Well I guess I'm back to square one. Thanks everyone for the advice, I really appreciate it.

 

Green Oval are good guys. One of the better indy shops in PDX.

 

I see 4.0's scrapped all the time around here.

Engines here only cost $100.

Granted, they aren't tested, but I've talked to people who have pulled a whole rover engine and had success.

 

Best, did you pull that 02 Kalahari out of Seattle?

 

Nope, Houston, TX.

 

if you could swing it, find an '04 someone has given up on and install a new 4.6 or research the LS swap.

 

I truly don't see why there is such a demand for the 03-04 body style. I prefer the 99-02's SO much better!

CDL can be added easily, you either have the nipple or you don't and go whichever route you need to aquire the CDL be it a linkage or combo of TC & Linkage.

The headlights look cool, but they fade, fog up with moisture, and the bulbs last no where near as long as a 9003/H4. The 4.6L is not running an oil cooler, it's gonna have SAI which just creates more heat under the hood, and more CEL's due to vacuum lines, or valves sticking. Also I think in personal experience the 4.0L is a more reliable engine when compared to the 4.6L.

If you just must have an 04 by all means go for it, but they're just something I don't see paying nearly double for just because it's an 04 when I can make a 99-02 model even better than an 04 once ya slap on a CDL linkage.

 

I would always go with the latest year out of common sense.

 

The only advantage an 04 D2 had vs older D2's was CDL. That is absolutely it! Nada zip nothing besides more issues IMHO.

 

That and when you get to the 03-04, the block casting were in the poorest shape ever. That's a plus to the earlier year ones