2009 Street Truck of The Year: Doorgunner’s 1936 Ford Ranger
There have been lowered Rangers, V8 Rangers, custom Rangers, and Rangers that barely resemble the trucks that rolled out of the Ford factory. But there has probably never been another Ranger at The Ranger Station quite like this one.
Our 2009 Street Truck of The Year belongs to forum member Doorgunner, and calling it unusual would be an understatement.
He started with a 1989 Ford Ranger SuperCab. Then he removed the body.
In its place, he installed a fiberglass 1936 Ford truck cab and combined it with a steel bed. Underneath, however, was still the 1989 Ford Ranger chassis, suspension, steering, drivetrain, wiring, pedals, and many of the other components that made the truck a Ranger in the first place.
The result was something that looked like a vintage Ford pickup but was built around a Ford Ranger.
And to make sure nobody forgot where it came from, Doorgunner added vintage-style “Ranger” script emblems to the hood.
It may be the only 1936 Ford Ranger ever built.
From 1989 Ranger to 1936 Ranger
Doorgunner has been documenting the project in a build thread appropriately titled “Just Plain Stupied.” That title sets the tone for what has become one of the most entertaining build threads in The Ranger Station’s history.
The original plan was straightforward—at least by Doorgunner standards. He had a good 1989 Ford Ranger XLT and decided it was time for a new look. Rather than modify the existing Ranger body, he decided to build something completely different around the Ranger chassis. He had always wanted an old Ford truck. Instead of cutting up an original 1930s Ford cab, he purchased a fiberglass 1936 Ford truck cab and fitted it over the 1989 Ranger chassis. The steel bed, vintage-inspired bodywork, and custom components gradually transformed the Ranger into something that looked decades older than the truck underneath it.
But this wasn’t a typical fiberglass body sitting on a custom street rod chassis. The stock Ranger suspension was lowered approximately 3-inches in the front using Dream Beams, 4-inches in the rear, and was fitted with air-adjustable shocks.
Inside, Doorgunner continued to mix old and new. The truck uses high-back Ford seats, carpet by Mad Man Marks, Classic Instruments gauges, an I-DID-IT steering column and a B&M Unimatic shifter. The power windows and wipers are electric, and the truck retains the Ranger’s basic pedal arrangement and other structural components.
The finished body is painted Redfire Metallic by Expert Collision.
One of the details that ties the whole thing back to the Ford Ranger is the hood emblem. Doorgunner modified the original Ranger badges, removing the chrome bar beneath the script so the Ranger lettering would stand on its own against the new hood.
At the beginning of the build, the engine had more than 180,000 miles on it and was still running. Doorgunner joked that the little 2.9L had no smoke coming from the exhaust and that he couldn’t bring himself to remove it. Unfortunately, the engine eventually developed problems. As he explained in the build thread, the 2.9L began suffering from compression problems, coolant leaks, and electrical issues.
The Ranger eventually received a Chevrolet 350 V8, fitted with a Holley 600 CFM carburetor and a 7-psi fuel-pressure regulator. The original electric fuel pump and fuel tank were retained. Block-hugger headers feed a dual exhaust system with catalytic converters and gutted Harley-Davidson chrome mufflers.
Yes, the truck that began life as a 1989 Ford Ranger, and eventually wore a 1936 Ford truck body, ultimately received a Chevy V8. And yet, the forum members still love it. Doorgunner himself referred to the engine as an “aftermarket Ford engine” before identifying it as a 350 Chevy.
The V8 is backed by a 700R4 automatic transmission that was rewired to operate the third- and fourth-gear overdrive functions.
Keeping It Legal
One of the questions frequently asked in the build thread is how a vehicle like this could be titled, registered, and insured. Doorgunner lives in Louisiana and explained that the rules depended heavily on the state where the vehicle was registered.
In Louisiana, he had the option of having the truck treated as an assembled vehicle, which could require additional inspections and testing. However, because the vehicle was built around an existing 1989 Ranger chassis and retained much of its original equipment, including the safety equipment, drivetrain components, wiring, and other systems, he was also able to work within the existing registration requirements for the vehicle.
He also obtained insurance through a company that specialized in modified and custom street-legal vehicles.
His advice to anyone considering a similar project was simple: Check with your state’s DMV before you start building.
The Cost of Building a 1936 Ranger
When another member asked what the 1936 body kit had cost, Doorgunner said he would have to send him a private message. “I gotta p.m. you about the kit price,” he wrote. “I don’t wanna get laughed off the Ranger Station.”
He pointed out that a turnkey version of a similar truck could cost around $49,000, then started putting together his own list of what it took to build one. Fenders, electric windows, flooring, steel bed panels, a tailgate, gauges, steering column, grille, hood, running boards, bumpers, lights, air shocks, air conditioning, primer, paint and bodywork all added up.
Then there were a few items that were harder to put a price on.
His 1989 Ranger work truck with 180,000 miles had been free. The rebuilt 350 Chevy cost him $200, and he figured another $800 went into the V8 modifications and “sparkle.” Lowering the truck 3-inches in front and 5-inches in the rear cost him eight dollars.
The wheels came from his son-in-law. Doorgunner’s price for those was simply: “My daughter.”
Then, after adding up everything else, he listed two things as priceless: his friends at The Ranger Station who keep encouraging him to continue with the project and knowing Jesus.
The Man Behind The Build
The truck is memorable. But so is the person that built it. Doorgunner is a U.S. Army veteran who had served as a helicopter door gunner during the Vietnam War. His forum name came directly from that experience.
His build thread isn’t limited to photographs and technical information. It’s filled with humor, conversations with other members, stories from his life, occasional war stories, frustrations, victories, mistakes, and plenty of self-deprecating jokes.
Doorgunner describes the project as the product of his own unusual thought process and often jokingly blames his questionable automotive decisions on the medications the VA hospital gives him.
A True Ranger Station Original
The 2009 Street Truck of The Year wasn’t selected because it has the biggest engine, the most expensive paint job, or the most chassis modifications. It was selected because it’s unique. It represents creativity. It represents determination. And it represents the kind of people who make The Ranger Station more than just a website about Ranger Based Vehicles. It also represents the unique character of the man who built it and the entertainment he brings to the forum.
Specifications
Owner: Doorgunner
Original Vehicle: 1989 Ford Ranger SuperCab
Body: Fiberglass 1936 Ford truck cab
Bed: Steel 1936 Ford-style bed with aluminum diamond-plate floor
Chassis: 1989 Ford Ranger
Front Suspension: Dream Beams, approximately 3-inch drop
Rear Suspension: 1989 Ranger suspension, approximately 4-inch drop
Original Engine: 2.9L Ford V6
Later Engine: Chevrolet 350 small-block V8
Carburetor: Holley 600 cfm
Transmission: 700R4 automatic
Headers: Block-hugger headers
Exhaust: Dual catalytic converters with modified Harley-Davidson mufflers
Wheels: 15-inch
Tires: 235/70R15
Gauges: Classic Instruments
Steering Column: Ididit tilt column
Shifter: B&M Unimatic
Seats: Ford high-back seats
Paint: Red Fire Metallic
Follow the Build
Doorgunner documented the construction of his unusual Ranger in a massive build thread that began in November 2008 and eventually grew to hundreds of pages.
Build Thread: Just Plain Stupied
The thread is more than just a build diary. It’s a record of one of the most unusual trucks ever built by a member of The Ranger Station and the personality behind it.
Awards
The members of our forum voted Doorgunner’s truck as the August 2009 Street Truck of The Month and the 2009 Truck of The Year.
Photo Gallery
About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road adventures contributed by owners worldwide. TheRangerStation.com has been referenced in print, video and online by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, and experience-based information.
