I had a Durango that I thought was having rear end problems but after about having a heart attack getting another one from a pick & pull lot (I had to stand it up and put it in my wagon to pull it to the office) and putting it in, it turned out the problem was my transfer case. It was my only mode of transportation and I needed to go to Atlanta to pick some things up so I thought I'd buy something cheap to drive that I could pull a trailer with, get my items in Atlanta, fix my Durango and then sell it to get most if not all of my money back.
In my search for a short term vehicle, I came across a 1999 Expedition that seemed like a really nice vehicle for $1200. After talking to the owner and being convinced it would make it to Atlanta with no problems, I asked her if she'd take $1k for it and she agreed so I scurried over to check it out. My 1st visual impression was it sure looked like a good deal. It's maroon in color and the paint was a bit faded but the clear coat was intact so I thought I'd most likely be able to buff it out without too much of a problem and if not, it didn't look that bad as it was. The interior was leather and not in bad shape at all although there is a tear on the edge of both the driver's and passenger's seat. Visually it sure seemed like a good deal and then a very pleasant surprise for me - it didn't mention it in the ad but it had 4wd - it was at this point I started thinking maybe I'd sell the Durango and keep the Expedition but let's see how she runs 1st.
Seemed to run great. The owner told me the odometer was intermittant and that wasn't working but before leaving her yard I put it in 4Hi and 4Lo and the 4wd seemed to be functioning correctly. It had around 215k miles on it but the engine sounded good and strong, no ticks or other noises and I hadn't seen any major leaks when I looked underneath it, brakes were strong - only noticed one problem that definitely needed addressed - it was like driving a boat when u hit a bump - bouncy is a word that covers it well. I had researched it before I went to look at it and read about problems with the air suspension so I figured for $1k I couldn't go wrong and bought it.
It got me to Atlanta with no problems.
I'm a disabled vet, have back and hip problems and it's really easy for me to get in and out of, very comfortable on a long trip. Gas mileage isn't great but that's a small price to pay for the ease of getting in and out and being comfortable for me to ride in for long periods of time.
It needs some attention in a few areas but a big reason for keeping it over the Durango is the extra room in it. I'm moving to Mexico in the near future and only taking whatever I can fit in my car - and I can fit a whole lot more in this than I can the Durango. If I wasn't moving, I'd keep them both because I really like the Durango, it's a 2001 4wd with the 360 engine, lifted a bit and I think a very good looking 4wd truck, plus I must admit I love the sound of it, but I am moving so can only keep 1 and the Expedition gives me more room plus while the Durango was pretty comfy on long drives and not bad getting in and out of, the Expedition has it beat in all those areas.
I had a yard sale last weekend and a guy there asked me if the Durango was for sale and off the top of my head I told him I'd sell it for $800 - and told him all about it, let him drive it. He stopped by the house last night with his wife so she could see it and will be buying it the 31st when he gets paid so I'll basically have $200 in the Expedition.
Fixing the bouncy ride is the biggest problem and will be addressed when he picks up the Durango and I discovered the GEM module problem after a hard rain but I'm very happy with it, think I got a great deal.
In my search for a short term vehicle, I came across a 1999 Expedition that seemed like a really nice vehicle for $1200. After talking to the owner and being convinced it would make it to Atlanta with no problems, I asked her if she'd take $1k for it and she agreed so I scurried over to check it out. My 1st visual impression was it sure looked like a good deal. It's maroon in color and the paint was a bit faded but the clear coat was intact so I thought I'd most likely be able to buff it out without too much of a problem and if not, it didn't look that bad as it was. The interior was leather and not in bad shape at all although there is a tear on the edge of both the driver's and passenger's seat. Visually it sure seemed like a good deal and then a very pleasant surprise for me - it didn't mention it in the ad but it had 4wd - it was at this point I started thinking maybe I'd sell the Durango and keep the Expedition but let's see how she runs 1st.
Seemed to run great. The owner told me the odometer was intermittant and that wasn't working but before leaving her yard I put it in 4Hi and 4Lo and the 4wd seemed to be functioning correctly. It had around 215k miles on it but the engine sounded good and strong, no ticks or other noises and I hadn't seen any major leaks when I looked underneath it, brakes were strong - only noticed one problem that definitely needed addressed - it was like driving a boat when u hit a bump - bouncy is a word that covers it well. I had researched it before I went to look at it and read about problems with the air suspension so I figured for $1k I couldn't go wrong and bought it.
It got me to Atlanta with no problems.
I'm a disabled vet, have back and hip problems and it's really easy for me to get in and out of, very comfortable on a long trip. Gas mileage isn't great but that's a small price to pay for the ease of getting in and out and being comfortable for me to ride in for long periods of time.
It needs some attention in a few areas but a big reason for keeping it over the Durango is the extra room in it. I'm moving to Mexico in the near future and only taking whatever I can fit in my car - and I can fit a whole lot more in this than I can the Durango. If I wasn't moving, I'd keep them both because I really like the Durango, it's a 2001 4wd with the 360 engine, lifted a bit and I think a very good looking 4wd truck, plus I must admit I love the sound of it, but I am moving so can only keep 1 and the Expedition gives me more room plus while the Durango was pretty comfy on long drives and not bad getting in and out of, the Expedition has it beat in all those areas.
I had a yard sale last weekend and a guy there asked me if the Durango was for sale and off the top of my head I told him I'd sell it for $800 - and told him all about it, let him drive it. He stopped by the house last night with his wife so she could see it and will be buying it the 31st when he gets paid so I'll basically have $200 in the Expedition.
Fixing the bouncy ride is the biggest problem and will be addressed when he picks up the Durango and I discovered the GEM module problem after a hard rain but I'm very happy with it, think I got a great deal.
