LocostUSA.com

This woke me up in the middle of the night.

A 97 Exploder just showed up on one of FB feeds. He wants $250 OBO and it comes with title. He says it's more of a parts car so at the moment I don't know what that means.

Let's presume the engine is toast, what do I need to know about the rear end?

I think I remember reading most are 3.73s. Aren't most of the LSDs too?

How do I tell? What questions do I ask him?

Any easy way to mate the diff to Miata uprights?

If the engine is not toast is it desirable?

He wants it gone real bad so maybe $100 will buy it.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

Found out it's a V8 Explorer and "my dad blew the motor up & it's just been sittin'"

Unfortunately I'm guessing that a V8 would be more likely to have a 3.50ish rather than a 3.73 based upon other cars I've seen, but I'm guessing that ups the odds it's an LSD.

I asked how he blew the motor and were there parts coming out of the side of the block and he said no, "he blew some kinda fuse"

That's promising for selling parts off the car.

Also it's $200 not $250 and he said "make me an offer"

I'm going to see it this afternoon so I need to know how to tell what ratio the diff is and if it has LSD.

ALL the Exploders had the aluminum diff didn't they? I haven't paid more than passing attention to all the talk on the Exploder diffs that so many prized and wanted because I didn't think I needed one at that time.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

IIRC, the '97 Explorer still had a solid rear axle. The IRS version came out in '02.

_________________
Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

Well that sucks!!

I thought they'd had IRS since the 90's. That's what I get for listening with just one ear instead of paying attention.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

yep 97's are live axle, probably with a 355 limited slip

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

There is a tag bolted to the cover of the pumpkin that has ratio and Limited slip or not.

Tom

_________________
Sometimes, I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

My short term memory is absolutely horrible and so is my short term memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG16m2e4O6I

It definitely had a live axle, same as the Ranger according to the owner so useless to me.

I should have known it was too good to be true

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

Sorry to hear that, but there's always tomorrow. Keep burnin' up the craigslist pages, B.A.T. listings, and the ever popular "FleaBay"!

_________________
Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

You have a Pull-A-Part in your area? Mine has several IRS Explorers at any given time. And the pricing is pretty cheap. If you are looking for IRS look at the 1989-1997 Thunderbirds. They have IRS and it looked like there were less than 10 bolts holding the whole IRS sub assembly in place. Some have disk brakes and some had drum.

My chassis is a Stalker and set up for a Caddy diff, but I've got to make so many changes to the frame that what's one more?

Unless I were to find a donor car with another engine I'd consider my engine is a 2.2 S2000 motor. I could go as low as a 3.9 but a 4.10 is stock. Does the Explorer even come in a ratio like that?

I have the S2000 diff along with a whole donor car, but I keep saying I'd like to make a tube frame using the both suspensions and put a (250 GTO) body on it so that's why I'm looking outside the S. Although I'd probably use an LS engine for the body which would mean I couldn't use the S2000 diff.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.