97 Ford Ranger Step Side, 2.3 liter; should I sell, scrap or keep & put in new engine/trans?

[Hawker Driver]

Just my 2 cent add to the discussion; I am 64 and just bought an 11 with 69k on it from a auto auction. Total acquisition cost was about 4k which included having it transported from the lot to me. I am probably going to put another 2K into it as it was lightly wrecked. Once its it up and running, I am going to put my 04 down and do a frame up restoration including changing it into a 2011 mechanically. This will have me going into retirement with 2 low mileage fully functioning Rangers that are far more reliable than the crap that Ford is producing today.

 

[Lefty]

Just my 2 cent add to the discussion; I am 64 and just bought an 11 with 69k on it from a auto auction. Total acquisition cost was about 4k which included having it transported from the lot to me. I am probably going to put another 2K into it as it was lightly wrecked. Once its it up and running, I am going to put my 04 down and do a frame up restoration including changing it into a 2011 mechanically. This will have me going into retirement with 2 low mileage fully functioning Rangers that are far more reliable than the crap that Ford is producing today.

Wonderful! TWO for less than the price of one!

 

[nadsab]

Yours is a 94 correct? Any bed from 93-2011 will work in the proper size. Just the taillights and tailgate styling are a bit different.

It's a 97.

 

[nadsab]

.

 

[nadsab]

Wow lots of good info thanks everyone.

My neighbor ace mechanic suggested about a week ago on the bed - if I keep the bed and just clean/fix it up - he mentioned sliding a 2x4 under the bed which gave me an idea.

What I was thinking if I keep the flare side bed - what if I just removed the bed, patched it up a bit and did some work on the frame, and instead of scrounging for a new bed, just use the old one, and mount a 2x4 behind and away from the back of the cab maybe a 1/2 foot or so away from the back of the cab, attach it to the frame, and drill new holes in the bed, put some kind of a threaded bushing in the 2x4, and bolt the front edge of the bed to the 2x4 - since the rear four bolt holes are pretty well intact.

Does this sound like a good idea? Anyone done something like that?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Wow lots of good info thanks everyone.

My neighbor ace mechanic suggested about a week ago on the bed - if I keep the bed and just clean/fix it up - he mentioned sliding a 2x4 under the bed which gave me an idea.

What I was thinking if I keep the flare side bed - what if I just removed the bed, patched it up a bit and did some work on the frame, and instead of scrounging for a new bed, just use the old one, and mount a 2x4 behind and away from the back of the cab maybe a 1/2 foot or so away from the back of the cab, attach it to the frame, and drill new holes in the bed, put some kind of a threaded bushing in the 2x4, and bolt the front edge of the bed to the 2x4 - since the rear four bolt holes are pretty well intact.

Does this sound like a good idea? Anyone done something like that?

I wouldnt be scared of doing something like that. Just use treated wood

Oh and 97 same deal as 94. Any bed 93-11 will work

 

[Lefty]

I wouldnt be scared of doing something like that. Just use treated wood

Oh and 97 same deal as 94. Any bed 93-11 will work

I would use steel, but If you must use wood, use something rot resistant. I should know. I have built a lot of boats. White oak is the best and most expensive. Years ago pickups were manufactured with white oak bed floors. Douglas fir is okay. It is also used in boats. These days 2x4 are made from something like yellow pine, but they were once all Douglas fir. Maybe a lumberyard somewhere still sells an occasional batch. You might want to apply a couple coats of thin slow set epoxy using a roller or even a sponge. That will seal the wood and make it last a very long time..

 

[superj]

My 79 stepside had a wooden bed floor. It was really nice looking since it never carried anything that scratched it up. Wooden truck beds always look so classic

 

[Lefty]

My 79 stepside had a wooden bed floor. It was really nice looking since it never carried anything that scratched it up. Wooden truck beds always look so classic

So they were making wooden beds as late as '79?

 

[superj]

I guess.

I had one and I knew a girl in high school with a late 70s that was wooden too so I assumed so

 

[superj]

Now that I Google it, maybe previous owners put the wood in mine and that girls. I see tons of kits to do it but also see metal bed floors available too.

Mine was a 79 gmc heavy half stepside short bed. Hers looked the same so assume it was the same year but maybe not a heavy half as it sat more level than mine

 

[Lefty]

Now that I Google it, maybe previous owners put the wood in mine and that girls. I see tons of kits to do it but also see metal bed floors available too.

Mine was a 79 gmc heavy half stepside short bed. Hers looked the same so assume it was the same year but maybe not a heavy half as it sat more level than mine

I would imagine that they must have been stock. Those after market kits are quite expensive. Expect to pay big bucks just for the stainless steel strips.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Ford quit sometime during the dentside (73-79) generation.

GM did it till 81 IIRC

 

[DaveH]

Hello,

It has been years since I posted here last LOL. Anyway it's decide time. we have been storing our
ranger for years and now it's time to decide to either rebuild, sell or scrap. As it is now it is
just taking up room.

Chassis has 277K miles on it so yes obviously if we keep it we will want to put in an engine & trans.
either remanufactured or rebuilt, and trade out our old for a core charge. Best price we got for
that from a major US rebuilder that ships nationwide was around 4K bucks after core charge is
refunded, with 3-year warranty, I think. Or neighbor
is a professional diesel mechanic and I think would be willing to do the work if he has time
and we would pay him a fair price.

I have heard rangers were built to last 300K and I don't know if that is engine/trans, or chassis.
or both.

I'm a hobbyist woodworker so it is definitely good for some guy like me to have a truck, and
I see the prices of new and my jaw drops. I guess I could buy a decent used truck for around 8-10 k
like an F150 but that would have close to something like 200K already on it so I would be close to the
same boat there with mileage.

Anyway, so what do you guys think? Should I be willing to put in that much?
If we did this and the chassis is in good shape - think we can
get another 10 or so years out of it? Also, what is a fair price for our neighbor?
labor to do the work at his
home? He does this kind of work often in his garage...has the tools...

Any opinions appreciated - since we are about to retire, I'd like to drive whatever I decide into my
early 70's if possible. If we sell what is it worth as is? Battery is dead but it started last time I checked, needs a new
break line and 3 chassis shackles.

BOY O BOY you have a surprise on your hands. Just finishing up a 2005 2.3 rebuild and it was a Bitch! Firstly, any and every remanufactured engine place I called no longer builds these engines. I decided to rebuild myself and couldn't find a damn. crankshaft anywhere in the country. Until I came her and found a 2.5 block with 2.3 head post and I finally got started. I'm about 3K into this build including the vehicle purchase. 2.5 blocks are fairly prevalent and give you a little more umph. Using the 2.3 head allows one to use the original ECU in the 05' I'm building. My first startup is this weekend and keeping my fingers crossed. There are very minor differences with the 2.5 short block.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Dave, a '97 is a completely different 2.3L than yours, built more years but many different iterations but yeah, parts are getting scarce, the Lima engines have more of a following though since they started in around '74 and ended in '01...