89 Ranger GT Restoration

[backroad101]

Looks like it needs a good media blasting to clearly see what you are starting with

.

 

[ZMan]

Looks like it needs a good media blasting to clearly see what you are starting with

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i think he can clearly see hes not working with much..lol.

 

[1989LongbedGT]

Yeah theres deff not too much there that doesnt need to be touched/replaced/repaired etc etc etc.

I will pick up a small sand blaster. I want to remove as much of the rust as i possibly can. It probably would be alot easier and time saving to replace the cab. But I know it can all be repaired.

Im still on the look out for a half decent reg cab long box for a parts donor. Have been pricing up boxes and cabs and i think the prices are rediculous for southern parts.

Boxes run from 1300 to 1500. Not sure if that includes tailgate and lights or not.
Cab without doors 1500.
Cab With doors 2500........seriously another 1000 Dollars for 2 doors? If i want to spend that much Id much rather drive down south for a rust free GT.

Matt

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Boxes run from 1300 to 1500. Not sure if that includes tailgate and lights or not.
Cab without doors 1500.
Cab With doors 2500........seriously another 1000 Dollars for 2 doors? If i want to spend that much Id much rather drive down south for a rust free GT.

Matt

Weird, you can get a rust free truck that is driveable for $1500.

I had a shop check some prices for solid southern boxes, $300-600... and I go get it.

Another option is remote areas, there isn't enough traffic in places like the Dakotas to bother with salt so they just drive on packed snow... which is about the same as driving in water as far as rust goes. Kinda strange and it goes against the grain but it stands to reason.

 

[ZMan]

prices are probably so high because of how far away you are from the "south". Its also terrible dealing with junkyards, they love to jack prices up on stuff like that.

Its still BS though, my dad paid $600 for a cab for his '57 Chevy pickup, and it had been shipped from California to the junkyard we bought it from here in Ohio.

Good work so far!

 

[1989LongbedGT]

I checked out car-part.com and a few of the local yards around here and near ontario had good prices. in the 500 dollar range for boxes and cabs. doors were between 75 and 150 each.

The work will deff get better as I go along. I think starting out on that corner of the cab probably wasnt the best idea. Pretty hard to shape it but atleast its in a area that wont be looked at all the time if its not perfect.

Gonna work on it a bit on my vacation and hopefully get some more progress on it.

Matt

 

[1989LongbedGT]

Hey guys. I wont be able to work on the truck until probably November at the latest due to personal reasons.

I am how ever sourcing parts for the truck. I should have new box sides for it soon and a few other misc parts.

Ill update it when I can

Matt

 

[1989LongbedGT]

Alright! Finally I can get access back to the truck. Now that all the bullshit is out of the way I can start back at the GT. Went and seen it on the weekend, first time I seen it since July.

On a side note! I got my old toy back as well. I traded my daily driver 95 neon back for my 2000 neon with a full srt4 swap. Sadly i had to sell the car last year due to financial reasons and now I have the car back. I missed this thing way too much and the power still puts a smile on my face. 256whp / 300wtq. Now to put something in the GT to make it equal with the SRT

 

[1989LongbedGT]

Heres my SRT4 Swap the day I painted it.

 

[1989LongbedGT]

Ok. So I got some time to mess with the GT on Saturday. Hardly have anytime lately to work on it since i seem to be helping everyone else with their stuff.

Made some progress on the driverside, got a new piece made up for the floor and for the inside panel where the cab side meets the floor. Or where the ebrake pedal bolts to, whatever you like to call it.


Outside of the cab, just ahead of the front door jamb.

Inside the cab. same piece and the new piece made for the floor. All i have left to do to this piece is to cut the hole for the ebrake cable to fit through.

Its very time consumming. Im fabbing up all my own panels at this time. Alot of measuring, cutting, trimming, re trimming, modifying.....get fed up because it doesnt fit right and make another piece. lol.

But im trying to replicate the pieces that i cut out of the truck so it looks OEM and is still strong. I made the same tabs and drilled holes to spot weld them back in place.

Before I headed back home i looked at the passenger cab corner and nearly gagged on how discusting it is.

Then the light bulb went off! I could use the driver side box corner to fix the passenger cab corner. Since the box is being replaced, I figured I would get some use out of it. Im surprised how thick the body metal is on these trucks!

Grabbed the grinder, went out to the box and started cutting! Oh i saved the gas cap door too! Its in great shape! Probably the only part that doesnt need to be repaired lol

I think this should work perfect! All I have to do is measure the driver side for reference on the passenger side. Cut out the bad, and weld in the new.

Its a shame this box has to go to waste since the inside box panels are in extremely good shape. But since im spending alot of time repairing the Cab. I Would much rather pick up a really good replacement box instead of trying to replace the whole sides of the original box.

 

[rockin86ranger]

Keep up the work, Good to see someone taking on a project no one else would. In the end you'll be proud of it, can't wait to get to work on mine but gotta wait for the money to come in.

And smart thinking with the bed and cab corner

 

[1989LongbedGT]

Thanks man! It deff quite the project. Every inch of this thing, literally, needs repairs. Im still brain storming on how im gonna fix the corners of the windshield/cowl area. Im sure it would make more sense to replace the cab.. but we all arent made of money

I totally hear ya on the money part man. I have been budget building this truck and many other cars I have owned for years. Once you get the hang of it and know what parts are good and worth while saving and where you can locate good deals.... You can really save alot of money. I can count on one hand how many "Brand New" Performance bolt on parts I bought over the years. Just gotta know what your buying lol.

 

[ZMan]

Thanks man! It deff quite the project. Every inch of this thing, literally, needs repairs. Im still brain storming on how im gonna fix the corners of the windshield/cowl area. Im sure it would make more sense to replace the cab.. but we all arent made of money

I totally hear ya on the money part man. I have been budget building this truck and many other cars I have owned for years. Once you get the hang of it and know what parts are good and worth while saving and where you can locate good deals.... You can really save alot of money. I can count on one hand how many "Brand New" Performance bolt on parts I bought over the years. Just gotta know what your buying lol.

For fixing the cowl area, look at it for a while, study how it goes together, and go from there. It took a bit of metal shaping and a lot of thinking when I fixed the cowl on my truck.

 

[1989LongbedGT]

Hey Z Man. It seems the only way to really get completely at those areas is to remove the windshield. and drill out all the spot welds for the wiper cowl? That seems to be the only way to have access underneath the cowl. I havent really looked at it much but poking at it with a screw driver. Its really bad on the passenger side.

Right now i just want to focus on the areas that are easily accessible and strengthen the cab up a bit before i really start cutting and removing some panels.

 

[ZMan]

Hey Z Man. It seems the only way to really get completely at those areas is to remove the windshield. and drill out all the spot welds for the wiper cowl? That seems to be the only way to have access underneath the cowl. I havent really looked at it much but poking at it with a screw driver. Its really bad on the passenger side.

Right now i just want to focus on the areas that are easily accessible and strengthen the cab up a bit before i really start cutting and removing some panels.

Yes the windshield will need to come out. I did mine without removing the wiper cowl, though i imagine that would make it a bit easier. When i get home this weekend ill look and see if i have a few more pics of my repair.