Rebirth of a Legend (WNY964x4's Little Red Ranger)

[WNY964x4]

alrighty , most of you that have been here a while and know me remember my Fully Loaded 97 Ext Cab that i bounced off a tree and then blew the engine up , well after a full year of letting the truck sit the time has come to rebuild it. And this is more than a rebuild , this is a full Rebirth , the truck is being completely torn down and rebuilt to some extent from the ground up , and here is the plan for it


1. Replace Bed
2. have spray on bedliner installed
3. 32 Inch tires
4. 2 inch spidertrax wheel spacers
5. make brackets for lights on roll bar
6. install lights on roll bar
7. have frame sandblasted/needle scaled and painted
8. replace core support
9. replace fenders
10. replace headlight panel
11. replace lights
12. install switch panel on radio
13. install locker in front diff
14. make front and rear bumpers
15. new front brakes/bearings/seals
16. new clutch master/slave cylinder
17. 200 amp powermaster alternator
18. fix A/C system
19. turn old bed into matching trailer
20. get painted
21. moonvisor
22. 2000 one piece driveshaft conversion
23. install fender flares
24. swing out rear tire carrier
25. hi lift on roll bar
26. 8k pound winch on front bumper
27. rock sliders
28. 4.10’s in both axles
29. 1.5 inch Blocks
30. 1 inch coil spacer in front
31. Sway Bar delete

and soon i will post pics of the progress thus far , it has started to really get going the past couple days

 

[WNY964x4]

after removal of the front clip

same

damage to the core support from the tree incident

damaged and rotted fenders

new rims , my favorite style

ready to pull the drivetrain

note to self , powerwash entire underside before letting sit for a year

not fun when laying on your back and trying to bench press the T-case and guide the front shaft out at the same time


as always , hindsight is always 20/20 and i now realize i should have washed/lubricated the entire underside before i let it sit for a year

 

[Colin]

this should be good

 

[bobbywalter]

i know this is nit picky....


but...


there is nothing here worthy of the word bench press

 

[WNY964x4]

i know this is nit picky....


but...


there is nothing here worthy of the word bench press

it is just really awkward when laying under the truck and it is only like a foot and a half above you so your arms are at awkward angles , and one drive shaft is still connected , plus i am really out of shape haha

 

[bobbywalter]

it is just really awkward when laying under the truck and it is only like a foot and a half above you so your arms are at awkward angles , and one drive shaft is still connected , plus i am really out of shape haha

just picking on you....

i like how light they are....and i have done it mostly under water before in a mud hole....


waayyy better then a 203




looking forward to how the trailor turns out....you gonna get some custom shit for that??

 

[WNY964x4]

just picking on you....

i like how light they are....and i have done it mostly under water before in a mud hole....


waayyy better then a 203




looking forward to how the trailor turns out....you gonna get some custom shit for that??

what do you mean by Custom Shit ?

 

[bobbywalter]

blend/vee the front....match up paint-custom top etc

 

[4.0B2]

subscribed

 

[WNY964x4]

blend/vee the front....match up paint-custom top etc

how i plan to make it is take the F'ed up frame from my Level II and make that into the frame for the trailer , have a solid axle with 5x4.5 hubs , possibly electric brakes , and have matching tires on it , tounge will be the frame rails bent in to make an A frame and will have a toolbox mounted on it , plan to install a Leer high top cap , matching color for storage space up above , and will have a truck bed mattress so it actually functions as a camper , and then i am gonna see if i can sort of reverse engineer a trailer light T so it acts as the power source for the trailer tail lights (stock tail lights)

 

[dangerranger83]

Glad to see that you are fixing her and no junking her. Will be watching.

 

[WNY964x4]

Glad to see that you are fixing her and no junking her. Will be watching.

thanks , and i figure it will be a year long project at least , cause money is tight and i have to work my ass off to amass some of the parts

 

[1freaky1]

Good to hear it is getting a rebirth rather than a funeral.

 

[WNY964x4]

well i made a little progress today , not much but some , here are the only 2 pics , you can see in the second one the extent of the mud under the truck

 

[doorgunner]

Yep......even if you can only do one thing a day...it keeps the project from lasting threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee years....(but i'd rather keep myself outta this conversation)