A luxurious, powerful pickup that Ford never made.
Building What Ford Didn't
Eddie Bauer - the outdoors adventure brand - has long been associated with not only making some nice clothing, but also for partnering with Ford for many years as its name appeared on the more luxurious trim levels of vehicles like the Explorer and Bronco. Ford never offered the Eddie Bauer treatment on the Ranger, however, even though it shares a lot in common with the Explorer. Thus, a high school student named Dane Lauritzen set out to build his own, according to the Powell Tribune.
Photos: Powell Tribune
Pair of Swaps
Lauritzen is no stranger to tinkering with cars, as he's been doing so for years now, but this is perhaps his most ambitious project to date. Currently, he has both a 1993 Ford Ranger and a 1998 Ford Explorer and is working on removing the V8 from the latter and installing it in the former. That's nothing unusual, of course, but his plans also involved swapping interiors, too.
Photos: Powell Tribune
Fun Project
Along with the V8 swap and the installation of a Fox Body Mustang-based transmission, the Ranger is also set to get the Explorer's dash, center console, and leather seats, which will help transform it into a more luxurious Eddie Bauer-trimmed pickup. As for why he's doing such a thing, Lauritzen has a pretty simple answer. "It’s just something I wanted to do because it seemed like something fun to do and the idea of a V8 in such a small truck," he said.
Photos: Powell Tribune
Hours Per Day
It's certainly not an easy project, as Lauritzen has already stripped the Ranger down to its bare frame, repainting it and restoring everything he can get his hands on. In between completing his school work, Lauritzen is spending around three to four hours each day wrenching away on his latest project.
Photos: Powell Tribune
Hands On Approach
Even better, Lauritzen has also gone to the trouble of mocking up his vision in Photoshop, which imagines the pickup painted to match the Eddie Bauer theme of the Explorer. He also created a scale model of the transition to ensure that it will fit properly and even made his own motor mounts from scratch.
Photos: Powell Tribune
Sharp Escalation
Currently, Loritzen has around four project cars going all at once, a sharp escalation for a young man who just bought his first - a Ranger - at the age of 15. He wound up trading that pickup for a Bronco but clearly didn't get over the itch to build a cool version of the Ranger, either. Currently, he expects his project to be mostly finished by the end of the year, but there will still be much work to be done after that.
Photos: Powell Tribune
The Little Things
“I think the amount of time and effort it takes to unscrew two things, let your oil drain and screw them back in and put new oil in is much more worth it,” Lauritzen said. “And that little bit of mechanical know-how can come in handy later. I think that’s much more worth it than going to someone else and paying them whatever it costs to change your oil.”
Photos: Powell Tribune
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