Keep It or Flip It??

[JamaicaJoe]

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?

 

[Killer Ride]

You are better off keeping it, New crossdrilled or slotted rotors and pads from Amazon are $179. New upper a arms withballjoints, lower ball joints, and tie rod ends, are $149 from Amazon. The Bracket can be reconditioned with rust inhibitor and some black paint. These vehicles are some of the best built vehicles known they can go half a million to a million miles easy. I have an '01 F150 with 435000 miles on it. My expedition is a 98 with 210000 miles on it I bought it for $900, Everything works on it. Maintain properly these vehicles will go at least a 1/2 a million miles with no problems

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[Killer Ride]

You want to make your old truck feel more like a newer one replace the head unit with one of the modern ones. Android auto and apple idrive are awesome hands free phone, and maps. Then replace all interior and exterior bulbs with LEDs, and any or all bushings with polyurethane.

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[riphip]

You can also check rockauto.com. or CarId.com In vendor section here. Some discounts to apply also.

2001 with 93k would be with me as a second ride for a while longer. Trade-in would be a joke and big loss

 

[JamaicaJoe]

The old OEM radio is fine. What is tired is the 6 CD changer which was a very high end option in 2001. But it has an elusive mechanical problem and so I will be pulling it and wiring in a SONY bluetooth receiver in its place. I will be getting a top end Garmin for GPS.

Not keen on having any LED lighting on the interior or headlights. The running board lights, rear third brake light will get the LED treatment.

Yeah the bushings need to be updated. I need to stiffen up the front suspension as much as I can. These trucks are tough on the front steering gear. I had an E350 15 passenger van and it was 10 times more rugged. I have replaced bits of the suspension and shocks over past 40K miles. This vehicle spent most of its time to the airport and back. There was 6 months of washboard road treatment. 1 mile twice a day for 6 months. In retrospect I should have taken the detour.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

You can also check rockauto.com. or CarId.com In vendor section here. Some discounts to apply also.

2001 with 93k would be with me as a second ride for a while longer. Trade-in would be a joke and big loss

That is for sure. I am having a hard time getting excited about the new generation of vehicles. I know it will be bliss driving around with warranty for a while and make long trips seem less stressful. But that will end with the warranty and when the electronics start failing. I did find a base model late model Expedition for sale. But it is fire engine red and sadly V6.

 

[riphip]

Change or get changed all fluids, tranny, rear axle, etc if not performed already. If it were mine, I would spend the money for paint. 2001s did not have the engine problems that the 2005+ have had. I like my Pirelli tires but will get the street tread (STR) next time. Long lasting and smooth ride.

 

[riphip]

Turbo replacement on the Eco is about $5k I think my nephew said on his F150 before he traded for new one.

 

[Trainmaster]

You are correct saying that the truck is good for 200K miles. You should have no major problems if you keep it, though you will be fixing minor things from time to time. Buying parts on-line from bottom-basement Chinese manufacturers is one way to assure that you'll be driving junk. Replace parts with the best quality stuff and your work will be easier and only need to be done once.

Remember what you save doing the work yourself and seriously ask yourself what kind of quality can come with a $12 ball joint.

Forget the market value. Nobody with money wants a 21 year old truck. Drive it an enjoy it. It's one of the best ever made.

 

[Machete]

I’ve got 216,*** and my truck is 90% long highway driving at 75-80mph.
I’ve never let it go so I’ve never had a “list” of to-do’s but at this mileage there’s always the next thing whether tires, brakes, or a worn suspension part(s).
I’m on my second install of Monroe coil over kit. It gives a 1 inch lift which I like.

My paint is flawless except for some rust dimples starting on the rocker panels.

I believe I can get to 300,000 before any major repairs.

 

[Machete]

View attachment 39376 View attachment 39374 View attachment 39376 View attachment 39376 View attachment 39373 I’ve got 216,*** and my truck is 90% long highway driving at 75-80mph.
I’ve never let it go so I’ve never had a “list” of to-do’s but at this mileage there’s always the next thing whether tires, brakes, or a worn suspension part(s).
I’m on my second install of Monroe coil over kit. It gives a 1 inch lift which I like.

My paint is flawless except for some rust dimples starting on the rocker panels.

I believe I can get to 300,000 before any major work is needed.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

You are correct saying that the truck is good for 200K miles. You should have no major problems if you keep it, though you will be fixing minor things from time to time. Buying parts on-line from bottom-basement Chinese manufacturers is one way to assure that you'll be driving junk. Replace parts with the best quality stuff and your work will be easier and only need to be done once.

Remember what you save doing the work yourself and seriously ask yourself what kind of quality can come with a $12 ball joint.

Forget the market value. Nobody with money wants a 21 year old truck. Drive it an enjoy it. It's one of the best ever made.

Yeah a ball joint can kill you quick.

Its crazy you can buy a set of 8 COP's with boots for beer money on e-bay. They claim to be OEM and use "imported German copper wire" . That is scary. I have had enough problems with Motorcraft coils and boots that I am wary of those cheapies.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

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.

 

[mnachreiner86]

Keep it. As stated earlier rock auto for cheap parts and keep it going.


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[Aspen03]

Keep it for sure. I could see a trade in price of maybe 2k if you're buying a vehicle from the same dealer. No one shopping in most dealerships is in the market for a near 20yr old suv that has cosmetic issues. That just ages it further in their eyes. 93k and $1k and you're in business for most of what you listed. The paint will be the big expense. You could also look into wrap. Can do some interesting things fairly inexpensively. Is it garaged? If not that may not be a great idea as the sun will be fairly harsh on it.

For essentially what you're going to pay for a "top end Garmin" you can get a modern radio with better navigation capabilities, easier to use with voice control, complete hands free phone, text, media control and most importantly better audio quality. The oem tech of the 90s that's found in there is severely lacking.

Tires, myself and another member started a war on here I think. You'll find a couple threads for input and suggestions.

I just turned over 230k and not even remotely considering replacing my '03. It will need some scheduled maintenance this spring and is ready for new rubber when I have time but otherwise been as reliable as anything I've ever owned. All a new vehicle would do is cost me as much in the first month as I've spent maintaining this in the past year and a half.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

I would not bother trading in to a dealer. Private party sales will have a better return. Dealers don't care if it has low miles, that you just painted the vehicle and put new tires and running gear in. The car will go to auction and that value will be lost. Someone will buy it at auction for low book and be surprised at the deal they got.

I like the integration of the current radio and speaker system. But I will be pulling the flaky remote 6 CD changer unit and putting in a Sony Bluetooth since much of my music is on a tablet. There is a thread here about the new Expedition models and an atrocious integration of android tablet into the dashboard. I really like buttons and knobs of the existing sound system and the thought of running off the road in a big SUV while fumbling with touch screen bothers me.

The reason for a separate Garmin GPS is that I often rent cars and can use the Garmin for those trips as I do now with my old Garmin which is past its usable life and subscription. I have rented many cars and the integrated GPS has failed to impress me. One place I went to work was a federal lab and apparently the GPS software black listed the address for "national security". My Garmin got me there.

 

[VoxVeritatis]

With respect to depreciating assets such as used vehicles, the pre-owned 'market' considers mileage as a downside (debit) not upside (credit) with respect to your valuation 'account'. I.e., the more miles the lower the value. Generally, there is no 'bonus' or value boost for any used vehicle, except on collectors' markets, markets which don't include the likes of Ford Expeditions, etc.

And when a vehicle is two decades old, its very good condition (or even recondition) will have little mileage-based valuation variance. E.g., not much difference between 73K and 173K miles - read no difference, as most of the depreciation hit on the original purchase price dropped that valuation from $25K+ new to below $3K today, and that's in today's dollars. Even trim packages and engine sizes make little difference at that point. I mean how much lower can you go based on 90% of original value depreciated away?

As far as trade-in values, that's always a scam. Never believe a dealership is going to absorb a hit to its profit. If you're getting $2K on a trade-in, it's because the markup on the one you're buying is well over that $2K, meaning that you're actually paying them to take your vehicle. They want you watching their trade-in sleight-of-hand while their money-grubbing hand is reaching for your wallet. [With all due disrespect to most car salesmen. If the shoe fits, blah, blah, blah...]

From your comments, it seems as though you're leaning toward keeping her anyway. Positives? A known quantity unlikely to surprises from unexpected maintenance and DIY repairs. The relatively low price of unleaded fuel over these past few years, because the Expy, especially my 5.4 EB, guzzles it. Your insurance premium is probably noticeably lower as compared to a newer vehicle, especially if you still carry comprehensive and collision coverages.

However, as far as likely repair expenses of keeping it, I didn't see you mention heat shields, broken studs, and catalytic converters - a guaranteed hit to 5.4 owners as mileage exceeds 70K. Do these never plague the 4.6 models?

 

[BOB4254]

To answer your inquiry about tires.

I also had Goodyear Wranglers on my 98. If you want a quiet very smooth ride I highly recommend
Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus
The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus is designed to deliver a quiet and comfortable highway ride. This tire delivers improved fuel efficiency (as compared to the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza), year-round performance, and an 80,000 mile tread-wear warranty.

My first set of 4 lasted 70k miles and just bought my second set. Very quiet and an extremely smooth ride. I would not consider another brand. Very, very happy. Also they have raised white lettering on one side, looks awesome.

https://www.bridgestonetire.com/tire/dueler-hl-alenza-plus/p255-70r16

 

[JamaicaJoe]

With respect to depreciating assets such as used vehicles, the pre-owned 'market' considers mileage as a downside (debit) not upside (credit) with respect to your valuation 'account'. I.e., the more miles the lower the value. Generally, there is no 'bonus' or value boost for any used vehicle, except on collectors' markets, markets which don't include the likes of Ford Expeditions, etc.

And when a vehicle is two decades old, its very good condition (or even recondition) will have little mileage-based valuation variance. E.g., not much difference between 73K and 173K miles - read no difference, as most of the depreciation hit on the original purchase price dropped that valuation from $25K+ new to below $3K today, and that's in today's dollars. Even trim packages and engine sizes make little difference at that point. I mean how much lower can you go based on 90% of original value depreciated away?

As far as trade-in values, that's always a scam. Never believe a dealership is going to absorb a hit to its profit. If you're getting $2K on a trade-in, it's because the markup on the one you're buying is well over that $2K, meaning that you're actually paying them to take your vehicle. They want you watching their trade-in sleight-of-hand while their money-grubbing hand is reaching for your wallet. [With all due disrespect to most car salesmen. If the shoe fits, blah, blah, blah...]

From your comments, it seems as though you're leaning toward keeping her anyway. Positives? A known quantity unlikely to surprises from unexpected maintenance and DIY repairs. The relatively low price of unleaded fuel over these past few years, because the Expy, especially my 5.4 EB, guzzles it. Your insurance premium is probably noticeably lower as compared to a newer vehicle, especially if you still carry comprehensive and collision coverages.

However, as far as likely repair expenses of keeping it, I didn't see you mention heat shields, broken studs, and catalytic converters - a guaranteed hit to 5.4 owners as mileage exceeds 70K. Do these never plague the 4.6 models?

Thanks , as far as those "5.4 L problems". I can't say. While this 4.6 L has had its share of misfires and EGR sensor problems. I have never felt compelled to keep driving with the MIL / CEL illuminated and have fixed those problems right away. Or maybe by sheer luck my Cat's have been spared.

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[JamaicaJoe]

To answer your inquiry about tires.

I also had Goodyear Wranglers on my 98. If you want a quiet very smooth ride I highly recommend
Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus
The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus is designed to deliver a quiet and comfortable highway ride. This tire delivers improved fuel efficiency (as compared to the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza), year-round performance, and an 80,000 mile tread-wear warranty.

My first set of 4 lasted 70k miles and just bought my second set. Very quiet and an extremely smooth ride. I would not consider another brand. Very, very happy. Also they have raised white lettering on one side, looks awesome.

https://www.bridgestonetire.com/tire/dueler-hl-alenza-plus/p255-70r16

Thanks. As Goodyear has stopped making the specific OEM Wrangler tires, I am going to have to shop around.

I have yet to wear out the two sets of Wranglers that I had on this vehicle. Dry rot and roofing nails have been the enemy.

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