Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and DannyBeans
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2020
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 5
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Indiana
- Vehicle Year
- 1983
- Make / Model
- Ford Ranger
- Engine Type
- 2.0 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- 2WD
- My credo
- It's not really yours 'til you've voided the warranty.
Hiya, folks. Longtime Ranger owner, new poster, probable future lurker. I have a base-model '83 called the Woad Warrior. I retired it a couple years back when the timing belt went, thinking it was a write-off. I stuck it in the barn with the plan to replace the engine someday. Now that I've learned that the Lima engine is non-interference . . . well, it might be time to get her running again. Especially since the wife and I are down to one car at the moment.
Once it's moving under its own power again, my long-term plan is to do a partial restoration/customization. It's a lot rustier now than when the picture below was taken (which is okay, since I'm about 30 pounds heavier now) - some previous owner kinda halfassed the bodywork when they restored it, and it's been disintegrating for a while now. So the cab will get new (well, serviceable used, anyway) door panels, fenders, and grill, while the box will be replaced with a wooden flatbed. Everything but the headlights will be replaced with LEDs, and I plan to put a 28-inch light bar on the front bumper, with a smaller flood in the bed. Longer-term I'd like to rechrome the bumpers and beef up the brakes and suspension to make it a nice little hauler.
On the interior side, I plan to replace the radio with something Android-based and pretty up the upholstery. I also have a 500-watt inverter sitting around that I'd like to hardwire in.
It's gonna be a lot of work, and gonna force me to learn some new skills, but I think it'll be a lot of fun. And if it doesn't turn out as well as I'm hoping, well, as long as it runs, I'll be happy.
Once it's moving under its own power again, my long-term plan is to do a partial restoration/customization. It's a lot rustier now than when the picture below was taken (which is okay, since I'm about 30 pounds heavier now) - some previous owner kinda halfassed the bodywork when they restored it, and it's been disintegrating for a while now. So the cab will get new (well, serviceable used, anyway) door panels, fenders, and grill, while the box will be replaced with a wooden flatbed. Everything but the headlights will be replaced with LEDs, and I plan to put a 28-inch light bar on the front bumper, with a smaller flood in the bed. Longer-term I'd like to rechrome the bumpers and beef up the brakes and suspension to make it a nice little hauler.
On the interior side, I plan to replace the radio with something Android-based and pretty up the upholstery. I also have a 500-watt inverter sitting around that I'd like to hardwire in.
It's gonna be a lot of work, and gonna force me to learn some new skills, but I think it'll be a lot of fun. And if it doesn't turn out as well as I'm hoping, well, as long as it runs, I'll be happy.
