Ranger packs enough boosted power to spend some time in the air, making for easier mudding.
While the Ford Rangerwas marketed as a compact off-roader when it was first introduced in the 1980s, but due to its small size, it isn’t quite as capable as the larger F-Series trucks in a deep pit. However, when you add a substantially-built chassis and suspension system along with gobs more power, the compact Ranger quickly becomes just as much of a bad mudder as the big trucks.
In this week’s Muddy Monday video from the CarWarz YouTube channel, we get to enjoy a built Ranger as it storms across the pit at a Backwoods Boggersevent in Michigan.
Ranger Under Pressure
There are no details accompanying this video, but we can deduce quite a bit from what we can see and hear.
First and foremost, this Ford truck is named “Under Pressure” and it certainly sounds like it has a turbocharger or two mounted to the engine, with the large downpipe venting up through the hood. We don’t know what variety of engine this Ranger is running, as there are often other vehicles running closer to the camera that interfere with the sound of this high-riding Ford, but we think that it is packing a built diesel of some sort. In any case, it is powerful, allowing the truck to easy dig through the slop and soar through the air.
Also, as mentioned above, this Ford Ranger has a heavily built undercarriage, with custom chassis work, a serious suspension setup and a huge set of mud tires that are ideal for this type of watery mud bog.
Flying through the Mud
The video above begins with the Ranger making a pass across the pit and based on how clean the truck is, we would guess that this is the first run of the day. At first, the compact Ford is making good progress, digging slowly through the deep, watery hole before arriving at a high point in the middle of the bog. At that point, the driver hammers down and charges into the next big pool, forcing water somewhere that there shouldn’t be water and stalling the engine.
From there on out, it is all smooth sailing for this Ford, with the boosted Ranger tackling every hole in the pit with ease, slinging mud and water everywhere in its conquest for dry land.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
