'85 Ranger Restomod

[rebuild83]

i got welder been think of buying a bender. The only difference between boys and men is the cost of their toys or last one with the most toys wins

 

[Blmpkn]

Yeah, stick.

I think I would trip over a bender in my tiny garage more than I would use it.

The ones I've seen break down relatively compact.. of course its a pain to have to assemble something every time you gotta use it but still.

Oooh idea.... go halfsies on one with one of your buddys... keep it in his garage haha.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Last time I put gas in it I had fuel leaking out the top of the tank. It has pretty much been sitting all winter but I have driven it as much as I have been able to get the fuel down so I can drop the tank.

With the possiblity of dumping my wife's car soon (as soon as we get a legit shipped notice on the Bronco) and me needing the Ranger for a dd until the Bronco gets here and actually got a decent day today I got rolling on it.



Rolled the tank over and sure enough it was leaking around the pump. I adjusted the float last year and forgot to get a new gasket. Thinking the one in the trick was less than a year old and nobody was open I rolled with it... and it bit me.



Also stuck a fuel filter in it... needless to say I am going to be redoing the fuel system under the hood. Its been on my to-do list for awhile but it is getting bumped up. That line is like 2 years old...

 

[scotts90ranger]

If you want the best rubber fuel hose you can get pretty much it's THIS STUFF, it's pretty much the same but has a teflon liner on the inside, it's cheap and tough... just be careful when pushing it on a fitting, if the teflon gets smushed up in a wad no fuel will run through the hose... or so I've heard

 

[Lefty]

One very sweet ride! I do remember this model. It was just a plain Jane 4 cylinder. I drove it for work forty hours every week. I kinda miss it still.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Well as I have tripped over the winch in the dining room for the past three months I got to wondering if there would be a way to more or less stick it behind the front bumper.





I would at least have to move the bumper out another inch and a half (it is already kicked out about an inch from stock with my relocation bracket)





So yeah, I dunno.

I want to keep the stock looking chrome bumper. The thought of building something between the frame to contain the winch and then have tubes on the sides kinda like an STX bumper has crossed my mind but I keep going back to wanting to keep the chrome bumper. I could hog out the stone deflector thing (really don't want to) and shove it back a little farther but the radiator support is right there too.

I had thought about a Warn Transformer inspired grille guard with a winch mount built in but then my relocation bracket is going to need work to hold up to the winch.

And of course the winch will be sitting a lot farther away from the axle too for weight.

So we will put that in the "think about when bored folder" and see what develops.

While ago I snagged a antenna mount for a Jeep that mounts on the tail light. I think I can hog out the holes and cinch it down with a u bolt on my tire carrier for the GMRS antenna.



Went to put the car seat in the Ranger out of my wife's car since we sold it and yeah... darn little cab strikes again.



Sorry bud, you are back to rear facing.



Also, my parking brake quit working last fall. So I tried to adjust it up. DS was pretty close, PS was goofy and just didn't want to do much. Kinda thru me off until I happened to glance up and my year and a half old cable. Ain't that just neat?

 

[sgtsandman]

Is a front receiver an option?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Is a front receiver an option?

I have thought about it and it would be nice to keep the weight off the front of the truck when I don't need it.

I am afraid day to day if it isn't on the truck I will never use it though.

Right now if it was ready to go the slow finesse of a winch would be really handy to move some big tree branches (one of which is still perilously hanging onto the tree above my grill). Am I going to drag the winch out from under the work bench and hook it all up to pull down a branch... or just get by with a tractor that is literally turn key ready?

Dragging crap around the farm and stretching fence is probably going to be most of its use rather than actual recoveries.

However now that you got me thinking... if I could mount it like a receiver but just just have it solid I would have a good strong base to do winching from and build the grille guard around that and the bumper. I would also keep my front tow loops and could still make it look kinda like the factory mount. VS building a structure that has to fit a bumper, winch and grille guard.

 

[sgtsandman]

Could always put a mount in the bed to store it so you have it when needed. I’m not sure what kind of clearance you need for the camper and whether that would work.

Meaning the mount. I doubt you would want/need the winch when the camper is mounted.

 

[rebuild83]

You could weld in a receiver hitch and where you have that angle iron crossmember

 

[Curious Hound]

Could always put a mount in the bed to store it so you have it when needed. I’m not sure what kind of clearance you need for the camper and whether that would work.

Meaning the mount. I doubt you would want/need the winch when the camper is mounted.

If that thing gets stuck with the camper installed, he will want the winch.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Could always put a mount in the bed to store it so you have it when needed. I’m not sure what kind of clearance you need for the camper and whether that would work.

Meaning the mount. I doubt you would want/need the winch when the camper is mounted.

I probably wouldn't go there, the storage isn't the PITA in my mind. It is the taking it off and putting it on. Routing cables etc. And is the 100lbs coming and going going to effect the alignment so long term it really needs to either stay off or on?

If that thing gets stuck with the camper installed, he will want the winch.

We are careful where we go with the camper mounted...

Actually with the camper being able to ditch it would be an advantage. An easy 100lbs to lose.

Anyway, replacing my rubber fuel line with a solid metal one before I have a problem. Also wondering if my hose barbs for my gauge/regulator are restricting fuel flow at high power settings. Phase one of that process is relocating the coil from the intake manifold to the inner fender first gen 4cyl style.



Right now the coil wire comes under the heater box and up from the back with the choke wire. To get to where the coil mounts on the DS fender it needs to go around the front of the truck. The condenser makes pulling that harness a PITA, I am very tempted to just fill it with pre-run disconnected wires for future expansion. The connector for the two halves is in the open in the neighborhood of the radiator cap when it is all buttoned up.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Car club cruise night tonight!

 

[Lefty]

And that new Bronco is sure to be tomorrow's classic too

 

[racsan]

the bronco looks the same height as the ranger.