Old Ford Ranger Work Truck Gets New Lift
When forum member 87xlranger found this old 1987 Ford Ranger work truck, he could see past what it is and imagine what it could be. And for $250, it was an amazing deal.
The Ranger had over 227,000 miles on it and didn’t run, but all it needed was a new fuel pump relay and the 2.9L V6 came back to life.
The Ranger was completed gutted and sent to a friend’s body shop for a new red PPG paint job. The friend must have given him a deal and worked on it between other jobs because it took a month for him to get it back. During that time, he ordered carpet, all new weatherstripping, and door seals.
With the truck back home, it was time to reassemble it. The interior metal work had been repainted. Now it was time to add a new black carpet in place of the old rubber floor, a ‘wood grain’ dash panel, and re-dye the interior red.
The bumpers were repainted black, but the rear step bumper was eventually replaced with a roll pan.
He also replaced the old chrome wheels with a set of “Legend 5’s” by Vision Wheels. They look like Mustang wheels but are actually meant to fit a Ranger. He drilled new holes in the factory rear shackles to lower the rear suspension 2-inches.
This 1987 Ford Ranger proves that you don’t have to always spend a lot of money to build a great street truck. Sometimes it just takes finding the right deal and some creativity. Our forum members like it as well because they voted it the April 2010 Street Truck of The Month.
Links
My 87 Reg Cab Ranger Restore Project….
Past Street Truck of The Month Winners
Photo Gallery
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.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road adventures contributed by owners worldwide. TheRangerStation.com has been referenced in print, video and online by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, and experience-based information.
