Picked Up An '03 Explorer Today

IIGood · Oct 22, 2014

Ever since last winter I've been combing the local CL ads for some kind of 4WD vehicle that I could use for the upcoming winter(s), hauling stuff, and other use (the GF also isn't crazy about riding in the GT for extended periods...prefers something more comfortable and quieter..hmph) like taking it camping, taking longer road trips, etc.

The other day I saw an ad for an '03 Explorer XLT for only $1000. Has 320K on the clock. I went to check it out and take it for a test drive...this thing is actually still quite strong. It will need a few little things to get through inspection but nothing major...needs a taillight, a foglight, new tires, and a tailpipe. There are some cosmetic things it could use too, like a good interior detail, there's a dent in the tailgate, and the panel below the rear glass is in primer. No leaks...handles and rides well...all the miles were apparently highway mileage...I'm hoping this thing will serve me well at least for a little while. But if I have to dump too much into it to get it through inspection, I'm just going to sell it off.

So here's a lousy night shot or two of my new ride...

7991LXnSHO · Oct 26, 2014

If there is no rust, the miles would not bother me. Make sure the electrical and emissions are OK, then go in style this winter!

IIGood · Oct 26, 2014

7991LXnSHO said:
If there is no rust, the miles would not bother me. Make sure the electrical and emissions are OK, then go in style this winter!

Thanks...I'm planning on it and hope the inspection checks out. Body and frame look solid...my dads 2005 Explorer has about 80K on it and there's all kinds of surface rust on the frame rails. This doesn't seem to have any of that.

I'm waiting on a few smaller parts to arrive this week then I'll run it through inspection and go from there.

TeamCaffeineGT · Oct 31, 2014

Be very careful with the rear window hatch! I too have an 03 Explorer and the painted plastic piece around the Ford emblem is very delicate! On a cold winter's day if you shut the window hatch too gingerly, it will crack if it hasn't already!

I bought mine a year or so ago off of the Ford dealer here. I was getting my mom's Expedition EL serviced and decided to walk over to the used lot to kill some time. We had just had our 2nd child and really needed a 4 door (we had a 03 Jeep Wrangler, an 01 Mustang GT and a 94 F250. ALL 2 Doors!). I decided to talk to the used car salesman and laid out exactly what I thought would be just right. I told him I wanted an Explorer newer than an 01, it needed to be 4x4 with the 4.6 and I wanted it with less than 75k. He laughed at me, took down my information and continued to laugh all the way back to his desk. One week later he calls me. "Hey you aren't gonna believe this. We just got an 03 with 58K on the odometer, it is a V8 with AWD and it's an Eddie Bauer edition!" Turns out an older man had owned it and used it to drive to church and the grocery store. He had suffered a stroke and could no longer clamber up in it and traded it in for a car. We paid 11k for it and it has been my wife's daily driver ever since. Great in the snow and awesome for road trips!

IIGood · Oct 31, 2014

TeamCaffeineGT said:
Be very careful with the rear window hatch! I too have an 03 Explorer and the painted plastic piece around the Ford emblem is very delicate! On a cold winter's day if you shut the window hatch too gingerly, it will crack if it hasn't already!

Yeah, found out about that and I think this one fell victim to that at some point. It seems that panel has been replaced...the one on mine is in primer. I've also been noticing it more on other Explorers and Mountaineers around here. I'm amazed that my dad's 2005 hasn't had this issue.

I've found some other issues with it over the past few days too...things that probably won't pass inspection. The parking brake doesn't work at all, the exhaust is in need of attention - much more than just the tailpipe...it seems there's a leak where the cat meets the mid-pipe, and I can see a small hole in the pipe coming out of the muffler (though the muffler still appears to be in good order).

I have cleaned the interior up a LOT since getting it. It looks so much better inside now. I dumped baking soda all over the carpet and let it sit overnight and the next day while I was at work, then took it to a cheapie car wash nearby and had them do their interior treatment and give it a quick bath. It cleaned up pretty nice.

These shots are from the day after I got it, while it was still daylight out.

IIGood · Nov 14, 2014

As a bit of an update...I took it in for an inspection a couple weeks ago and it did fail. Not just for the things I thought would fail but a couple other items as well. Nothing too major though.

They said only 2 tires were bad...kind of surprising as all 4 look pretty low on tread. I'll be getting a full set anyway before taking it back for a reinspect. They also found that there were no parking brake shoes even in it. The rear rotors were rusted and pitted. The exhaust, from behind the cat all the way back (well, what was left of it) needed full replacement. Both front upper control arms and one lower front ball joint. That shop wanted $2500 to do everything. I've been sourcing the parts elsewhere...Rock Auto has been a good friend lately...LOL. Also got the brake stuff from AutoZone.

I tried cracking into the exhaust today but the bolts were just so rusted and seized up that they wouldn't budge, even after dousing them in PB for the past 2 weeks. Took it to another shop and they bolted in the new exhaust and did the brakes for $400. I've got my usual shop lined up for the control arms and ball joint, then gotta get tires.

IIGood · Nov 17, 2014

Hoping to have this thing road legal before next week. The way it's looking, as long as the reinspection goes well, I don't see why not. I've got the tires on order and scheduled to be installed Sunday morning, the control arms and ball joint are Monday, then I'm hoping Tuesday I can get it reinspected and aligned. Wednesday I should be able to get the permanent tags if it passes.

IIGood · Dec 2, 2015

Zombie thread!

Only to say that the ride is over. This past Saturday I hit a deer at 50 mph...didn't see the bugger until impact....and on the outset, it didn't look bad. Just looked like it would've needed a bumper, the grille trim, a headlight and new foglights (and the trim pieces inside the lower bumper). But then saw the coolant spilling out from underneath and the adjuster noted the condenser would need to be replaced...without looking under the hood, since it couldn't be opened, the damage had already gotten to $2500. Which was at the 75% threshold of it's value...when MD declares a vehicle totaled.

Oh well. It was a good ride for a while. I did some little cleanup work to spiff it up some...and now it's all over. Gotta get the claim settled and see what I end up getting out of it...then hopefully onto another.

Picked Up An '03 Explorer Today

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7991LXnSHO

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TeamCaffeineGT

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