superdog299
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2018
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Upstate NY
- Vehicle Year
- 2002
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 2.3
- Transmission
- Automatic
- My credo
- My friend says it's cool, does that count?
When I first located this truck, she was 100% stock, including the blown motor. The previous owner, seemingly not understanding coolant, fried the motor and attempted to "fix" it themselves, blaming the lack of power and smoking exhaust on the thermostat. Swapped it out for another 2.3 from a 2005 ranger, which we had to mill the head on to flatten it. Only a couple thou, but could add a miniscule amount of power to the whopping 142 or something the 2005s had stock. The next day we made a 2.5 hour round trip to pick up a motorcycle for my brother, problem free.
The stock steel wheels and tires were both trash, and since it was already late fall by that point I threw on a set of aluminum 15s from another ranger with some new winter force tires (would highly recommend for snowy areas)
Next, the little things. A new third brake light lense, taillights out of (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong) a 2008 ranger, and bedliner on the bedrails and front bumpers. Obligatory stickers for added HP. Here you can see my rusted tailgate and bedfloor. I regularly spray down both with fluid film, to stop the spread.
Next came more toying with lights, this time adding some blue accent lights to the headlights, putting LEDs in all the way around, and installing blue strobes in inside the headliner. I'm a volunteer firefighter in NY, with a permit to run these, so they're legal.
New shoes! 18" x 9" mamba wheels, with a 5x5.5 bolt pattern. Ordered some 1.5" thick adapters to the ranger bolt pattern. 245/45R18 Riken raptor ZR. Kinda cheap off brand of michelin, but they're one of the best tired I've used.
Shortly after this, I shipped out for boot camp. Big hold on the project. I already had a 3/5 drop kit on the way, as well as a flowmaster 60 Delta exhaust. This, btw, is probably the best sounding exhaust I've heard on a 4cyl ranger, with the stock cats. Side exit exhaust was installed just before I left. While I was having my ass kicked at Parris island, my brother gave me a treat - he installed the kit for me. (Head mechanic and now shop manager at our local Ford dealership, not too difficult a project for him) The only thing that needed to be changed were the upper control arms, which he replaced with those of a mustang. Alignment was needed right away, and there's a decent amount of camber up front. Might change that in the future.
I actually never got to see it lowered on those wheels, because right after that winter came and the snows were put back on. Still like the way it sits though.
Sits low enough that we had to take the front mudflaps off, and any tiny bumps (or even body roll on hard turns) makes the rear scrape. Gonna have to pull them, or at least trim.
Got a little bit done on leave after boot camp. Lund trifold tonneau cover, shorty antenna, and some nice blacked out headlights. Blue accent lights look a lot better with these.
That's about how she sits right now, but covered in a lot more snow. I've been in Florida since January, so I haven't been able to do much of anything with her. I do, however, have a lot planned out. Parts I currently have include;
Honeycomb grill+surround
-Black Ford emblem
-Taller hood (off a newer model year)
-New tailgate, rust free
-17 x 8 wheels, to be next year's snows
-1gal of color matched paint -for hood, tailgate, and anything else that ends up needing it
-obdII Bluetooth scanner
-low profile transmission support cross member
In the future I plan on installing individual bucket seats, a center console, and various other cosmetic/comfort/performance mods
I still need a name for her!
I can give links to parts if anyone's interested.
She might not be the best, but I'm proud of where she's at.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
The stock steel wheels and tires were both trash, and since it was already late fall by that point I threw on a set of aluminum 15s from another ranger with some new winter force tires (would highly recommend for snowy areas)
Next, the little things. A new third brake light lense, taillights out of (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong) a 2008 ranger, and bedliner on the bedrails and front bumpers. Obligatory stickers for added HP. Here you can see my rusted tailgate and bedfloor. I regularly spray down both with fluid film, to stop the spread.
Next came more toying with lights, this time adding some blue accent lights to the headlights, putting LEDs in all the way around, and installing blue strobes in inside the headliner. I'm a volunteer firefighter in NY, with a permit to run these, so they're legal.
New shoes! 18" x 9" mamba wheels, with a 5x5.5 bolt pattern. Ordered some 1.5" thick adapters to the ranger bolt pattern. 245/45R18 Riken raptor ZR. Kinda cheap off brand of michelin, but they're one of the best tired I've used.
Shortly after this, I shipped out for boot camp. Big hold on the project. I already had a 3/5 drop kit on the way, as well as a flowmaster 60 Delta exhaust. This, btw, is probably the best sounding exhaust I've heard on a 4cyl ranger, with the stock cats. Side exit exhaust was installed just before I left. While I was having my ass kicked at Parris island, my brother gave me a treat - he installed the kit for me. (Head mechanic and now shop manager at our local Ford dealership, not too difficult a project for him) The only thing that needed to be changed were the upper control arms, which he replaced with those of a mustang. Alignment was needed right away, and there's a decent amount of camber up front. Might change that in the future.
I actually never got to see it lowered on those wheels, because right after that winter came and the snows were put back on. Still like the way it sits though.
Sits low enough that we had to take the front mudflaps off, and any tiny bumps (or even body roll on hard turns) makes the rear scrape. Gonna have to pull them, or at least trim.
Got a little bit done on leave after boot camp. Lund trifold tonneau cover, shorty antenna, and some nice blacked out headlights. Blue accent lights look a lot better with these.
That's about how she sits right now, but covered in a lot more snow. I've been in Florida since January, so I haven't been able to do much of anything with her. I do, however, have a lot planned out. Parts I currently have include;
Honeycomb grill+surround
-Black Ford emblem
-Taller hood (off a newer model year)
-New tailgate, rust free
-17 x 8 wheels, to be next year's snows
-1gal of color matched paint -for hood, tailgate, and anything else that ends up needing it
-obdII Bluetooth scanner
-low profile transmission support cross member
In the future I plan on installing individual bucket seats, a center console, and various other cosmetic/comfort/performance mods
I still need a name for her!
I can give links to parts if anyone's interested.
She might not be the best, but I'm proud of where she's at.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk