One more 2wd 98 coil spring 5.0 swap.

[veefer800canuck]

I can't believe that one can paint outside at all.

What about dust?

 

[Jbrown1238]

I can't believe that one can paint outside at all.

What about dust?

Dust and debris is always a concern but you can do a few things to minimize the problem. Stay away from solid colors, metallic hides a lot of it. Pick a day that the air is still and the neighborhood is not very active. Get the paint on quick and don't waist a lot of time. I color sand and buff everything I paint, mostly for the smooth finish and reflection it provides. Unless the debris has a color that stands out against the color of the vehicle it is not going to show once the surface has been color sanded.

 

[Jbrown1238]

After spot checking a few panels with the 600 grit wet and a polishing wheel I went ahead and color sanded and polished the front bumper cover and header panel to completion. Then I attached the lower valance and installed the fog lights. Once that was complete I positioned the headlights in the header panel but could not finish attaching those as I am missing the mounting clips. A quick search on eBay fixed that issue. Until they come in I will have to get by with the “custom yellow masking tape fasteners.”









I was hoping the Motorcraft FL1A Oil Filter would be visible from the wheel opening and the front valance. I just thought it added a “non-stockish” look to the job.





I also attached the new LED High Mount Light to the back of the cab. I think it will match the newer style tail lights much better than the OEM light.



I took tonight off but plan to get back on color sanding tomorrow night. I am going to try and get the hood and tailgate through 1000 grit wet and then 2000 grit wet tomorrow night. That will leave Friday night for polishing. Then both pieces will be ready for the underside to be painted. With a little luck I can sneak that in this weekend.

 

[win]

Looking good, damn good!

 

[RangerSVT]

Looking real good, Jeff. I know you're going for a stock look, but I think the black diamond headlights and matching corner lights would look awesome with that mirror black paint job...

SVT

 

[veefer800canuck]

Dang, that's coming together nicely.

I like the stance. Your careful consideration of ride height, wheel width, offset, and tire size really fill the truck out without looking cartoonish or sticking out from the body obscenely.

I hate it when people slapdash some rims on their vehicle because Cousin Vern gave them some, and the fitment is so poor it's laughable.

Just because the bolt pattern is the same, doesn't mean they should be mounted. LOL

 

[Jbrown1238]

Looking real good, Jeff. I know you're going for a stock look, but I think the black diamond headlights and matching corner lights would look awesome with that mirror black paint job...

SVT

Thanks Rick, I am still kicking around the idea of getting a set of those black headlights and a black STX grill just to see what it would look like. I see that look on F150's and Explorer's and it looks good, I may try it down the road.

 

[Jbrown1238]

Dang, that's coming together nicely.

I like the stance. Your careful consideration of ride height, wheel width, offset, and tire size really fill the truck out without looking cartoonish or sticking out from the body obscenely.

I hate it when people slapdash some rims on their vehicle because Cousin Vern gave them some, and the fitment is so poor it's laughable.

Just because the bolt pattern is the same, doesn't mean they should be mounted. LOL

Can you believe I am still playing around with it? I got it close but that damn Ranger rear end offset is a pain. Every single one has the rear end kicked over to the passenger side just a little bit. Then there is the front with trying to get the center caps to fit! I think it will work but I would still like to take 2mm out of the front width on each side and add 2mm to the back on each side. There just isn't enough room for that little bit of change on either end. The front center caps won't clear and the rear tires won't clear when the suspension is compressed.

 

[Jbrown1238]

Rick,

I have meaning to ask you about removing the dash. I heard you say there is only seven bolts and it is pretty easy. I have a few questions.

How long does it take to remove the dash?

Do you have to remove the heater core, steering column, and pedals or can they all be moved out of the way but remain in the vehicle?

Is the 98 and 99 dash the same?

What should I watch out for?

What is the most difficult part of I the job?

 

[RangerSVT]

Heaterbox and pedals stay in, lower the steering column, remove the fuse box door on the driver side door jamb, there will be a bolt at the lower corner dash above the E brake, another just inside the fusebox, the lower corner of the right side, remove the panel on top the dash near the windshield, there's 3 bolts there. Near the center of the dash on the floorboard, to the right of the throttle pedal, there's an 8mm bolt that the support rod/bracket is bolted to, remove that. After that, the dash will be free from the firewall, might have to wiggle it a little, but it'll come free.
If you are removing from the truck and not just pulling it for access, unplug the HVAC vacuum feed from the firewall, and the electrical plugs through the firewall near the E brake. 95-11 ranger dashes (95-01 explorer) are structurally the same...

SVT

 

[Jbrown1238]

Heaterbox and pedals stay in, lower the steering column, remove the fuse box door on the driver side door jamb, there will be a bolt at the lower corner dash above the E brake, another just inside the fusebox, the lower corner of the right side, remove the panel on top the dash near the windshield, there's 3 bolts there. Near the center of the dash on the floorboard, to the right of the throttle pedal, there's an 8mm bolt that the support rod/bracket is bolted to, remove that. After that, the dash will be free from the firewall, might have to wiggle it a little, but it'll come free.
If you are removing from the truck and not just pulling it for access, unplug the HVAC vacuum feed from the firewall, and the electrical plugs through the firewall near the E brake. 95-11 ranger dashes (95-01 explorer) are structurally the same...

SVT

Thanks Rick for the detailed response. I think I am going to swap the dash from the 98 into the 99 as it is in a little bit better condition. It really needs to come out to be painted anyway although I had planned to pull the windshield and not the dash. I will probably do it during the month of June.

 

[Jbrown1238]

Because of the recent weather changes I have had to change direction a little bit. I wanted to spray the underside of the hood and tailgate before color sanding and polishing the outside surfaces. There was a short break in the high rain chances so I decided to take advantage and shoot the underside of both panels this afternoon. This was only after moving forward a few days ago with the color sanding process.
I wrapped the outside of both panels in Norton Plastic sheeting and roll taped the edges. Then placed both in position to spray the color and clear before night falls.











I will let them set up over night, then flip them right side up tomorrow afternoon and finish the polishing process. Once that is complete I will mount the hood and set the tailgate aside until the bed has been removed and painted. I can’t wait to see the truck with the hood polished and mounted. That is going to feel like a big step forward. It will complete the front of the truck as far as appearance goes.

That new Sata Jet throws it down nice but sure runs through the material quick. I have been playing with the air pressure, fan control, and distance to the panel to try and cut down on the consumption. I blew through 1.25 gallons of clear in the past 10 days. I admit I did put on 3 heavy coats and sprayed the inside and outside of several panels as well as 15 assorted pieces. It just seems like the material is going fast!

 

[Jbrown1238]

I finished the last step of polishing the hood today and went ahead and mounted it in place. Setting one of these heavier hoods in place alone is a very nerve racking job. Getting it in place isn’t the issue, getting it in place without bending or scratching something is the hard part. I had planned on pulling the front pieces and both fenders just to be safe but I got a little lazy at the last minute. I took my time and was very careful. Everything turned out fine, no scratches or dents.

It feels good to get the 1999 Red Hood off and the 2011 Black junk yard hood in place. I didn’t get a chance to take many decent photos today but will try to get a few full view photos tomorrow when the truck is out front. I plan to take a short test drive if all goes well. Here are a few of the close up shots I did get before the day ended.

 

[Stangman92]

Wow that looks great!

 

[veefer800canuck]

Holy crap, that paint is miles deep.