Project Life Support.

[koda6966]

I'm starting back in slow. I picked up a pair of new terminal clamps because my negitive one is broke in half and the positive is so squished around that it doesn't clamp tight anymore. I'll probably do that tomorrow.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

the cap looks good man!!
when did u got that damage on the bed? close to the tail light?

hope u can fix the oil pan issue, so we can see that truck rolling again

and +1 on the no valance look, fix that, looks fugly without it.

 

[koda6966]

The bed damage has been on it since day one, I bought it like that. Unless your talking about the scuff/dent on the quarter panel. That's from the caddy I hit. Not noticeable in the newer pictures though so your probably talking about the massive ugly scrape. It got worse when a fat chick leaned on it. Damn fat chicks. I don't know if I'm going to fix it or not. I might just leave it, gives it character. If it was a new dent I'd fix it but since I've had it the whole time it makes my truck.. mine.. I guess.

 

[koda6966]

Got those battery cables done. On a difficulty scale of 1-5 I'd rate it at a 1.5 tops. All you really need are snippers, needle nose, and a good utility knife. I used wire strippers as well, but you can use the utility knife to do the same thing if your careful. Of course you'll need a wrench to remove/install the battery terminals and clamp onto the wires. If you do this, don't use the blue ring terminals (#16-14 AWG). I only did because I had them already. Use the next size up, which is yellow I believe. I had to stuff the wires in there. The blue only worked fine for one of the ground wires, and my extra wire off the + side that goes inside for my cathodes, alarm, etc. And yes, I know my battery is leaking. This is the battery that the guy I bought my car from switched the new one that was in it out with. I didn't notice until the next afternoon. It has a broken post that's tarred for a seal. I'm going to dig around in the garage and see what I can come up with for a different battery. My father has seven or eight in there, but I'm not sure if any of them are any good.

Before.

After.

Cost : $2.99 + tax. (I already had the blue ring terminals.)

 

[koda6966]

Now that it's running like a charm, it's going to be moved up on the hill. My brother is bringing over his grinder and I'm going to grind off the screws that hold on my bed liner. That way I can get to the bolts to take the bed off and fix that gas leak. While I'm in there I'll probably do some exhaust work and maybe some axle/suspension work if I have the time and funds.

Anyone know what size torx bit the bed bolts are? I have sizes 10-30. IIRC it's 50 or 55, something like that. I'll probably have to see about borrowing one of them too.

For the exhaust I'm thinking simple. Probably getting another Redhot like what's on the Zx2. It's nice, throaty, and cheap. And, I can drown it out with my music!

 

[ozziemo27]

Now that it's running like a charm, it's going to be moved up on the hill. My brother is bringing over his grinder and I'm going to grind off the screws that hold on my bed liner. That way I can get to the bolts to take the bed off and fix that gas leak. While I'm in there I'll probably do some exhaust work and maybe some axle/suspension work if I have the time and funds.

Anyone know what size torx bit the bed bolts are? I have sizes 10-30. IIRC it's 50 or 55, something like that. I'll probably have to see about borrowing one of them too.

For the exhaust I'm thinking simple. Probably getting another Redhot like what's on the Zx2. It's nice, throaty, and cheap. And, I can drown it out with my music!

The bed bolts are T-55. One thing I can't seem to forget, lol, douse those clips the bed bolts thread into with pb blaster or something the night before, might make it a little easier if they are rusty (as it seems you are in the rust belt like me)

 

[koda6966]

The trucks actually pretty rust free. It was summer driven and garage kept by the first owner down in NYC. The second owners damage was mostly the leaf spring shackles and shocks. Along with the oil pan. I never really drove it but since I bought it some rust has sprouted up on the wheel wells. I'll still drown it in PB.

 

[koda6966]

Right now I'm building a part shed/workshop for the Ranger. I'll snap some photos tomorrow if I remember. The cost to build is going to be $0. The wood was free (log cabin rejects) and the nails were in a can in the garage. Windows are from when we remodled. The only cost that it could possibly have is hinges and new caulk for the windows. I'm also going to build a cover on the side of the existing shed where I'm going to park the Ranger so I can still do work in the rain.

 

[koda6966]

Got those screws ground off. Now I'm just waiting on a T55 bit and my work area to be finished so I can park the truck and take the bed off. And I've gotta get a tarp. I'm hoping that the bed isn't all rusted out underneath and missing paint and whatnot. The bed liner is all cracked and messed up and I don't know if I want to put it back on.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

why not cutting the floor of it and use it as a floor mat on the bed?

 

[koda6966]

Because I have a heavy duty bed mat sitting around, just needs to be re-cut for a Ranger since it was from the Nissan. It's like an inch thick.

Plus I kind of want to have one of those rubbery bed liners sprayed on. Not the Rhinoline or whatever, that stuff is wayyyy to grippy. Sure it's nice to keep stuff in the bed and protect it, but when you want something to come out and it's even slightly heavy your screwed.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

Because I have a heavy duty bed mat sitting around, just needs to be re-cut for a Ranger since it was from the Nissan. It's like an inch thick.

Plus I kind of want to have one of those rubbery bed liners sprayed on. Not the Rhinoline or whatever, that stuff is wayyyy to grippy. Sure it's nice to keep stuff in the bed and protect it, but when you want something to come out and it's even slightly heavy your screwed.

yeah, thats why i like the plastic bedliner on mine. pulling/pushing stuff on it is so easy, now when i do the same on mom's truck with no liner at all, well... its a pain lol

 

[koda6966]

Here's that parts shed I'm building. So far I have more than half of it done. I still need to go up two more blocks on the back and build the side wall, then fix the front wall that fell down. Once that's done I have to frame in the doorway and finish the windows, and chisel off the top grooves on the blocks. Then I can start work on the roof. I'm going to frame out a peak with roughcut 2x4's. Not sure how high I want to go yet. I'm going to use scrap steel for the roofing material (on top of plywood and tar paper of course) so I don't need as much of a peak as I would a shingled roof. The only costs on this will be the 2x4's if I can't find any lying around, and more nails since I'm almost out. Not bad.

Here's what the wood is I'm using. It's your basic tongue and groove log cabin wood. Rejects from a local saw mill.

I know the shed isn't perfect or pretty but it's not supposed to be, its a freebee shed. I was going to criss cross the corners for stability but I didn't have enough base pieces to do it that way, and the backwall was already built halfway from when my father started it three years ago and quit.

This is where the Ranger's going. Next to the other shed.

While I was outside I decided to snap some pictures of the Ranger. I can't wait to be back behind the wheel of it again. My brothers edge got my attention too, so I nabbed one of that.

Here's that bumper I've gotta replace. It's all messed up from that collision with the grand prix.

I've also got some rust sprouting up. Oh well, I planned for fiberglass front fenders and bedsides anyway.

And you can't forget my assistant in building the shed. He's been keeping me company up there the last few days. My brothers coonhound.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

raging dog

 

[feellnfroggy]

Cant beat a good coonhound.