'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

Put a big door on the other end of the shop so you can pull it through both ways? I like your tow vehicle. (and the Ranger, too)

Its like a 2' drop off between the floor level and the ground level behind the garage.

I think as soon as I can get a helper lined up I am going to try to turn the truck around. I don't really want to weld in the floor pan in my 70+yo wooden garage garage and it is a bugger to push it back in.

I also thought about somehow mounting a winch or even a pulley on the back wall... just turning it around is easier for now.

 

[ericbphoto]

The pulley sounds like a good and inexpensive idea. With a long enough rope, you could still use the Deere to pull the rope.

This message composed solely of recycled electrons. Go green!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Waged war on the cab mount:



Pretty much welded together:



Cleaned up the cab support with a wire wheel:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2byfrKp]

Threw some paint on it:



Drilled holes in the lower pieces and welded in the levers, I leaned them ahead to so they are more out of the way.

2hi



4lo:



4hi:



FWDhi:



Neutral-neutral:



Trimmed the floorplate with tinsnips, fits nicely:





While working on cab support I noticed a nice view of the 4wd linkage:

 

[bobbywalter]

kewl.


now it looks like a proper piece of farm equipment, just like god intended.

 

[bobbywalter]

may as well go jd green now...

 

[Twister]

Nice work. Wanna hop and skip to Omaha and finish mine lol.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

may as well go jd green now...

Actually more of an Oliver green.

Before I learned it is actually a special order color I was going to repaint it Oliver green.

Nice work. Wanna hop and skip to Omaha and finish mine

This thing has dragged on too long, I am probably going to cancel insurance on it since it is looking bleak for it to be self propelled before snow flies. Tonight was too cold for spray paint... going to be getting more into that from here on in.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Cleaned up the PS floorpan so I don't have to look at the rust anymore. Amusing most of the floor was still covered by the asphalt covering and it was so rusty. I scraped up all the loose stuff I could get to come up. Paint is perfect on the bottom of the cab.



Wire wheeled it and primed:

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Looks like a previous owner let a heater core leak for some time, or possibly the windshield or door seals had a leak on the passenger side. Like ALL Rangers.. Leaky SOB's.



GB

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Looks like a previous owner let a heater core leak for some time, or possibly the windshield or door seals had a leak on the passenger side. Like ALL Rangers.. Leaky SOB's.



GB

Hard to say, I have had it for 18 years. I think we are on heater core #3. PS floor looked new in 2002 when I changed transmissions before prom and still pretty decent in 2011 when I did the V8 swap. Even when I started this project it still didn't look bad until I started picking at the asphalt stuff.

I will say the truck hasn't ran since mid July. Hasn't been outside for more than hour since then. That asphalt stuff was almost damp to the touch. Its been pretty humid lately, almost thinking that it holds moisture. It was stuck to the floor well enough I had to use a razor blade gasket scraper to get it up... and it was rusty underneath.

The screwed up mess that is the DS was caused by seam sealer either not being applied or drying and falling off of a seam below the bottom of the windshield. It took me awhile to notice and track that one down.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I have similar issues on two different trucks. A 2001 and a 1987. Both standard cabs.

Looks like you took care of the problem well though. I would have attacked it the same way. Unless a guy has the space, tools, time, and money to do complete tear-downs of these "antique" trucks, sometimes we have to get creative doing paint/rust repairs.



GB

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have similar issues on two different trucks. A 2001 and a 1987. Both standard cabs.

Looks like you took care of the problem well though. I would have attacked it the same way. Unless a guy has the space, tools, time, and money to do complete tear-downs of these "antique" trucks, sometimes we have to get creative doing paint/rust repairs.



GB

I have a can of bedliner to hopefully seal it up from any future water intrusion. Then I am going to go back with stick on sound deadening and my new carpet.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I'd recommend a 2-part, epoxy based, if it's affordable for you..




GB

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'd recommend a 2-part, epoxy based, if it's affordable for you..




GB

Probably would be better, I don't have spraying equipment and am rapidly running out of weather though. The self etching primer I put down last night wanted 50*+, it was 58* when I put it on.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Getting the rest of the loose bits out of the picture:



You know you have problems when mice make nests in holes in the floor of your truck an even bring snacks



Borrowed this from dad, worked great until the blade broke:



I got a good start on it, I need to get more from up near the firewall and up against the base of the a-pillar... and the bottom of the A pillor needs patched too.

And as I am doing this VW keeps playing this stupid commercial about being like the Flintstones driving IC cars vs being like the Jetsons and driving electric cars of the future...