Almost Complete

I've been working on this truck since I bought it in Rolla, MO after returning from Germany in '05 for $3250. Unfornately I didn't take any build pics along the way. I do have a few photos of the 4.0 liter engine my Brother Steve in Cedar Creek, TX built for me during my last stay in Kirkuk, Iraq for a yr. More expensive than any @#$% V8 I've ever built. German Engineering makes things expensive. It's now getting 16 mpg with the 33s.
I've rebuilt the following; complete steering geometry, several starters, solenoids, had the tranny rebuilt by Bobby at Longhorn Transmission in Austin, TX.
I've added or done the following; insulated the entire cab with foil backed insulation to add to the comfort level, bolted in '02 cloth buckets, new black carpet, Kobalt side boxes, 2" rear receiver hitch, 3" PA body Lift, Gutter guard rear gap filler painted black, Garmin GPS, Sony deck, (4) Sony Explode 6x9 powered by a JVC 75x4, (2) 8" subs powered by a pyle marine 300x2, Shelf-It, arched light bar from underdog modified to fit the year, (4) KCs, 33x12.50x15 on Cragar Black D window 15x8 for off roading and 33x10.50x15 mounted on the orginal 15x7 deer hoof aluminum wheels for daily driving, a Texas SECEDE sticker in the rear window, Warn manual hubs, a "You May All Go To ^&*@ and I Will Go To Texas" (quote of Davey Crocket) magnet slide under the temp and volt gauge in the dash and last but not least (1) "It's Good To Be King" License Plate.
I ordered two days ago complete parts to rebuild the DANA 35 in the front changing 3.73 to 4.56 and added a Powertrak Lock Rite and complete parts to rebuild the 8.8 in the rear also changing to 4.56 and keeping the original L/S.
I'm in consideration for adding either a 4" suspension from Skyjacker or Super lift or 2" leveling in the front with with either some 2" rear blocks or helper springs. I've not ate any fender wheels, bumpers, etc... with the 33s though I've read that with the tires I'm running 3" body lift isn't enough.
I've called it many things over the years but right now I think I've decide on "Almost Complete" as my projects never end. Sometimes the truck gets sidelined to keep my '83 special construction H-D with a '49/'55 Panhead motor, '95 H-D Super Glide and my '10 H-D Road Glide going or their appropriate additions as needed.
Long narrative but people always want to know so I laid it all out. I'll get some off road pics up soon either down the road in the actual Donaldson Creek, from an excursion to Turkey Bay, or somewhere on the farm.

Me and the cats like, Bro!!!

Seems like its always one more thing till theres very little of your car thats original.

good to see another KY guy...we head to turkey bay quite a bit you should go with us sometime

First of all I LOVE your bumper stickers. Second, I LOVE your truck. Keep up the good work.

Yay another purple danger ranger, we should start a club

lookin' good

like Slo-Vo said...we goto Turkey Bay all the time...let us know when ya wanna go....

l8r, John

nice!

Yeah, I'm going to get the 4.56s & the front Lock-rite in before I go over there and I'm sure after the first trip, I'm going to deplete some retirement funds again for some articulatin! Oh, have to make an adjustment to the fuel sippin I quoted, but ti's really not that bad 15.4mpg.

Put my daily driver 33x10.50x15 BFG AT KOs on. Everytime I drove and the TSLs started to whine on the pavement I could just hear, feel and smell the rubber wearing away. Couldn't torture them anymore. Saving em for other surfaces or lack thereof!

So when I get home I see something taped to the window on the door. Holy crap seems the UPS guy was here! They tried to deliver and I had went to Cadiz. Seems when ya order 4.56 ring & pinions, master install kits and a powertrax Lock-rite, from TRS they want a sig for delivery. Dang it, I'm rarely home! Guess I'm hanging out tomorrow waiting on what "brown can do for me"! Hopefully have them in this week! Never done gears but got someone who is the wrench all and he'll either help me out or do them for $100 and axle. Got some new TTB u joints going in there too! About to pull the credit card on a 2" kit from skyjacker. Been looking at all these wheelin pics on here and it definitely ain't going to help the funds. But hey, that kit'll go in nice while doing those axles!

you went all the way to Cadiz????

whatever for

you were awefully close to Turkey Bay......

can't wait til ya ready to go......

and for articulating....may want to consider the Skyjacker Class 2 with the long arms.....in the 4" lift.....

l8r, John

all the way to Cadiz, morning ponderin

I went "all the way to Cadiz" because it's 8 miles and the closest thing to somewhat civilization.
So this morning I'm perched on a bar stool at G's pancake house chompin down some over easy hen fruit and some fried up pig slabs thinkin this $%#@ gettin ridiculous. I was fresh outa high school over 20 yrs ago, married, my son on the way and I nickle and dimed together a '73 FJ40 onto some ground hawg 38s with an ole 350 under the hood after the six went tits up slaving and sweating my hiney off in a furniture factory for beans and cornbread and trying to make ends meet. Surely I can figure out 2" more inches into a Ranger without buying premade high faluting accessories. I'll got to go by O'reilley because the stereo ain't workin right, I'm lazy and don't feel like mixin up some baking soda, so I'll get some terminal cleaner. I'm hobblin around O'reilly, can find the battery terminal cleaner, not having a good morning, till I happen to look down next to the helper springs and see a red box that says Lowering shackles (39.99). hmm? Had happened to be up until about midnight last night persuing TRS and had seen the same box. Flipped it over, yep fits all kinds of chevys and fords, open er up and there they are Ranger lifting shackles! This is sure cheaper than a leveling kit or a 4". I already got 3", 4" would get me seven and sure be nice but I really don't need it because if I had it then I'd be trying to find some 35s and then stuff just keeps on going. I paln to enjoy the truck off road, playing, fishing, hunting, but also need to tow the hay wagon and haul who knows what when I retire in the spring, can't go too high. I'm short and it makes for hell loading. I know I got some big ole washers somewhere around here in all this junk I got (probably some left over from replacing the cab mounts a year ago), the welders wired up, and the ole tractor out back that ain't runnin has some end links and I'm certain I can go to the tractor store and find some appropriate length threaded sections & pins to make quick disconnects for the front sway bar. I know everyone says take it off, well it's there for a purpose, I'm an ole biker and can't drive a cage worth a crap. I tried unhookin the dang thing, bungied it up and didn't like the minimal sway I got, so it stays. I got it, some of you guys are thinkin "what he gonna wait till he finishes the damn thing before we see his butt at TB! Nope, just ain't gonna show up, havin not wheeld' in over 20 yrs with a half built collection of parts that falls apart or want climb over a down tree limb without rubbing, cutting or bending something. So here I sit waitin on the UPS guy for some axle parts, thinkin "i very well might make it to TB this or next weekend!

Railman,
Lookin forward to meetin you and the KY crew (Frank the Tank, Ranger SVT, Slo-Vo). Been followin and viewing your TB pics and advents! You'll probably embarrass me my first couple trips, only wheelin I've done is in an army hummer for the past 20 yrs. It'll come back!

distance

And by the way my house is closer to TB than Cadiz. I'm about 8 miles from the lake! And I got a 24x48 shop just built that needs me to get my butt out there and move all my shop equipment (MIG welder, 45 gal air compressor, vise, 2 8' work benches, cycles lifts, pressure washer, huge vise, grinders, assortment of hand tools and measurin instruments, etc.. only thing I'm missing is a press, torch set up, plasma cutter & a pipe bender but do have several trees for that) that's been sittin under a tarp for 2 months!

all the way to Cadiz, morning ponderin

I went "all the way to Cadiz" because it's 8 miles and the closest thing to somewhat civilization.
So this morning I'm perched on a bar stool at G's pancake house chompin down some over easy hen fruit and some fried up pig slabs thinkin this $%#@ gettin ridiculous. I was fresh outa high school over 20 yrs ago, married, my son on the way and I nickle and dimed together a '73 FJ40 onto some ground hawg 38s with an ole 350 under the hood after the six went tits up slaving and sweating my hiney off in a furniture factory for beans and cornbread and trying to make ends meet. Surely I can figure out 2" more inches into a Ranger without buying premade high faluting accessories. I'll got to go by O'reilley because the stereo ain't workin right, I'm lazy and don't feel like mixin up some baking soda, so I'll get some terminal cleaner. I'm hobblin around O'reilly, can find the battery terminal cleaner, not having a good morning, till I happen to look down next to the helper springs and see a red box that says Lowering shackles (39.99). hmm? Had happened to be up until about midnight last night persuing TRS and had seen the same box. Flipped it over, yep fits all kinds of chevys and fords, open er up and there they are Ranger lifting shackles! This is sure cheaper than a leveling kit or a 4". I already got 3", 4" would get me seven and sure be nice but I really don't need it because if I had it then I'd be trying to find some 35s and then stuff just keeps on going. I paln to enjoy the truck off road, playing, fishing, hunting, but also need to tow the hay wagon and haul who knows what when I retire in the spring, can't go too high. I'm short and it makes for hell loading. I know I got some big ole washers somewhere around here in all this junk I got (probably some left over from replacing the cab mounts a year ago), the welders wired up, and the ole tractor out back that ain't runnin has some end links and I'm certain I can go to the tractor store and find some appropriate length threaded sections & pins to make quick disconnects for the front sway bar. I know everyone says take it off, well it's there for a purpose, I'm an ole biker and can't drive a cage worth a crap. I tried unhookin the dang thing, bungied it up and didn't like the minimal sway I got, so it stays. I got it, some of you guys are thinkin "what he gonna wait till he finishes the damn thing before we see his butt at TB! Nope, just ain't gonna show up, havin not wheeld' in over 20 yrs with a half built collection of parts that falls apart or want climb over a down tree limb without rubbing, cutting or bending something. So here I sit waitin on the UPS guy for some axle parts, thinkin "i very well might make it to TB this or next weekend!

Railman,
Lookin forward to meetin you and the KY crew (Frank the Tank, Ranger SVT, Slo-Vo). Been followin and viewing your TB pics and advents! You'll probably embarrass me my first couple trips, only wheelin I've done is in an army hummer for the past 20 yrs. It'll come back!