RESCUE RANGER ~ ForOffRoadDriving

[ForOffRoadDriving]

here are some pictures from the boat launch in the winter. i didnt realize it until i got back in but the entire launch that i backed down was solid ice and i found myself using my short shovel to break myself a one wheeled path up to the frozen dirt.

i finally got out and took some more pictures at home

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i did a few upgrades during the winter months. i upgraded my rear window latch and i got a center console out of an explorer nad then painted it to match. the arm rest bracket was too tall so i made a block off plate and will adress the bracket later.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i made this "tonneau" cover for a snowboard trip my buddies and i took up north to boyne mountain and nubs nob. we needed some where dry to put our gear and since they were driving a honda and i had the truck i decided to make a bed cover. i used treated ply wood, industrial door hinges, and c-clamps welded to pieces of pipe to make my latching system.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

my trusty 2.3l with 220,000miles developed a oil leak which added heavily to the oil consumption habit my truck has found. i put tracer line oil dye in the oil ad got out my uv glasses and found the leak on the back of the valve cover, so it was time for surgery. i figured while i was at it i would do the timing belt, serpentine belt, plugs, wires, and clean the throttle body out.

In the process of removing the intake manifold i broke the metal egr tube, so i made a block off plate for the intake and plugged the exhaust manifold with a big ass hammer and some quick steel epoxy.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

place holder

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

last week i upgraded my heating system by installing a cable operated heater valve to isolate my heater core and keep it from getting hot, that way when i turn on the fan it wont blow warm air when its 80 degrees out.

open

closed

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i went to the junkyard on friday and got "new" shifter bushings from a 95 ranger which had low miles (only 75,000 but rear end and front end were smashed). when i took my shifter apart i expected to find badly worn blue bushings, but all i found was blue chunks of plastic and nothing that resembled what i was about to install.

ever since ive owned this trans (5 years) ive had a large metal shifter knob on the end of the shifter shaft. when i saw that there were no bushings left i decided to go back to the lighter plastic knob, but i had to shorten it 1 inch to sit on the shaft properly, because i shortened the shaft 1-1/2" for a shorter throw.

 

[unknown]

just to let you know your not doing any more justice then running the stock box!

yes little more air but in the end your pushing hot air into the motor inreturn the power you thought you were going to get is not just a puff of hot power loss
put the old box on use this it will make a big differance that you will be ablt to feel.

<see the open front where stock was closed!
or you could put something like this

just so you know!
o the other note good thing you had a spare ranger to get you back on the road again! time to

nice diamond plate work!

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

yeah, i was young and dumb when i made that. i ended up doing some 2 tracking miles from home and got a bunch of water in the engine compartment and she got too wet to run. i pulled the filter off and put my sock on the end of the MAF and i was able to get back home with it. now i just run the stock box and keep a clean filter inside.

 

[unknown]

go to your local pepboys or something get the open front! it will give increades air for you since you want that little extra ummmmmffffff... you do the exsaust?

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

its got stock exhaust, nice and quiet just the way i like it. my plans for this truck are to swap out the cab with my 1994 parts truck and ditch the bed since both this and the parts truck beds are rotted to shit and just make it a flat bed to haul my bike and flat bottom boat. i got a price sheet together and figured it would cost me around 1500 to rebuild the engine, do the cab swap, replace the core support and build the bed. it will mostly just be a bolt and unbolt affair, but ill need to relocate somethings in the new cab as the engine harness will be the main hang up. that project is still a ways off, so im just going to finish the current build and then tinker with this one.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i added an arm rest this weekend (well i finally mounted the one that was suposed to be on the console).

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i havent updated this thread i quite a while but the rescue ranger is still alive and well. my brother and i have been using it on and off while our trucks have been down. his truck lost a rear drive shaft and took 2 months to gt put back together (we ended up putting in a clutch and going through everything from the bellhousing back), and thumpers pick up module in the distributor took a shit on me and i just got it fixed last night. now i need to pull the rescue ranger into the garage for some minor repairs so that it will be ready to drive the next time one of our vehicles goes down.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i gave the ole rscue ranger a bath and decided to snap a pic while i was on a photo shoot with thumper

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

nice work man!! i really like your bumpers!