Well, it’s time.
After far in excess of 400,000 miles, the Explorer is finally ready to retire. The daughter is getting ready to go to school, so I pulled it in the garage to do a last preflight and it puked a brake line right there. I’ve replaced it, but it’s pretty obvious the rest are just as rusty. I could replace all the brake lines but it would take a week, and there’s enough other rusty crap that it’s just not worth it. So she won’t have a car her sophomore year (Or at least not all of it, we may find something in the interim) and the Ogwife will have to drive her to school Friday, but I will be a good deal less worried about her.
Meanwhile, the Exploder, which I have loved and which has given me so little grief all it’s life, is going to have to go away. It breaks my heart. I wish I had a project car I could stick the mill in, it’s in perfect condition, just like the transmission, but the last two or three years of sitting outdoors has taken it’s toll.
12 comments Og | Uncategorized
My condolences in your time of grief.
If I had the time or inclination I would get new stainless lines and install them. I do not. But that would be the first item on that truck that I spent a dime on, that was not a normal maintenance/wear item (Brake pads, oil and other fluids, the occasional rotor)
dunno. brake lines in the north can fall under regular maintenance, just not frequently.
I Remember a 1953 3100 I had that rusted the lines and I just pinched it after the junction block. They would bleed off and the front only brakes did not do more that a suggestion of stop but I was able to run it till spring when I could fix the issue. I got to where I could pop it into reverse for the last little bit of whoa.
Ah, to be young and invincible again.
Sorry to hear that. But she’ll be safer, FWIW…
Maybe I should find me an engineless Ranger and plan a long drive North :)
Won’t fit. I wish it would, I’d do it myself. (Well, anything will fit, but it’s not exactly a bolt up)
Don’t just retire it, or merely sell it for scrap.
Enter it in a Demolition Derby, and send it out in style.
After, that is, selling off all the useable interior bits to cover the entry fee?
Oh, and you might find some young, dumb and bulletproof volunteer to do the actual driving. Don’t wanna see you get all banged up in the arena.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
As a guy who bought a used Explorer that’s now at 70,000 miles, I find this extremely encouraging. At 400K you say the engine and tranny are still great.
Like a rock.
I’ve had good luck with FMOCO products and that may bias my opinion some but I don’t hear about the competitors stuff other than maybe Toyota lasting as long. Most of the farmers in my area buy Fords even when the bowtie product is cheaper. I could be wrong, its happened once or twice before…
I had to get rid of my 1989 Mustang earlier this year after I hit a parked car with it. The body was shot, I bought it brand new in 1989 and I don’t think it EVER spent a night under a roof. It just wasn’t worth fixing. I donated it to American Cancer Society, one of the better places to donate a car I’ve heard.
I wish I had the time, space and money for a toy/project car, I’d have taken the drive train and put it into a kit car of some sort. I always wanted a Cobra.
It was time anyway, my wife was due for a new car (her Jeep has over 100K miles on it), so I got her old car and she got a new Edge.
Pull the engine and tranny and place into storage… You need a “project vehicle”… something you can take your time on and enjoy later