My 1993 Ranger.

[Midlifecrisis]

I was given this truck by a family member who felt it needed too much work to try and sell, and seeing as im a mechanic by trade, they gave it to me hoping it would be a good home..

SOO, in the past month that ive owned it, ive had to replace the following:

-water pump
-serpentine belt
-thermostat
-plugs
-cap
-rotor button
-transmission/rear seal
-taillights

even with all this replaced, i still have miles to go..

-IACV needs to be replaced due to the truck idling up and down
-fuel gauge sending unit needs to be replaced
-that wacky A/C hose that bolts to the compressor exploded while i was replacing the water pump so it needs to be swapped out..
-steering has ALOT of play that im not used to with the 30+ hondas ive owned so i need to figure that out..

thats just a small list of the stuff it needs besides a nice clean-up job, but i decided to post some pics of my transmission replacement job i did this weekend, which took about 4-5 hours, pretty simple..

Truck on the lift:

Old A4LD:

Nasty rear main seal leak i fixed:

Lower mileage A4LD out of a 92 ranger:

And a pic of the cobra wheels i scooped for project ranger for a whopping $100 off craigslist:

once all the mechanical probs are fixed i plan on installing the wheels, a DJM 3/4 kit, DJM shocks, new wheel bearings and a sheet metal roll pan..

 

[Midlifecrisis]

wow, i know my pics are just 3.2 megapixel camera phone pics, but no replies??

 

[Psychopete]

LOL, keep posting, it's just starting to get interesting. I'd love to have access to a shop like that, took me 7 hours to pull my 2.9L out with hand tools!

Pete

 

[JoshT]

Yeah now I know someone in the area who has a lift. Hopefully the truck will never give me another reason to need one though. Two questions for ya.

1) Due to them being "just 3.2 megapixel camera phone pics" can't really tell what color the truck is. Is it green or gray? FWIW 3.2mp isn't near crappy for a camera phone, that's as good of resolution as my last digital camera got.

2) What size are the wheels on the truck in the first picture? The look like stock 15" aluminum mods.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

the wheels are some kind of 15" aluminum mod style wheels with rivets with nearly new Cooper Cobra tires that will be for sale soon after the cobra wheels are on.. i just talked with one of the salesman at stylinconcepts and they made me one helluva deal on the DJM 3/4 kit, the nicer belltech shocks, and the Magnaflow catback exhaust.. now im just teetering on whether i think the truck is worth all that, lol.

oh and the truck is some kinda darker bluish green, its caked in dirt from 3-4 years of not being washed, i just havent found the time to clean it up..

 

[JoshT]

"its caked in dirt from 3-4 years of not being washed" if you don't mind my asking where did you get the truck? Sorry If I'm being to nosy.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

no not at all man.. this truck was bought in 96 by my uncle who delivered mail in it.. when my cousin turned 17, back in '00 or '01, it was given to him as his first vehicle.. i think hes maybe washed it once or twice, maybe changed the oil 5 or 6 times in that time.. he bought a passat 2 or 3 months ago and the truck sat until my aunt and uncle offered it to me for free since it needed so much work..

 

[jobar]

Yeah now I know someone in the area who has a lift. Hopefully the truck will never give me another reason to need one though.

I never even noticed he was in macon until you said something.

Projects looking good.

 

[JoshT]

Ok just wandering. I used to see a green ranger of the same body style parked in an old barn out on highway 42. It had been there for years and had a good layer of dust and dirt caked up on it. I noticed the truck was gone about a month ago, and then the barn started caving in. I kept thinking I needed to see about getting the truck so the barn wouldn't fall in on it, only to find out that it may have been the reason the barn wasn't falling in.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

well im gonna take some digi-cam pics tonight, i started removing the purpled window tint last night after a wash and hood wax, ill finish after work and post some higher quality pics. anyone know of a good chrome polish?

 

[racsan]

i had a 2 door fairmont futura once, thought it had a dark blue exterior. replaced a bent up fender and front bumper and decided to buff it out and wax it. turned out it was black, just so badly oxidized from years of neglect. looks like a good starting point. cant beat free, i would have put a std trans in it myself, but to each his own. the 3.0 will live forever.doesnt look too bad for camera-phone pics.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

UPDATE!!

245/45/17 Capitol tires, fitment was perfect, no mods needed.. they do scrub some when turned all the way..

time for a drop!

 

[Kyle M.]

Looks good

 

[Midlifecrisis]

thanks!

 

[skittlesmynigg]

how do you fix a rear main seal leak?

All i know is that its on the back of the motor and ill have to take the tran off.

Also, is a rear main seal sometimes called a "main bearing gasket"?

Its an 01 ranger 3.0 U. Any info would be greatly appreciated.