'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

Have you tried taking some Simple Green to that steering wheel?

Once a year and this week is the week.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have been thinking on the cup holder situation in this thing. Seat mounted stuff is a no go because it interferes with shifting, I have too many shifters on the floor it work with off the shelf floor mount stuff. I could cut one down and make it fit but it would have no stability. I did notice the seat was really close to the floor, I can't get my fingers between the floor at the tranny hump and the seat so that would be a good anchor point if I could get something to stick between there. Using a 32oz gas station foam cup (from Casey's) I came up with my own solution:



All folded up with the side flaps omitted:



It will have to be thinner metal than my gauge pod so I can fold it with the multiple folds. The side flaps are so I can weld it together to create one rigid big block. Rectangular hole will fit a smartphone but it was mainly intended for the case to my sunglasses clip. Plastic fast food cups are smaller than the foam, a 28oz Gatorade bottle will fit thru the first hole which is how they work with the factory cup holders in my wife's car. Since they reseal with lids I don't consider that a big deal.

Spare is mounted:



Truck is washed, prepping for annual car show this weekend (my once a year reason to clean the thing)

 

[1qaz]

Cruising along, oh my we have never been over that before...



Getting close now!



Holy crap! After almost 19 years we finally ventured into another state!

Been over that stretch of road and bridge into NE many times. Hard to believe that much water is still around from the spring floods. Truck is looking good. I'm glad you got her to the car show in Red Oak. Have fun on that Ohio run.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Been over that stretch of road and bridge into NE many times. Hard to believe that much water is still around from the spring floods. Truck is looking good. I'm glad you got her to the car show in Rose Bud. Have fun on that Ohio run.

Thanks!

Actually where I live we recieved 2" of rain that morning so the water over there was higher than it had been... but it is not going down very fast.

Anyway, it was supposed to rain Saturday so I didn't wax the truck... so then it didn't rain.



This year we featured vintage campers. Since there is no way I can compete with the classic cars in my club for a host class trophy I decided to try to lobby the vintage camper crowd for their votes by making my own vintage camper.



And of course that failed miserably because only one vintage camper showed up.

Launch is almost two weeks away, I gotta lot to do yet.
1. Trim Fenders
2. Change Spark Plugs
3. T-Case PTO cover seep
4. Front driveshaft should be done this week, will need hardware to install.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Found out why my t-case would seep when I drove it but not when it was sitting. There was a little channel in the silicone that didn't fully make a seal and thus would allow a leak as the gears threw the oil at the cover.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think the t-case is buttoned up, it is staying dry for now anyway. I did a tune up on it yesterday, it was kind of fun changing all 8 spark plugs AND the fuel filter for about $30 and in less than an hour:



I have noticed some slobbering below the headers, I didn't now if it was valve cover seepage and the headers just kept it cooked off or what. So I change the plugs and the new ones that both the manager of O'Reillys and Rockauto say should fit my heads look totally different than those that were in the truck. Looks like the seepage was because there was no way for the plugs to properly seal. And then they protrude a lot more too. Looks like they were running nicely otherwise though, all 8 had a nice toasted marshmallow look to them. They haven't been out of the truck since the head swap in 2012.



I also noticed my rubber vacuum cap must not like engine heat:



And I drove it back up to Omaha today. It had a pretty decent load of gear to simulate its loadout for the trip.



Something isn't quite right in the rear suspension, I don't know if it is over sprung or undershocked or what. If I hit a good bump at highway speed it wants to kick the rear out some. That is probably my biggest snafu at the moment and one not easily remedied in a week and a half. If that is the worst thing I have to cope with I guess I can live with it.

It was kind of funny, I stopped to get gas on my way out of town this morning. I had filled it and left my truck at the pump (only one there) and went in to grab a pop. A lifted Rubicon Jk parked at the pump beside mine facing the same direction. Illionois plates, he had a offroad teardrop camper, the interlocking gas cans, maxtrax, mounted hi-lift jack, bunch of stickers... like a real deal overlander or as close to it as you get in Iowa. I was gawking at the Jeep as I waited in line inside and while the guy filled his Jeep I noticed he was continually gawking at my Ranger. We met outside the door not saying anything and I went over and talked to my wife a bit at her car and handed off the sweet tea she ordered. He walked back out still gawking at my truck. I wish I was out there when he was filling, i don't know what was so interesting about a 34yo truck with a small lift, mud tires and a topper because to most people that is what it is. He didn't hear it run, a laymen wouldn't know the axles have been swapped and not really a biggie wow thing if you do know. No big lift screaming for attention. Bed full of gear in totes is concealed by a topper. As someone that had every whiz-bang offroad thing there is the more I think about it the more I wonder what was so interesting.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I get those same looks with my 87. People have memories of their old Ranger in high school, etc.. Or it's been years and years since they saw one so clean, or still on the road, etc.. That's what it is more often than not. The other group of people want to know why I have really wide rear wheels/tires until they hear me start it. I scare small children while starting it, on the regular.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

The looks I get are more in line with, "how does that thing pass inspection? Why is the driver so dirty?"

I also scare small children, but mostly because it (and I) look like we crawled straight out of a junkyard. Because we did.

Bird has a point, though. The head turns on bricknose Rangers are pretty normal. Ain't many of them left.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I get that... it was just weird to see someone that was as decked out as him interested in my little old truck.

I also forgot to mention I found cupholder inserts in the boating section at wally world that will greatly simplify my cupholder design.

 

[Ranger850]

I get that... it was just weird to see someone that was as decked out as him interested in my little old truck.

He proly bought his just like you saw it, and he was amazed at how some one could actually piece all that cool stuff together, by themselves.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Anyway, new cupholder has been designed and dropped off to get burned out. Hopefully it is done early enough before we leave so I can get the brace tacked and it painted.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

And we are officially in the 21st century! USB chargers galore AND wireless charging!


It works good on smooth roads. Rougher pavement or gravel not so much as my phone moves around. I also added a 12v power port that is ran with the key so I don't have to keep plugging in/unplugging the GPS.

 

[fastpakr]

A rubber band goes well with the wireless charger.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

A rubber band goes well with the wireless charger.

Hopefully there won't be much for rough county highways and gravel on our trip. After the trip the charger can go back beside my computer at work. Gonna have to find a rubber band now just in case though.

 

[fastpakr]

In February, the charging port on my phone died while I was on a trip. A quick stop at Walmart for the cheapest wireless charger they had plus a bag of rubber bands kept me on the grid until I could get home and swap it under warranty.