"Project A59749" - My '88 Ranger XLT

[jhammel85]

Those wheels look much better!

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

Thanks man, we think so too =]

So, finally some progress on the Ranger. I've been scoping the local pick-your-part's for a good set of seats (or just a matching, but single drivers seat, which I'm pretty sure doesn't exist anymore) to replace my split-bench seats with. Not only did I find out that their prices have gone way up, but I also manged to find a really nice set of clean, (close to) matching tan, factory bucket seats from an early Explorer. Not a single tear or stain anywhere, slide and recline beautifully, and are admittedly much cushier than the seats currently in my Ranger. They're a little dirty, but not bad for having been in a junkyard for who knows how long. Really nice score, been looking for a long time for a good matching set. No pics yet, but I'm going to clean them up this week and install them on sunday, so I'll have some before and afters and a report on how awesome they are then.

 

[jhammel85]

Looking forward to seeing them installed. I'd like to do the same thing but honestly, I'd like a nice, comfy split bench instead. Those things are pretty plush compared to my plain solid bench seat (non vinyl, Regular cloth style)

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

I do like my split bench, I don't really have a complaint with the seat itself, it's that I have NO cupholders and nowhere local to store my stuff. I've always wanted a center console, and won't miss the center seat. Also, will make accessing the back of the cab easier, as well. I hope so, at least, haha. Glad to see someone is interested. Cleaning them up tonight, let's hope they turn out well.

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

They're in!!! And man do they look awesome. I didn't take any before pictures, but here's what the old ones looked like (best pic I could find):

And here it is with the new buckets:

I love it, looks awesome. I had to swap my existing seat tracks over to the new seats, and everything bolted right up. The only thing that sucks is the driver side seat belt track normally bolts to the middle section of the bench seat, so the single seat no longer has a spot to bolt that to. Looks like I'll have to try and rig something up to make it work. Other than that I just gotta get rid of the old middle seat belts, and find a decent center console. I'm super excited.

 

[jhammel85]

The look great! What are you going for center console wise? A bronco II one would be pretty cool. Most of them that I've see have been beat to hell though..

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

Glad you think so =]. Not 100% sure yet. I like the one out of the Gen 3 Rangers that have the flip-up armrest, so I'm probably going to be looking for something like that. Half the reason I want a center console is for local storage, so It needs to have a fairly roomy compartment. Anything in our local junkyards are usually in really bad shape, though. People tend to break them apart to get at stuff instead of disassembling them. I guess we'll have to see what I can find. Too bad I don't know much fabrication, otherwise I'd just make one, hehe.

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

SO, progress, kinda. I pulled a nice center console from an explorer a few weeks ago, finally got around to getting some hardware to get installed hopefully within the week. I'll upload some teaser pics later.

In other news, my truck has decided to start idling at 900 rpm instead of 800-ish like it always has. I know it's only 100 rpm... BUT IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE. Going to clean out my IAC when it gets a little less windy outside and see if that helps, and hopefully it will correct itself, which my truck has a habit of doing (will idle weird for a few days, then start working fine like nothing ever happened). Really annoying, cuz I feel like that's something that needs to quit before I can do the rest of the things I have planned for early 2013. I guess we'll see.

 

[86MUDRCJ]

It's come a ways since you first got it. I totally want to do the single seat/console swap now. Or get a set of racin seats with 5pt harnesses. My cousins buddy just bought a ranger almost like yours recently but it's got a 5.5" lift with baja fenders and IMO it looks baller lol. Anyways nice lookin truck keep up the good work man.

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

Haha, thanks dude, I appreciate it. Yeah, I really can't wait to lift this truck. The square body Rangers look so much better up in the air.

So... time for the teaser pic I promised (although a little later in progress than I originally had planned):

It has been done.

I apologize for the terrible picture, but the sun was already setting when I finished installing that bad boy this evening. I'll get some better pictures tomorrow, but in the mean time... I'm going to enjoy my new armrest and cup holders. After 4 years of waiting, I finally got em.

It really is the little things in life, ya know?

 

[86MUDRCJ]

Yeah I'm still tryin to find axles. I don't know what they go for where you're at but they get expensive real quick here. I can't these good deals that everybody finds lol and all my buddies have Chevys so I can't use the ones they got layin around.

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

I actually have no idea how much they go for around here. Probably a lot because the pick your part prices here have been sky rocketing, haha. Guess I'll have to find out at some point. I don't even have chevy ones laying around here, haha... besides, like you said, they'd be useless anyways.

So, here's a better picture of the console (still taken with my phone, just in the day this time):

I'm super happy with it, makes my truck SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE.

Let me know what you guys think.

 

[90jurassic2]

Nice find on those seats!! I was looking for a set of explorer seats, but settled for some B2 seats. Great clean truck man! I'm no expert, but the rear end has maybe a 2" to 3" block in the rear. When I lifted my old truck I took the out and it leveled my truck out pretty well, but then again I did put in a new set of leafs too. It's maybe a half hour to hour job to pull those blocks. You may want to try it. And if it doesn't work, no harm done. Just put the blocks back in.

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

Thanks man, much appreciated. Yeah, I got real lucky with both the seats and the console. All of it is in great condition, a rare find for these old trucks around here. Every other one I found either had tears or large stains in the seats, and completely destroyed center consoles. I am as lucky as I am ecstatic.

Also, mine is the 2wd, so no blocks for me. The 4wd Rangers came with 2 inch blocks, which I'm actually going to need for mine when I decide to lift it =P.

 

[90jurassic2]

So you have a 2wd truck? My bad. I thought I saw a front pumpkin in one of the photos.