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Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

rookieshooter

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Joined
March 13, 2005
Messages
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City, State
Martinsburg WV
Year, Model & Trim Level
84 BII "Li'l Samson"
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balistic with saz-all



PICT2158.jpg
removing dash

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Steering wheel, some auto-meter gauges, heater controlls not finished need to make bezel for them, turn signals and high beam lights. Still need more gauges, speedometer, tach, oil, trans. temp etc.



PICT2160.jpg
98 Ranger tail gate fitted and metal fabbed-up above taillights also finished roof line


PICT3587.jpg
Fitting latch mechanism note v bend in metal follows body line of tailgate



PICT3585.jpg
installing battery compartment for 2 batteries. This is where the two back seats used to be. The driver seat is to the left of box. The box will have a cover. If you notice to the right there is about a 4 inch rise in the bed. I might just continue that height straight across the battery box area, but have it hinge up. That way I would have some storage area for my tools and other things, out of site of sticky fingers.




PICT3589.jpg
modifided bottom hinge pin of tailgate. Had to take out taillight housing and drill hole in it so hinge bolt would not interfer

more pic. to come
 
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Thats pretty cool. I have seen hacked up B IIs before (topless), but not with the finished tailgate. Keep us updated on the progress as you go. I want to follow this thread.

Is the back of the cab just going to be open? I saw one that looked like the back/roof of a ranger cab welded into it with the slider window.
 






wow, this is looking really cool

suscribing for updates.

--Ryan
 






PICT3580.jpg


here is my used Smittybilt tubed bumper that i picked up at Carlisle,PA for $20.00 it was to long, had to cut it down at each end and fab up brackets. I also added some aluminum diamond plate below tailgate. Picture 4 u can see what it looked like before aliminum was added.
 
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Did the ranger tail lights sit higher in the fender? I don't remember there being that much metal between them and the bend on my 89. Maybe there is. LOL I will look closer the next time my brother drives it down here.

Anyway, its looking good so far. I agree about the open back cab. I just wondered what your plans were in cold weather. :)
 






Brian_B said:
Did the ranger tail lights sit higher in the fender? I don't remember there being that much metal between them and the bend on my 89. Maybe there is. LOL I will look closer the next time my brother drives it down here.

Anyway, its looking good so far. I agree about the open back cab. I just wondered what your plans were in cold weather. :)

Those are brand new 84 B11 taillights in the stock location. When I fitted the ranger tailgate I had to raise the tailgate up to meet the top of the bed. The top of the bed was dictated by where the side windows used to be.
 






Looks pretty good so far. Seems like a fun project. I have been thinking about doing something similar to your dash, but I don't know if I will. Keep us updated.
 






rookieshooter said:
Those are brand new 84 B11 taillights in the stock location. When I fitted the ranger tailgate I had to raise the tailgate up to meet the top of the bed. The top of the bed was dictated by where the side windows used to be.

Thats what I'm seeing then. :) Sorry I was confused. :confused: Its ok, I stay that way most of the time. :D
 






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3rd brake light added to roof line and roof cage i fab. out of 3/4 x 3/4 square tubing with Hella work lights/back up lights
 






PICT3618.jpg


Mounted some Hella 1000 lights in front. To maintain my "Good o'll boy " status i also added cab lights lol

more pics. to come to keep u up to speed
 
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Looks cool man! :D
 






Is this the B II that had the aluminum cover from the IRS 8.8 w/the tabs sticking out? It looks very familiar for some reason in these latest pics. LOL

This is a cool project. I wish I would have had the time/money to do sonething radical to my ranger but my brother needed wheels. :(

EDIT: So is it a branger now? half a bronco and part ranger?

My ranger had 84 B II doors and a C5 transmission. The seats were from an 88 escort GT. Parts is parts! :D
 
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Brian_B said:
Is this the B II that had the aluminum cover from the IRS 8.8 w/the tabs sticking out? It looks very familiar for some reason in these latest pics. LOL

This is a cool project. I wish I would have had the time/money to do sonething radical to my ranger but my brother needed wheels. :(

You got it. I bought the cover off ebay for $25.00 and posted a question on how to clean it. I think it was spindalcone who advised me to bead blast and clear coat, which I did. Since then I made a cover guard for it out of some left over square stock from the roof cage project and used the wings to bolt it on. Then welded on 3/16 steel plate to run under the diff. I will post pics. of it

I listen to people on this site, I get most my ideas from people like you. If I had the money I would pay someone else, but didn't someone say "Trucks are better built then bought" One other thing the cab, turn signals, running lights and extra running lights that I added (you can see one of them in the side view of the roof cage are all LED's
 
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I think the title should be Bronco II and 1/2 :D


Just kidding....looks good man, sweet idea, do it yourself work cannot be done wrong
 






Ford_Racing_Guy said:
I think the title should be Bronco II and 1/2 :D


Just kidding....looks good man, sweet idea, do it yourself work cannot be done wrong

Thats a cool idea. In fact I really was going to take another B11 emblem and cut the 1 off of it and add it to the one on the tailgate for B111. You know sometimes when I do it myself I make a mistake and it comes out right. :confused:
 






or Ranger II wouldn't be a bad idea :D
 






Brian_B said:
Is this the B II that had the aluminum cover from the IRS 8.8 w/the tabs sticking out? It looks very familiar for some reason in these latest pics. LOL

This is a cool project. I wish I would have had the time/money to do sonething radical to my ranger but my brother needed wheels. :(

EDIT: So is it a branger now? half a bronco and part ranger?

My ranger had 84 B II doors and a C5 transmission. The seats were from an 88 escort GT. Parts is parts! :D

Amen on the Parts is parts. This project reminds of that old Johnny Cash song " I got it one piece at a time" So far it is part B11, part Ranger, part 94 Ex (dana 35 ,8.8 rear and springs) part 81 ford Couger (302 V8, AOD tranny and the radiator which is 30" long and tucked it under the frame which has the hood latch) The engine and trans were in the B11 but have been taken out and are now being modified. OOps forgot to mention 1/100th part Acura Integra I'll explain and post pics. later.
 
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yes the Acura part needs explaining :D
 






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Ok I am going to explain the 1/100 Acura. Bear with me. My 97 Ex. hood would not stay up, the struts were bad. So I took off the little support rod off the B11 and installed it on the Ex. When I started on the B11 project I had no way of holding up the hood. I noticed my sons old hatch back off his 94 Acura Integra laying in the back of the garage. It had these long struts on it. So I took one off and added it to one side of my B11 hood. Had to figure out the geometry to get this thing to hold the hood open and then be able to close It. It did not look right because the other side drooped down. So I added the other strut on the other side. Now the really neat thing happened which I did not know would happen. When I released the outside hood latch, the hood opens up on its own like it was on VIAGRA LOL. I am now thinking about having the latch open from inside the cab. I like to see the look on peoples faces when I pull up to gas station and the hood goes up on its own. Ha Ha. Please don't tell anyone on this site about the rice burner part LOL Like what was said earlier Parts is parts
 
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Very nice project sir.
 






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