Redneckfordf250
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- April 9, 2014
- Messages
- 227
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Backwoods of AZ
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 94Explorer 96ranger
Ok so about a week and a half ago I picked up my 94 Explorer 4x4 4.0L V6 along with a 92 Ranger 4x4 4.0L. The ranger has no tittle but ran and drove. Supposedly the engine was locked up in my 94 explorer turned out to be the starter but I had swapped engines by then.
So after finding out it is probably just the starter seized I decided to start looking for a ranger same cab and such that was 2wd or really cheap with a tittle. While looking I found I was talking to the buddy I bought my explorer from and he said he had a 96 Ranger 2wd 4 banger extended cab green that was a bit beat up, had no engine and interior was torn out. He told me $250. I checked it out and it was fairly close to what I wanted minus being a 3rd gen and being beat up but $250 I wasn't going to complain.
Now the explorer is going to be my daily driver while I work on my F150 so I decided I would fix this up for my youngest brother whom will be getting his license soon and he can drive it around the ranch and once he gets his license he can drive on the roads under one condition he helps me with my explorer and F150 and other trucks and bikes when needed and he helps with this ranger swap. He agreed for a few reasons he would end up helping anyways, he always wanted a ranger, and he wanted a project to call his own.
After getting it we named it Tornado to follow the storm nicknames I have for our trucks (Bronco 2 is Blue thunder, my 88 F150 is white lightnin', and the explorer is Blizzard. I also thought it matched as it looks like a tornado hit it. LOL
Specs on the truck:
96 Ranger 2wd extended cab 3.73 open rear diff ford 7.5 2.3L 4 banger stick shift truck. Only an XLT but I love XLTs the most. Has manual windows and locks too. rear windows are the non opening style interior is tan and exterior currently is green, pink, red, purple and white.
Specs on chassis:
92 Ranger 4x4 extended cab unknown gears yet Ford 8.8 I believe 4.0L V6 fresh A4lD currently has auto hubs that are bad and push button 4x4 which works.
Problems with the 96:
engine is gone
body has a few pretty decent sized dents
rear glass is gone
drivers door glass is gone
Windshield looks like well a tornado hit it
grille is broken
headlights and turns are broken
tail lights broken
bumper totaled
Fiberglass rocker shield totaled
front seats, headliner, back trim panel, are all gone
carpet is totaled
Dash mostly doesn't work
tailgate is off a mazda but is completely straight and works fine
had a drop in bedliner
4 of the 5 tires were flat and had gashes in them
was used as a ranch truck so was fairly beat
the locks don't work
and probably more I haven't noticed yet.
The good:
it was more or less what I wanted
most of the cab itself was straight
less tearing down then I would have needed if assembled
Left enough leeway in price to buy parts needed.
Had a tittle.
Now Plan:
take the cab, front clip, and bed, and rear bumper off. Rear bumper is fully straight minus couple of dings so get those small ones out, pull the dents I can out of the cab, bed and hood and throw it on the 92 4x4 chassis.
Before putting on chassis find out small problems with my 4.0L engine in it and get a starter and fuel pump and oil pressure sensor which we broke while removing.
Use the 92 interior pretty much everything minus door panels, headliner, back panels, rear seats, and small things of that sort.
The 92 had bucket seats with a good middle console so will install that.
The column will go in from the 92 and probably sell off the 96 column.
The headliner will be none for now till I get a custom one made or my brother does.
after all is assembled I will start sourcing some tail lights for it probably stock for now also a drivers door and window with hopefully same mirror even though both mirrors are good.
Install the 92 back glass which is the same
install a windshield
find a grille, headlights, bumper, and rocker shield cheap and get them on. cheaply paint it
run stock 92 ranger wheels painted black with chrome center caps and sell off the 14s. I have the 92 ranger wheels and the front caps
find some manual hubs
install the open style rear windows if we can
After that just drive it a ton till phase 2 (yes I am doing phases like on my explorer)
Phase 2:
correctly paint it something better then green.
do the rest of the body work
billet grille
smoked or clear everything (even 3rd brake light)
truck box or roll bar
cowl hood
brush guard
custom hidden winch
enough lift to fit 33s with no rubbing
tint all the windows
cold air intake
better and louder exhaust
sweet radio system
and probably more.
Pics:
my 02 f250 pulling her home:
Blue thunder (84 Bronco 2), White Lightnin' (my 88 F150), Cross Bones (other brother's 91 F250), and Toranado (96 Ranger):
I already installed the tailgate and removed the trash from the bed and the drop in bedliner. Luckly no rust below it:
Poor trashed interior:
adios 4 banger (buddy bought it running drove it down the road and spun a bearing and messed up the engine:
So after finding out it is probably just the starter seized I decided to start looking for a ranger same cab and such that was 2wd or really cheap with a tittle. While looking I found I was talking to the buddy I bought my explorer from and he said he had a 96 Ranger 2wd 4 banger extended cab green that was a bit beat up, had no engine and interior was torn out. He told me $250. I checked it out and it was fairly close to what I wanted minus being a 3rd gen and being beat up but $250 I wasn't going to complain.
Now the explorer is going to be my daily driver while I work on my F150 so I decided I would fix this up for my youngest brother whom will be getting his license soon and he can drive it around the ranch and once he gets his license he can drive on the roads under one condition he helps me with my explorer and F150 and other trucks and bikes when needed and he helps with this ranger swap. He agreed for a few reasons he would end up helping anyways, he always wanted a ranger, and he wanted a project to call his own.
After getting it we named it Tornado to follow the storm nicknames I have for our trucks (Bronco 2 is Blue thunder, my 88 F150 is white lightnin', and the explorer is Blizzard. I also thought it matched as it looks like a tornado hit it. LOL
Specs on the truck:
96 Ranger 2wd extended cab 3.73 open rear diff ford 7.5 2.3L 4 banger stick shift truck. Only an XLT but I love XLTs the most. Has manual windows and locks too. rear windows are the non opening style interior is tan and exterior currently is green, pink, red, purple and white.
Specs on chassis:
92 Ranger 4x4 extended cab unknown gears yet Ford 8.8 I believe 4.0L V6 fresh A4lD currently has auto hubs that are bad and push button 4x4 which works.
Problems with the 96:
engine is gone
body has a few pretty decent sized dents
rear glass is gone
drivers door glass is gone
Windshield looks like well a tornado hit it
grille is broken
headlights and turns are broken
tail lights broken
bumper totaled
Fiberglass rocker shield totaled
front seats, headliner, back trim panel, are all gone
carpet is totaled
Dash mostly doesn't work
tailgate is off a mazda but is completely straight and works fine
had a drop in bedliner
4 of the 5 tires were flat and had gashes in them
was used as a ranch truck so was fairly beat
the locks don't work
and probably more I haven't noticed yet.
The good:
it was more or less what I wanted
most of the cab itself was straight
less tearing down then I would have needed if assembled
Left enough leeway in price to buy parts needed.
Had a tittle.
Now Plan:
take the cab, front clip, and bed, and rear bumper off. Rear bumper is fully straight minus couple of dings so get those small ones out, pull the dents I can out of the cab, bed and hood and throw it on the 92 4x4 chassis.
Before putting on chassis find out small problems with my 4.0L engine in it and get a starter and fuel pump and oil pressure sensor which we broke while removing.
Use the 92 interior pretty much everything minus door panels, headliner, back panels, rear seats, and small things of that sort.
The 92 had bucket seats with a good middle console so will install that.
The column will go in from the 92 and probably sell off the 96 column.
The headliner will be none for now till I get a custom one made or my brother does.
after all is assembled I will start sourcing some tail lights for it probably stock for now also a drivers door and window with hopefully same mirror even though both mirrors are good.
Install the 92 back glass which is the same
install a windshield
find a grille, headlights, bumper, and rocker shield cheap and get them on. cheaply paint it
run stock 92 ranger wheels painted black with chrome center caps and sell off the 14s. I have the 92 ranger wheels and the front caps
find some manual hubs
install the open style rear windows if we can
After that just drive it a ton till phase 2 (yes I am doing phases like on my explorer)
Phase 2:
correctly paint it something better then green.
do the rest of the body work
billet grille
smoked or clear everything (even 3rd brake light)
truck box or roll bar
cowl hood
brush guard
custom hidden winch
enough lift to fit 33s with no rubbing
tint all the windows
cold air intake
better and louder exhaust
sweet radio system
and probably more.
Pics:
my 02 f250 pulling her home:
Blue thunder (84 Bronco 2), White Lightnin' (my 88 F150), Cross Bones (other brother's 91 F250), and Toranado (96 Ranger):
I already installed the tailgate and removed the trash from the bed and the drop in bedliner. Luckly no rust below it:
Poor trashed interior:
adios 4 banger (buddy bought it running drove it down the road and spun a bearing and messed up the engine:
