1997 Ford Explorer

[Gone2]

I am now down to driving my Explorer everyday on my commute. I have the 3.0l V6 and have already done the lower grill blocks. I get an average of 22-24mpg on my commute. My curiosity is has anyone ever modded an Explorer and if so, what was the best FE rendered? Thanks

[2000mc]

22 would put ya just ahead of all the explorers i see in the garage here

[2000mc]

i think that was the top vehicle turned in during cash for clunkers

[Flakbadger]

Originally Posted by 2000mc

i think that was the top vehicle turned in during cash for clunkers

It was. A crap-ton of the 4.0 liter ones, and a fair amount of 5.0's mixed in. I used to go to junkyards a lot and see them with C4C painted on the windshields. Almost all of them that I looked at had at LEAST 150k on them too. Many were in the 200k range.

[Gealii]

the reason they were turned in for c4c was because they were cheap and got low enough mpg, but in reality up until around 2000 explorers with the v6 were very reliable vehicles with very strong transmissions and motors. i remember all of the abuse i put mine into like trying to throw it into neutral and going to far into reverse making a long skid mark on the road before getting back into neutral when the throttle stuck at 206,000 miles the transmission was just as strong as before. If it wasn't for the ifs suspension in the front of it I was going to choose it as my next trail truck

[Gone2]

Thanks for correcting my mistake, it has the 4.0l. As far as reliability, well (and this will upset some people) it's a Ford. Seriously though, I have had the truck for a year now, bought second hand from the original owner who kept a details set of maintenance forms for the truck. I am very pleased and everyone at work with one is shocked at the gas mileage I get out of it. It has never broken, nor attempted to break down on me. The only issue is the climate control head unit shorted a switch and wouldn't engage the a/c clutch. I installed a new switch and she works like a dream. I am going to have a dual exhaust with a glasspack installed, mod a Taurus electric fan to fit the explorer radiator, and do a short ram intake. I am also contemplating going from the 265/70r16 to the 235/85r16. I would be happy hitting 28mpg, but my goal in 30+.