So I bought a 2002 black Limited 7.3l with 2nd row captains with the two tone leather. 83K on it and was a 1 owner personal vehicle always driven in Sarasota, FL.

Was debating on the bench vs. captains - I had the thread about this with twins coming in March - but I figure finding a clean lower mileage in the color I wanted made the 2nd row thing a non-issues - positives and negatives for both.

So - what to do to it next? Mild chip? Going to look at a 4" lift to run 315s - any suggestions on brands?
This will NOT be taken off-road - I have a 79 CJ7 that I am putting 1 ton axles under right now that will spin 39"+ Swampers to take care of my off-roading itches!

Super excited!!! Now I just have to fly from Richmond to Orlando to get it!
Lots of great info in here - thanks to everyone for it!!
Joe

 

If ya don't mind me asking, what did you pay?

 

paid 19K - not a steal - but decent for what I am seeing...at least for not having to go west coast for me....

 

I'm a fan of staying stock. It does everything I want it to plus some. I used to be a power freak, faster, stronger, bigger, better, and so on. However that has subsided for me. I drive it like it is, and it's a lot of fun. I say just keep her clean and take care of her properly, and you'll have a beautiful truck for a long time to come. Who knows, perhaps you can teach your twins to drive on it.

 

Nice & clean & no rust & low milage. Congratulations.

 

Based on what I'm seeing up here in Michigan, that *is* a steal (assuming it's 4x4). There are dealers looking for $20K for gassers with higher mileage - of course, those are "asking" prices....

Very nice ride - that black has got to be hot in the FLA sun!

 

Thanks! It is a 4x4. I live in Richmond, VA so the black won't be so bad....

 

Congrats and welcome to the Ex and FTE families!

With twins on the way...lifting the truck?...okay...maybe I'm just getting old...haha...but getting in and out of the stock height Ex with car seats, etc would be enough I think...

I'm with Jay...stock Ex's do a lot already!

Now that said...a mild tune on that 7.3L would be about the only thing I would seriously consider.

However there are some other things to look at on the Ex...

You will likely need shocks...if you do not tow...take a look at Rancho 9000XL's which are adjustable for ride...9 position...a very easy DIY...

Also you may find you need ball joints with 83K on the clock...if you do need them...replace them with greasable ones unlike the factory...not a DIY for most...

Rear sway bar...yours may or may not have one...IMO it is a critical piece of equipment. Hellwig makes an excellent one for around $200 and is an easy DIY...

Steering box...if after you have made sure the front end is all tight and proper (ball joints, tie rods, etc)...you may have to adjust the steering box...an easy 10 minute DIY...ask here if you have excess play and all other front end components have been examined and we can point you to the adjustment procedure...

Door lock actuators...a very common affliction to us Ex owners...make sure ALL door locks work before you take delivery...

Other than that...the STOCK Ex is a great family vehicle...enjoy and CONGRATS on the twins!

FTE and in particular this forum is a great place to ask questions and learn about our Ex's...welcome to the group...don't be afraid to ask questions...but also use the search feature too...lots of great info in the archives!

Joe.

 

Welcome to the owners club! That's a good looking truck - they look fantastic in black. Get a good coat of wax on there before winter if you can to hold that shine until it warms up. I second the stock ride height - especially with little ones on the way - but you'll get to know it and what you can deal with pretty quickly.

 

Thanks for the info! I am 6'5" so the lift would be fine for me - of course the wife might say otherwise....we will see....

I was thinking a mild chip - nothing radical. I did the ball joints on my suburban and it was not that bad - have all the tools to do most of my own work - and have a buddy with a 10,000lb lift in his garage and he had done lots of lift kits on full-size. That should help save some $$. Did not think about the rear sway bar - will look into that.

Great stuff on this forum!!!

Joe

 

Needs white letter tires. Lose the chrome and pin stripe and make it all black. Other than that its sweet.

 

No white letters on the tires, that should be illegal.

I am all for the blacked out look though.
My X has a 4" lift on 315's and the wife and I get our kids in the car seats with ease. I LOVE how my set up is, exhaust, intake and custom chip. This is how these trucks should have come off the line. We can drive it mellow all day long and if we need power, it has a ton under the hood... just waiting.

You may want to change the oil to a Synthectic for the winter. I use Rotella 5/40 Synthetic and it starts with ease in the freezing temps without any romps.

Congrats!! Nice truck.

 

congrats - nice buy! we do have a good bit of Ex's down here in FL and many of them are not yet over that 100k mile mark - most have never seen the off road and many of them have been kept up with wash and wax because the FL sun will kill paint if you don't.

do the mild chip, don't get crazy - its perfect with that - with twins on the way, you don't want supper hard shifts, noisy exhaust, or your wife bitchin you made the truck to tall for her to get stuff out of the back, the cargo area is huge in our trucks and deep, so all that kiddy crap can be kind of hard to reach (especially if you lift the truck on her)

 

Being 6'5" you need to lift it just to allow your head to clear the rear hatch when you are pulling the stroller out. LOL

Seriously, I'm 6'2" and hit my head on that damn thing all the time with 33s on mine and no lift. Its my biggest pet peeve about them.

 

you can put 2wd rear liftgate struts on the 4x4 and it will open a couple inches futher...
My truck has 4" rancho lift and had 315's BFG AT's on it when I bought it. didn't care for the ride or handling at all. switched to 255/85r16's and have much better ride.... You will want to conisider the wife if she is going to be loading and unloading the kiddos... I just took the armrests off our child seats and it made it much easier for the wife to get kids in... though she doesn't drive it much . I would say just go with intake, 4" exhaust and a chip... that will be more than enough for the family hauler esp if you are not taking it off road.

as for the white letter tires I think it would look good though I favor banning the aftermarket chrome