Keep It or Flip It??

[jimbosidecar]

I agree with the others, to keep it. I bought a 2001 Expy last year for $900. It had 194,000 miles on it. I replaced the front brakes, calipers, pads, and rotors. Replaced all 4 shocks, all fluids and spark plugs and one front CV axle. All that cost me less than $500. Now it has 207,000 and I think it will go to 300,000 miles or more. My other truck is a '93 F150 with 278,000 miles. Also a keeper.

 

[Machete]

Yeah that is my cruising speed. Not confident a V6 ecoboost is going to do that all day 19 years pulling a big truck like these. Your paint looks great. Mine is fairly good except on the top and the hood. The sun has done a number on the clear coat. I like the wheels on your EB. As far as reliability the only show stopper has been the fuel pump. I took it to a local garage for a Lube/oil/filter and when I went to pick it up I hear them cranking it wildly in the bay. The fuel pump died right after they test drove it. Weird but after the new fuel pump and fuel filter, my random misfires went away. I have a ScanGauge II monitoring all the cylinders and for a while would get a few misfire counts here and there, but never same cylinder.

Yup, my fuel pump started to go...slowly...thankfully...I could tell it was taking longer cycles to start when I turned the key and I suspected it was the pump....it did last 21 years and 215,*** miles so I don't mind. I guess using non ethanol helped.

 

[Brent Harward]

Flip it!

 

[JamaicaJoe]

Flip it!

Compelling argument to flip?

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[WEDGE]

Your wheels and tires are 16", not 15". There are no 15" wheels available

 

[JamaicaJoe]

Your wheels and tires are 16", not 15". There are no 15" wheels available

You are correct, Indeed they are.

 

[Bilsto]

Keep it!!

Tires: Check with tires-easy.com. I've gotten REALLY good deals through them. One thing I did, since I live in TN where it's hotter than hell all summer, is I shopped out tires with the highest temperature rating and a higher speed rating than I'd ever drive. I believe that has made them stand up well to the searing hot pavement here.

 

[LAexpy]

I have 224k miles on my 5.4L XLT, and changed out the coil packs every 100,000 miles.

 

[Machete]

I have 224k miles on my 5.4L XLT, and changed out the coil packs every 100,000 miles.

Yup. I’ve got 216k and done two tuneups. Low maintenance cost trucks.

 

[Zach Dean]

I have a 2001 4.6L 2WD Expy XLT with 93K Miles. It is 100% a Florida car has spent most of its life in land. Little to no rust.

I would like to replace it with a newer model having at least a years worth of warranty remaining. However the thought of buying, to me a lesser vehicle, 6 cyl with scads of electronic gizmos I neither want or need seems like wasted money. I figure my 2001 expy could make it to 175K or 200K without major engine work.

There has been some deferred maintenance, the rear brakes have now been entirely serviced and new rubber lines installed in four corners. There was a brake lock up issue that was either a bad caliper or rubber line. A lot of time and effort was taken to rule out the parking brakes to the point where a rear axle seal leaked and needed replacing. The front steering rack and steering shaft have been replaced. There are Zerk fittings in seven places.

I have some maintenance and repair issues I am tackling on m my own at minimal expense. Door locks, window actuator, etc.

The engine, transmission, running gear all operate well. No problems.

To keep my Expy running, I need to make the following improvements. I am seeking an estimate of cost.

Front brake calipers and pads. disks resurfaced.

Lower ball joints

Upper ball joints (optionally)

New Tires four corners. I have Goodyear Wranglers that are no longer available. Looking for suggestions. This vehicle will be driven 95% on highways in southern climate. I want a smooth ride.

Rims. The stock 15 inch alloy rims need reconditioning. I prefer to refurbish rather than chance some aftermarket rims.

Paint. The color of this vehicle is garnet and it has severe clear coat damage on the roof and hood. I could go for a respray of that area to match or do the entire vehicle. I would like it to appear new. Thoughts on cost to paint roof and hood versus entire body?

Rust. There is little rust damage except for the bracket that spans below the radiator. Is that part replaceable?

What is the value of a low mileage 2001? I don't see such low mileage on many used Expy's. Would the improvements above be recouped if I decide to sell in 2 years?

I would say keep it and build it up a bit new head unit, maybe upgrade for brakes suspension or if you want something that is newer go with an 07-15 they still have the 5.4 but they went with a 6 speed trans that from what I’ve heard does not have our shudder issues I am currently dealing with that on my 06 but that what I would do you still get a 2015 that has the extended warranty on it

 

[Wegner44]

Keep it for sure! I have a 2003 that I am going to drive the wheels off of it, unless it gets into an accident. That is the only way I am getting rid of mine. If you use yours as a utility vehicle as well as a passenger vehicle, the older models have more room than the new ones. I can lay a 4X8 sheet of plywood down flat in mine and almost close the rear hatch. Wish I had the EL model. Don't know of any newer models you can do that with. Simple maintenance of this vehicle has been WAY cheaper than making payments of any kind. I have done suspension front and back, lower and upper control arms with new ball joints. Replaced a few switches here and there. Installed new headlights with LED built in. I have also had my lower plastics painted black for $300.00. Color is dark grey. Best decision ever! The 4.6L motor when properly maintained will just keep going. Mine has 195,000 and I do not burn oil.

In my opinion, they don't make them like this anymore. These were built to keep going and I intend to ride it as long as I can.

 

[CAKD07]

My '05 Expy (shown here) had 320k when it finally gave up the ghost. I had poured cash into it to keep it running and got rave reviews on how nice a ride it was. But the time had come to stop pouring money down a hole. I donated it to Dallas Cars for Kids and got a great write-off and purchased a used '16 Expy which I couldn't be more happy with (it's my third Expy). Just do what's best for your unique situation.

 

[Mark Farley]

As of now, I will only run with Michelin tires. Current tires on my 2012 Expedition are Defender LTX M/S. I started using Michelin tires back in the early 2000's due to the Firestone tire recall. I needed to change the tires on my 2001 Ranger. The dealership that I worked at let me pay the price difference from what the warranty would pay and the price of the Michelin tires. I traded my Ranger in on a 2001 Expedition that was traded in (all service done at the dealership). When it needed tires, I had the Michelin LTX M/S installed. During a trip my wife was driving in the rain. She says, "I love these tires"! I have excellent service with the Michelin tires both in tread wear and driving in snow, rain, sand and mud.

 

[Machete]

Keep or flip? I’ve been battling this question for almost 6 mos and the thing I keep coming back to is ... replace it w what? What can be purchased at a reasonable cost knowing it’s probably out of warranty and that will be as good as these trucks?

Whatever you buy will be taking a chance. So now you have a car payment AND a repair here and there.

Unless you’re going to bite the bullet and take on a $500-$600 car payment for something CPO it’s a risk.

 

[Machete]

Keep or flip? I’ve been battling this question for almost 6 mos and the thing I keep coming back to is ... replace it w what? What can be purchased at a reasonable cost knowing it’s probably out of warranty and that will be as good as these trucks?

Whatever you buy will be taking a chance. So now you have a car payment AND a repair here and there.

Unless you’re going to bite the bullet and take on a $500-$600 car payment for something CPO it’s a risk.

 

[vincentrose]

Well I cant say whether to "Flip or Keep" what I can say is if you decide to "Flip it" but are concerned about the V6 in the newer models, you are not alone. Do what I did. I bought a 2014, which is the last year the 5.4L V8 was available, I couldn't be happier. Yes it does burn more gas, but it suits my needs, It has plenty of cargo space, it has the roof rack on top for hauling larger items, and it's powerful enough to for towing my heavy trailer, or my boat, If I was only concerned about gas mileage, I would have bought a Prius. This truck has plenty of power when I need it. That's just what you get with V8 power. You don't have the delay when you punch it like you would with the V6 turbo. It takes a few seconds for the turbo to wind up before it gives you the power you need. With the V8, the instant I punch I'm literally glued to the back of my seat. Also, the other reason I chose a 2014 was to avoid the 2 piece spark plugs that Ford used in the 2005-2008 models that were prone to breaking apart when you tried to remove them.

 

[Machete]

Well I cant say whether to "Flip or Keep" what I can say is if you decide to "Flip it" but are concerned about the V6 in the newer models, you are not alone. Do what I did. I bought a 2014, which is the last year the 5.4L V8 was available, I couldn't be happier. Yes it does burn more gas, but it suits my needs, It has plenty of cargo space, it has the roof rack on top for hauling larger items, and it's powerful enough to for towing my heavy trailer, or my boat, If I was only concerned about gas mileage, I would have bought a Prius. This truck has plenty of power when I need it. That's just what you get with V8 power. You don't have the delay when you punch it like you would with the V6 turbo. It takes a few seconds for the turbo to wind up before it gives you the power you need. With the V8, the instant I punch I'm literally glued to the back of my seat. Also, the other reason I chose a 2014 was to avoid the 2 piece spark plugs that Ford used in the 2005-2008 models that were prone to breaking apart when you tried to remove them.

Hows the reliability been? Any diesel like noises at cold start?
How many miles on it?

 

[JamaicaJoe]

Hows the reliability been? Any diesel like noises at cold start?
How many miles on it?

Other than the odd misfires due to the COP boots arcing through, it has been fine. I have had the oil checked by Blackstone and it is fine. No odd metals or signs of coolant. No odd sounds. I think the tensioners are fine. I have never run with low oil or dirty oil. 93K miles. Plugs last changed at 45K . Driven on flat lands. Never used for towing.

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[JamaicaJoe]

Well I cant say whether to "Flip or Keep" what I can say is if you decide to "Flip it" but are concerned about the V6 in the newer models, you are not alone. Do what I did. I bought a 2014, which is the last year the 5.4L V8 was available, I couldn't be happier. Yes it does burn more gas, but it suits my needs, It has plenty of cargo space, it has the roof rack on top for hauling larger items, and it's powerful enough to for towing my heavy trailer, or my boat, If I was only concerned about gas mileage, I would have bought a Prius. This truck has plenty of power when I need it. That's just what you get with V8 power. You don't have the delay when you punch it like you would with the V6 turbo. It takes a few seconds for the turbo to wind up before it gives you the power you need. With the V8, the instant I punch I'm literally glued to the back of my seat. Also, the other reason I chose a 2014 was to avoid the 2 piece spark plugs that Ford used in the 2005-2008 models that were prone to breaking apart when you tried to remove them.

If I could find a nice 2014 with fewer miles it would be a no brainer.

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[Machete]

If I could find a nice 2014 with fewer miles it would be a no brainer.

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I found a couple with mileage in the 50k range but priced at $30k which is overpriced by a lot considering you can get a newer year 5.0 F150 for that.