Chassis Swap
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 400
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From: SoCal
Chassis Swap
This just occured to me. A ranger's wheelbase is 111.5 inches. An effie's is 110. I wonder if a chassis swap would be easy. Although the motor might not have the power unless it was the new 4.0. Anyone ever heard of an effie on a ranger chassis?
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 97,637
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From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Most likely nothing will even come close to fitting as far as cab/box mounts and it will be alot more work than what it appears to be at first, not for the faint of heart or inexperienced. Still anything can be done if you have the time, money and experience. Lots of all of these....
Would be neat though, someone may have done this and can explain the many details.
Would be neat though, someone may have done this and can explain the many details.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: NM
I met a guy selling flathead parts in town who was doing this swap on a 48-50. He did it because the F-1's frame was totally trashed by someone eager to learn welding repairs. He took a really nice late 90's Mazda B3000 4x4 (same truck as a Ranger) and sold off the body for about $500 (i.e., a loss of about $8,000), and hacked the hell out of the F-1 cab and spent at least 2 years trying to make the chassis work with the F-1 cab. Last I heard he was losing interest because of all the problems, and because the cab didn't look right when he mocked it up on the chassis. There is almost nothing similar between the two except for the wheelbase.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Saskatoon SK Canada
As Alburq said the wheel base is the only thing it has in common. A ranger frame doesn't have a straight frame like the stock one. Your better off using a F-150 frame since it's easier.
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Senior User
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From: SoCal
I like your chassis swap choices, 51 dueller! I had the feeling that this would come down to "patience, time, money, money, money, time, patience." oh well, was a cool idea, glad my 53's frame is all good 
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Senior User
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From: SoCal
Ha, maybe Im not crazy, or this guy is just as crazy. Probably the latter, but here is an effie on a ranger chassis http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1954-...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1954-...QQcmdZViewItem
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Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Saskatoon SK Canada
Too me it just doesn't quite look right. Normally with this type of swap you lose bed space due to the rear portion of the frame is higher than the front. He decided to put the bed on top so the cab and front sheetmetal would have custom tall body mounts. Not to mention that he put a lift kit on it. You see too much sunlight through the body. Above the running boards and in the engine compartment. I would have left it at the stock height instead of lifting it 6". Looks like he used everything from the Ranger. Seats, column, pedals, radiator.
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Senior User
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From: SoCal
Lifted 4x4 effies are a bit odd. (no offense to you lifted 4x4 effie guys) I don't think it follows the 50's look very well. For you socal guys, who went to Pomona on the 27th, it's a bit like that lifted 4x4 Pink Cuda. That was silly.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2006
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im not i big believer in lifting a truck way up in the air but a couple inches on newer ones are ok and my 59 is sitting on an un lifted 61 frame and it's two foot to the bottem of the doors and it looks awsome i think. and personaly the ranger framed effie on ebay didn't look to bad to me but i guess we all our own oppions
