1994 Explorer Sport

[Grit City Paul]

Full disclosure, I'm more of a four-wheeler than overlander. . . Certainly camped multiple times including a month-long cross county excursion in a previous, near-identical rig.

So here's the rig, as of today. . .

. . and the backside:


Here is the list of major modifications (listed front to rear, sort of):
- James Duff Pre-Runner Front Bumper
- Ramsey REP 8000 winch in Duff Bumper with Warn Synthetic Line
- James Duff Front Skid Plate
- SuperLift SuperRunner Steering (with steering stabilizer)
- SkyJacker ADX 2.0 Reservoir Shocks, (front and rear)
- Bush Whacker Extend-A-Fender Flares
- Visor Shelf/Switches
- Ham and CB radios
- ARB Air Lockers, Front and Rear
- 4.56 Gears
- Atlas II Transfer Case
- “SupeRancho” Hybrid Lift, approximately 5” of lift, with SOA
- 33”x 12.50 Tires (currently Goodyear M/T Mud Terrains)
- Rock Sliders / Front Diff Armor / Rear Leaf "Sliders"
- ViAir On-Board Air Compressor
- Early Bronco fabbed Rear Bumper, “extra modded” to fit the Explorer
- Rear License Plate Frenched into Hatch
- Outback Solutions (ARB) Drawers
- "Headache" Rack in Cargo Area
- Lights – Fog/Front LED Driving/Rear LED Back-Up

Other options not currently installed:
Con Ferr Roof Rack
Modified ¾ Doors

So backstory for what it is worth. . . I had a 1991 Explorer Sport that I acquired in 1993 and spent the next 24 years modifying it, with a lot of upgrades and re-dos as time, technology and funds allowed. In Spring 2017, on a rare commuting trip it was totaled, and the carcass sat at a buddy's house / shop for 3 years until Wuhan 2020. My buddy was pushing me to take all the good bits off the old rig and build up a new one. Long story short, found a 1994 in near mint condition, only 87,000 miles on the odometer, and a 5-speed! $2,915.00. We captured 20+ years of previous ownership and built up this rig in just a handful of weekends, as he is also a multiple RBV (Ranger Based Vehicle) owner and a great wrench.

Some interior pics:


Visor shelf with switch panel / GPS . . .


Rear cargo area:

Outback Solutions (ARB) drawer system modded to fit the Explorer; headache rack keeps the gear in the back from impacting the driver in case of sudden stops, as well as a great lashing point for bulky items.


Old NATO plastic ammo case for fluid storage:


Happy Trails . . .

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

I see you're over in in Tacoma, what areas/trails do you usually wheel on around the NW? I'm in the Tri Cities and am more of a wheeler than overlander too, usually make my trip to the Cascades between HWY 12 and I90 mostly up to the Nile valley and little Naches area.

 

[Grit City Paul]

Hey Dustin -

Generally Natches for us, but also Evans Creek OHV is close by, but haven't wheeled there in a few years. . .

Lately it has been winter snow runs in an around Rainier (Lonesome Lake, Coplay Lake) and near annual pilgrimages to Moab. . .

The "Wall" on Steelbender


Paul

 

[Grit City Paul]

Duff Skid Plate:

 

[danwyandt]

Full disclosure, I'm more of a four-wheeler than overlander. . . Certainly camped multiple times including a month-long cross county excursion in a previous, near-identical rig.

So here's the rig, as of today. . .
View attachment 270015
. . and the backside:
View attachment 270016

Here is the list of major modifications (listed front to rear, sort of):
- James Duff Pre-Runner Front Bumper
- Ramsey REP 8000 winch in Duff Bumper with Warn Synthetic Line
- James Duff Front Skid Plate
- SuperLift SuperRunner Steering
- Bush Whacker Extend-A-Fender Flares
- Visor Shelf/Switches
- Ham and CB radios
- ARB Air Lockers, Front and Rear
- 4.56 Gears
- Atlas II Transfer Case
- “SupeRancho” Hybrid Lift, approximately 5” of lift, with SOA
- 33”x 12.50 Tires (currently Goodyear M/T Mud Terrains)
- Rock Sliders / Front Diff Armor / Rear Leaf "Sliders"
- ViAir On-Board Air Compressor
- Early Bronco fabbed Rear Bumper, “extra modded” to fit the Explorer
- Rear License Plate Frenched into Hatch
- Outback Solutions (ARB) Drawers
- "Headache" Rack in Cargo Area
- Lights – Fog/Front LED Driving/Rear LED Back-Up

Other options not currently installed:
Con Ferr Roof Rack
Modified ¾ Doors

So backstory for what it is worth. . . I had a 1991 Explorer Sport that I acquired in 1993 and spent the next 24 years modifying it, with a lot of upgrades and re-dos as time, technology and funds allowed. In Spring 2017, on a rare commuting trip it was totaled, and the carcass sat at a buddy's house / shop for 3 years until Wuhan 2020. My buddy was pushing me to take all the good bits off the old rig and build up a new one. Long story short, found a 1994 in near mint condition, only 87,000 miles on the odometer, and a 5-speed! $2,915.00. We captured 20+ years of previous ownership and built up this rig in just a handful of weekends, as he is also a multiple RBV (Ranger Based Vehicle) owner and a great wrench.

Some interior pics:
View attachment 270017

Visor shelf with switch panel / GPS . . .
View attachment 270019

Rear cargo area:
View attachment 270020
Outback Solutions (ARB) drawer system modded to fit the Explorer; headache rack keeps the gear in the back from impacting the driver in case of sudden stops, as well as a great lashing point for bulky items.

Old NATO plastic ammo case for fluid storage:
View attachment 270021

Happy Trails . . .

Nice.
Good to see some other old Explorers around.

 

[Grit City Paul]

Kane Creek Trail in Moab:

 

[Grit City Paul]

Moab Trail Stickers along the bottom of the hatch. . .


Stickers Left to Right: Chicken Corners (Wife's favorite), Cliffhanger, Dome Plateau, Fins & Things, Flat Iron Mesa, Gold Bar Rim, Golden Spike, Hells' Revenge, Hey Joe Canyon, Kane Creek Canyon, Metal Masher, Moab Rim, Poison Spider, Porcupine Rim, Rose Garden Hill, Seven Mile Rim, Steel Bender, Strike Ravine, and Top of the World)


Paul

 

[Grit City Paul]

Not much organized storage in these older rigs, but then again, no cell phones, iPods, tablets, etc. when they were designed. . .

Here's my take on adding some organization:
1. Visor Shelf. Holds my switch panel for lights (including fog, forward LED, rear LED, and ARB components), GPS, and phone mount, and room for extra stuff - - sunglasses, spare mags, cables, etc.


2. Gear Pouch. Can't remember where I sourced this, but another place to store stuff. . .


3. Velcro Pouches. These are handy for small junk - - Chapstick, lighters - - seriously mounted these here more for the "cool factor" than any real storage, but they get used. . .

. . . and a larger one for the rear cargo area:


4. Seat Crack Cubby. Decent enough for $9.99, helps with the drink storage as the stick shift gets in the way . . .


Paul

 

[Grit City Paul]

Improvements. . .

1. Seven new shocks (including steering stabilizer). Reservoir shocks are SkyJacker "ADX 2.0", supplemental front shocks and steering stabilizer SkyJacker "Black Max".

For my fellow RBV enthusiasts, these shocks are mounted to F-250 shock towers, about 4" taller than OEM front shock mounts.


Rears. . .

2. Back-Up Camera, pretty simple install. . .


Took a bit of getting used to seeing the rearview mirror "illuminated", even in the lowest power setting. . .

Paul

 

[irish44j]

I like that shelf over the visors. Now I'll have to look to see if my rig has space for that. Is it something you bought, or just fabbed up? Hard to see how it attaches, etc.

And yeah, I've had to get used to the video rearview as well. I've found that because it's a screen and not a real mirror, I actually can't see super-clear with it unless I'm wearing my reading glasses, lol (yeah, I'm old...), whereas a regular mirror I can see crystal-clear in since my eyes think I'm looking "far away." Strange how the mind works...

 

[Grit City Paul]

Couple of recent action shots. . .

1. Mud:

(Should have disconnected the front sway bar. . .)

2. Snow:

 

[Grit City Paul]

I like that shelf over the visors. Now I'll have to look to see if my rig has space for that. Is it something you bought, or just fabbed up? Hard to see how it attaches, etc.

Thanks, it mounts on each side to the OEM visor three-hole mounts, the unit is both bought and fabbed, as it was originally sized for an F-150.

This rig is a "re-build tribute" of a long-owned first generation Explorer Sport I owned that was totaled - - so all the good bits were transferred onto this rig during Wuhan. . . Since I had the opportunity to redo the layout of switches, I opted to consolidate them above on the visor shelf instead of just "wherever" like on the first rig.

Here's the work in progress from late 2020:

Brackets not pictured, but you can see them below.


Found one like it on eBay:


Link for the above: VDP 2007-10 Silverado Fits GMC Sierra Shelf It Overhead Storage Reg Ext Cab Tan | eBay

Paul

 

[irish44j]

awesome, thanks. Yeah, like you I have a small rig from the olden days before they actually put any storage areas, so it's always a quest to find more ways to stash gear.

now you need to find a sticker like mine (my rig was also built during the lockdowns, for the most part)

 

[Grit City Paul]

Got a few stickers as well. . .


Couple more pics from the shelf fab project. . .


You get the idea. . . . Just have to consider the sight lines based on your seat adjustment and positioning as its roughly 4 inches that you 'lose' from the top of the windshield. Also helps if you are under 6'0" tall, but probably doable regardless. . .

Switch panel generic from Amazon. . . not currently available, but hundreds like it that are. . .


Housing for the switch panel was crafted out of some scrap wood covered by some left-over fabric from the seat re-fresh. . .



Paul

 

[irish44j]

thanks. I may make it out of wood/fiberglass DIY with some metal brackets, since I can drill into the plate at the front of the headliner anywhere (it's a double-wall with a gap). But yeah, like the idea :)

I have a 5-speed sticker on the back glass, but it's blocked by my swing-out now , gotta get a new one lol.

 

[irish44j]

Ok paul, design copied (ish): Build/activities thread: 1989 Raider, 2010 Sequoia, and my other stuff.

 

[Grit City Paul]

From my first post: "I had a 1991 Explorer Sport that I acquired in 1993 and spent the next 24 years modifying it, with a lot of upgrades and re-dos as time, technology and funds allowed. In Spring 2017, on a rare commuting trip it was totaled . . ."

Well, one of the cool things on that rig was a set of 3/4 doors that I (had) made - - much easier to lean out of the Explorer to check the line while four wheeling.
Pre-crash/total:

The doors survived the wreck, and I even had them color-matched to my current rig's Sea-Foam metallic; even though I have ran the OEM full-sized doors since 2020 I had always planned to reinstall the 3/4 doors because they are so . . . damn . . . bad . . . ass. Besides, me and couple buddies planning a fun four-wheeling trip this summer and these would be a great upgrade for that trip.

So the old rig was blue with black(ish) interior, the newer variant is sea-foam with tan interior. . . Which brings me to this . . .

Luckily the previous door skins started life as tan, so this made it a bit easier.

Mock-up - - adding a fabric insert (leftover from 2020 seat refresh [thigh bolsters]) and a small molle rack map pocket.

More to follow.