At $6,900, Is This 1992 Ford Explorer 4X2 Worth Exploring?

Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Ford Explorer shows just how handsome the first-generation truck is when not adorned with unnecessary frippery. Let’s see if that appeal extends to its price.

While the seller of yesterday’s 2012 BMW 650i touted its gold paint as being a rare color, quite a number of you felt it unflattering and only rare for that reason. A less than optimal color choice was not the big GT’s most egregious faux pas, however, as it also made the tactical error of being (clutches pearls) a BMW past its warranty’s expiration date, a situation not for the faint of heart or light of wallet. That was a major contributing factor in the car’s $21,200 asking price going down in a 62 percent No Dice loss.

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

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

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This 1992 Ford Explorer is, however, a bit more viable as a driver than was last Friday’s Latin American market B-100 panel truck. That’s not to say that it’s mundane, however, as it does sport the interesting combo of a 4.0-liter Cologne V6 and Mazda-sourced five-speed manual gearbox.

In this model year, the German-built V6 made 155 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. Here in 4X2 form, it drives the rear wheels only, with the front suspension being Ford’s tire-wearing twin I beam independent set up.

According to the ad, that powertrain combo was a special order. So too were the vinyl upholstered interior and Plain Jane wheel covers. Per the seller’s description, this was all some sort of “Government type ordered vehicle directly from Ford.”

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

The Medium Light Mocha (cough*beige*cough) paint seems to be unmarred by time and use, as does the liberal smattering of chrome and the rubber trim. The ad does note a few dings in the body, but only a couple of those are big enough to show in the pics. And yes, it bothers me too that the blades on the wheel covers face forward on the left side and backward on the right.

Inside, it’s much the same story, and while the vinyl upholstery may be approached with trepidation on blisteringly hot days, the truck’s A/C is claimed to blow cold so as to mitigate that fear. It’s all pretty beige-y in here with carpets that look freshly shampooed and clean, as do their mats. The only major issue in the cabin is that both front door pulls have been wrapped in electrical tape, possibly from wear.

The mechanicals are pretty basic. Fortunately, this is the OHV 4.0 and not the terrible OHC edition that came out a few years later. This earlier edition and the gearbox are generally considered to be pretty reliable as long as they are maintained. According to the seller, the truck doesn’t leak any fluids and just passed its smog test without issue.

They also offer up the Marti report which claims this to be only one of 19 Explorers built for the 1992 model year with this color and trim combo. With such rarity, the seller thinks the perfect buyer for the truck would be a Ford collector. Or, maybe someone seeking a daily driver. The seller isn’t really hedging their bets.

For whoever buys the truck, the asking price to do so is $6,900 and the seller seems to be pretty adamant on that amount, stating:

Not Interested in offers – Price is firm or it is going on a collector car auction site were it will probably bring more.

What do you think? Is that a fair price for this seemingly well-kept Explorer as it’s presented in its ad? Or, does that price make this OG SUV not so special an order?

You decide!

Long Beach, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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