Am I crazy for doing these repairs?

[augy88066]

Hi there! New member here. My father recently passed away and he gifted me and repaired his expedition as much as he could for me. It’s a 1998 Ford Expedition XLT with the 5.4 Triton engine. Cosmetically the vehicle is in great shape, there is no rot besides the joints in the running boards and mechanically it’s mostly in great shape minus two things:
1) Bubbling oil at the bottom so needs a head gasket replacement. I was quoted $1,600.
2) Gas gauge doesn’t work and confirmed a new fuel pump is needed. Was quoted $600.

For reference, the vehicle mostly sat on a garage and has a little over 100,000 miles. My father babied the vehicle as well as the transmission.

Any input would be appreciated as I heard great things about the 5.4L Triton motor and the reliability of the 1998 Expeditions.

I’ll read other posts to see about potential issues that I can address in advance. Plus, I’m hesitant to get rid of it as he also has a brand new spare set of wheels and tires and about $1,400 in other parts.

 

[Billme]

You not crazy, just look at it as a new adventure, and believe me, you will learn some things the hard way, with some easy down hill problems ..One step at a time..
There are more first gen owners on here than any generation..
So yes, it’s worth it to keep it going..

 

[augy88066]

This is great to hear, thank you! I will proceed with the work. It seems like they really last a long time if well maintained.

 

[BigOleFordFan]

Well, obviously if you plan to keep it for a while, as long as there are no other major issues, I would get it fixed and "run it till it dies"

However, at about $4k, you would be at or near the point of no return in terms of value for your $$, and since it has new rims & some other parts that could potentially be enough value to someone else & allow you to sell it as is for about $4k.....which would be a profit for you since you didn't pay anything for it, and you could potentially use that $4k towards a newer vehicle...

so alot to consider

 

[jr1under]

My long-term experience with a 1999 5.4 in similar condition to what you described is...yes, it's well worth the effort to maintain. It's a simpler machine than today's models and mine is proof that keeping one running well and looking good doesn't require an excess of skill or money.

 

[augy88066]

This is all great news! I am glad I made the right choice.