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can you build a prerunner for 5k?


You know the best truck is when you yourself is being creative, not everyone has a ton of money to spend on "toys" so talk with them, where are you located, John Ehmke from AutoFab in Santee, CA is one of the best when it comes to bending I-Beams, he has done it for a lot years with great success, so that is cheaper than buying new ones. He will also bend yours by you just UPSing yours to him.

Craigslist/eBay for shocks and parts, people upgrade, people lose their jobs...

BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN DOING YOUR TRUCK, take a look at mine now, in the early years of building it I painted the fiberglass with Krylon for a year or two while I was working on it, I knew I was going to paint it one day, so I could care less if anyone said anything about my paint job! (There are pics on the website below).

Look in the junk yard for parts, offer to help clean and sweep the local fab shop in trade for someone to do so fab work for you, the barter system is still alive and well in most shops, plus you are already telling yourself NO before you ask them, SO ASK.

We want pictures and a progress report
 
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You know the best truck is when you yourself is being creative, not everyone has a ton of money to spend on "toys" so talk with them, where are you located, John Ehmke from AutoFab in Santee, CA is one of the best when it comes to bending I-Beams, he has done it for a lot years with great success, so that is cheaper than buying new ones. He will also bend yours by you just UPSing yours to him.

Craigslist/eBay for shocks and parts, people upgrade, people lose their jobs...

BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN DOING YOUR TRUCK, take a look at mine now, in the early years of building it I painted the fiberglass with Krylon for a year or two while I was working on it, I knew I was going to paint it one day, so I could care less if anyone said anything about my paint job! (There are pics on the website below).

Look in the junk yard for parts, offer to help clean and sweep the local fab shop in trade for someone to do so fab work for you, the barter system is still alive and well in most shops, plus you are already telling yourself NO before you ask them, SO ASK.

We want pictures and a progress report

Good advise right there. Most of the parts on my truck are used and picked up from RDC/dezertrangers classified adds, saved a ton of money doing it that way.


PRERUNR- time to put a body lift on your front bumper! :shok: And there is nothing wrong with the Krylon touch :)
 

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PRERUNR- time to put a body lift on your front bumper! :shok:

prerunin554, what you don't like my bumper, that makes two of us :icon_rofl: however I am rebuilding from the back forward and I just finished with the motor and trans as of the last week of October and now I am going to redo the complete exhaust system, then go into the cab with some more/better tunes, then reupholster the inside before continuing forward and to the bumper that you speak of.

Here is my dilemma though, I not only live in La Jolla California and yes there is a funny story to that about the "Mexican Gardner":pissedoff: but I also live in Nisswa Minnesota and Charlotte North Carolina...both of those places have DEER and I have hit two so far with that truck!

I like the lightweight single tube light holder (bumper) that have been around for years and that I have built for trucks but hit a 200 pound deer at 75 MPH and that deer is sitting in the cab with you! I am thinking about going .250 tubing as I only need small bends and the mandrel should do those without breaking the dies and the hydraulic pump.

Nevertheless, as you look at my truck, those lights are uncovered and they are legal even in California!

So yes, I do plan to rebuild that bumper, but I am just not sure what I am going to do as I not only need a legal height light mount, but also some major protection from DEER…I would gladly take opinions on the design, keep in mind, the more light you have the better to see the DEER with so I would like to keep 4 lights. I can go down in size though and eBay those lights!

See 1987surfranger, ask people for their input because sometimes others have been there and done that. I have a MIT education, have worked for Microsoft for many many years but still ask for advice, that’s how you really build a truck…with friends! Even though you may never meet them, we are all friends and we are all willing to help!

Yes, I typically work on my truck in Race Car/Truck Heaven while out in La Jolla. For those who do not know where “Race Car/Truck Heaven” is, it is in Santee California where my shop is across the street from Jimco Racing, next door to Alumi Craft, FOX Racing Shox, Stewart's Raceworks, AutoFab, MasterCraft Seats and many more…it’s rare to not get passed on the road by a $250,000 race buggy or $500,000 race truck being “tested” plus the echo created is enough to make any grown man happy!
 
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Yes, I typically work on my truck in Race Car/Truck Heaven while out in La Jolla. For those who do not know where “Race Car/Truck Heaven” is, it is in Santee California where my shop is across the street from Jimco Racing, next door to Alumi Craft, FOX Racing Shox, Stewart's Raceworks, AutoFab, MasterCraft Seats and many more…it’s rare to not get passed on the road by a $250,000 race buggy or $500,000 race truck being “tested” plus the echo created is enough to make any grown man happy!

What shop, I will be down in the mornin :) BTW, Jimco and Mastercraft are not in the same industrial park, they are separated by a freeway. BTW, I live in santee, so a quick stop isn't an issue.
 
You are local to Santee? Okay Mirage Racing Products, not Robbie's MasterCraft, but back in the old days Robbie was next to AutoFab where a detailer supply house is located. "freeway" 67 a "Freeway" that is a first for me LOL

I usually hang out at Vortex Engineering when I am in town, though I am not sure that I will be out there again this week as its Thanksgiving and I have some family coming over, though send me an email and we can meet and share some ideas. eMail ME @philolea.com But deffinately if you are in the area and see my truck stop by and say HI, or if you see me roaming the streets say HI...my name is Phil

Mike at Wintergardens Smog & Tune did the engine install and Rich over at Action Cylinder Heads did the motor...

vortex.jpg
 
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Can do! I will keep my eye out for you. My name is Ken by the way, and my truck is a bit more stealthy than yours :D
ranger76.jpg
 
Nice truck Ken, do you have a hitch on yours?:icon_rofl:

I wanted a comfy truck to drive across the United States with as I live in Charlotte 75% of the time and my shop back there is all about NASCAR as I am the only "PRERUNR" back there, it is the funnest thing to hear someone ask me where I go "crawlin" (yes, they drop the "g") until they realize its a two wheel drive, then they ask why I built a two wheel drive!

Now we at least know each other so when we pass each other or pull up to one another and honk like fools we will know why...oh that reminds me 1987surfranger you have to make your first purchase towards building your prerunner is to buy a "HELLA" horn, except nothing else!:icon_thumby:
 
Hitch? what the hell is that? I do have a usable bed (where those tires are-pic was taken right after the 33's were mounted, those are the stockers) though. Big enough for one of those giant pizza boxes!
 
WOW, Ok, well sorry, I am a newb to this and I really want to be better at this. I have been searching on race dezert for stuff. I actually found a bedcage I want to get.

BTW, Nisswa, MN huh? I'm from Minneapolis, living in Oceanside, CA right now.
 
markpetersonii What are you sorry about? Did I miss something?
Yes, most do not know where Nisswa is unless they have been to BIR and realize that BIR is in between Brainerd and Nisswa. I have a house on Gull Lake close to the Bar Harbor Supper Club. (Restaurant for you Californians, though instead of you ordering a drink, you bring your own alcohol in and they give sell you the 7-up or coke to mix with.)

BTW prerunin554 I went out and did some measuring and doodling to possibly create a new bumper before I work on the inside of the truck. I am thinking going 4 Hella Rallye 4000 Compact Xenon's as they are 6.5 inches wide instead of the 8.5 I have now, so I might be able to get them all on the same level so I can remain legal height for my bumper as well as the "Driving" and "Passing" lights that are uncovered while in California, I never have problems in Minnesota or North Carolina.
 
Prerunr- disappointment hit today as i drove down to Vortex and your truck wasn't there! You still haven't told me what "do you have a hitch?" means? Kinda confused, cause the ranger is more of the playful toy and the other truck tows it out. Anyway, You can easily fit at least 3 hella rallye 4k's between the grill (as i have set my bumper up for), 4 might be pushing it, but it is your truck.
 
You still haven't told me what "do you have a hitch?" means? Kinda confused, cause the ranger is more of the playful toy and the other truck tows it out.

prerunin554 People always look at mine and when the see the hitch on the rear ask me about it. I wanted a cheapie truck that I could have fun with that could also pull my two Sea-Doo GTX Limited iS's around with.

Plus here is another thing that I personally stick with, I do not spend more than $500 a week on my this toy otherwise I would have gone crazy on this truck and that is what 1987surfranger was asking in the first place, how do you build a fun truck for under $5,000.00...

prerunin554 Yeah, when I wake up I usually decide to head to Vortex or not, I will be this coming week though as I have a new muffler coming as I need some better tunes outside as well. Not sure who I am going to have bend up some 2.5 for me, but I am going two into a muffler and then exiting just past the cab on the passenger side.

markpetersonii Did you get that bed cage you found on "race dezert" is it a drill and bolt in, or weld in?
 
markpetersonii What are you sorry about? Did I miss something?
Yes, most do not know where Nisswa is unless they have been to BIR and realize that BIR is in between Brainerd and Nisswa. I have a house on Gull Lake close to the Bar Harbor Supper Club. (Restaurant for you Californians, though instead of you ordering a drink, you bring your own alcohol in and they give sell you the 7-up or coke to mix with.)

BTW prerunin554 I went out and did some measuring and doodling to possibly create a new bumper before I work on the inside of the truck. I am thinking going 4 Hella Rallye 4000 Compact Xenon's as they are 6.5 inches wide instead of the 8.5 I have now, so I might be able to get them all on the same level so I can remain legal height for my bumper as well as the "Driving" and "Passing" lights that are uncovered while in California, I never have problems in Minnesota or North Carolina.

Yeah, its cool, I just got upset. I actually just joined DezertRangers and I am getting custom shock hoops made for me.

I have been to Gull lake once before. I have family in Brainerd. HAHA I think you're one of the only Prerunners there! haha Mine is in CA but I'll bring it home one of these days!
 
Okay, "Jack's House" or "Paul Bunyan Bowl"...where do they bowl? Its funny whereas in California its where do you surf, but being that is so PHUCKING COLD there, we/they all head inside. I typically am there in Minnesota April and May with an occassional Ice Fishing Trip as well.

Can you make a "Hot Dish"? Have you made one for your sweetie yet? Did she wonder why you put pickels out next to the bread and butter?
 
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