Oppo Advice

"Fookin' Prawns" (gluglu)
10/28/2014 at 23:51 • Filed to: carbuying, help

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My roommate and I found a 1996 Ford Explorer on Craigslist. 5-speed transmission, 4.0L engine, 218258 miles for $500. It needs a new slave cylinder, which would be about $80 in parts (I don't know how to change it). Clean title. We'd each be going in half. What does Oppo think? Tom and Tavarish, are you out there?

DISCUSSION (10)

Kaizer Soze > Fookin' Prawns
10/29/2014 at 00:00

For $500 you really can't go wrong. Parts are worth more. Past 200k major wear items start cropping up thats the only thing I'd worry about. Parts are everywhere and they were pretty solid.

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > Fookin' Prawns
10/29/2014 at 00:03

If it's anything like the earlier 90s Ranger, the slave cylinder is coaxial to the input shaft of the trans. In other words, you have to pull the trans to get at it. Big-time PITA if so, but just about any running car at $500 is a reasonable deal. I think the 4.0 is a pretty decent engine, though with some quirks. I'm sure somebody who knows Exploders better may tell you that any over 200k miles is a ticking time bomb on one sense or other, but that's not my area of expertise. If you like it, it may just require some periodic infusion of junk parts to reanimate.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Fookin' Prawns
10/29/2014 at 00:56

pullman? as in pullman washington? if I'm not mistaken, that is a 1L license plate which means its from Latah County, do you live near Moscow?

promoted by the color red > Fookin' Prawns
10/29/2014 at 01:03

Get new seats, because those seats look awfully brown.

Fookin' Prawns > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
10/29/2014 at 01:22

Yeah, I go to WSU so I'm in Pullman. I want some basic transportation, but not something permanent.

Fookin' Prawns > promoted by the color red
10/29/2014 at 01:22

Recaros!

Fookin' Prawns > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
10/29/2014 at 02:04

Thanks for the info about the transmission. I figured it wouldn't be am easy fix, but a bunch of my friends are mechanically inclined and parts are cheap. It's a beater, and for that price that's par for the course.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Fookin' Prawns
10/29/2014 at 12:13

cool, I didn't know there were any oppo's in the Palouse area. I live over in Moscow, whats ironic is I drive a 2000 mercury mountaineer, so just a slighter nicer version (granted I paid 1800 bucks more for it), I personally think its NP, but thats just me. mine has the same 4.0L V6 SOHC (I'm assuming its an SOHC becuase most 4 liter fords from that era are). be prepared for buying a lot of gas, my car averages 12.9 mpg, (mostly in-town driving), its also really underpowered as well, the tranny wont be quite so bad with a manual, the auto in mine (my moms only requirement, no manual transmission, which I tried to fight, but lost) is a complete slushbox, it will not upshift unless you lift, and will not downshift unless you put your foot to the floor. anyway, I hope you get it, I have enjoyed mine so far, and it would be cool to meet up sometime.

Fookin' Prawns > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
10/29/2014 at 12:32

Yeah! It's a big American truck, so I assume it won't be *too* bad to repair. I'd only be $250 in the hole for the truck, plus $40 or so for the slave cylinder (splitting the costs with the roommate). We would have to fix it there since I have no garage space, only street parking.

If you know how to fix it, I'd be willing to pay you in beer (if you're of age, of course).

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Fookin' Prawns
10/29/2014 at 20:06

I'm not of age, my 18th birthday is on sunday, plus I probably wouldn't know how to do it. I have a garage, but don't have any tools for wrenching on a car other than basic tools (more like woodworking tools, no car tools) but the garage is full of crap from summer and storing stuff for other people.