Lariat's "Offroad Build"

[Lariat]

I'm not really building the truck for any hardcore offroading, but moreso making the truck mine with personal additions. So here's the story behind the little ranger that i still have yet to figure out a name for. I'm leaning to "The Bulldog" Anyway, here we go.

My journey to ranger fever started on November 2nd at around 6:20 pm. I was making a run to my girlfriends house to pick her up to see "Bad Gandpa." I have yet to see it. About 3/4 of the way to her house I hit a deer. No i didn't have my ranger at the time, but i had a very clean 2006 mustang. Not a GT, nothing fancy, but still cool for a 17 year old to have bought and paid for. Pic for reference

I loved that car and enjoyed every minute of having it. Although the buck that has yet to be found thought otherwise. leaving me with this twisted pile of steel and sadness.

It totaled the car, and ruined my ego. Well, after a month of looking, i had decided to try and buy an 89 bronco to 7.3 swap. But, that didn't work out. With a pocket full of cash, and in a buying mood i saw my ranger sitting at a car dealership and told my father to pull in. Well, about an hour later, my father and I left. We left with a new toy. My toy. 2002 Sonic blue ranger. Powered by the 4.0 SOHC, and backed with a 5r55e and an automatic t-case.

Well, now my pockets were empty, but my mustangs stall was filled. Not having and real plans for it, I joined Fordrangerforum.com and therangerstation.com under my screen name "lariat." So many ideas, thoughts, and images have came to mind after seeing so many Rangers, Lifted, lowered, and leveled. I have an image in mind, but i have a long way to go before I get to it.

The list of completed mods now are simple, but are still mods.
#1 CD/casset player out of an FX4
#2 Mustang dome light
#3 Ford puddle lights
#3 Torsion bar crank. (Needs MOAR lift!)
#4 Black 16x8 d-spoke rims with -6mm offset wrapped in 265-75x16 Cooper Discoverer AT-3's
#5 'sploder OHC.

Here's how it sits!

Feel free to compliment, add ideas, and offer advice!

Rangers aren't new to the family though. Dad's ride in highschool was a 92. Pic for reference.

 

[Lariat]

Pics of the console swap.

This is the 95% finished product. I have the wires ran for the sensor in the cab yet, just coiled up behind the dash and waiting to be ran externally.

I'm a big proponent of "measure twice, cut once" But in this case it was measure 37 times and cut 4 times. I never made the hole long enough to start with. I would rather cut off more, than try adding some back. Here is the eyesore of a hole in my headliner... Made me sick cutting it.

Thankfully my dad and i had the ENTIRE 2.8 wiring loom from his BII laying around and he allowed me to use it to follow the color scheme with the wires. Not all matched, but i cant cry. If you look closely i did cut off the tab that would go into the alignment slot on the 'sploder. It held me out enough where the steel cab support would release the tabs from the mounting plate. I also took the time to match the holes in the support with the holes in the plate to make it look and install better. Plus, it looks more professional. (oh the irony of black electrical tape)

Sadly i don't have any pictures of my loom ran to behind the dash. I tried to keep everything as stock looking as possible. I don't want it to look hacked together.

 

[Lariat]

A few more photos to add.

This one is a little blurry, and I apologize.

But first, lemme take a selfie!

 

[prerunner]

But first, lemme take a selfie!

Way cool Ranger you have there. (My long gone Super Duty was Sonic Blue. Awesome color.) You should know, once you start changing a Ranger - your committed.
Whats your dad doing with the Bronco II?

And BTW, thank you for not duckfacing your selfie.

 

[Lariat]

Dad's BII is 4.0 swapped, gen 2 dash, and has a 4 inch lift

I did plastidip the bumpers yesterday, but don't have pics yet. YAY no chrome!!!

 

[Lariat]

here's the black bumper. I need to do the valence yet, but it looks 10x better than before!

 

[428CJ]

Looks like you posted the wrong pic of your car. Here is the correct one:

Your welcome.

 

[96Indyram]

428cj....lol!

 

[Lariat]

Looks like you posted the wrong pic of your car. Here is the correct one:

Your welcome.

I wish we could have sig pics!

 

[Lariat]

Nothing really to add so far, I'm looking to to to the U-pull-it yard sometime after graduation and get a few things for dads BII and my ranger. Dad got some buckets for his BII and had me install them, now i need to grab a center console for him, along with a bumper. I also am looking to get some leather buckets out of an explorer along with a full length console. I was picking apart a wiring diagram for EATC, but decided i will wait until i have another vehicle to drive.

 

[Lariat]

So i went to u pull it and got a few new things...

Leather and full length console!

its not perfect, ill have to recover the top.
Because I can

dad's BII and my Ranger.

 

[Lariat]

 

[Lariat]

Gonna throw an update out there...

purchased and rebuilt a white faced cluster out of an explorer for my ranger, auto darkening headlights, explorer EATC, 06+ corners. not much to speak of, just little things.

 

[ianyboy]

Was the EATC plug and play?

 

[Lariat]

Was the EATC plug and play?

No. Not at all.