At $6,900, is this 1992 Ford Explorer 4X2 worth exploring?

Today Good price or no dice Ford Explorer shows how good-looking the first-generation truck is when it’s not adorned with unnecessary thrift. Let’s see if that allure extends to its price.

While yesterday’s seller BMW 650i 2012 touted its gold paintwork as being a rare color, quite a few of you found it unflattering and only rare for that reason. However, a less than optimal color choice wasn’t the big GT’s most egregious misstep, as it also made the tactical mistake of being (clutch beads) a post-date BMW. expiration of its warranty, a situation not for the faint-hearted or the purse-light. It was a major contributing factor to the car’s $21,200 asking price dropping in a no-dice 62% loss.

Hey, not to change the subject too much but have you ever experienced deja vu? Want to experience it again?

To clear up any potential confusion, we have not gone back in time. This is simply our second straight Friday to feature a Ford truck with very basic specs and a tan paint job. I don’t know, maybe it’s a trend.

This Ford Explorer 1992 is however a little more viable as a pilot than last Friday B-100 panel truck for the Latin American market. That’s not to say it’s trivial, though, as it sports the interesting combo of a 4.0-liter Cologne V6 and Mazda-sourced five-speed manual gearbox.

During this model year, the German-made V6 developed 155 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. Here, in 4X2 form, it drives only the rear wheels, with the front suspension being Ford’s I Beam twin independent setup.

According to the ad, this powertrain was a special order. So did the vinyl-covered interior and the Plain Jane wheel covers. According to the seller’s description, this was all some sort of “Government-ordered vehicle direct from Ford.”

The seller lists the mileage as 177,000, but notes that the odometer reads 77,000 and assumes it was only rolled once. That’s probably a safe guess based on the truck’s appearance.

The Medium Light Mocha (cough * tan * cough) paint seems unmarred by time and use, as does the light touch of chrome and rubber trim. The ad notes a few bumps on the body, but only a few are large enough to show up in the photos. And yes, it also bothers me that the blades of the hubcaps are facing forwards on the left side and backwards on the right.

Inside, it’s much the same story, and while vinyl siding can be approached with trepidation on scorching hot days, it is claimed that the truck’s air conditioning blows cold in order to alleviate this fear. Everything is quite beige here with carpets that look freshly shampooed and clean, just like their carpets. The only major issue in the cabin is that the two front door handles have been wrapped in electrical tape, possibly from wear.

The mechanics are pretty basic. Fortunately, this is OHV 4.0 and not the terrible OHC edition released a few years later. This earlier edition and the gearbox are generally considered quite reliable as long as they are maintained. According to the seller, the truck is not leaking any fluids and has just passed its smog test with no issues.

They also offer the Marti Report which claims this is just one of 19 Explorers built for the 1992 model year with this color and trim combination. With such a rarity, the seller believes the ideal buyer for the truck would be a Ford collector. Or, maybe someone looking for a daily driver. The seller does not really hedge his bets.

For whoever is buying the truck, the asking price is $6,900 and the seller seems to be pretty adamant about that amount, stating:

Not interested in offers – The price is firm or it goes to a collector car auction site where it will probably bring more.

What do you think? East What a fair price for this apparently well-maintained Explorer as advertised? Or, does that price make this OG SUV a not-so-special order?

You decide!

Long Beach, California, craigslistwhere to go here if the ad disappears.

Help me with NPOND. Hit me at [email protected] and send me a fixed price tip. Don’t forget to include your Kinja handle.