Project: Amazing Grace

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Well, here she is boys:

Project Amazing Grace.

This will mostly be body restoration and fixing up. Kinda want to change the color scheme a bit. Maybe black and blue. Maybe go green and tan like the Eddies were. Not sure yet.

Already have an 8.8 for it. It probably won't get a D-35, unless I come across a complete one for cheap.

 

[jhammel85]

I saw your other thread on when you bought this but figured I'd post here.

Looks like a great deal for the 600 bucks you paid! Especially if it runs and drives great!

 

[rangerluver]

Dous this take the same sheetmetal (except for the box obviously) as the 88 Rangers? Front clip, hood, and doors?

 

[chrwilkins30]

um,,,,

but yeah

 

[adsm08]

Dous this take the same sheetmetal (except for the box obviously) as the 88 Rangers? Front clip, hood, and doors?

Yeah. Pretty much everything from the doors forward is the same.





Did some minor work tonight. The guy I bought it from told me it was going to need rear brakes because of a bad wheel cylinder. Even had the parts in the truck for me. Got the drums off, one side was soaked through, the other had a leaking wheel cylinder. So she got new rear brakes and axle seals tonight. Have to cut the drums tomorrow at work, bleed the brakes, and seal and fill the rear.

Unfortunately it has the crappy fiber-glass diff cover.

What a pain to clean.

 

[adsm08]

I saw your other thread on when you bought this but figured I'd post here.

Looks like a great deal for the 600 bucks you paid! Especially if it runs and drives great!

It does run and drive very well. Fires right up every time, runs like a new engine, only thing is that the drums are warped and so the whole truck vibes when you get into the brake pedal.

I think it feels like it has more power than even the cammed up Ranger, so that's a good thing I 'spose. And I know gears don't have anything to do with it. 3.73 and 3.45 aren't really that far apart.

 

[adsm08]

Eeewwww!!! Lof!!!

Changed the oil today. Twice.

I was encouraged when I saw it was a Motorcraft filter. That faded quickly when I saw its condition. Also when I saw the oil.

I filled it with Napa premium conventional 10-30 and a quart(ish) of ATF, and a Pro-select filter ran it until it warmed up, and then changed it again. Still came out looking like it was fresh from the ground. Eww.

Put a Motorcraft back on with a bottle of Lucas and 4 quarts of CJ-4 spec 10w-30 diesel oil (same as the Ranger gets). Hope that cleans her up nice. Hillbilly's old engine ran the best ever once I started using that stuff.

 

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New pic. Removed the last guy's Sunoco sticker from the rear window and replaced it with one of my own.

 

[disciplerocks]

Subscribed.

 

[CHKNFKR]

Subscribed!

 

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So the roof is now a different color. When I went to work this morning there was a lot of red on it. Now it is mostly primer gray.

Also the A/C works now.

Oh, recovered my manual T-case from my co-worker today. That will be getting installed here before too long. Just need to do U-joints in the front shaft a get a manual/manual bezel.

 

[adsm08]

Had an idea the other day.

I don't like how the rear feels at highway speeds. But the 1st gen Explorer sport was basically the same vehicle. It was only a few inches longer, it weighed about the same, and I'm putting a 4.0 in this thing anyway. But the Sports didn't have the 10 MPH roll-over issues the B2 was demonized for. So what changed.

The only thing that really changed that should have an effect on this is the rear axle. They flipped it over on the Explorers, so now the springs are attached to the bottom of the tipping point of the roll, instead of perched on top of it. This got me to thinking that putting an Ex rear axle assembly, springs and all, in might help the rear end feel at speed without sacrificing ride height. I'm gonna try it.


She needs a tank pump and I think the clutch is going to go soon though. So, not cool.

 

[superds]

When are you going to get around to doing the rear axle swap with the spring under? Sounds like an interesting idea. I'd like to see how it affects how the rear feels.

I also think the shorter wheelbase of the BII had a significant impact on the alleged roll over issue that was "corrected" with the longer wheelbase of the Ex Sports. But really, I think the real issue of the rollovers on the BII was the people driving them and the negative media generated making the issue seem like an epedemic.

 

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I have to get enough money around to get an axle and then find an axle and springs worth getting. Probably be until spring before I get that far.

I was talking this over with my shop foreman who is a freakin' genius when it comes to car stuff (he custom fabbed his own rear-steer system for his show truck before GM tried putting it on their trucks) and he agrees with me. The difference in wheel base between the B2 and the earliest Ex. Sports was not enough to make the difference in ride all by itself.

I agree that most of the issue there was people not knowing how to drive them and media blowing things out of proportion. It was a new front suspension system at the time and it probably didn't react how most people expected it to. Now that it's over 20 years old and we are all used to it, it isn't a big deal anymore.

But I will be sure to let you know how I like the feel once I get this done.

 

[superds]

If it works well, I might give it a go as well. I have BIIs that I'd like to put Explorer 8.8s into eventually and I'd be willing to do something a bit different.

So with an Explorer axle, springs and all, plopped under the BII would the ride height need a little adjustment or would it end up the same height as stock? If it ends up the same height, this could be the easiest axle upgrade ever, no welding or cutting of spring and shock mounts required. For a little lift, add a leaf or shackle lift.