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Shaved & Bagged '88 Super Cab


insaneranger

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Location
Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
302
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
225/40 R18
Here's my 1988 Super cab. It's been a long slow project & I've had some major delays over the years, but I finally have it on the street. It has a brand new Ford 302 (bored 30 over) with matched balanced forged pistons & Crower rods, a Comp Xtreme Energy cam, & Edelbrock RPM heads, Edelbrock RPM intake, & Edelbrock 650 AVS carb. I also picked up a TCI Streetfighter C4 tranny, TCI tork converter, along with a modular 9" rearend w/375 gears & a Detroit locker. It rolls on 18" Centerline Street Avenger IIs, Moser axles, ladder bar rear suspension, & has had a Wilwood rear disc brake conversion with drilled font rotors. It has four corner bags & will soon have two Air Zenith OBD2 compressors installed in the bed. Later will come a full phantom billet grille & Ranger GT front bumper cover.




 
Last edited:


proz07

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Location
TX
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.3l
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
If be down to see more fab and suspension work.
Z
 

Andrew.V

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Manitoba Canada
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2008 fx4 1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
4.0 5.0
Transmission
Automatic
That truck looks sweet, like proz said fab pics would be awesome. Are those supra tail light?
 

insaneranger

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Location
Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
302
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
225/40 R18
Sorry. I forgot to mention the Supra lights & clear front signal lenses. I don't remember where I bought the metal Supra buckets, but the truck is 100% steel. No fiberglass panels anywhere. The metal hood scoop was meant for a 70's Monte Carlo until we cut about a foot off.

Here are some build pics. It took me a while to locate them since photobucket went the way of the dodo & lost most of them. Like most builds, it's ugly & covered in dust, but that's where they all start.





The mirrors were donated by a Kawasaki water craft. Weird...I know.





Tires are 40 series on 18" wheels.



Contitech 2600 bags on the Rear.


Billet flame steering wheel with brushed stainless steering column & tons of Autometer.

 
Last edited:

Jim Oaks

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1996 / 2021
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Ford Ranger
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4.0 V6
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4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15
I really want to see this finished and featured here.
 

insaneranger

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Location
Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
302
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
225/40 R18
Finally added a Ranger GT bumper cover.


 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Location
Calgary, Canada
Vehicle Year
'91, '80, '06
Make / Model
Ford, GMC,Dodge
Engine Size
4.0,4.0,5.7
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD

insaneranger

Active Member
V8 Engine Swap
Joined
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Messages
107
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42
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28
Location
Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
302
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
225/40 R18
Engine Compartment

I'm finally getting back to the outdated engine compartment. Today, I installed a brand new set of Edelbrock valve covers & matching breather. Next, I'll start touching up the flaking & rusted areas with some high temp. paint & reroute some of the funky wiring.

Mods in the near future include cutting out the hood to run a true cowl air induction & installing a manual steering gear box. Steering around parking lots isn't fun with my unhooked power steering plus my old steering box has a ton of slack. Manual steering won't make it a breeze, but will be more manageable than fighting unhooked power steering.





 

insaneranger

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V8 Engine Swap
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Location
Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
302
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
225/40 R18
I finally got a manual steering gear box/pitman arm from a '94 Ranger donor installed today & the difference is amazing! My '88 had the factory power steering gear box, which was unhooked, & was a PITA to drive & next to impossible in tight parking lots. While power steering would be ideal, the manual gear box is MUCH easier to steer than the dead power steering box. Now driving is a lot more pleasant.
 

BlackBII

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Location
UT
Vehicle Year
1989
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
5
Tire Size
33
That engine looks really clean :icon_thumby:
 

insaneranger

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Location
Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
302
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
225/40 R18
Swapping out the Radiator

I've been using a Howe racing radiator for my V8 & it cools very well, but takes up a lot of room. It doesn't help that my engine sits further forward than most V8 Ranger swaps so I haven't had the room to use standard pulleys. I recently purchased a Northern radiator made specifically for the Ranger V8 conversions. It's designed to sit in the original radiator location & will give me a lot more room in front of the engine. Yesterday I got a new 14" electric fan & built a pair of mounting brackets. I started with a piece of 3/4" x 1/8" aluminum angle stock. After cutting & shaping the edges with a Dremel, I went over it with some Mothers aluminum polish. I used #8 stainless hex bolts & hardware along with a few dabs of "blue" Loctite. They turned out pretty well & are solid as a rock. Hopefully this smaller radiator/fan combo will still give adequate cooling for the beefed up small block. If not, I see an aluminum shroud project in the future. :icon_thumby:

Cut 8" & 16" lengths...



Bolted to fan & ready to be drilled for radiator mounting...







 
Last edited:

bobbywalter

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Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
first thing i noticed was how far forward the engine was. holy torture.


i would have frenched a 19x24 175 dollar summit unit and moroso cap inline.....Griffin Universal Fit Radiators 1-26202-X.

what forced you to use that location? raise powertrain with a low setup...?


nice piece of real steel:icon_thumby:
 

insaneranger

Active Member
V8 Engine Swap
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
107
Reaction score
42
Points
28
Location
Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
302
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
225/40 R18
first thing i noticed was how far forward the engine was. holy torture.


i would have frenched a 19x24 175 dollar summit unit and moroso cap inline.....Griffin Universal Fit Radiators 1-26202-X.

what forced you to use that location? raise powertrain with a low setup...?


nice piece of real steel:icon_thumby:
Someone else dropped the engine in place. Unfortunately, I don't have the space or tools to do the job myself. He didn't do anything to the firewall so everything sits forward and the engine mounts sit very low. Luckily, he's a great engine builder and my 302 has more than enough power to get me down the road.

The radiator I just bought bolts directly to the front support and the original lower radiator frame mounts. The nearest custom shop is almost three hours away so it's been a nightmare. Between crooked mechanics (one went to prison for running a chop shop while in possession of my truck and it took a court order and a set of bolt cutters to get it back), people that simply didn't know what the hell they were doing, and getting laid off twice, I've only been able to put about 500 mile on my truck in the past 17 years. My engine had to be rebuilt after only 150 miled because the guy didn't use break-in oil and it destroyed a cam. In fact, I'm having problems with the shop where it's at now. If i can get my truck back without taking the guy to court, it will shock me. It's been a non stop nightmare trying to get my truck finished!
 

bobbywalter

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23,470
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Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
Someone else dropped the engine in place. Unfortunately, I don't have the space or tools to do the job myself. He didn't do anything to the firewall so everything sits forward and the engine mounts sit very low. Luckily, he's a great engine builder and my 302 has more than enough power to get me down the road.

The radiator I just bought bolts directly to the front support and the original lower radiator frame mounts. The nearest custom shop is almost three hours away so it's been a nightmare. Between crooked mechanics (one went to prison for running a chop shop while in possession of my truck and it took a court order and a set of bolt cutters to get it back), people that simply didn't know what the hell they were doing, and getting laid off twice, I've only been able to put about 500 mile on my truck in the past 17 years. My engine had to be rebuilt after only 150 miled because the guy didn't use break-in oil and it destroyed a cam. In fact, I'm having problems with the shop where it's at now. If i can get my truck back without taking the guy to court, it will shock me. It's been a non stop nightmare trying to get my truck finished!














:shok: i am sorry to hear that. 17 years......shit i have a hard time going 17 days without driving my truck around.


this really makes me sad.:sad:
 

Jim Oaks

Just some guy with a website
Administrator
Founder / Site Owner
Supporting Vendor
Article Contributor
TRS Banner 2010-2011
TRS Banner 2012-2015
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Joined
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Messages
13,407
Reaction score
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Points
113
Location
Nocona, Texas
Vehicle Year
1996 / 2021
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15
Wow, this is tragic, an the horrors people can experience sending a vehicle to someone else to get custom work done.

Where is the truck now?
 

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