Corey and Elise's 1983 V8 Ranger build - aka - Project Interceptor

[CoreyTilton]

Big project for sure. For the cowl, I can't really tell you how to repair it as I'm not a body man myself. I will recommend that you go with a cowl panel from an 89-92 Ranger. Those models used a cowl with punched holes instead of the slits that the earlier model used. They don't have near as large of a problem with trash building up in the cowl area. I don't think I've ever seen an 83-88 Ranger that didn't have the cowl drains packed with leaves and pine needles.

Thanks for the advice josh.
I'm also weighing the idea of making my own cowl now, and making it a removable piece, with no vent holes at all.
This thing has no AC or heat at all, and I'm thinking of just removing the blower motor, because I doubt it works. Other than providing air for the blower motor, is there any need for vents in the cowl?
Also, I think I concluded that the previous owner must have cut out the cowl to remove, and relocate the wiper motor. If you look at the pictures of the cowl I took, there is a whole leading to the cab that I think is where the wiper motor should be (not positive) and there are some weird pieces of threaded rod welded in, and now the motor is in the engine bay.
Also the arm linking the two wipers is now I piece of adjustable threaded rod.

 

[JoshT]

I really don't know what other reason the cowl vents would have. Your wiper motor is in the right spot. I got no clue what that other hole is there for. My best guess is that the wiper linkage somehow broke and he cut off the cowl to fix it. That would explain the threaded rod for the arm linkage.

You are braver than me to tackle that project. If I had looked at it in my search, I would have passed right over it. PO definitely butchered it. Hopefully you'll be able to get it back right. If no I don't think anyone here would blame you for jumping ship and finding a different cab to start on.

 

[CoreyTilton]

I really don't know what other reason the cowl vents would have. Your wiper motor is in the right spot. I got no clue what that other hole is there for. My best guess is that the wiper linkage somehow broke and he cut off the cowl to fix it. That would explain the threaded rod for the arm linkage.

You are braver than me to tackle that project. If I had looked at it in my search, I would have passed right over it. PO definitely butchered it. Hopefully you'll be able to get it back right. If no I don't think anyone here would blame you for jumping ship and finding a different cab to start on.

Huh. I thought I read somewhere that for like, 83-84 Ford put them in the cowl. And owners had to cut/or unweld the cowl to get at them, then Ford moved them 85 up. My 82 Econoline has it in a similar place. Either way, this is going to be a very haggard low budget rat rod of a build. Ugly welds and primer paint jobs are going to be the name of the game. Hahaha. Floor is solid, windshield wells aren't rotted out. I'm happy with that.

 

[CoreyTilton]

Hey guys, small victory on the ranger this week.
I put in the new mini-High Torque starter with the built in solenoid, bought a new optima yellow top, and with the help of a can of Ether, we got the beast to run for a few seconds!
so stoked.

the starter was not easy on this. I have long tube headers on my f150, and this made that seem like a walk in the park.
previous owner put a VERY customized Tri Y style header on the passenger side, and had to make a small notch in the frame still to get it to clear.
that top bolt did Not want to be gotten to.
anyway, got the new starter in, had to do some adjusting of the power cable to get it to stretch the extra 3 inches to its new location on both sides, and ran a new ignition wire to it.
this is the first time we've actually heard it Pur, so we're both pretty fired up. hahaha.

 

[CoreyTilton]

also took a few moments to throw on a temporary fabric tailgate (till I can find a real one at a reasonable price), and swapped out the hurst shifter stick that was on the truck (I think its they style that would have been on the fox body mustang) and put on a new short straight hurst stick and new boot (not screwed down to the floor yet)

the original stick had the wonkiest bends, back, then over, then angled to the left, which put the handle at a weird angle, and had it right IN the seat cushion in 2nd and 4th gears.
the new one gives me about 3 inches between 4th and the seat, and feels REAL nice in the hand (very skinny thin stick so your fingers wrap around nice). I had the seat pulled forward in the picture though, so it looks a whole lot closer than it is. I also maimed and mauled the old T handle something bad in my vice trying to get the old shitty thread adapter out and welding a new one in, but I kind of like the way the gouges in it look and feel in the palm.

 

[1qaz]

Small victories are still sweet. Keep em coming and before you know it you'll be driving her in addition to just fixing her. Good luck! I'll be tuned in.

 

[Angie]

one day at a time, nice project

 

[CoreyTilton]

one day at a time, nice project

Thanks Angie.

Question for fellow First Gen Ranger owners.
I'm looking for seat bracks and seats for this thing, preferably buckets.
What work?

The seat brackets in this thing are pretty much trash, and the split bench isn't really doing it anymore.

If like to jump to some black leather or black vinyl bucket seats, but I'm not really sure where to start looking.
Granted I need to get this thing running first, but I want to start keeping my eyes open for the perfect pair.
I need brackets that fit the truck, and seats.

What has worked for you guys?

I saw some cool 66 and 67 mustang buckets on eBay, but want sure if brackets existed that would fit in this truck to those seats.

Thanks a million

- Corey and Elise

 

[Angie]

hi, take a look in my build thread, right below this one. i put 91 buckets into my 83 cab. had to do a bit of cutting of the back of the rail and only using 3 mounting bolts per seat....

page 7 has them in.... here is the seat thread from interior section.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162353

cheers

 

[CoreyTilton]

hi, take a look in my build thread, right below this one. i put 91 buckets into my 83 cab. had to do a bit of cutting of the back of the rail and only using 3 mounting bolts per seat....

page 7 has them in.... here is the seat thread from interior section.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162353

cheers

thanks so much Angie!
lots of really great info in there.
looks like I need to find myself some new brackets and tracks for a first gen with buckets. or possibly 2nd gen and modify them.

I just found the ideal - What I Had In My Mind - bucket seats for this build.
nabbed a pair of MustangII "high Back" buckets in Black vinyl for $100 plus shipping through ebay. surprisingly good shape.
they have that cool Retro Ford bucket seat look, but aren't super low backs like almost all the seats ive been finding from the 60s are.

now I just need to find the ranger brackets and tracks, and make the tracks fit. might need to do some customization with a cutoff wheel and welder, but I think the end result will be worth it.

- corey

 

[Angie]

The rails I am using are from 4 way seats from a club cab. They have 1 set on fixed nuts in the front of them, however, in the back section of the rails there are 6? sets of bolts to accommodate other seats, hard to explain but i can take a good picture of it with measurements if you want to know if the holes line up to what you are getting?

Angie just reminded me that we might have a set of front seats of mustang 2 in the barn, i will look into both of these things for you if these seats are the same.

cheers

 

[CoreyTilton]

The rails I am using are from 4 way seats from a club cab. They have 1 set on fixed nuts in the front of them, however, in the back section of the rails there are 6? sets of bolts to accommodate other seats, hard to explain but i can take a good picture of it with measurements if you want to know if the holes line up to what you are getting?

Angie just reminded me that we might have a set of front seats of mustang 2 in the barn, i will look into both of these things for you if these seats are the same.

cheers

I think I get what youre saying.
and I should have these MustangII buckets in sometime in the next 2 weeks or so. but if you have a pair for measure against the brackets you know work in the truck, that would be super rad!!!!

 

[Angie]

I took a closer look at it all tonight for you. i was wrong, the bottoms of the seats have one set of bolt holes up front and then 4 sets on the backs for different rails to be bolted up (am guessing here) .

The seats that we took out of a mustang (if they are stock for one we aren't 100% sure) measured 16.5 inches across the seat bolt to bolt and they are 13 inches front to back. the ranger seats are narrower at 14 inches across and 15 deep (front to back, but that is set at the farthest set of bolts)

the rails would only fit the mustang seat if you build some kind of mounting plate for them. i didn't try to place them into the cab of the truck. this is what it looks like from what I can tell. your set up could be different. let me know when it arrives so i can see if it is the same set up.

hope this helps....

 

[JoshT]

I just found the ideal - What I Had In My Mind - bucket seats for this build.
nabbed a pair of MustangII "high Back" buckets in Black vinyl for $100 plus shipping through ebay. surprisingly good shape.
they have that cool Retro Ford bucket seat look, but aren't super low backs like almost all the seats ive been finding from the 60s are.

Mustang buckets will work. I was planning to go that route myself. I was going to use like 65-69 low back buckets if I could find a set in good shape. I think I was going to have to make some brackets to bolt them on.

Hope you've got short legs, I'm 6' and wouldn't fit comfortable with a high back bucket in a first gen regular cab. I kept my solid bench in the 84 moved all the way back and it was comfortable.

Ended up with a set of BII low back buckets instead because they have a similar profile to the bench I liked. Hoping for a similar fit once they are installed. It'll be a while before that's done though.

 

[CoreyTilton]

Mustang buckets will work. I was planning to go that route myself. I was going to use like 65-69 low back buckets if I could find a set in good shape. I think I was going to have to make some brackets to bolt them on.

Hope you've got short legs, I'm 6' and wouldn't fit comfortable with a high back bucket in a first gen regular cab. I kept my solid bench in the 84 moved all the way back and it was comfortable.

Ended up with a set of BII low back buckets instead because they have a similar profile to the bench I liked. Hoping for a similar fit once they are installed. It'll be a while before that's done though.

Oh wow, so much great information. Thank you so much Josh and Angie!
I'll definitely let you know when the seats arrive.
I'm not opposed to customizing tracks if that's what I need to do for this. I'd imagine I should just be able to weld in an additional piece of flat stock it angle iron on each side of the track to make up for the wider seats, and drill then out to line up with the holes in the seats.
It's more finding the seat brackets and tracks for the truck.
It currently has one of those weird split 60/40 benches, and 3 of the legs have completely rotted out where they bolt to the floor (or used to).
I'm 6' as well, but I drive like a grandpa, up close on the wheel in all my other cars, so I'm not too worried with this.
Right now I can't get the 60/40 up close enough , and not be hitting the stick shift in 2nd and 4th gear.