94' Ranger project: Float me some green

[huggyb1972]

I picked this little Ranger up this week as a cheeeeeep little truck to drive back and forth to work while I pay off a big old Dr. bill. Craigslist ad said 94 ranger $500. I guess I was the only guy who had actually called and showed up. I looked it over what a actual mess truck is all there but the engine was not running due to a supposed locked cam, the rear axle it being held in place with bailing wire tie down straps and 2x6's under the bed.






I offered $100 since there was so much to repair to get it street worthy again we shook on $150 then I called a tow truck. the day after it came home I dug into the engine and found the #3 cam bearing seized and had to pull the cam out with a jack bolt and a big socket. I replaced the cam bearing with a new one and verified the oiling system was carrying oil to that spot, so it's still a mystery why it seized for the time being. Saturday morning I put the timing belt back in, put the front pulley back on, hit the key, and it fired right up. So now I've spent about $200 on a $150 truck plus a $25 tow bill and at least have had the engine running for 25 minutes to get it up to temp and listen for any troubles in the engine or trans. The driveshaft pulled out of the trans on the ride home when it went over rail road tracks.

Tomorrow were going to pull the bed and replace the hangers and shackles with the parts that came on the fed ex truck Saturday afternoon. I have my eye on a flareside bed that I think is the same color green and then I 'm just going to use some of the camo film on the lower body line and see how it looks.

 

[huggyb1972]

This is why you should never do drugs.






At the time the cam failed this truck had just came of the interstate think about that for a minute. What some folks will do instead of just fixing "correctly" or moving on.

 

[huggyb1972]

I sold the bed for $100 now the truck is almost free. I wanted to put a step side bed on the truck and went to look at one but the color was wrong. Not wanting to repaint anything and having thoughs of making this a trail truck later I made a much stronger bed with room for larger tires and extra heavy duty for tying down a couple of dirt bikes or what have you.

 

[bcw]

What a heck of a deal. Glad to see that it's in good hands and ill be watching the build to see how you transform it.

 

[ATX]

The beds got that old 50's style stepside shape . We look awesome with a drop . But I saw you said lift I think . So may want to move the thread in that section since there's more people there . Waiting for more pics [emoji106]?


I just wanna go fast [emoji48]

 

[XLTsplash]

That's crazy the way they repaired the spring mounts. It's nice to see you fixed it correctly.

 

[huggyb1972]

The beds got that old 50's style stepside shape . We look awesome with a drop . But I saw you said lift I think . So may want to move the thread in that section since there's more people there . Waiting for more pics [emoji106]��


I just wanna go fast [emoji48]

I haven't really got a plan for the end result I'm just takin' my time. the bed will fit my other ranger also should I decide to hit the weeds from a lower altitude and toss a stepside bed on it.

 

[huggyb1972]

Finally got my trail lights on and slapped some paint on the steel. I took the little guy on a ride and filed up the tank. So far so good.

 

[huggyb1972]

So nasty outside right now. I got the new projector headlights in and diamond white HID's. these headlights have a projector style foglight built in I think the halogen is going to get ditched in lew of a HID conversion also.


The bed is getting finished slowly I just welded in the sides and fabbed up a tailgate now I don't have to be cautious about what I toss in the rear.

 

[1qaz]

Diggin' the bed!