Hi.

Second post here. Just wanted to put up a picture of my project. 51 cab on 2000 Ranger Edge frame with a stepside box. Please visit my album.

Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - NotEnoughTrucks2014's Album: 51 pickup

The pictures are in progress, of course. My main reason for starting this project was because I kept reading that it cannot be done, at least not without major surgery.



This picture shows how the cab looks with the modern box. Frankly, some like it, some do not. Part of the plan is to space the box up 2" to better follow the lines of the original truck. Reason for using the newer box is that I only had the 3/4 ton cab, no box. Plus, I like it! Planning to lower the Edge suspension by putting the axle over the springs in the back and cranking down the torsion bars in the front.



Never mind the wannabe driver! View from the front with the fenders on. Retaining the 3.0 V6 and the 5 speed manual. 111.5" WB frame has A arm IFS, rack and pinion steering, ABS brakes, EFI engine. Lots of features gained with a simple frame swap. Front cab mounts had to be fabricated. Welded tabs on the frame, but I also designed a bracket that would allow the Bonus Built cab to bolt directly to the Ranger front cab mounts. Either way, no cutting of the cab required. Back cab mounts are stock ranger. Holes drilled thru 51 cab reinforcing bar hold it down.



Pure chance here. That is the M5OD shifter poking through the original 51 shifter location here. Fit of the floor pan is one of the reasons the cab is mounted has high on the frame as it is. The cab could have been lowered 2" with some surgery to the back cab wall, but that would have changed the fit of the trans cover.

All for now. I'll update the album and this post as it moves along.

Sorry, pics don't seem to link just yet. Album is OK, Working on it, (learning curve). Update: Fixed! Thanks Aus56

 

Hello, you have your pictures in the album which I think is the hardest part. Did you just paste your pictures in your post or did you use the mountain icon?

To post them here, go to your album, click edit picture on the picture you want, , it will open up a larger picture, copy the picture URL, either by right click, should bring up the option to get the URL, or it will say underneath the picture, something like copy URL to post on forum.

Open up a reply or a new post, click on the mountain looking icon, paste the url in the line that appears, add your comments as you have done and that's it.

You do want to copy a large picture, not a thumbnail.

Cheers.

 

Cool!
Looks like some pretty good progress. I'm not one of the frame swap naysayers. I do think it can be a massive amount of work. But with a well thought out plan, some good fab skills and patience you'll end up with a very nice driving old truck.

I've seen several older trucks with newer beds. Sometimes they can look pretty good. It seems like the early 90's GM step side beds line up pretty good. Heck, I even saw a mid 80's bed on a Bonus Built that looked pretty good;


Good luck with your build. Thanks for the updates.
Bobby

 

At our local weekly get together, there is often a bloke with a beat up looking old F1, 48 model, and he has fitted it to a Maverick frame I think it is. He said it was straightforward, no problems he seemed worried about. Used the Maverick floorpan and firewall, and said it was not a drama. He tows a caravan around and goes off road regularly and he loves it.

It was all engineer checked as he went along and has the engineers mod plate attached to show it meets Transport department requirements. He was pulled over recently by a Transport dept inspector who thought all his Christmases had come at once. However the owner had the last laugh.

 

Neville,

A Maverick? I have a feeling a Maverick in the land down under is different than a Maverick up here in the states. I can't see how a Ford Maverick car would work but again, I've never did any kind of research into it.

 

I am not into 4wd stuff particularly, and it was a little while since I saw this vehicle, but I would have sworn it was Maverick 4wd base. I may well be wrong then. I would have taken photos but it was in an area too dark for my phone to get a decent photo. Anyway it was Ford 4wd based I am sure. I will have to look out for him again and check now. Does any other brand 4wd have a Maverick?

 

This is the maverick in australia


And this is what we know as the maverick here is the U.S.

 

Big difference, isn't it! A truck down under on a Maverick makes sense now.

 

That will teach me to do a little research before I put my mouth (fingers?) in action. A Nissan GQ patrol rebadged as Ford Maverick in Australia.

Those Maverick cars are good looking things, a bloke here has a lovely orange one.

 

I'm probably in the naysayer camp now but will follow this with interest and see how it turns out. Keep the pictures coming.