Thread: AWD Explorer.. my long lost project!

Hey guys,
I JUST finished college at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Its finally time to take my Explore back out of the trailer and get the ball rolling... My first go around with this thing had a 4.0L and coilovers up front. both the engine and roll cage were just sketchy fabwork I did when I was younger. Gotta learn somehow right?? But I got this truck when I was 16 and I just cant except having it the rest of my life with jank ass work on it.

Soo, I have started from the ground up doing it right. These pics are from 2007 before I left for school full-time. Its now resides in a enclosed trailer, safe and NOT rusted! But its time to take it out for good....

So heres a few specs/parts I already own or have built. Im getting tired of typing, cause I just posted a "introduction" before this...

-frame pulled forward 7" reinforced throughout with 1/8" and 3/16" cold roll plate. (chopped about 16" after the B pillar)
-Solo motorsports 4wd beams extended 7" per side. With custom axles. and cut/turned. (84.75" Track)
-unequal length swing steer
-body completely gutted, no floor pan, no fire wall. inner rocker panels reinforced with platework.
-custom radius arms with 1 1/4 hiems blah blah...
-2" 4130 cage throughout, all TIG
-started bracing the body to the cage via plate but have not finished.
-460CI big block(iron block) built by SpeedOmotive in covina. 550bhp on engine dyno.
-Art Carr C6
-dont have a rearend yet or fuel cell etc.
-35" projects

plans: Set up the truck for 100% all wheel drive. Full sealed cabin(or at least appear sealed) not luxury prerunner status, just some boat carpeting, A/C, heater, and windows that work. Probably a floater rearend if I can afford it, but it's important that the rear track is relatively the same as the front. 1 spare standing up outside behind the hatch. low-pro roof rack. 2 buckets, 1 bench.

Its likely the front will be strapped and pull a clean, working 4wd 20". Coilovers/bypasses mounted far back on the trailing arms for interior packaging reasons

im going to build aluminum fuel cell to fit wherever there is space.

...and thats all i got right now. Of course i'm here to answer questions

I don't see any pics

im trying to upload the photos and when I press "upload" the file name comes up with a little red exclamation point... like theres some sort of error. ??

Your better of putting them up on photobucket and the posting the img code in here

i hate the way you have to post pics now!!!! it was better the other way!!

Sounds like an awesome project! The red exclamation mark might mean the pics are too big.

And what did you study at Art Center? I wanted to go there when I was in high school and considered transferring after a couple of years of college, for either transportation or industrial design, but ended up never happening.

Bachelors of Science in Transportation Design. My dream was to be a car designer since i was like 12...

Hold up guys, making a photobucket

alright, lets try this....
Pictures by morganclarke1 - Photobucket

O awesome, same with me, wanted to design cars since I was a little kid. Ended up doing industrial design at cal state long beach instead though. I'd love to see some of your work sometime. Maybe post some on your photobucket.

definately... im actually starting to do personal automotive art for alot of guys with exotics and classics. I was just looking at the pics before I cut off the old setup.... dahm the mess that was to cut the bump stop can mounts off and finish the frame smooth again. what a bitch that was...

Nice fab work and welding!

thanks..

ya if thats bad then mine's horrible lol

whats horrible

Originally Posted by fishridendrive

ya if thats bad then mine's horrible lol

He is saying that if the work u did on your photo bucket account is bad (you said it was sketch and wanted to re do it) , then the work he did on his truck is horrible. Its a compliment.

sent from my Droid Inc using smoke signals

i think that was after he redid it

amazing work....

dude i think that thing is fucking rad! you live in sc? i live right up the street in laguna, and id love to come check this thing out

damn that looks nice. keep the updates coming!

The pic of it sitting with wheels and glass/grill mounted was pre-rebuild state. I love that thing and hope I can have it forever. That being said the first build I did was not acceptable...

I DO live in san clemente, but im going to start working on it again at the shop I work at in Fountain Valley. Even though theres more space, power, tooling, etc. I would still prefer working out of my old garage. Nothing beats having the right setup at your own house....

I will keep you guys posted with updates. As of now, I have it in a big enclosed trailer. The thing is I will not be able to keep it in the shop full time, so im gonna have to build some kind of rolling chassis jig that can lock in place and be square/level with the truck.

Im completely open to whoever wants to stop by, so I will keep up to date on the progress.

Cage looks stout!

thanks, the 2" almost seems easier to work with then smaller tube. but im pretty sure by the time im done it, it will be such a heavy bitch that 2" would be the only way to go. lol

Originally Posted by dan

Cage looks stout!

And for all the lazy people on DR.

beautiful

AWESOME!! i was having such a bitch uploading attachments... thanks dude

No problem dude. The trucks sick

hell yeah man, this thing looks awesome!
gonna follow this one for sure

You damn tig guys...
Nice work
Mike

Originally Posted by clarke1

thanks, the 2" almost seems easier to work with then smaller tube. but im pretty sure by the time im done it, it will be such a heavy bitch that 2" would be the only way to go. lol

Ya, mine is all 2 inch too. It sure makes it look nice in there. Its amazing how much bigger it seems than 1.75. Your corners are just gnarly with all those gussets. Is everything 0.120 or did you use .095 for the corner gussets?

Absolutely amazing. I love it. Subscribed!

WOW! beautiful! i like the tube gussets you added up front, nice touch!

Awesome truck, very clean work and the cage looks great. Looks like a very cool build!

very awesome build so far. cant wait to see more progress!!

fucking awesome work you got going there!

Wow, beautiful work!!!

Nice! Great work man