Hunt for an Excursion
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 102
From: TN
Ask to see it on the hoist as a final inspection. If it's from Ohio all it's life, I'll be shocked if you don't easily find rust in the usual areas. What are your plans to use it? Towing? Daily driver? Sounds good, but inspect...always inspect. Agreed on the brakes, don't let them touch them, do them right. As for DVD player I found a sight that had NOS player uints and swapped my guts out and it works perfectly now. Here's where I got my NOS DVD unit if the rest of your is working this might be all you need. https://replacementradios.com/ford-2...179c4bf2c0906a
MMNC (SS)(Ret)
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,598
Likes: 145
From: SE Georgia
personally I would walk away
Good tires are going to run at minimum $800. The tires Dealership are going to put on there are no-name Korean crap.
Brakes are easy, but tedious. Odds are at least 1 caliper is frozen and/or dragging. Based on location, I'd put good money that you need to replace all the lines and rubber hoses. Sadly nature of the beast.
Mainly I suggest walking is because of the rust. It has rust. You just likely haven't seen it yet. My 2000 has lived it's life in CT for past 18yrs. They use salt just like OH does. My X even had the benefit of sitting 8yrs and not being on the road in the salt. She's got the rot in spots. When you PCS, you will lose your rear on value. The 7.3 is a great motor, but it doesn't make it worth that kind of money.
Crawl under her and look under front floorboards. The area on inner side of rocker rusts out quickly, and most people don't notice it.
Physically check the rear rockers. Salt enters from the backside and sits in that cavity. The paint typically looks great until something disturbs it. I touched my rocker and finger went through. Was no indication of rust. The other side had a rot hole, so I was curious and went to check otherside. Talk about a WTF? moment.
Good tires are going to run at minimum $800. The tires Dealership are going to put on there are no-name Korean crap.
Brakes are easy, but tedious. Odds are at least 1 caliper is frozen and/or dragging. Based on location, I'd put good money that you need to replace all the lines and rubber hoses. Sadly nature of the beast.
Mainly I suggest walking is because of the rust. It has rust. You just likely haven't seen it yet. My 2000 has lived it's life in CT for past 18yrs. They use salt just like OH does. My X even had the benefit of sitting 8yrs and not being on the road in the salt. She's got the rot in spots. When you PCS, you will lose your rear on value. The 7.3 is a great motor, but it doesn't make it worth that kind of money.
Crawl under her and look under front floorboards. The area on inner side of rocker rusts out quickly, and most people don't notice it.
Physically check the rear rockers. Salt enters from the backside and sits in that cavity. The paint typically looks great until something disturbs it. I touched my rocker and finger went through. Was no indication of rust. The other side had a rot hole, so I was curious and went to check otherside. Talk about a WTF? moment.
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
Ask to see it on the hoist as a final inspection. If it's from Ohio all it's life, I'll be shocked if you don't easily find rust in the usual areas. What are your plans to use it? Towing? Daily driver? Sounds good, but inspect...always inspect. Agreed on the brakes, don't let them touch them, do them right. As for DVD player I found a sight that had NOS player uints and swapped my guts out and it works perfectly now. Here's where I got my NOS DVD unit if the rest of your is working this might be all you need. https://replacementradios.com/ford-2...179c4bf2c0906a
Last edited by GooseStick; Mar 21, 2018 at 06:10 PM. Reason: Added more
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
personally I would walk away
Good tires are going to run at minimum $800. The tires Dealership are going to put on there are no-name Korean crap.
Brakes are easy, but tedious. Odds are at least 1 caliper is frozen and/or dragging. Based on location, I'd put good money that you need to replace all the lines and rubber hoses. Sadly nature of the beast.
Mainly I suggest walking is because of the rust. It has rust. You just likely haven't seen it yet. My 2000 has lived it's life in CT for past 18yrs. They use salt just like OH does. My X even had the benefit of sitting 8yrs and not being on the road in the salt. She's got the rot in spots. When you PCS, you will lose your rear on value. The 7.3 is a great motor, but it doesn't make it worth that kind of money.
Crawl under her and look under front floorboards. The area on inner side of rocker rusts out quickly, and most people don't notice it.
Physically check the rear rockers. Salt enters from the backside and sits in that cavity. The paint typically looks great until something disturbs it. I touched my rocker and finger went through. Was no indication of rust. The other side had a rot hole, so I was curious and went to check otherside. Talk about a WTF? moment.
Good tires are going to run at minimum $800. The tires Dealership are going to put on there are no-name Korean crap.
Brakes are easy, but tedious. Odds are at least 1 caliper is frozen and/or dragging. Based on location, I'd put good money that you need to replace all the lines and rubber hoses. Sadly nature of the beast.
Mainly I suggest walking is because of the rust. It has rust. You just likely haven't seen it yet. My 2000 has lived it's life in CT for past 18yrs. They use salt just like OH does. My X even had the benefit of sitting 8yrs and not being on the road in the salt. She's got the rot in spots. When you PCS, you will lose your rear on value. The 7.3 is a great motor, but it doesn't make it worth that kind of money.
Crawl under her and look under front floorboards. The area on inner side of rocker rusts out quickly, and most people don't notice it.
Physically check the rear rockers. Salt enters from the backside and sits in that cavity. The paint typically looks great until something disturbs it. I touched my rocker and finger went through. Was no indication of rust. The other side had a rot hole, so I was curious and went to check otherside. Talk about a WTF? moment.
I did as good of an inspection I could, sliding on my back. I do the same thing with any vehicle I look at purchasing. I did check the rockers and bottoms of the doors as well. Felt solid. When I go back for a 2nd test drive, I’ll ask to see if they can get it up on a hoist so I can do a good thorough inspection. I deffinetly appreciate the input!
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
Well, stumbled upon this 100K Mile 2001 Limited V10 near me as well. Will more than likely take a gander at it this afternoon. 2001 Ford Excursion Limited V10
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Moderator
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 12,049
Likes: 1,547
From: Media PA
Well, stumbled upon this 100K Mile 2001 Limited V10 near me as well. Will more than likely take a gander at it this afternoon. 2001 Ford Excursion Limited V10
ALL EXs came from the factory with trailer hitch platforms, that pretty blue V-10 seems to have lost it's hitch somewhere along the line...........?
I looks nice in the pictures, but you are looking at Northern salt belt wagons, you really need to crawl around and check very closely for any rust. It looks like this one has had some undercoating recently applied to at least the rear wheelwells, so be prepared to find some rust that has been coated over. For me, any rust more than a touch of surface scale would be a deal breaker for any car/truck that I planned to keep for a while (which is all of my vehicles, I'm very cheap). Have you considered looking at Southern rigs where the chances of serious rust are much less than OH vehicles typically have.
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
ALL EXs came from the factory with trailer hitch platforms, that pretty blue V-10 seems to have lost it's hitch somewhere along the line...........?
I looks nice in the pictures, but you are looking at Northern salt belt wagons, you really need to crawl around and check very closely for any rust. It looks like this one has had some undercoating recently applied to at least the rear wheelwells, so be prepared to find some rust that has been coated over. For me, any rust more than a touch of surface scale would be a deal breaker for any car/truck that I planned to keep for a while (which is all of my vehicles, I'm very cheap). Have you considered looking at Southern rigs where the chances of serious rust are much less than OH vehicles typically have.
I looks nice in the pictures, but you are looking at Northern salt belt wagons, you really need to crawl around and check very closely for any rust. It looks like this one has had some undercoating recently applied to at least the rear wheelwells, so be prepared to find some rust that has been coated over. For me, any rust more than a touch of surface scale would be a deal breaker for any car/truck that I planned to keep for a while (which is all of my vehicles, I'm very cheap). Have you considered looking at Southern rigs where the chances of serious rust are much less than OH vehicles typically have.
The 7.3 I initially looked at is also missing the hitch, and is currently in for "Brakes, and Ball Joint Replacement" and stated that it "Will not be done for a few days"..... So, in the mean time, keeping my options open. The 7.3 was undercoated, and the rockers were solid and was the frame.
This V10, I'm willing to go up and do a thorough inspection as well. Only 20 minutes up the road from where I'm at. Figured why not? It's always better to keep my options open, before pulling the trigger.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 12,049
Likes: 1,547
From: Media PA
I understand the value of limited days off in a year, I live for my vacation time!
Give that blue 6.8 a good once over, you never know it may have been someone's Summer cruiser and never experienced an Ohio Winter. Or it could be like mine, found on a dealer's lot in PA but fresh from LA and the Army Corps of Engineers, so it was clean as a whistle underneath.
It's very odd that both of them are missing the hitch, it was federally mandated as the EX is classified as a passenger vehicle and not a truck, the hitch was part of the crash protection package.
Give that blue 6.8 a good once over, you never know it may have been someone's Summer cruiser and never experienced an Ohio Winter. Or it could be like mine, found on a dealer's lot in PA but fresh from LA and the Army Corps of Engineers, so it was clean as a whistle underneath.
It's very odd that both of them are missing the hitch, it was federally mandated as the EX is classified as a passenger vehicle and not a truck, the hitch was part of the crash protection package.
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
Quick update: I made an attempt to look at the blue Ex. Unfortunately, was sold by the time I got there after shift. Also. Still no word back from the sales rep in regards to repairs on the 7.3 Ex.
