL shocks! Fixed a rear brake line but then decided to buy a '77 LTD, so I sold her for a $1000 to someone who drove an hour and a half to get her a few months later. We are going to look at a 2002 Exploder 4x4 with 115,000 miles to hopefully buy this weekend.

 

[Rideless]

Bought my 1999 Limited from my cousin who had bought it years back. Was sitting in the driveway unused for a while and i asked what the plans were. They said they were going to get rid of it and I said I wanted it. Was in great shape with about 265,000 kms (165,000 miles). Had been well maintained and a new tranny in it some time ago. Tires were decent and it drove well. Only issue was the passenger door lock and the trim on the passenger seat.

Picked it up for $1400 CDN almost 2 years ago and have just started some stronger maintenance outside of the routine.

Unfortunately she got used to haul some fruit in the back (My old man has a bad habit of using vehicles not intended for their purpose).

Have just done WAR-153's, TT, and put some 265/75/16's on her (31.6" by about 10.5). Re-did the brakes with wagner semi-metallic pads and wagner rotors. Next on the list is the lock hatches, a double-din, add a cargo cover, a hitch (draw-tite), new shocks (Bilstein 4600 or KYB monomax). Going to do the rear diff fluid change and same for the front. She's got 298,000 kms (186,000 miles) now and I hope to get to 400,000 kms (250,000 miles) out of this motor.

Need to get rid of the abs light and address the louder than i like exhaust (old, noisy, etc.)

The truck has truly grown on me and I don't intend to get rid of it anytime soon. I have a 2003 G35 as my other vehicle but the versatility of the Explorer is fantastic. I'm getting set up to make it in to a light off road (get me to areas to camp) for my girlfriend and I as there are plenty of roads out this way worth exploring.

 

[Mesozoic]

I just bought my 1st Ford vehicle of this generation yesterday, a '00 Mountaineer with 83K on it, 1 owner (elderly gentleman who take very good care of it). It's fully loaded, AWD, exactly what I was looking for. Also owning a Ford Bronco from the 1970s makes you appreciate what you find in a more refined vehicle like an Explorer or Mountaineer! I have quite a lot of experience with small block Ford engines from Mustang restorations, including late model 5.0 cars, so when I discovered that the 5.0 in these trucks were backed by a 4R70W transmission, I was sold. The EEC-V computer is easily tuned with a laptop if needed and the whole drivetrain is probably the best one that Ford ever turned out.

My intentions for the Mountaineer are not aggressive. With the engine being as low mileage as it is (I put 400,000 miles on my last 5.0 Mustang and the engine still didn't have a ridge in the cylinders when I tore it down), I don't foresee needing to rebuild anything. I was planning to keep it at stock ride height, but perhaps upgrade the tires (and wheels) slightly to fit 31" AT tires. I plan to use the truck for the occasional commute to work, family camping trips up forest service roads, and snowy roads for ski trips.

In the end, it was the sound of the V8 engine that reminded me so much of the 1st time I drove a 5.0L Mustang that sold me on the Mounty. The luxurious interior helped a bit too.

 

[koda2000]

Size, V8 power, hauling/towing capability, comfort, relative luxury, style, extremely durable mechanically, paint and interior. Easy and inexpensive to repair/maintain for the DIY'er, great value for the money.

Here's my truck:

Here's my dogs' truck:

 

[ranger7ltr]

Needed an enclosed vehicle after Hurricane Ike...

And my Charger R/T wasn't going to cut it...Found my 99 for $250 and had it towed home to find a dead fuel pump thanks to half a tank of fuel sitting in the there for over 2 years...

Did find the oil pump was dead too but the engine did run when it got fuel!!! Cleaned the tank, cleaned the oil pan, replaced fuel and oil pumps, and promptly put over 20k on the original engine in the first year...

Built a new engine in 2010 when I found a leaking head gasket and used it to haul building materials, police gear, and other work related items until I bought another vehicle in 2012...Still drive it some but it is a street playtoy now...

The only hauling is me and the mail....