Rebirth of a Legend (WNY964x4's Little Red Ranger)

[85_Ranger4x4]

i have a bunch goin on this weekend (including a pre road trip tune up on my explorer) and then next week i am going to my dads , so nothin is gonna get done till the week of the 8th but the plan then is to crank and get the bed off , trans out and engine out , i just hope the clutch aint stuck to the flywheel ($400 clutch with ~7k miles on it)

I found it sinfully easy to pull the trans with the engine when I yanked out my 2.8 and A4LD. Same thing going the other way with the 302 and C5. Much easier than wrestling them out seperatly.

 

[WNY964x4]

I found it sinfully easy to pull the trans with the engine when I yanked out my 2.8 and A4LD. Same thing going the other way with the 302 and C5. Much easier than wrestling them out seperatly.

eh , for some reason i like to pull the trans separately from the engine , could be the fact that it is a pain in the ass to try and get both out when all you are using is a harbor freight engine crane and a single chain , if i had it at the race shop we have a gantry system and engine levelers , but in the driveway it is alot easier to go straight up with the engine

 

[koda6966]

i will sell ya the whole cab with front clip minus the bumper off a 2000 for $250 , the rear doors dont work though , and it doesnt come with a rear window (it is a slider that i swapped out of my 96 and has alot of my stickers on it)

Nah, I'm really looking for an 08 plus truck. The 1998-2000 trucks are a dime a dozen at my JY.

 

[WNY964x4]

a couple photo updates , these are actually from the beginning of the month , but i have gotten sidetracked by other stuff, hope to have the engine out of the truck and the bed off this week

trans out

back off stands

 

[Clay Lorance]

Subscribed. WNY, glad to see you bringing her back from the ashes. BTW, I still have the Off-Road mag with the picture of this truck in it. I think of your entire fleet of vehicles you have your red 3rd gen is my personal favorite.

 

[multiranger]

Man it sucks about the Level 2.. I figured it could have been fixed from the looks of it in the pics.. Good to see you back in action buddy!

 

[WNY964x4]

here are a few pics from what i got done yesterday , i just sold my 83 Dodge D-150 and i am hopefully going to PA tomorrow to get a 91 Jeep Comanche , of all the jeeps ever made there are only 3 i want , a CJ8 Scrambler , J10 Honcho Pickup , and a Comanche , this Comanche happens to be a 4.0 %-speed 4x4 and is the right price , so forgive me for joining the dark side haha

Subscribed. WNY, glad to see you bringing her back from the ashes. BTW, I still have the Off-Road mag with the picture of this truck in it. I think of your entire fleet of vehicles you have your red 3rd gen is my personal favorite.

Thanks , and i still have that issue too , i actually have both issues i have letters in , there was one a few months later where i corrected them about their transfer case ID article and gave them a link to TRS , and this one happens to be my favorite also

Man it sucks about the Level 2.. I figured it could have been fixed from the looks of it in the pics.. Good to see you back in action buddy!

Multi , the Level II is going to live again , the frame of that truck is junk , but everything else is fine , so it is getting swapped onto a spare frame i have , it will be a slow , steady process , but i have yet to start on it , but it shall live again

 

[WNY964x4]

progress pics from tonight

 

[Colin]

Something's missing

 

[Ryannn]

I like your hoist, matter ah fact I have the same one.

 

[WNY964x4]

Something's missing

maybe haha

I like your hoist, matter ah fact I have the same one.

haha , got mine at an auction for $40

i havent been on here in a while , been busy at school and such , took the old engine in for scrap , used the old heads to help another ranger brother out with his truck , just the short block went to scrap , saved everything from the heads up

 

[Clay Lorance]

Keep us posted on your progress WNY.

 

[WNY964x4]

ok well progressed stalled for a little while while i was gone at school , the plan was turning into a 'it's gonna be a year long project' type of plan since i had other projects i wanted to do at school , well the progress kinda got kick started yesterday when i bought Ranger #9 at an auction , it is a sad looking little 95 Reg Cab Short Box with 50k showing on the odo , though it was a fleet truck so my guess is it rolled the odo once , i paid more than i wanted to for it , but in the long run it has all the parts i need , and in mint condition , now i am just compiling a list of what i need parts wise to finish the engine and trans , and possibly swapping some stuff with another guy for a set of axles , and as long as my teacher ok's the project i will be bringing it down to school

and here are the pics of the parts truck

bringing it home , normally wouldnt load this way but the truck only had reverse haha

rims and tires that are either going on the explorer or getting swapped , the 265/75R16's were a bit much for the 4 cyl to handle with a 3.73 open rear haha

one of the reasons it is just a parts truck


EDIT: also thinking of using the grille and extensions off this truck and painting them black to put on my truck , toying with the idea of a Red/Black theme on the truck

 

[WNY964x4]

well , i have been gone a while from here haha , progress got started last weekend when i stripped the parts truck and then put new body panels on the red truck , now this weekend i am tearing apart a 96 Explorer to get a new Engine , Grey Leather interior with full center console , and 3.73 geared disc brake rear , so progress is happening in leaps and bounds

 

[kris97ranger]

someone mentioned this truck was in a magazine? got a pic of it b4 i hit the tree?