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    Results 1 to 20 of 27
    1. #1
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21

      Who the hell would build a 93 Explorer?!?

      Evening folks, long time creeper on here so I finally decided to join and start a build thread. This will be a long build(3-5yrs) as I have more time than money and the time is gonna be shortened greatly with my first kid on the way.

      Ok, so long story slightly shorter on my purple beast. I had a 93 ranger that I loved but it died of salt induced cancer. I bought my 93 explorer non running for 250 for parts before my ranger died with the intent to strip it of parts.

      I spent three days fixing it on a side street to get it home. While working on it I noticed how nice a Texas truck is in Wisconsin that hasn't seen road salt. Its rust free and still has undercoating. So since I was an appartment dweller at the time I had to put it in a storage unit and work on it in there. No power, no room to work, and the occasional crack head trying to start ****.

      Well life got in the way so 5 years and $6500 in storage fees and the truck went untouched. Its home now and back on track. The plan is to lower it, 4 link in the rear with coilovers on all 4 corners, fuel cell and battery in the rear, big tires and brakes and some goofy interior swap.

      Truck coming home.




      Motor and tranny pulled the day it came home.



      Tried my hand at body work trying to fix the crushed panel because three separate orders for a new one were cancelled. Not the best and the one found at the pick and pull is rotted at the bottom. In going to splice them together eventually.


      Ranger drop beams installed. Had to modify the engine crewmember and the mounting bracket. I still have to do a little more surgery to the crossmember to get it just right.




      Some interior pulled from a 2014 focus. Someone left crap on the seats and the leather stretched from it, but I can live with it.


      Today I started the prep for the step notch.



      The last thing for today was removing this overly built exhaust shield. 12ga steel, hot riveted in. I get that these trucks were built to withstand a T Rex attack.


      Ordering the step notch this weekend and refilling my argon take on Friday so I can get some of the welding done in the next few days.

    2. #2
      Join Date
      Aug 2014
      Posts
      435
      Country Flag: United States
      My first project car died a similar death...in that it spent 2 years @ 100/mo in storage after I moved, and I couldn't work on it. I finally sold everything in my storage for crackhead prices.



      Nice thing about that platform, is they offered them with V8's from the factory, so it shouldn't be hard to find parts.

      I'll be following.

      Jay


    3. #3
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Quote Originally Posted by JayinMI View Post
      My first project car died a similar death...in that it spent 2 years @ 100/mo in storage after I moved, and I couldn't work on it. I finally sold everything in my storage for crackhead prices.

      Nice thing about that platform, is they offered them with V8's from the factory, so it shouldn't be hard to find parts.

      I'll be following.

      Jay
      I'm really stubborn and refused to let this project die.

      The first gen explorer were built off of the ranger/bronco ok platform, no v8 and I beam suspension. Its more of pain but I like the body style. Plus id like to do a 2.3 ecoboost, something different.

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Feb 2013
      Posts
      799
      Country Flag: United States
      Cool project.

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Aug 2016
      Location
      Waconia, MN
      Posts
      113
      Country Flag: United States
      I'm amazed at how similar it looks to the 1st gen Blazer/Jimmy with the grille and headlights out.
      This ticks strange boxes for me... truck build, oddball, 4-door. Will definitely be following along.

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Quote Originally Posted by SonomaZ View Post
      This ticks strange boxes for me... truck build, oddball, 4-door. Will definitely be following along.
      That's my reasoning, its unique. If my vision comes to fruition this build is gonna be fun.

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Had to go the pick and pull, well I didnt have to, but I was bored.

      https://youtu.be/S50Tp4wvvDM

      https://youtu.be/BFTke7uiyJ0

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Kind of ridiculous that I have spent all morning just getting the brackets and one seat modified and installed. Well I guess a little dash fitment was done.



    9. #9
      Join Date
      Aug 2014
      Posts
      435
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by Fordkid View Post
      Kind of ridiculous that I have spent all morning just getting the brackets and one seat modified and installed. Well I guess a little dash fitment was done.


      We recently had a guy show up with a Ranger (rounded body style) that had the full drivetrain and interior from a Coyote powered Mustang in it. It was a pretty clean job, except the dash blocked the speakers, and there weren't any good options for places to put them where they wouldn't be in the way.

      Didn't realize this one was a 1st gen for some reason.

      Following.

      Jay

    10. #10
      Join Date
      Feb 2005
      Location
      Minneapolis, MN
      Posts
      195
      Country Flag: United States
      YES! A 90s Explorer! I've been contemplating a similar build.

    11. #11
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Quote Originally Posted by brawls43 View Post
      YES! A 90s Explorer! I've been contemplating a similar build.
      Do it!!!

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Started fabricating a jig to get the dash setup. Once its set and I can turn it into a bolt on setup.


    13. #13
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Spent 2 hours at the pick and pull this morning for an 8.8 with rear discs, picked clean of limited slip and for the most part 8.8s. Got mine candidate out and checked the ring and pinion and someone used and impact on the cover and jacked up a bunch of the threads. Since mine is clean I'm gonna do a disc brake kit and posi for it. So tired of rust. Thank god I got that tetnis shot.

    14. #14
      Join Date
      Aug 2016
      Location
      Waconia, MN
      Posts
      113
      Country Flag: United States
      I neglected to mention in my previous post, but good on ya' for sticking with it throughout the life struggles!

      I can definitely relate and I know what you mean by really stubborn about letting it die.
      We had somewhat similar project paths (pickup to SUV bodystyle) only Ford vs. GM. My previous to the current one was a '91 S15/Sonoma that was unfinished and sold for fire-sale price.
      I was determined to not have this one suffer a similar fate, no matter what, until I see the finished product I've had in my head for over 12 years now come to life.

    15. #15
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Quote Originally Posted by SonomaZ View Post
      I neglected to mention in my previous post, but good on ya' for sticking with it throughout the life struggles!

      I can definitely relate and I know what you mean by really stubborn about letting it die.
      We had somewhat similar project paths (pickup to SUV bodystyle) only Ford vs. GM. My previous to the current one was a '91 S15/Sonoma that was unfinished and sold for fire-sale price.
      I was determined to not have this one suffer a similar fate, no matter what, until I see the finished product I've had in my head for over 12 years now come to life.
      I really appreciate the kind words. Whatever you do just finish you truck! The fabrication in it is amazing(Ive been steeling ideas and putting them on the list for mine lol)

      Yesterday was a day that could make one quit and it actually started so well. Went to the pick and pull in 105° temps in the shade. Got my replacement steering wheel lock, intermediate shaft, random trim, just little stuff that I would eventually need. I also got some required pieces. I pulled the standard rear caliper mounts from a 95 ex even though the parking brakes were trashed but if these fit I can spend the 200 bucks on the currie replacements. I also pulled the brake and clutch pedal assemblies from a Chevy aveo as the design of them is pretty Damn close to a universal setup.

      So once the wife fell asleep I snuck out to the garage. I drilled out the old ignition cylinder with minimal carnage to the rest of the unit. Got a portion of the steering shaft figured out and then I went to the brakes and then things got ugly...

      Pulled the differential cover, things look good, i spun the differential and pulled the locked bolt...it sheared. Growling, swearing, other **** a grown adult should not do. I'm not gonna buy the extractor kit as I'm putting a posi in for a winter project. So I thing tonight I'm gonna drill into the spider gear housing because its softer and try and punch it out.

      Sorry for the bitch fest. Ill put some picks up later.

    16. #16
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Next few weeks parts will be trickling in from summit. Front and rear rotors(nothing special at first). Upper and lower ball joints, complete front wheel bearing sets, +-4 camber caster adjustment bushings and Currie rear disc backing plates. Next step is calipers and ebc pads.

    17. #17
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      So alot of my parts came in, so between a wedding, helping 2 friends move, and getting stuff ready around the house for a baby I have only been able to squeeze a few hours of work in.

      The I got the pinion bolts out and the Currie 8.8 backing plates on. I have to contact them now because stock rotors rub on the parking brake pads even when fully adjusted in.

      The front end got knuckles from a 95 to 97 ranger for dual piston calipers, new rotors, wheel bearings, new ball joints all around and 4°+/- camber adjustment bushings.

      To bad that wasnt enough adjustment. My truck still looks like a mini truck with horrible camber. So I'm going to start saving my pennies and do the mustang ii front ifs with tubular control arms. Unfortunately there is not a lot of people who have done this and not a lot of information on the internet about doing it to the I beam ranger platform.

      So even when I get the parts, I have to work up the brass ones to do it....

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Man I miss having a truck. 4 x 4 sheet of 14g. Did a little famage to the center console and weather strips on the door.


    19. #19
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Well I got the driver side partially done. I don't have a mig welder and tig welding way out of position with 20g sheet metal is Damn near impossible. I caved and pulled out my old fluxcore and did tacked it all around from the inside and I will finish it fully when I buy a mig later next year.

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Posts
      21
      Pulled the trigger on the eastwood 175 mig, I wanted another everlast but this was more cost effective at the moment. Decent machine for the price, but it weighs a ton.


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