Early-2000s Ford Explorer has a secret weapon under its hood, but it’s not a tuned EcoBoost V6 or a Coyote 5.0 swap.
Over the past nearly 30 years, Ford and the aftermarket have used a variety of engines to make the Explorer a faster adventure vehicle. But none of those power plants have been like the not-so-secret secret between the front fenders of this third-generation model.
The Blue Oval’s beloved people-mover has always been available with a V6, but a few generations of it were available with V8 power. In the late 1990s, the legendary performance company Saleen made a high-output version of the Explorer with an available supercharger it called the XP8. Ford offers the all-new 2020 Explorer in ST form for the first time ever; those two letters add up to a twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 with 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque.
The Explorer in this video from the YouTube channel sprsnk66 definitely has eight-cylinder power, but it’s not the 4.6-liter V8 that was available in the 2002-2005 model. It’s not the usual go-to V8 swap, the Coyote 5.0, that many people use in their hotrod Ford project vehicles, either.
There are a lot of clues as to what powers this Explorer. Check out the clearance lights on the roof. Take a look at the telescoping tow mirrors. The most obvious indicator of what’s under the hood is the badge on the driver’s door. You read it right: “Power Stroke Diesel V8.” But not just any Power Stroke. This Explorer is packing the legendary 7.3-liter turbodiesel. Judging by the looks of the badge, it should be the 7.3 available in the 1999-2003 Super Duty trucks. That means it produces a minimum of 235 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque and a maximum of 275 horsepower and 525 lb-ft – if it’s stock. Considering how custom this Explorer is, we have little reason to think its transplanted engine is factory-spec.
Ford has produced millions of Explorers since the early 1990s so they have a tendency to blend into the background of any street or parking lot. They’re a victim of their own success. But someone took an otherwise nondescript Explorer and turned it into one of the most distinctive Explorers ever. All it took was some imagination…and the automotive equivalent of a shoehorn.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
