New to forum and Mazda/Ranger pickup's with many Questions.

[Canuckbird74]

I have a ton of questions but 2 that if someone could help with right away Id be grateful . I'm looking at buying a 94 b2200(?),(regular cab, 4cyl. 220K kms, original owner, pickup, asking $400.) as a street rod project with my 17 yr old son. He will probably end up being the owner at some point. My questions are 1. Lowering the truck 3" does not seem to be that difficult, but there are always gremlins that pop up along the way (not AMC for those old enough). Any tips to avoid would be appreciated. 2. We will probably stick with the 4cyl for now but possibly look at turbo charging later. Anyone done this with the original engine? 3. The box is pretty rusty and was thinking of swapping it for a late model step-side off a ranger. Was wondering if anyone has done that and troubles I'm looking at. Sorry that's 1997 lbs to go. I will keep searching the forum.

 

[sgtsandman]

Until you get some answers from people what done or know about the first two questions, take a look at the technical and how to articles and see what you can find there. The info you need might be there already. As far as using a Ranger bed, it will probably fit but the sheet metal was stamped differently and the body lines will probably not match up. I would do some internet picture searches on both models and take a look at the body lines before you commit.

 

[OldMan2]

Welcome from Georgia.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

2.3l came in many flavors throughout the years, including the 2.3 Lima (IIRC) turbo that was in the Mustang SVO and Thunderbird.

Great engine, not very powerful without forced induction, but seems.to be too stubborn to die. Easy and cheap to get parts for as well, as they were not just used in vehicles, but industrial and construction equipment as well.

Welcome to the hobby you'll never be able to quit. ??

 

[97RangerXLT]

If your truck has a 6' bed on it, a stepside bed will bolt right up no fuss. you will need to get the fuel filler neck for the stepside and the rear bumper as well, as those items are specific to the bed style.

as for turboing, there is some tech articles that should cover it, and I am sure that there are members on here that have done it. dig through the Tech articles, and browse the engine specific forums on this site, and that should give you an idea of what you are up against.

and welcome to TRS.

AJ

 

[pjtoledo]

since you said the bed is rusty, that sets a red flag for more rust on the frame. inspect it thoroughly.

 

[RangerVet]

You could always build your own flat bed out of metal or wood. I live in Arizona where we have no rust but there are several trucks running around here with variations of the flat bad. Some look quite nice.

 

[OldMan2]

That looks very nice, but, with the metal bed frame, all that lumber, and the rear metal bumper, I can't help but wonder how much all of that weighs.....before adding a load of stuff.

 

[91stranger]

I wouldn't lower a truck just to have a homemade bed on it. That would look bad,,,, and that bad kind of bad, not the good kind. Main question is how much money do you plan on putting in it? a turbo, lowering kit, body work or a new bed is going to be well over 2500 unless you are good at body work, engine swaps/rebuilds or all of the above lol.

 

[don4331]

Some of you are making us look like amateurs; this is therangerstation, not some Tacoma forum for gosh sake.

'94 is crossover year for the B2200; I am assuming the truck you are looking at "looks like a Ranger" if you squint a little versus looking like a Datsun hardbody. If it has twin I-beam front suspension, it is a Ranger clone. And can be lowered with the same "dream beams" you would use to lower a Ranger. Note: Find a '97 Ranger and grab the dual pot knuckles/calipers/rotors as part of the lowering process to get the better brakes.

'94 B2200 is a '94 Ranger with slightly different front clip, box fenders*, interior trim and most importantly the Mazda 2.2 litre F engine (probably a 12 valve). Also, unless truck is LX, it probably has manual steering.

So, the basic cab/doors/frame are 100% Ranger, so panel lines from a stepside box would match right up, assuming 6' box as do the bolt holes in frame (and noted you need filler hoses, bumper and tailgate to make the conversion complete). While, I would inspect frame for rust, I wouldn't be too worried, assuming it is an Alberta truck. If you need a long box; contact me, I've got a pristine spare.

The Mazda 2.2 can be found turbocharged in Ford Probe GT and Mazda 626 GTs of same era. The good news on that - it is a factory engineered setup so it has all the pieces already installed and they work together. And the 2.2 turbo was rumored to make its rated power at wheels (not flywheel). The bad news - you would need to redo the piping/intercooler set up for the B2200 - longitudinal vs transverse engine mounting thing; not sure about electronics (I would grab as much as possible from donor car).

*When Madza stopped selling Bxx00 trucks, Ford used the extra Mazda boxes to create the STX models - quick thinking solution to an inventory issue

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If it says B2200 on the fender it isn’t Ford based. B2300 would be Ford.