I acquired this from the auction at the end of 2022, sight unseen, as they were not allowing public viewing since the pandemic. Not knowing much about this vehicle, I knew it was a risk. The only thing I could assume was an issue was the transmission and the belt, as that was written on the window in the auction photos. Knowing that the rockers on these rust right out, I was a bit scared. When I was bidding, I took all of that into account and managed to win the auction still, so needless to say, I got it cheap! Good thing, as I ended up finding it needed to have a fully rebuilt transmission, with cooler, in addition to the expected regular maintenance of belt, tensioner, plugs, and coils. I purchased this with the intent not to restore, but to be a driver. Then as I was cleaning out the truck, I found some really cool pieces of history. It was at that point, I knew I wanted to preserve the truck and the history. This will be a preservation, not a restoration.
Once I started digging into cleaning the truck out, I saw a two-week work log showing that this unit was on Martha's Vineyard to assist in escorting our president at the time, Obama. In addition to this, I also found a bag underneath the seat for a sandwich shop on the island (that is now closed) that had "POTUS" written in black marker on the bag. Immediately, I started looking for photos online. I managed to find just a couple, but I was also intrigued to find video of the Expeditions as well.
Since this is only a 2WD, this is no winter driver, but it will be an enjoyable good weather driver since it has the extra space to bring a what my wife needs and also be able to tow a car, if needed. For now, I'd like to find a pushbar for the front since I think it looks naked without one. Other than that, I'll be keeping it as-is for now.
More updates on this vehicle coming soon!