Trying to sell conversion to wife.

[DTMBENZ]

Good morning ladies and gents, I'm sure a lot of you guys out there can sympathize with me as well as maybe some of the ladies. So I have laid out a well planned(in my mind) v8 and solid axle swap on my 93 ford ranger supercab. The engine swap(due to miles and upper end knocking) entails a mustang 302 efi, m5r2 transmission and transfer case(4x4 f150) now for the front sas(due to TTB essentially falling apart) will include a dana 44 complete from graveyard bronco and all the goodies pieced with it. I figure ROUGHLY $6500 for the "investment in fun" and $3000 for what I paid for the vehicle. I'm a very meticulous master Mercedes Benz technician so I will be doing all the work myself to the best of my ability so labor shouldn't be an issue. Now here's the problem: My wife is a Financial Adviser for Merrill Lynch and ultimately the big ticket decider.

So what does everyone here think I could get out of that truck later on down the road(eventually planning to have body shop go over the cab/bed rust then shoot it with a quality matte black paint. I understand I will not everything I have into the vehicle back but it would be a fun build. Any info or thoughts would be helpful. Thanks everyone.

Shane

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Sale of a custom vehicle depends on who walks by and likes it, it is really hard to put a price on. Aside from the "fun" part of it there really is no logical reason to do a V8 swap, nothing a financial adviser would buy anyway.

So tell her $10-15k

I have heard it is easier to get forgiveness than permission.

BTW a better D35 would help with the money part of it, with good u-joints they are comparable in strength to a stock D44. If you are worried about a fancy paint job you probably won't be flogging on it too hard anyway.

 

[DTMBENZ]

"BTW a better D35 would help with the money part of it, with good u-joints they are comparable in strength to a stock D44. "

Do you have any recommendations? So far I haven't been very happy with this TTB.

 

[Sultan]

I like the "isn't life about the journey" or "when you die will you remember the money you saved or the things you experienced?"

I did ask a local speed shop if they would offer the service of telling wives about the money you just spent. I really think they could sell more product and make an extra $25 per sale telling the wife for you

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

"BTW a better D35 would help with the money part of it, with good u-joints they are comparable in strength to a stock D44. "

Do you have any recommendations? So far I haven't been very happy with this TTB.

If you have anything but a 4.0 you probably have the D28/D35 hybrid, D35's are found in any RBV with a 4.0, 1st generation Explorers being the most common.

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/May06/dana35_ujoint_snapring.htm

Axles are about halfway down on here, V8 swaps are more towards the top.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/index.php

I did ask a local speed shop if they would offer the service of telling wives about the money you just spent. I really think they could sell more product and make an extra $25 per sale telling the wife for you

Probably not after it caught on. Rather than shooting from the hip they would have time to think about it and launch a more planned attack.

 

[WWard]

I like the "isn't life about the journey" or "when you die will you remember the money you saved or the things you experienced?"

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well perserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting,'...Holy Shit!! ... What a ride!"

George Carlin 1937-2008
RIP

Do the swap for FUN !!
Don't worry about the money.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

After 5 years mine finally got over it but I did the deed over time not all at once.
Her job is loaning money so kinda in the same boat....lol.

 

[mike732]

Sounds like you guys could get a new wife and have what you want much quicker than all this worrying... I buy what I want and tell her later, Copperhead can attest to that...

 

[Tominator]

You will NEVER get the cash back out of the Ranger let alone the cost of your labor.

Take it from me. I have more in my Ranger than a new Mercedes will cost you!

Express the love to do something different and unique. Shower the love of your life with expressions of love and thanks. Put her first and she will encourage your efforts revolving around your Ranger.

If by this time you have not spent AT LEAST $50 in flowers [Monday is Valentines Day!] forget the Ranger! It'll never passs muster!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Sounds like you guys could get a new wife and have what you want much quicker than all this worrying... I buy what I want and tell her later, Copperhead can attest to that...

No wife here.

 

[logicgear]

my girlfriend (yes she is a keeper) wanted to do a 4x4 conversion to her ranger and wants me to do the V8 conversion to my ranger. we just haven't saved enought to beable to do them. she asked me the other day if i had my "shopping list" done yet for my truck. lol

 

[baddad457]

If you have to justify what you do to your wife with your truck, then something's wrong with the marriage to start with. Go buy a newer truck, then keep the present one as a "hobby"

 

[mike732]

She does sound like a keeper, although tell her if she had a second job it would happen sooner... (Plus more shop time for you)

 

[DTMBENZ]

Thanks for the support and wisdom everyone. I think it just ultimately comes down to an internal conflict for me that I'm trying to pass onto my wife, although she does HATE my Ranger she understands my passion for building, fixing, and creating something unique to me. She would like me to get a nicer/newer truck that she can drive(automatic) and I can justify spending the money on easier. I would love to get back into a lifted diesel rig but just don't want to have the monthly payment. Again, Thanks everyone for attempting to help me out.

 

[35Remmy]

Hahaha, I completely understand where you're coming from. My wife is a commercial lender for a local bank and ALL she knows is how to manage money. Quite frustrating sometimes, but if it were up to me we'd be in debt up to our eyeballs and wouldn't have the house we have, heh.

To her, my V8 Ranger project is simply "financially irresponsible".

She does let me do things a little at a time without giving me a problem, when the "extra" money is there, or if I do side-work. I have the 302 (88 5.0 HO), the 8.8 rear and I'm currently looking for a good c4 to build to handle 400HP.

But hell, the AFR165 heads I'm putting on the engine cost 1,300$...It's all of this extra stuff that's costing an arm and a leg...and I'm doing this project how I want it, the first time. I'm not going to hobcob this truck and swap in all used, worn-out parts from the local u-pull-it and be happy with that!!! The truck is mint, and that's how I want the job to be done!

Why don't you like the TTB? I LOVE that axle...it has THE most suspension travel potential of anything out there! Just think, it's like a scissor and the "only" thing holding it back are the length of the springs. Lots of baja racers use the TTB for this reason.