Photo: BaT User: autostreetusa
Ford sold over 400,000 second generation Explorer SUVs from 1995 to 2001. But by 2024, most of them have been sacrificed to the crusher gods or rusted back into the Earth from whence it came. But a small handful of these SUVs that once helped define a generation are still out in the wild. Fewer still have had some work done under the hood. In this case, it's actually a lot of work. That's right, this old Explorer's packing heat.
From the factory, gen-II explorers left the factory sporting either one of two variants of the Ford Cologne four-liter V6 or a five-liter small block V8 if you were lucky. This also happened to be the last time the old-school Ford 5.0 V8 was offered from the factory in a production car. From then on, this iconic engine was relegated to crate motor status for the rest of time. But this particular 1998 two-door Explorer is even more special. In its time with the previous owner, it's had all its guts unceremoniously ripped out in favor of a far crazier V8 from Ford Racing.
The engine in question is a 363-cubic-inch unit paired with a five-speed manual transmission, carbon fiber driveshaft, and an 8.8-inch rear axle. In short, this is a muscle car underneath, but with all the space and practicality that made the SUV the preferred choice of automobile in North America. But make no mistake, this is not another point-and-shoot drag strip queen. With chunkier anti-roll bars borrowed from the equivalent four-door gen-II Explorer, torsion bars the size of rhino horns, and beefier multi-leaf rear springs, chances are good this boxy SUV isn't useless in the corners.
Even standing still, the Magnum 500-style muscle car wheels on Hankook Ventus H101 tires make for a look that's equal parts muscly and 90s-style old-school cool. With a Hurst cue-ball shifter flanking the driver's seat and tasteful navy vinyl seats over matching plush blue carpets, for once, an American interior from the 90s is a legitimate nice place to spend time. Add a Pioneer touchscreen auto system linked to twin JL Audio subwoofers with power locks and windows, and there's almost nothing offered here with this restomod than what's offered on most modern sports cars. The LED-backlit boost gauges on the A-pillar and behind the shifter are just the cherry on top.
One thing's for sure, if more classic Ford Explorers wind up being turned into restomods, we're all for it. It's fascinating to watch vehicles we've grown up with since childhood not only become classics but even turned into custom rigs on the same level as muscle car giants of old. It almost feels like an art form once reserved only for 60 and 70s American cars is finally making its way to the millennial generation. With a selling price on Bring a Trailer of $17,000, you couldn't find a 60s Mustang with this engine for the same price.
The engine in question is a 363-cubic-inch unit paired with a five-speed manual transmission, carbon fiber driveshaft, and an 8.8-inch rear axle. In short, this is a muscle car underneath, but with all the space and practicality that made the SUV the preferred choice of automobile in North America. But make no mistake, this is not another point-and-shoot drag strip queen. With chunkier anti-roll bars borrowed from the equivalent four-door gen-II Explorer, torsion bars the size of rhino horns, and beefier multi-leaf rear springs, chances are good this boxy SUV isn't useless in the corners.
Even standing still, the Magnum 500-style muscle car wheels on Hankook Ventus H101 tires make for a look that's equal parts muscly and 90s-style old-school cool. With a Hurst cue-ball shifter flanking the driver's seat and tasteful navy vinyl seats over matching plush blue carpets, for once, an American interior from the 90s is a legitimate nice place to spend time. Add a Pioneer touchscreen auto system linked to twin JL Audio subwoofers with power locks and windows, and there's almost nothing offered here with this restomod than what's offered on most modern sports cars. The LED-backlit boost gauges on the A-pillar and behind the shifter are just the cherry on top.
One thing's for sure, if more classic Ford Explorers wind up being turned into restomods, we're all for it. It's fascinating to watch vehicles we've grown up with since childhood not only become classics but even turned into custom rigs on the same level as muscle car giants of old. It almost feels like an art form once reserved only for 60 and 70s American cars is finally making its way to the millennial generation. With a selling price on Bring a Trailer of $17,000, you couldn't find a 60s Mustang with this engine for the same price.
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