How to tell the model year from exterior?

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Mike B 4

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Hello,



I work in Law Enforcement, and am trying to identify a Sport Trac that was used to commit a crime.



Without giving too many details to an ongoing investigation, where can I go for a list of exterior changes to the vehicle in order to figure out what year/s this vehicle is similar to?



I can share that it appears to not have roof rack cross rails (was this ever optional, or std. equipment on certain years?), and a soft tonnau cover with 2 ribs. if this helps.



Any help is greatly appreciated to bring a criminal to justice, and give the victim closure.
 
Most soft tonneau covers have only 1 rib on this truck. None of them of any model year have cross rails from factory. They're an aftermarket upgrade.
 
The only things I know of to be different for years would be the sport trac badge on the tailgate older ones were red and white and newer have chrome and black. If the body cladding at the bottom is color matched or grey may be different for newer ones. Depending on colors different ones were only available for a number of years. Style of rim can be different too.
 
Here is what I know and others will tell me if I am wrong:



No ST ever had the roof rack cross rails as std equipment, so most you see on the road won't have them.



There are two different generations of STs on the road with model years 01-05, and 07 and above respectively. The two generations look very different. You can look online and even in this site for the differences between the two generations.



Hard tonneau covers were an option for all years, and some think a costly one, so soft-covers, sometimes after-market are chosen (Ford sells the soft covers too).



The '04 model year introduced the XLT Premium model with its monochormatic (all one color) option. All other previous years the only color for the lower cladding was an unpainted light gray.



If the ST you were looking at has colored cladding that matches the rest of the paint, and it is a first generation, then it is model year '04 or '05.



If what you saw is first-gen with unmatched unpainted cladding then it is 01-05 (not very narrow), and if it is the new generation then it is '07 or '08.



I'm not sure what else changed on the exterior.



TJR

 
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Thank you.

I wonder what could cause the shading of what would appear to have a second rib...



It also has a single exhaust pipe exiting under the drivers side rear quarter panel, just behind the drivers side rear tire. Was this ever in a different location in previous years?
 
Mike, assuming you live nowhere near me (Suwanee, GA), and would like to email me a pic of the vehicle, I'll do my best at identifying it for you, but no promises. My email address is in my profile, if you click the little icon with an M in it by my name.
 
Yes. Exhaust under the bed on the driver's side is only used on the '07+ trucks. Is the truck all one color with a chrome grille? Chrome grilles are only used on the '07+ trucks as well. If it's a 2nd gen truck, look to see if the fender flares and bumpers are the body color or black. If black, it's an XLT, if body colored, it's a limited. Also, look on the front fender behind and above the front wheel. If you see a small chrome emblem, it has a V8, and not a V6.
 
First you would need to determine if it was a gen1 (2001-2005) or Gen2 (2007 an up)



Then is gets more complicated. and might depend on if it was seen from the front or back.

For Gen1

From the back, if the SportTrac badge red (2001 to 2003??), or is the badge chrome? (2003?? and up)



From the front, can up see a grab handle on the drivers window piller (2003-2006), no handle (2001-2002)



After that it may be too specific to tell at a glance.
 
This is excellent help, I am looking for all those details now.



I am sorry, but cannot disseminate the surveillance video, it is still classified as law enforcement sensitive.
 
I believe there was also only a year or two that had the b-pillar matched to the body color, I think it was 2003, but I'm not positive. Maybe someone else remembers.
 
I think the most distinctive way to figure out the year is by the color of the paint. Some colors were only available in certain years. What color is the vehicle? Can you crop the image and only show a small square of the color? If it is a teal blue, or orange I think those colors were only available for one year.
 
i think we've already figured out that its a 2007+ trac since the exhaust is exiting from the driver's side.



but just to bring to light another difference between Gen 1 models for the hell of it:



'01 and '02 Sport Trac models have EXPLORER on the driver and passenger door. '03, '04 and '05 do not.



By that logic, you can differentiate between an '01/'02, an '03, and '04/'05

I think it would be hard to tell the differences between an '01 and an '02 and it would be difficult to differentiate between an '04 and an '05 as well. since most of the '04s and '05s have colour matching cladding, the '03 is the easiest GEN1 to identify IMO.

 
mike,

not doubting that you work in law enforcement, but do you not have a forensic dep't for this?

just asking as my comapany does forensic toxicology for various law enforcement agency's.

good luck
 

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