'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

Got the spare mounted up and swapped out:





And as most have seen we ordered a new Bronco for my wife's dd. It will also be nice for a support vehicle for Ranger road trips and she can tag along on trails too... or we can just all go together.





























And today I snagged my own helmet for my welder so I can play with that at home when it warms up a little.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Years ago I acquired a old Lincoln stick welder. I finally got the itch to drag it out and play with it, usually whenever I think about it it is either 300* outside or the barn lot is a swamp or for some other reason it is easy to talk myself out of messing with it. It was in a shed at my parents so I had to drag it out of there and I took it to work to clean it up and see if it worked.



Kinda weird, most of them (my dad's included) have a 120 setting at the dead center between my 115 and 130 settings. Not sure if that makes mine older or what. Dad also has the rod use chart as part of this panel whereas mine had it on a decal on the top like the current ones... so I really have no idea if mine is newer or older than dads.



Dad's is like this:

No mouse nest at all, I am very impressed!



The "computer" looks pretty good too.



20.2 pounds of spider webs shop-vacced out.



The two back panels actually can come off separately which makes it come apart much easier.



Hit it with some quick detailer to spiffy it up a little bit



The previous owner extended the cables because he had to weld something on his combine which obviously would not fit in his garage. He laughingly described it as having "the longest cables in the county" Probably not wrong, at least 50'... they are a beast when they get tangled up.



And it works!



Not pretty but since nobody can remember how old the rods are (very rarely use the stick welder at work anymore), I haven't welded since George W Bush's first term and I only got a half hour of practice in... I WILL TAKE IT!!! Getting my speed and feed are weak spots, I am doing better but I kinda got chased out for stinking the place up.



Just gotta change the end yet, at work we use the angled plug like what it has on it, my garage as the giant normal looking plug for 220.



So anyway, more neat old stuff. I need to get a helmet and get it to warm up out so I can play with it more.

My father was a welder.and had one of those old Lincoln's. He'd never show me how to use it. Guess he didn't want me to become a welder.

I'd like to get one when I get my shop set up and learn how to use it from the Dirtman Online School of Welding.

 

[Jim Oaks]

You need to update your specs in your first post.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You need to update your specs in your first post.

First post?

 

[Jim Oaks]

You have 'Final Specs' in the first post of this thread. Is that up to date?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

After spending half of my two weeks house arrest researching factory offroad lights for about the price of a beat up Marchal I snagged these KC Daylighters instead. More than period correct and if they can't keep up with my LED headlights any better than my Hellas I can easily convert them to HID.





Heck, I used to have them all over toys back in the day too, I got this bullnose with Ranger stickers for my 6th birthday (why I seeked out the smiley face covers)

OEM Light Covers

What did they actually have? Looks like they did have Marchal lights at least at some point And then I see in the parts book they show covers with the neat first gen font, probably not for the STX or GT judging by the part number though: Did the the "Ranger" covers actually exist? The...

www.therangerstation.com

You have 'Final Specs' in the first post of this thread. Is that up to date?

I updated the transmission/tcase. I have been trying to figure out how to nicely update rest of it along with maybe some way to index it.

 

[Jim Oaks]

That truck reminds me of the Stomper 4x4 trucks.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That truck reminds me of the Stomper 4x4 trucks.

I would say there is a resemblance.

 

[Shran]

Noice. I need a half dozen of those and a roll bar for my stepside truck. Nothing says 80's 4x4 quite like KC lights! Where are you gonna mount them?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Noice. I need a half dozen of those and a roll bar for my stepside truck. Nothing says 80's 4x4 quite like KC lights! Where are you gonna mount them?

Replacing the Hellas on my grille guard.

 

[BlackBII]

Those lights will look nice! I had a heck of a time trying to find some rectangle lights with covers for my roll bar, ended up going with Westin 09-0405 which are the right shape, but a bit too small.

Jelly of your new Bronco! Great color choice.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Those lights will look nice! I had a heck of a time trying to find some rectangle lights with covers for my roll bar, ended up going with Westin 09-0405 which are the right shape, but a bit too small.

Jelly of your new Bronco! Great color choice.

I bet the Marchal "offroad lights" for the rollbar are few and far between. The little ones for the front are stupidly priced, it is hard to compete with the Mustang guys...

 

[Jim Oaks]

I ran 130 watt ProComps because I hot them free from ProComp, but after 16 years they were rusty and I replaced them with an LED bar. If I was building another Gen I I'd go with some classic KC's.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It is driving me nuts, I am stuck at home because daycare is closed... so I can't get them put on. Supposed to be really cold this weekend of course.

The $30 Hella kit from wally world 15 years ago had better wiring, actually came with a relay instead of just a scotch lock to power the things.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Well that looks... weird



And it ain't gonna work... hole is too small and too close to the crosstube. The deeper KC sticks out the grille guard too much too.



But if I extend the tabs it should be GTG