JoshT
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- January 15, 2011
- Messages
- 314
- Reaction score
- 198
- City, State
- Middle Georgia
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1999 Ranger
EDIT: Wow that's a long post. Started typing and didn't realize how much I wrote. I'll go back and slim it down a little tomorrow. Sorry for being so long winded (or would that be worded)!
Hello!
First off let me introduce myself. In case you can't figure it out from the user name over there, my name is Josh. I'm a 25 year old aircraft mechanic working for the govt. Single home owner working full time, going to school part time. The obvious priority levels for the money are the house, the bills, school, then a little of what ever is left over for the vehicles. That and lack of time make all my projects seem to take forever, who am I kidding they do take forever.
As I mentioned in the "How did you find us?" thread. The first time I actually remember visiting this site was the ""How Do I Get Herculiner Off of My Hootus?!" thread. That was back when it was still a new thread. Never really did much reading here though. I'm sure that I visited before then but that was the first I remember. Was recently linked to a thread on this site (RPS) for an engine swap I'm (hopefully) soon to start.
I'm somewhat of a car nut. Currently I have 7 vehicles parked in the yard. Five of them are Fords one 1996 Probe, four RBVs (more on those later). I also have a 2010 Kia Forte Koup SX, and a 2003 Honda Shadow Sabre. Too many to keep track of and most of them aren't road worthy. Planning to donate that Probe to the local Technical College, and sell the Honda Shadow because I just don't ride it enough. The Kia is my DD, first vehicle I bought new. Didn't have a reliable vehicle at the time, and decided rather than dumping money into something that wasn't worth it I'd just buy something with a warranty, and that should be reliable. Leaves me with more time to spend on the projects.
Tow to the RBVs mentioned above. These are comprised of (in order of purchase) one 1984 Ranger, One 1999 Ranger 4x4, one 1986 Ranger, and one 1998 Ford Explorer. The 1984 Ranger was my first vehicle. It used to be my fathers he sold it to another family member and it was passed around the family for about 8 years. On my 16th birthday my grand mother handed me the title and the keys to the truck, and my father and I set out to get it back in good running order. Back in the late 80s dad had converted the 2.8L to Duraspark II ignition, installed the Offy intake, Holley 390 cfm Double pumper, and headers with true dual exhaust. Drove the truck daily like that, except for the 6 month span with a suspended license, until 2005 when I bought the 1999 Ranger. At that point I was a federal employee, needed a vehicle that got more than 10mpg, wanted a 4wd. Was actually looking for a little bit older truck but let my parents talk me into the newer one. Been driving it since then. In 2008 I started having the notorious 4.0L head problems. Both heads were cracked, so I replaced them with aftermarket castings. Late 2009 it started acting up again, so I retired it as a DD and picked up the little Probe for $500 to get my by until I had time to fix the truck again. One week after I bought the Probe I totalled the 84 ranger by wrapping it around a pecan tree. Deer+curve+damp road = me sliding sideways into the tree at 50-55 MPH. I was driving stupid and can't blame that on anyone but me. At the is point the 84 had a rebuild motor with less than 5000 miles on it, same performance mods plus a comp cam. So the hunt began for a new body to install my drive train into, found my 1986 Ranger in February 2010 for $500. It already had the motor pulled due to engine problems that required a rebuild. The abandoned the project and left it sitting in the garage for almost 10 years until I spotted the ad on craigs list. It was a Regular Cab short bed where my 84 had been a long bed, figured it's be more sporty and more practical for driving around town since I didn't use it as a truck much anyway (that's what the 99 is for). Last summer I started pulling the front suspension apart as time would allow, between work, overtime work, and school there wasn't a lot of time.
That pretty much catches you up to this year. Since the beginning of the year I gathered all the parts I had collected for the 84 and never got to install. Namely 3" drop I-Beams, Eldebrock IAS Shocks, and Full Poly Bushings. Cleande up the old suspension components that were removed to be re-used (IE: spindles, spring, rad arms), painted them and was in the process of getting the frame ready to install them. Then the project took a big turn for the better. I happened to be talking to a guy I've worked with for almost 6 years, mentioned my project and how I wanted to find an explorer in a few years to do a drive train swap. Just so happens that His brother had rolled a 1998 Explorer V8 not even two months eariler, and had kept the truck. Asked how much he wanted for it. Well now I have a $500 perfectly running, though high mileage, V8 Explorer sitting at the house waiting for the swap. So not I've decided to go ahead and put this motor in now rather than waiting. Now I just have to figure out how to make it work, but I'll make another thread for that, just won't be tonight.
Hello!
First off let me introduce myself. In case you can't figure it out from the user name over there, my name is Josh. I'm a 25 year old aircraft mechanic working for the govt. Single home owner working full time, going to school part time. The obvious priority levels for the money are the house, the bills, school, then a little of what ever is left over for the vehicles. That and lack of time make all my projects seem to take forever, who am I kidding they do take forever.
As I mentioned in the "How did you find us?" thread. The first time I actually remember visiting this site was the ""How Do I Get Herculiner Off of My Hootus?!" thread. That was back when it was still a new thread. Never really did much reading here though. I'm sure that I visited before then but that was the first I remember. Was recently linked to a thread on this site (RPS) for an engine swap I'm (hopefully) soon to start.
I'm somewhat of a car nut. Currently I have 7 vehicles parked in the yard. Five of them are Fords one 1996 Probe, four RBVs (more on those later). I also have a 2010 Kia Forte Koup SX, and a 2003 Honda Shadow Sabre. Too many to keep track of and most of them aren't road worthy. Planning to donate that Probe to the local Technical College, and sell the Honda Shadow because I just don't ride it enough. The Kia is my DD, first vehicle I bought new. Didn't have a reliable vehicle at the time, and decided rather than dumping money into something that wasn't worth it I'd just buy something with a warranty, and that should be reliable. Leaves me with more time to spend on the projects.
Tow to the RBVs mentioned above. These are comprised of (in order of purchase) one 1984 Ranger, One 1999 Ranger 4x4, one 1986 Ranger, and one 1998 Ford Explorer. The 1984 Ranger was my first vehicle. It used to be my fathers he sold it to another family member and it was passed around the family for about 8 years. On my 16th birthday my grand mother handed me the title and the keys to the truck, and my father and I set out to get it back in good running order. Back in the late 80s dad had converted the 2.8L to Duraspark II ignition, installed the Offy intake, Holley 390 cfm Double pumper, and headers with true dual exhaust. Drove the truck daily like that, except for the 6 month span with a suspended license, until 2005 when I bought the 1999 Ranger. At that point I was a federal employee, needed a vehicle that got more than 10mpg, wanted a 4wd. Was actually looking for a little bit older truck but let my parents talk me into the newer one. Been driving it since then. In 2008 I started having the notorious 4.0L head problems. Both heads were cracked, so I replaced them with aftermarket castings. Late 2009 it started acting up again, so I retired it as a DD and picked up the little Probe for $500 to get my by until I had time to fix the truck again. One week after I bought the Probe I totalled the 84 ranger by wrapping it around a pecan tree. Deer+curve+damp road = me sliding sideways into the tree at 50-55 MPH. I was driving stupid and can't blame that on anyone but me. At the is point the 84 had a rebuild motor with less than 5000 miles on it, same performance mods plus a comp cam. So the hunt began for a new body to install my drive train into, found my 1986 Ranger in February 2010 for $500. It already had the motor pulled due to engine problems that required a rebuild. The abandoned the project and left it sitting in the garage for almost 10 years until I spotted the ad on craigs list. It was a Regular Cab short bed where my 84 had been a long bed, figured it's be more sporty and more practical for driving around town since I didn't use it as a truck much anyway (that's what the 99 is for). Last summer I started pulling the front suspension apart as time would allow, between work, overtime work, and school there wasn't a lot of time.
That pretty much catches you up to this year. Since the beginning of the year I gathered all the parts I had collected for the 84 and never got to install. Namely 3" drop I-Beams, Eldebrock IAS Shocks, and Full Poly Bushings. Cleande up the old suspension components that were removed to be re-used (IE: spindles, spring, rad arms), painted them and was in the process of getting the frame ready to install them. Then the project took a big turn for the better. I happened to be talking to a guy I've worked with for almost 6 years, mentioned my project and how I wanted to find an explorer in a few years to do a drive train swap. Just so happens that His brother had rolled a 1998 Explorer V8 not even two months eariler, and had kept the truck. Asked how much he wanted for it. Well now I have a $500 perfectly running, though high mileage, V8 Explorer sitting at the house waiting for the swap. So not I've decided to go ahead and put this motor in now rather than waiting. Now I just have to figure out how to make it work, but I'll make another thread for that, just won't be tonight.
