Introducing myself

[Categimperat]

Hey all, I picked up a nice little 2wd, single cab, 7 foot bed, 5 speed MY2000 Ranger last month as a winter beater. It’s my first first Ranger and my first truck I’ve owned. It’s been a blast to own and drive! So far I’ve rebuilt the front suspension and am working on rustproofing the frame. I’m diving into it and have found that the floor pan is rusty, and the cab mounts are a little crusty too, so I’m looking into a cab swap. I’ll be asking some questions about that here.

Thanks for having me!

 

[pjtoledo]

Friendly FYI
the VIN, official Vehicle Identification Number, is permanently affixed to the cowling/dash.
that means changing the cab is also changing the VIN, it will legally be a different vehicle then.

for the frame, pay particular attention to the areas where the rear springs attach.
these frames are actually 2 pieces and are riveted together at the front of the rear springs and crossmember.
rust likes to form at that spot, hidden in between the 2 pieces.

 

[Categimperat]

Friendly FYI
the VIN, official Vehicle Identification Number, is permanently affixed to the cowling/dash.
that means changing the cab is also changing the VIN, it will legally be a different vehicle then.

for the frame, pay particular attention to the areas where the rear springs attach.
these frames are actually 2 pieces and are riveted together at the front of the rear springs and crossmember.
rust likes to form at that spot, hidden in between the 2 pieces.

Thanks for the reply. I was under the impression that legally, the frame’s vin identifies the truck, not the cab’s?

Also, thanks for pointing out the rear spring perches. I have a set of leaf spring bushings and rearward shackles/mounts which I’ll be putting on next.

 

[scotts90ranger]

The cab VIN is the one that is visible so it's the one on record, in most states I believe you can add a VIN to a title as long as you have both titles or something... worth looking into.

I believe there's floor pans available that would be easier to do than a cab swap.

 

[pjtoledo]

Thanks for the reply. I was under the impression that legally, the frame’s vin identifies the truck, not the cab’s?

Also, thanks for pointing out the rear spring perches. I have a set of leaf spring bushings and rearward shackles/mounts which I’ll be putting on next.

on the VIN it's the tag you see in lower part of the windshield. that is the official number for these years, all modern vehicles.
on the springs, look at the front part of the leaf springs. 2 frame pieces and a crossmember are riveted together there.
the cab & bed are each on a different and separate section of frame.

 

[JoshT]

For a little more context...

Thanks for the reply. I was under the impression that legally, the frame’s vin identifies the truck, not the cab’s?

That was from the days before the VIN was federally mandated to be located in the passenger compartment, on the left side, and visible through the windshield. I don't recall the exact year it went into effect, but it was in place by the 1980s, so would affect all Rangers. The same code requires that other parts also be marked, but that is the location that is specifically called out and looked for by officials. The other markings are usually only looked for if the officials have reason to think there is something suspect (IE stolen car gets VIN swapped).

49 CFR 565.13:
"The VIN for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low speed vehicles, and trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR shall be located inside the passenger compartment. It shall be readable, without moving any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight lighting conditions by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose eye-point is located outside the vehicle adjacent to the left windshield pillar. Each character in the VIN subject to this paragraph shall have a minimum height of 4 mm."