Project Baja Expedition

From zero to Hero in less than three days, our '98 Ford Expedition is guaranteed to turn heads

Mar. 01, 2001 By Mr. Dune

Please scroll down for this feature's complete Table Of Contents!

Over the next six months Off-Road.com is going to cover the complete build up of a bone stock "Soccer Mom Special" 1998 Ford Expedition XLT 4x4. We're gonna rip off the fenders so we can stuff in some monster rubber, throw away the restrictive stock intake and exhaust systems and sell the factory suspension for scrap.

   Old scrap parts headed off to the junkyard for "recycling." Who ever said us off-roaders weren't eco-friendly?

Then we'll add on the best goodies the accessory after-market has to offer.

They'll be no more grocery runs, no more hauling snot-nosed, screaming little curtain climbers to ballet class and soccer practice. And no more not being able to tell which truck is yours at the mall...

Pass the cerveza, turn up the ZZ Top and step on the throttle... This truck is headed for Baja!

Every component we're using is off the shelf and can be ordered online in five minutes from our sponsors. When we're done, we'll have one of the baddest Expeditions on or off the road. But not some fancy high tech show truck fabricated from hand hammered bits of unobtanium that no normal human could ever afford. Or a truck that would take years for you to build, not to mention pay for. This will be a truck that any average Joe with a few bucks left on his Mastercard and a starter set of Craftsman tools can build in his own driveway over a couple of weekends.

We're also gonna thrash it, bash it, and take it to some of the most inhospitable places on the continent so you can find out if these products have the "Right Stuff" to hold up to real off road abuse. Nothing is worse than spending a fortune for what you thought was the right product for the job... Only to find out that it systematically self destructs at the first sign of rough terrain. We'll shakedown these parts for you over the coming months.


The metamorphosis from grocery getter to desert cruiser will be covered in six installments of two articles each over the next six issues.

This Month:

Part Four:
Dressing For Success

Body Armor, Lighting And More...

Special Feature:
Weld Racing's Sidewinder Wheels

A Long Way From The Flintstone's!

Coming Next Month:

Part Five:
Interior Upgrades

A Few Creature Comforts...

Special Feature:
Gibson Performance Exhaust And Headers
The quest for more power continues!
Previous Features:
Part One:
Say Goodbye To Soccer Moms

A Project Overview And Introduction To Performance Products
Part Two:
Jacking It Up

What It Takes To Stuff 37" Rubber Under An Expedition
Part Three:
Under The Hood

Squeezing a few more ponies out of the 5.4L V8.
Special Feature:
Fabtech Fiberglass Fenders

Making Some Room For Really Big Tires
Special Feature:
Race Car Dynamic's 5" Ford Suspension Lift

Designed For Use By The U.S. Border Patrol...
Special Feature:
B.F. Goodrich's Baja T/As

Are they really that much better?

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