Hi Guys,

Newbie here looking for a v10 excursion for my wife in the Philly area. I've been lurking on this forum, taking in as much information as I can. This forum has been really informative and I'm looking forward to letting you know how I progress while looking for the right truck for my wife and I.

 

Howdy Chef! . Welcome to the forum and good luck on your search.
I'm in Media PA and am a huge fan of the V-10 in the mighty EX, let me know if I can help with you search in any way.
What kind of budget and condition are you looking for? RWD or 4X4? Any particular year or years favored? Trim levels? Colors? Stock or modified? Any plans to tow a heavy trailer in its future?

 

We're looking for a 4x4, white or black. Limited trim with leather. We'd like to get a travel trailer in the near future. I'd like to keep the budget under $9,000. Low miles and no rust. I've never worked on my own cars but I'm not afraid to give it a try with the proper guidance.

 

OK, I think with that budget you should be able to find something pretty nice. Finding an EX in our area that is totally rust free will be a challenge though, are you willing to have the guys here do some searching down South? Would you be willing to travel to land the "right" EX?
If you think a future Travel Trailer will be on the heavier side then maybe include the factory optional 4.30 gears which will deliver much better towing performance than the more common standard 3.73 gears. Those 3.73s will get the job done, but they can have you taking your time on trips, especially on hills with a heavy trailer.
We can provide a lot of help with doing whatever work your ride may need.
Where in the Philly area are you located?

 

Did someone mention down south

 

How is the selection of EXs down in the land of sunshine and palm trees these days Michael?

 

Not bad at all tom, let's just say maybe I'm looking again. Lol

If I see anything here that may be worth looking at in the op's budget I'll post it right here in this thread.

 

Did someone mention Philly area? Rust free V10?
Cant PM....

 

I'm located right off of city avenue in the Overbrook farms area by st. Joe's university. Any help would be appreciated by my wife and I.

 

I'm just a bit east, about an hour from the WWB .
Mine's going up for sale soon rather than annual hibernation. I don't want to break forum rules and you cant get PM.s
So:
high.cetane@Verizon.net


If not your cup of soup- no problem & Good Luck in your search. There are rust free rides up here, the trick is finding them.

 

Just sent an email! Thanks

 

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/5894382464.html

How can you tell which gears the ex has? I'm going to reach out to the owners about seeing this truck in NJ.

 

Here is a link to a thread up in the Tech Folder located at the top of this page that has the info to decode the door sticker. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post13558807
That EX will have an Axle code on the sticker of either:
31 = 3.73 non Limited Slip
C1 = 3.73 Limited Slip
C3 = 4.30 Limited Slip
Finding a V-10 EX with the 4.30 gears is sweet, but don't worry too much about the gears if the deal is decent, you could always regear it later if you find it to labor too much towing your trailer. I pulled our old 9,500lb toyhauler for 2 years with the stock 3.73s in our EX, it got us to where we wanted to go every time, it just took it's time on the hills.
That CL EX has fairly low miles but it looks to be in need of new front seat covers (on the bottoms anyway), expect to pay $200-ish per seat bottom for new high quality leather. Get under it and look for leaks and give all the front steering linkages a good HARD shake, any play in the linkage means some new parts are in order. Inspect the exhaust manifold studs/bolts to see if any are missing, (a common issue on these modular motors) shop costs to have them replaced runs about $800. We can help you do that yourself to save some money there, I did mine at home.
As about the spark plugs and if they have had them replaced, if not they are passed due along with the boots and springs that go with them. Same with the trans fluid, if the sellers haven't changed/flushed it recently (30k intervals) that is also due. While under the rig look for rust in the inner rocker panels and where the reinforcing ribs attach to the underside of the floor panel. Check the shocks for any sign of leakage and if the tires are getting thin on tread add that cost into your negotiations as well as any of the other faults you find.
Then of course test drive it, feel for any unwanted wandering or need for constant steering corrections. Feel for any misses in the engine, the V-10 should be a perfectly smooth runner and make sure the trans shifts smoothly with no odd behavior or sounds.
For even more of the pre-purchase checking read this thread https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-used-v10.html
No rig of this age is going to be perfect, but a good thorough inspection will give you a better read on the true condition of the truck and a bit of leverage in justifying your negotiating position. And looking at the last line of that CL ad it might be due for it's next price reduction too.

 

There are quite a few in and around Washington DC. Here is a starter.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/s...ford+excursion

If you want to, you can get them cheap and then do your own work to make it yours.

 

appreciate the help with the DC market. I'll let you know if anything jumpos out at me.

Thanks!