BrianDye's '95 Sport Registry!

Traded my old 95 (4 Door) for a mint 2001 Taurus SES, loved the car, drove great, great on gas, but it made me realize, im an SUV dude, not a car dude. (Unless its a muscle car or something classic ) I replied to a CL ad, about this 95 Explorer Sport, and the guy called me and told me about it. (There were no pics, nor information besides mileage, and that it needed nothing and ran great) I asked him if he wouldnt mind to email me some pictures of it before I come all that way up there (70mi) and he said he just put some on the ad, so I checked it out, and it looked like my 95's twin before I painted the stuff. One member on here pointed out that the last picture showed the top corners of the REAR doors, so I knew it was the wrong pictures. (I thought it was just the one, but they were all wrong)

So tonight I got there, (he brought it to his house because the dealer was already closed) and brought all the paperwork to transfer plates, and the title and whatnot, but I got there, and this thing was nothing what I expected, it was in MINT condition, chrome wheels shining like theyre brand new, paint looks no older than a year, and everything worked great, drove great, quiet exhaust, 4x4 works, all that good stuff, and only 138k miles. So we traded (signed all the papers, etc)

I cant get over how nice it is, theres nicer ones out there, but damn it wasnt what I was expecting haha.

Its got the stock JBL system, so its gonna be a PITA to put my system in!

(Snow)

I have NEVER in my life though seen such a DUSTY engine compartment

And I have never (even on newer cars) seen a functioning hood light!

AND a power antenna!!! (Dusty as hell on that side lol)

UPDATES:

Current Mods: (No order)

1. 3" off road lights behind the grille
2. 7 color changing LED bulbs in the reflectors on the door
3. 12" white LED strips (x4) to replace dome lighting
4. 36 LED reverse bulbs
5. 194 SMD LEDs in the gauge cluster, and temp. controls
6. Tinted taillights (Not the white part)
7. Removed roof rack (the bars, not the actual track yet)
8. Duralast Gold battery
9. Kinetik high power cell behind the backseats
10. Analog Voltimeter gauge in the center console
11. 194 SMD LEDs in the license plate lights
12. Scoche single din dash kit
13. Platimum Battery terminals
14. Removed CD changer
15. Became Elite!!!
16. Installed PAC Amp gain controller (Remote bass knob, uses RCA's) in the dash kit slot
17. Removed all dome light bulbs, still trying to figure something out for them...
18. Ran my own speaker wire until my wiring harness comes in the mail
19. Sanded & painted front wiper arms
20. Put SoundBox in the center console, mounted PS speaker behind grill (See page 4 video)
21. Added a Scosche In-line Noise Supressor (#ES034) Which eliminates bumps, and whining (interference) from speakers/subs etc
22. Ordered my Black Projector headlights! Hopefully ill have them by this week!

Future Mods:

1. 18/20 or 22" Rims
2. Lower 2"
3. Aftermarket CAI
4. Black 1 piece projectors w/ halos
5. 10,000k HIDs in the projectors
6. 10,000k HIDs in the fogs
7. Shave roof rack
8. Limo tint
9. Rear hatch update (98' Style hatch/tails)
10. Black altezza tails
11. LED taillights, and ALL blinkers/running lights
12. 16" flipdown monitor, or 2 10" flipdowns
13. Rust restoration
14. Heated mirrors w/ puddle lights (LED of course)
15. Paint the wiper valance
16. Newer style front bumper with cirlce fogs
17. Rollpan in back
18. Color changing underbody LED kit
19. HID Reverse lights!

 

[BrianDye]

I have so many (bags) of bottles to return tomorrow, I had to push my sub box back (and fold the seats down, which is why theyre like halfway folded)

 

[97sprt4x4]

That looks pretty slick. My only difference will be I'll be mounting the ones for the back on the actual rear seats that way they are. Protected a litle better. Howuch were those and how many cAme in a pack that kinda exactly what I want to do

Justin

 

[BrianDye]

If you mounted them on the rear seats, when people sit back there youd barely be able to tell, plus theres not much room for them, the only place you'd be able to would look funky because you'd be able to see the strip.

Theres 2 strips per pack, and I think they were like 18.99$ per pack, they have blue, white, red, and yellow (Amber)

It was a fun project I cant wait til tonight haha

 

[BrianDye]

So I got out to the junkyard today, walked all the way out to BFE for the explorers and scored a 2000 style drivers side taillight, drivers side heated puddle lamp mirror, AND the front bumper I wanted (didn't have fogs though), guy said 50 bucks for the bumper, 30 for the light and mirror, I didn't have tools to pull a matching mirror or taillight, so input the mirror back for now, borrowed a Phillips to get another light, There were NO passenger side lights besides a few broken ones, so I'll have to check back or goto a diff yard. I'll go back in a few days to get the puddle mirrors, but I get the bumper in my backseat, and notice some hugeass gashes so I was like mother f! The guy was cool about it though and gave me the money back.

 

[BrianDye]

I'm so happy!!!! I found a part out on craigslist, it's a 97 sport with the rear bumper and tailgate I want!! Guess what the best part is!? They're already black He better email me soon LOL

 

[Glen4X4]

uhh...97's Had the same rear tailgate and bumper as 95 and 96 unless it was changed....

 

[BrianDye]

Trust me I know lol, but yea I thought he might have gotten the years wrong, but it's the same front bumper as I have so I'm not sure. All I know is that It has the rearend I want LOL

glen, in your sig it says 97 GEM swap, what's that?

 

[97sprt4x4]

it's a 98. The 98s had the same front end as the 95-97, and they changed the lift gate/taillights from 98-01. good find, IMO i would keep the 95-98 front end if you plan on offroading with it as you can take the lower valence off or trim it with better accuracy. However good find. should look good. congrats.

Justin

 

[Glen4X4]

Trust me I know lol, but yea I thought he might have gotten the years wrong, but it's the same front bumper as I have so I'm not sure. All I know is that It has the rearend I want LOL

glen, in your sig it says 97 GEM swap, what's that?

Yea it sounds like a 98 then. The swap is, I put a 97 GEM in my truck because I want 4high and I had done the BWM to gain full time 4high but like a dumb ass I often forgot about it and would wake up to a dead battery, so I did the GEM swap until I get a manual transfer case.

 

[BrianDye]

YAY finally (hopefully) doing the liftgate swap tomorrow.

Anywho, I already bought a drivers side 99' style taillight for the conversion, and I had always wondered whats different, so I threw it on, pics pretty much explain it all lol.

Fits pretty good this way, besides the small gap along the top

Corners are alot more rounded

AND it sticks out SO far lol almost an inch

But it looks damn good! I dont even know if im gonna tint these right away haha

Pretty with LED reverse bulbs

 

[BrianDye]

So the other night finally being able to have the blue LEDs on and driving, which is pretty cool, it doesnt distract me at all like I thought it would, or distort my vision, but they decided they were gonna shut off, like I had said, they were wired into the old stock cd changer harness, along with my ice cream man PA system, and that didnt work either, so somewhere, the plug lost power, but I just wired them into the cigg. lighter and all is well now, I had to re-stick the rear ones, being on the fabric, they didnt stick very good, so I found my tube of clear silicone and covered the back of the strips, and re-stuck them, I also FINALLY after how many months, ran an actual amp remote wire, rather than the switch I had LAYING under the backseats that I had to turn on/off EVERYTIME lmfao.

 

[BrianDye]

Haha today was the last day of school before spring/easter break, and I thought my friend was gonna drive his dads hummer (w/ 26's) so I was like lets all park on an angle (just to be stupid and stick out LOL) but he drove the focus instead,(Blue Focus) so me and him parked like that, then I told my friend (Red Ranger), and my other friend that had the green 1st gen, (Sold it, bought a 300$ S10 stick, and hes building that big F150 up) so he did it (Flat black S10) and eventually we got alot of other people todo it, I got the keys for my buddies Camaro (Red one) and moved that too lol made me want it so bad...he just put a brand new engine and trans in there, that thing is mint. Anywho heres a couple pics I snapped real fast

Im right in the middle, everyone just parked around me haha

 

[BrianDye]

I was gonna do this a few weeks back but kept puttin it off, and after the burn we had today, it was nice having the sunroof back, and the windows down, but the AC would have been so much better LOL, It wasnt like warm, but it wasnt really cold, more like just having a fan hitting you, and I gotta have my ac lol, so we were in town, and I grabbed a small bottle of the refrigerant refill stuff, some Arctic Freeze, Colder AC 50% faster!! Etc, blah blah lol, so got home, got it on my presshizzle gauge/fill tube, and checked the presshizzle first, and it would go from like 15, down to 0 for a while, then up to 15 for a few secs then back down, so I filled it, and DAMN its ice cold now Im gonna get another can tomorrow, because im only at about 24 PSI, and on my gauge thats just the "Okay" level, not the "Full/Filled" yet.

I also grabbed a set of 19" wipers, and that extra inch looks like a mile, I wont ever go back to 18's.

So now I can return the 18's, send the mail in rebate back and be set with brand new Michelin Radius (Frameless) wipers for like 12$ total LOL


And since tomorrows pay day, I might just be heading to get some spray paint, paint my pillars, and all the faded pieces like the wiper valance/cowl. Damn I love having that feeling

 

[BrianDye]

I kept putting off calling a Muffler Shop thinking it was gonna be over 100$ and a whole day of them having my explorer to fix the exhaust, but I just called a local shop, and they said what theyll do it cut the old pipe from the muffler off, and weld on a new one, and bolt it back in and they said about 45$, and 25-35 minutes of work, so as soon as my clothes are dry, im heading up to get that fixed finally Im gonna go shoot a "before" video first, then on my way home, an "after" lol

 

[BrianDye]

F yea!

Just got home, my explorer is dead quiet again, sounds amazing! No more rattling, etc, they also did an inspection and he said everything was great!

On the way home I picked myself up a PS3 too what a great day haha

 

[BrianDye]

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

looks great brian keep up good work

 

[BrianDye]

Freshly painted pillars finally

 

[97sprt4x4]

i guess the only thing left is tint and rims and you'll be completely murdered out. Looks good.

Justin

 

[BrianDye]

Thanks man, but yea I never really thought about that, but your right

I still gotta get out and find the CLEAR glass for mine, (Mines got the stock mirrored tint) so any tint I put in the back will look shiny, and stupid.

Id love to just find the rear hatch though because the glass on those years finally have BLACK tint, no more of that mirrored crap.