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mixing an 07 with an 87 ranger


Mike Tonon

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Ok, was thinking if this can be done.

Can I start off with most of an 07 Ranger and drop the 2.9l and TK5 trans into it and the 87 dash board? Will it fit?
 


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Check on your local laws about engine swaps. In pretty much every area of the country that swap will be highly illegal.

As for possible, well I saw a thread where a guy took the engine, trans, and dash from an 05 and put them in his 87, so I suppose it should be possible to go the other way.
 

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PS; this is a forum for SUBMITTING tech articles, NOT asking questions.
I'm leaving this here rather than moving it so maybe others can learn.

Richard
 

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Why slap in a 2.9? I'd think anything offered by '07 would be much better all around, be it 2.3 DOHC, 3.0, or 4.0 SOHC....
 

Mike Tonon

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PS; this is a forum for SUBMITTING tech articles, NOT asking questions.
I'm leaving this here rather than moving it so maybe others can learn.

Richard
Oh, sorry, my mistake. I thought it was for discussions like this.
 

Mike Tonon

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Check on your local laws about engine swaps. In pretty much every area of the country that swap will be highly illegal.

As for possible, well I saw a thread where a guy took the engine, trans, and dash from an 05 and put them in his 87, so I suppose it should be possible to go the other way.
In Connecticut, I think I could register it as a 'composite vehicle'. Not sure about anywhere else.
 

Mark_88

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I agree with not using the 2.9...I would try putting the 87 cab on the 07 frame if possible...then swap in the 07 dash...you just have to watch the brake pedal/clutch assembly because they are not a direct swap and require some modifications...

I'm not sure if this will work to be honest. There may have been changes to the firewall/steering column that won't match up.

In my case, I had a 96 Ranger with the 2.5 already swapped in for a 2.3 and just removed the rusted out cab and then plopped the 88 cab on top...the body mounts fit perfectly between those two years.

Had to use the 96 steering column because of the way the dash fit in but everything worked out after a bit of a body lift (1" needed to clear the firewall opening) and moving (shortening) the steering column.

Only other thing was working out the opening for the wiring harness where it attaches to the engine bay wiring...that took a bit of...work.
 

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i am also positive it will need to be custom titled. IN ANY STATE. insuring it may be a tough nut to crack though.


and i am fairly certain he is just using what he has available very cost effectively.


do it. get it done.
 

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Check on your local laws about engine swaps. In pretty much every area of the country that swap will be highly illegal...
Just as illegal as putting a 302 in a Ranger.
 

96firephoenix

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the legality of it would depend 100% on local regs. here in IN, you can do pretty much whatever you want... the title goes off the VIN, so if you swap cabs, whatever VIN you end up with is the title you keep..

There is a very special process for replacing the cab of a vehicle though, I think it involves exchanging the VIN tag in the presence of a police officer (an "officer of the court" technically). you might look into your laws to see if this is something possible in CT.
 

Mike Tonon

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Picture this (haha, and I'll probably never build it, but I'd like to):

87 2.9l with e-fan, intake, ported and polished manifolds and some other performance improvements (will it bolt up to a newer 5-speed?) and an 83-87 red dash board with some mods -

1) vents that clear the door windows
2) mate an 87 vinyl dash pad up to the 07 black plastic windshield defrost vent piece
3) digital gauge faces, mainly looking like the original 87 Ford gauges, but can be tuned, edited, etc. and program a tach in and have it display over the 4 gauge cluster.
4) older looking radio, with knobs, like on the 83-84 rangers, but with a digital display between the knobs (a common GPS screen should fit almost perfect)
5) make a real wood dash bezel and make it fit more precise than the originals did
6) 12 volt outlet in the top glove compartment

red fx4 seats, red interior panels power windows, locks, mirrors, c/c, tilt wheel, a/c

In a 2007 xlt supercab, 2wd, grey with a red painted on pinstripe in the body line, 7-spoke chrome rims (or custom aluminum rims, that look like the black and silver xlt steelies from the 80's), chrome exterior door handles and mirror caps, 83-87 'Ranger xlt' emblems, rear sliding window, cargo light, stainless tailgate panel like the 83-88 Rangers had
 
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Mike Tonon

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The 2.9l is a classic. Sure, the 3.0l runs smoother and the newer 2.3l has almost the same power as a 2.9l, but the 2.9l is sort of in between a 2.3l and 3.0l.
 

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I'm sure you can make the window vents work with the 87 dash...but not sure how you'd go about it. The panel vents can probably be vented using the Windshield Defrost setting since the tubes come up the same spout...it would make the entire area get less pressure and, therefore, longer clearing times.

I was tempted to try this myself but the wiring for the 96 pretty much demanded a dash swap...the 96 has the side vent defrost already set up so it was a nob rainer for me...:)
 

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Just as illegal as putting a 302 in a Ranger.
On the federal level yes, a 5.0 Ranger is illegal (but technically a BII isn't oddly enough).

Regulations on swapping in a larger engine, by either displacement or cylinder count, can vary widely.

In almost every location in the US local or state laws prohibit installing an engine that is of a design discontinued before the model year of the body.
 

Mike Tonon

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In Connecticut it would have to be registered as a composite vehicle.
 

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