Hey guys..glad to find a forum for excursions that actually has members. I'm obviously new to this forum (and relatively new to ford trucks and whatnot). I have been a member of an fbody forum for a long time(though I don't post much because I don't want to sound like an idiot haha). I'm fairly mechanically inclined...I've installed longtube headers (and a trans w/out a lift) on my fbody - so keeping that in mind - there is a 2000 excursion I'm looking at and I have a few questions about it.

The truck has 169xxx miles on it. It has 4wd, v10, and has the limited trim.. No SES lights but also no service records. The carfax report indicates that the truck was in an accident...but after looking at it, it's clear to me that it has had body damage on the front, passenger rear and driver rear - so I'm thinking several accidents. Also the repair quality is far from professional. The interior is absolutely trashed.

The leather front seats need to be recovered - as does the steering wheel. I don't think the rear heat/ac vents work.

Also the steering feels extremely loose on the truck (I've never driven anything this big but compared to my '99 f150 it is ridiculous) - I've read that the steering gear box? wears out -- how hard is that to replace?

The biggest problem with the truck is that the transmission seems to have an issue. The shift from 3rd into Drive is very short/harsh - from past experience this is BAD. I checked the trans fluid level and it looked fine...the fluid didn't look too old but I noticed quite a few bubbles on the stick.

I offered the dealership $5000 for the excursion - they came back with $5395 with no warranty. They were originally asking $6495 + $395 processing with a 3month/3000 mile warranty. The sale person mentioned that the 3month/ 3000 mile warranty costs them $300 - so after pricing all of these parts and just based on the condition of the truck & the fact that no one will want to buy it with gas prices projected to go over $4/gallon -- I'm planning on calling them Monday and offering $5000 cash with the 3month warranty.


What are your alls thoughts on this? I love the feel of the excursion - and the gas mileage isn't really that bad compared to a 4wd truck. I get MAYBE 17mpg out of my '99 f150 w/ a 4.6l....I've read that I should expect 14-15 hwy out of the v10 excursion.

I'm really looking forward to buying this thing...there's just so much more potential with it and it would ultimately become more of a weekend driver.

 

From your description, the truck sounds like it's in tough shape. Unless price is critical for you, I'd keep looking. Not sure what that warranty covers, but likely you'll need upper/lower ball joints, tie rods, end link/sway bar bushings, change all fluids, some tranny work, plugs, coils, yikes, another 3-5k if you're a good mechanic. After all that, the interior is trashed... Agree, they're a great truck, but take your time and find one that's better cared for. Not a fan of buying used from a dealership. my 2c.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I know a lot of work will need to be done to it..and I'm sure the warranty is complete crap honestly. ball joints, tie rod ends, etc are no concern - though they do play a factor in the price.

How strong are the transmissions in these trucks? Looks like one would cost ~$1500 rebuilt.

Honestly price is a factor. Long story short my '99 f150 was hit by another vehicle. I got $2300 from the insurer of that vehicle to pay for the damage to my truck. I have a buyer for my truck in its current condition for $2700....$2700 + $2300 = $5000....so essentially I'd be going from a '99 f150 w/ significant damage to the bed, and some other minor flaws - to a '00 excursion that needs work with little out of pocket cost.

 

Tranny's are typically good in these truck when fluid is serviced. Would be great to find out more about that hard shift before the purchase. Is that the 3rd to 4th shift when driving or shifting down to '2' by hand on the column?

 

Welcome! That sounds like a lot of work, but if you have the time, money, and know how you may be able to bring the Ex new life.

Which fbody forum do you frequent? I spend a good amount of time lurking on camaroz28.com.

 

I spend a lot of time on ls1tech.com...though I have '96 lt1 WS6. ls1tech has provided me with a priceless amount of knowledge. It's actually somewhat incredible how much I've learned from reading on there. I really wish there was a forum for excursions and whatnot that was as large as ls1tech.

I have no problem buying this excursion and spending some time/money on fixing it up...in fact I'd much rather do that than spend any money on the f150. My concern is that the transmission in this thing is literally about to go. The warranty company they use is ASC - I've never dealt with any sort of warranty company but I would imagine it would be a huge hassle. I have no doubt that this truck will need a new transmission in the next 3 months/3k miles...I'm just wondering if I would be better off offering the company selling it ~$4000 and installing the transmission myself. I'm fairly certain they just want rid of this thing and I doubt they want to sacrifice their relationship with their warranty company for ~$1000.

I know they bought this excursion at an auction and that it had been repossessed. I can't imagine that they paid more than $3000 for it. They have had it since the end of October and with gas prices projected to reach $4+/gallon in the next couple months, I think I can talk them down from the $5000 I initially offered...or possibly get it for $5000 w/ the warranty. I'm excited to buy this truck but at the same time I don't want to end up spending more than it's worth making it reliable.

Are the transmissions generally reliable? 1-2 shift is smooth...but 3-4 seems to be on borrowed time.

On a side note what kind of real world mpg are you all getting out of these?

 

Just food for thought... Do you think someone that had their vehicle repossesed cared about oil changes and other routine maintenance? There may be a lot of surprises lurking on the vehicle.

 

the 3-4 shift is in Drive...with over drive on and off. Something else I should mention is that this was with some heavy acceleration - meaning not how you would normally drive something like this. I doubt the trans has ever been serviced - and they agreed to change the trans fluid/filter before I buy it. I told them that I did not want it flushed since I don't know if it has been regularly serviced...

There was also a fairly significant leak that I noticed under the engine after driving it for a bit...it has the consistency of water but smells sweet like anti-freeze. I know with the 4.6l they're notorious for leaking at the back of intake.... is that the same case with these motors?

 

Eric - I have no doubt that the maintenance has not been kept up with on this truck...the oil is absolutely filthy. I mentioned that to the salesperson and she told me they changed the oil when they got it. I'm fairly certain she was lying to me as I looked at the carfax and it looks like the truck has been driven less than 300 miles since they got it. The oil on the dipstick indicates that it well past due for an oil change...though the motor idles very smoothly.

 

I will be picking up my first X in 2 days. Wish you well in your search but I strongly urge you to buy one with documentation or from a private owner with history of the vehicle. Mine was always garaged, dealer serviced, and the owner has eight other pristine cars ($6900). There are good ones out there, just be patient. Good luck!

 

What that is is a 3rd gear shift and the torque converter locking up at the same time. My X used to do that as well until I flushed/changed the trans fluid.

 

Usually the warranty is a 50/50, where the dealer pays half & you pay the other half. They are in control of the repair so it is often not fixed right & they inflate the price so you end up paying more than half of the real cost. I say move on.

 

I consistently get 12 on the highway, 10mpg in town. I drive like an old lady with an egg between my foot and accelerator.

 

That seems like an awful lot of work for a $5000 vehicle,take what money you think you will spend to get it fixed right and buy one in better shape, there are a lot of them around that are in good condition.

 

Deal away the warranty for a better price if you want the truck.......it would be more trouble than it is worth to claim against and likely covers very little....used car warranty's are designed to make money for the warranty company and the dealer