Can’t afford $56k for a new Ford Ranger Raptor or just don’t want to spend that much? Build your own.
This Ranger Raptor you see here was built and is owned by Mark McNeil from McNeil Racing and son of legendary Perry McNeil. The truck however is neither a Ranger nor a Raptor. The truck actually started out as a 2WD 1996 Mazda B-Series pickup. The B-Series is basically just a Ford Ranger re-badged and sold by Mazda. At the time, Ford owned part of Mazda but hasn’t had any ownership since 2015.
Mark and the team at McNeil Racing set out to make this one serious badass prerunner and it would likely outrun a new Ford Ranger Raptor.
Starting with that 1996 Mazda (Ranger) pickup, the truck received a full race suspension, 1.75” 4130 cab cage, a built GM LS2 engine backed by a TH400 automatic transmission, and KM444 wheels from KMC Wheels wrapped in 40-inch BFGoodrich Baja T/A’s. Yes, that says 40-inches. No, it’s not a misprint.
The truck uses McNeil Racing’s 1993+ Ford Ranger to 2020 Ford Raptor Fiberglass Bedsides along with their 1993+ Ford Ranger to 2020 Ford Raptor Off Road Fiberglass One Piece Conversion along with a AlphaRex LED headlights.
This truck is a 2WD prerunner made to rip across the desert, but you could add the front clip and bedsides to your 1993-2011 Ford Ranger and build your own version of a Ford Ranger Raptor. And if you do, please share your story with us!!
In the meantime, checkout @perrysson500 on Instagram to see videos and more photos of this amazing truck!
About the McNeil Family and McNeil Racing Inc.
The McNeil name carries serious weight in the off-road world. Mark McNeil may be the owner and driver of this Ford Ranger prerunner, but his story is deeply tied to a family legacy of desert racing and fabrication excellence. His father, Perry McNeil, is a legendary off-road racer and fabricator who has been competing and building vehicles for more than four decades.
Perry McNeil’s career began long before McNeil Racing Inc. became a well-known name in fiberglass and prerunner conversions. As a longtime SCORE International competitor, Perry has participated in over 50 editions of the Baja 1000, earned 12 class wins, four victories in the San Felipe 250, and multiple SCORE Class 5 championships between 2008 and 2013. He’s also competed across several divisions including Class 1, Class 2, Class 5, Class 7, and SCORE Lites, building a reputation as one of the most experienced and respected desert racers in the sport.
Beyond SCORE, Perry and his family have also been active in other desert racing organizations such as Best In The Desert, carrying their experience and craftsmanship into every vehicle they build and race. His contributions to off-road racing were formally recognized in 2025, when SCORE International named him Grand Marshal of the 57th Baja 500, honoring his decades of competition and innovation.
The family’s fabrication roots trace back to Perry’s Fab & Fiber, the original shop where Perry began designing and hand-laying fiberglass panels for race trucks and prerunners. That legacy continues today through McNeil Racing Inc., where Perry and his sons — including Mark McNeil — design, shape, and hand-build every panel and conversion kit used by racers and off-road enthusiasts around the world.
Their website, McNeilRacingInc.com, reflects the same philosophy that drives their racing success: “Designed by hand. Laid by hand. Built in Baja.” Every piece of fiberglass is crafted for real-world off-road performance — tested, raced, and proven by the McNeil family themselves.
From the Baja 1000 to local desert trails, the McNeils have built a reputation not only for their fiberglass work but for living the off-road lifestyle they promote. When you see a truck wearing McNeil Racing fiberglass, you’re looking at parts developed by a family that’s spent a lifetime pushing the limits of the desert — both behind the wheel and in the shop.
For more on Perry McNeil, check out SCORE selects former champ Perry McNeil Grand Marshal.
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About The Author:
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
