From the pictures it looks like this 1983 Ford Ranger got parked in a storage locker in the 1990’s, and has just seen the light of day. Custom cars and trucks of the 1990’s had wild paint jobs, and the ‘Pro-Street’ trend involved narrowed 9-inch rear axles, wheel tubs, and fat tires.
The owner of this truck calls this a ‘Pro-Street’ pick-up. They may have missed some on the fat rear tire look, but it’s definitely cool.
This Ranger has been modified with a fuel injected 302 V8 and a automatic overdrive transmission swap. The engine and transmission are from a 1990 Lincoln along with the computer and wiring. This was a 1990’s build, with low miles and is pure stock. No loud mufflers, no cam upgrade…Pure stock. This truck has a narrowed Ford rear end with 3.55 gears, coil overs, and a ladder bar suspension.
In addition to the custom paint, it has shaved door handles with electric door poppers. It even has working Air conditioning.
This is NOT a race truck and it wasn’t built to be. This is a cruiser to have fun in.
I’d swap in a new camshaft and some Flowmaster mufflers to at least make it sound like the hot rod it’s trying to look like, and then have fun driving and showing it.
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About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of The Ranger Station, one of the longest-running Ford Ranger enthusiast communities on the web. He has spent over three decades owning, modifying, repairing, and driving Ford Rangers on the street, trail, and cross-country routes.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com in 1999, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road tests contributed by owners worldwide. His work has been referenced by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, experience-based information rather than theoretical advice.
Jim’s hands-on experience includes long-distance overland travel, trail use, drivetrain and axle upgrades, suspension tuning, and platform comparisons across multiple Ranger generations. The content published on The Ranger Station is grounded in first-hand experience and community-verified data, not marketing claims or generic specifications.
