Foo - Four Wheel Drive!

Well, I've been looking for a 4WD, and I bought one today. It's older, a 1994 Explorer Sport 2 dr, but in pretty nice shape, really.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Explorer.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Explorer2.jpg

Small rust spot on the drivers side and a small dent on the passenger quarter panel, but it's mechanically excellent. 5 speed manual and 4.0 Engine. It drives very nicely, and best of all, it was CHEAP! After I traded in my rustbucket Olds, I got into the Explorer for $1K. It's 4WD works perfectly, and came with a Reese Receiver hitch on it already. It's a bit dusty and dirty on the pics, but it cleaned up nicely. The interior is perfect, by the way.. :D

Is that one of the first generations of utility vehicles where 'sport' was added on before the SUV boom?


IMO, for 4WD vehicles, automatic is better, because if you ever go up loose surface inclines, manual shifting doesn't change quickly or smoothly enough to keep the momentum going before digging in.

btw, does it have a crawler gear?

It's got low lock, and yeah, it'll crawl in low lock. It's a truck, really, with a slightly smaller Bronco Body, essentially. Personally, I love stick, even offroad. I cut my teeth offroad with a stick with a 49 Willys Military Jeep.

Also, the manual transmission models have better reliability. It's got a new clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel, as well.

Did you do a Carfax on it?

You were aware the common nickname for those is "Exploder", right?

12-15 mpg going downhill on a sunny day with the wind behind you.
When I owned one years ago I was always stunned by the lousy fuel economy in a small 6cyl. SUV.:(
Take those turns slow in 4WD.

You're in Indiana so lets get"hooked up"to some KC range lights on the roof and Yosimite Sam mudflaps.
You'll thank me later when you get caught in a sandstorm:thumb:.

Nice.

I miss my 4x4 (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/StupidlyBrave/Vehicles/295414-R1-01-2A.jpg)...

Sure beats buying that old Range Rover.
Even Rubens Tool Time Fiesta TM. would not attempt to wrench that.

Nice.

I miss my 4x4 (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/StupidlyBrave/Vehicles/295414-R1-01-2A.jpg)...

Prepared for the next Johnstown flood!

Hooray for beater 4x4s! Here's SuperJeep (2000 XJ) at the upper parking lot of Mt. Pilchuck; 3000-ish feet after a fresh November snowfall.

Congratulations! Be glad you don't have the 3.0 liter V6, I'm not a speed demon but my sister's Explorer was a total dog with that engine, even with a 5 speed. At 7000 ft. it barely had power to hold 65mph on the level.

I sold my XJ last year to my cousin's son, who's now beating it up offroad more than I ever did. I miss it sometimes, but needed something that can haul people and their kids a little more gracefully (mine was a 2 door). I now have a Ford Escape, which has enough ground clearance to handle mild offroad work and the 2.3 liter engine is not bad for DIY maintenance.

Drive the snot out of it, Tom!

that explorer is just a ranger with a back seat. don't pour money into it.

I'm still driving my 1997 Explorer Sport (2WD). I love that car. I planned to drive it until the wheels fall off. Ford does know how to make a good, reliable truck!

Don't need to, John. ;) It runs well, and anything I put into it is fine with me, to keep it running well, within reason. For what I have in it, it can get a lot of money sunk into it before it matches the cost of a new one and frankly, I can afford to send it to the shop and have a frame out restoration if I want to. ;) I just don't see the need. ;)

By the way, the Explorer with the manual tranny is the most reliable of the explorers, from my research. They had the fewest issues.


that explorer is just a ranger with a back seat. don't pour money into it.

I can not tell from the pic, are those manual locking hubs in the front, or do you a 2h/4h/4l shifter, or do you have the Ford push-button electric 4wd system? My dad's 89 Bronco had the latter.

Pushbutton system on the dash. I can hit high lock on the fly and have stop stop to hit low lock.

Nice rig Tom. Always liked them.

Excellent. I still vote that you off-road it until it goes down in a blaze of glory.

I bought it because I go to the lake in the winter, and the lake is up in Lake Effect snow country, here in Indiana, and we also go snowshoeing in the winter, up in Michigan, etc. There have been quite a few times we've had to have our car dragged out of the snow and this will help us avoid that. ;) I also haul a boat trailer, with my I boat in the sumer, to go to races up in Wisconsin, and other lakes in Indiana, and it has a Reese Hitch already on it. I'd rather keep the truck around than to trash it. I can pick up a beater trail truck for offroading, if I want to. We have some badlands near us with offroad jeep trails about a half hour away, and the owner of the land will let me keep a beater there if I want to.
Excellent. I still vote that you off-road it until it goes down in a blaze of glory.

you just need one of these 6x6 vehicles.
http://images.travelpod.com/users/zigdog1/1.1218153600.cool-canadian-ice-bus.jpg

I bought it because I go to the lake in the winter,

It makes for an excellent bush vehicle. Several years ago, I left my Pathfinder at a trailhead for a few days. The Honda Accord next to it was on blocks when I returned. My vehicle was untouched.

I've driven one of these in both Alaska on the North Slope, and Siberia (ARussian version based on a ZIL Chassis).


you just need one of these 6x6 vehicles.
http://images.travelpod.com/users/zigdog1/1.1218153600.cool-canadian-ice-bus.jpg

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/loeb/delta_commander_2000.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk1_L137Okc

About 55 seconds in was the ZIL class I drove, not the Russian version of the Duck.

you just need one of these 6x6 vehicles.
http://images.travelpod.com/users/zigdog1/1.1218153600.cool-canadian-ice-bus.jpg

Would be sweet to convert one of these into a mobile bus home! :thumb:

I've driven one of these in both Alaska on the North Slope, and Siberia (ARussian version based on a ZIL Chassis).



http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/loeb/delta_commander_2000.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk1_L137Okc

About 55 seconds in was the ZIL class I drove, not the Russian version of the Duck.


Mr Stormcrowes an undercover "badass!"

I'm not gonna lie.

It looks terrible.

Don't need to, John. ;) It runs well, and anything I put into it is fine with me, to keep it running well, within reason. For what I have in it, it can get a lot of money sunk into it before it matches the cost of a new one and frankly, I can afford to send it to the shop and have a frame out restoration if I want to. ;) I just don't see the need. ;)

By the way, the Explorer with the manual tranny is the most reliable of the explorers, from my research. They had the fewest issues.

manual trannies are always better in the long run. the 2 door option is kinda different too.

That Explorer is a great vehicle, just don't try to take it very far off the pavement.

My daughter and I spent all day Sunday in a Jeep Wrangler high in the mountains of Colorado. The Wrangler went places easily that other vehicles can't even dream of. We climbed to 13,000 feet twice and over 11,000 feet on 4 other trails. In a whole day we managed 77 miles, with about 15 miles of that on dirt roads that lesser vehicles could manage, the rest on real 4x4 roads. I even scared myself on 2 of the trails.

There are pros and cons to manual transmissions vs. automatic transmissions. I've used both off road and I prefer automatic. When you're at 13,000 feet, on a switchback that is barely wide enough for a short wheelbase vehicle to maneuver, and you turn as far as you can then need to shift gears and back up, you really prefer to have only 2 pedals to manipulate vs. 3 pedals. I had read that the serious rock crawlers preferred automatics and later I discovered the advantages myself.

Of course in other use there are different pros and cons to each one.

Bro-in-law had an Exploder for years. It would prolly still be going strong if he hadn't got sick of driving the thing.