2003 Ford Excursion, 7.3L Diesel, Eddie Bauer - Totaled 2012-12-10
The pictures above show some of the major visual damage to the car but the real damage was under all of the body panels. The frame and fuel system were all twisted and needed to be completely replaced.
We searched for 6 plus months to find a replacement for this vehicle. Our search took us north to Everett Washington and sound to Los Angeles California. A few of the candidate vehicles seemed really good until we got a closer look. We missed an offer on a really nice vehicle in Washington. Eventually we called a posting on Craigslist in Portland Oregon. The description seemed interesting but not exactly what we were looking for. A few days later the seller called and said the truck was still available. We made an appointment to go look at the vehicle and didn't really expect to find a candidate. It was a 2002 Ford Excursion Limited with a modest lift kit. We arrived in the early evening and found a vehicle that seemed really nice. With only 115,000 miles the engine was just getting broken in. The car had 35" tires on 18" wheels. The drive on the freeway was amazing. The truck drove really well. We got back to the sellers place and took a walk together to discuss what we thought. We ended up making an offer for the vehicle. I made arrangements to pick the Excursion up the next day and provide a cashiers check for the purchase price. I was really nervous driving the car home. After doing more research, I learned the truck had the following:
- AFE Cold air intake system
- Custom stainless exhaust system
- Edge Products engine programmer
- 18" Pro Comp aluminum wheels
- 6" Pro Comp lift kit
- 35" Toyo MT tires (not too much life left of these)
- Front end steering stabilizer
The most recent work I've had done on the new (to me) Excursion was to get the front end tightened up. Driving over typical transitions - driveways, speed bumps - I would notice a knocking noise. I expected to find the ball joints were in serious need of replacement. The result was something quite different. The tie-rod end at the pitman arm was warn out and the track bar was loose. With both of these issues taken care of the truck drove much better. The next day was the scheduled installation of new tires - General Grabber 35 12.50 R18;'s. These tires are about 1-1/4 inches taller than the previous set which adds about 5/8" to the vehicle height.
What's next? There is one repair that needs to be done. The rear washer system has a leak and when used, the window doesn't get soap but the interior of the rear tail gate does. The biggest challenge here is the taking apart the rear door panel.
After that, there are other additions/changes that are planned:
- Cobra CB radio with single side band (SSB) capability.
- 2 meter short wave radio
- High output backup lights. The halogen lights have been purchased. The installation is a little interesting. The goal is to have the lights be automatic or manually controlled..
- Electronic train horn. This will be an electric version - actual air horns are very expensive and take a lot of space on the vehicle.
- 1200 watt amplifier and a pair of 12" sub woofer speakers in a sealed down-fired cabinet.
- Pair of Yakima or Thule factory mount risers and cross bars
- 12,000 pound winch
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