NO RESERVE...LIMITED...LEATHER...V8 5.0 / 302

1998 Ford Explorer Limited Description

Hello and thank you for looking at my auction. My name is Joe and I sell vehicles differently than most dealers. Buying your next car or truck through one of my NO RESERVE auctions is the best way to take the games out of your next automotive purchase. I personally road test each vehicle before it is offered for sale so I can give you my first hand opinion of how it runs and drives. Please keep in mind that I am not a mechanic. Each vehicle is represented accurately and honestly to the bes...t of my knowledge and ability. Please take the time to read this entire description as well as our Terms & Conditions carefully BEFORE asking questions or placing a bid as most answers can be found in at least one of those places. An administrative fee of $149 will be added to the final bid of each auction. Up for a NO RESERVE auction is a 1998 Ford Explorer Limited AWD with the optional 5.0L V8 engine. I would rate the exterior of this Explorer to be in ABOVE AVERAGE CONDITION for it's age and mileage. As you can see, this is a good looking truck. It is finished in pearl white and shows well. While far from perfect, the white finish shines pretty good for nearly 20 years old and 200k miles. The reason this Explorer gets the "above average" rating is the lack of body rust. By this age, the rockers are usually gone and there is noticeable rust on the fenders, door bottoms, etc. While I won't say that this is a rust-free truck, you can clearly see that this truck shows far better than most. The body lines are nice and straight. The hood, doors and tail gate all open and close easily. All of the trim and moldings are present and show well. All of the glass and lenses are intact. The alloy wheels are specific to the Limited trim level and show well for their age. The tires are a matching set with good tread all around. Please take your time and check out each of the photos carefully. I would rate the interior of this Explorer to be in ABOVE AVERAGE CONDITION for it's age and mileage. Again, while not perfect, the interior of this Explorer Limited shows far better than most of similar age and miles. The door cards are clean and tight. The carpets show a few marks from age but are not excessively worn. The seats are soft, supple and comfortable...not excessively worn or beat up. The dash and headliner are clean. The power windows, locks, mirrors and sunroof all work properly. The audio system is original and sounds good. The climate control system is fully automatic and appears to be working properly. The air conditioner does not blow cold but I can hear the compressor engage and then kick off...which probably means it just needs charged. The cargo area is spacious and clean for it's age. Again, please take your time and check out each of the photos carefully. As a side note, the interior doesn't smell the best. I can't pin down exactly what it smells like...maybe just "old truck". It's not horrible...but it doesn't smell like roses or a brand new car. Mechanically, this Explorer appears to be in good running and driving condition. The 5.0L V8 engine starts easily and runs smoothly. I didn't notice any leaks and the engine does not smoke. Her road manners are pretty good for an old truck. The suspension feels tight and well sorted. Steering and braking feel good. The engine keeps perfect temperature and excellent oil pressure at all times. There have been no idiot lights on during my road test. The engine makes good power and feels smooth and strong. The automatic transmission engages smoothly and shifts properly with zero issues. The only thing worth pointing out is that, when I acquired this truck, the front prop shaft was laying in the back. The V8 Explorers are full time AWD...so one of two things is the case. One possibility is that the previous owner removed the front prop shaft in an effort to save on gas. As stupid as it sounds, I've seen it before. The other possibility is that there is something wrong with the front diff. The fact that the previous owner thought the include the drive shaft when they traded it makes me lean towards the fuel economy thing, but no promises. Worst case, a good used front diff is about $150 and they are readily available. Either way, I'd get that sorted out pretty quickly because these are set up like the early Grand Cherokees, where they'll slowly creep away from you if you park them on a hill without the front prop shaft in. It's actually kind of funny...a little...but only if you don't know it's going to happen. You park it, come out a few hours later and it's like 3' from where you swear you parked, haha. Anyway...if you're looking for a solid old Explorer, this '98 Limited deserves your serious consideration. Thanks for looking and good luck bidding.