What would you build?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,988
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From: Travelers Rest SC
What would you build?
I have an '86 Ranger that is pretty well used up. Once I get my '64 F100 on the road, I'm gonna tear the little sucker apart and make some kind of a custom vehicle. I'm gonna keep the original 2.3 and 5 spd cuz it's reliable and good on gas. My cab is solid, so one idea is to build a step-side bed and keep the rest original. Wilder ideas include putting a '32 front clip on it and building a woody body, or scratch-build some kind of open Jeep/Hummer looking thing. I'll have this solid little chassis w/ good parts availability just itching for a project. Any ideas? BTW, I didn't post this in the Ranger section, cuz a Ranger is what it USED to be!
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Back where I started...
Have you seen those reproduction body kits for rangers? You use a ranger chassis, and buy a reproduction 36 ford pickup body that drops right onto the ranger frame. That would be pretty sweet, classic looks with modern amenities and reliability.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,988
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From: Travelers Rest SC
I haven't seen the '36, but US Body Source makes a '40 Ford bolt-on kit. It's around 7 grand, tho', which is out of my league. I'd build a real '40 if I had that kind of money. Also, I think it's a long bed chassis; mine's a shorty. I'm looking to put as little cash, and as much scratch-built as I can into it. I have a fender side bed in v. good shape off my '70 F100, and I'm gonna kinda hold it up to the Ranger after I get the bed off to see if it looks dumb or not. I can cut down the bed sides a bit, but I don't feel like hacking up the fenders. There's actually only 2" difference in the length of the bed, tho'. The bed is too wide, but I can cut down the bed front for that, and make a tailgate. I was thinking a woody would be sweet, tho'. There is a company in FL that makes custom 33-34 woodies. They make a framework of 1"square steel tubing, and apply the wood structure over that. If I could buy or make some kind of old-car front clip, I could make the rest. Or I could use the Ranger front clip, and add a woody back- kinda like the VW ones that used to be around...
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
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From: The hills of No. Calif.
How's the engine? If you're gonna keep the 2.3, you might want to go through it put in some forged pistons, and then get the turbo off of a T-bird turbo coupe or an "85 Mustang SVO (they had a nice little intercooler that lay flat on the right side of the hood, that's what the offset hood scoop was for, to force cooler outside air through the intercooler.) I was thinking about extending the frame on one of my old parts Rangers and building a mini-motorhome on it, like those little Toyota motorhomes that you see all the time. -TD
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: State of Misery (Missouri
Originally Posted by sandrat
Have you seen those reproduction body kits for rangers? You use a ranger chassis, and buy a reproduction 36 ford pickup body that drops right onto the ranger frame. That would be pretty sweet, classic looks with modern amenities and reliability.
Repo 36 ford body? location, location, location?
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,542
Likes: 22
From: Murphysboro, IL
Originally Posted by FLgargoyle
I I'm looking to put as little cash, and as much scratch-built as I can into it.
I hope someone knows what it is I am talking about.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Travelers Rest SC
I do remember the episode where he took an old car and made a duck blind out of it! We live on a pond; I'm sure the neighbors would consider it very resourceful.... Actually, the first thing I'm gonna do is make a 'cowmobile' out of it. The current paint job looks like somebody bought a case of flat black spray cans, and a case of beer, and finished them both at the same time. So, I'm gonna paint big white blotches on it, mount a set of steer horns on the hood, and maybe a set of truknutz on the back. I promised the wife I wouldn't do that until just before I took it off the road, despite the strong urge to do it right now. My wife's worried about what people will think. Who cares?
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,985
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From: Nebraska
Thinks if it was an ranger 4x4 i would drop both axles the engine the tranny and the transfer case drop a 351 built in it a Np 435 and a np 205 and D60's front and back with locker's and at least 35's tires with beadlocks and use it as trail rig. and add a rollcage to it.
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