Long Distance '85 Ranger Build

[85_Ranger4x4]

I love your truck. The first new vehicle I bought was one of those. Any updates?

Oh, just the usual overland type stuff...







Not much really for updates. After the trip I changed the oil and washed it. Used it for a go'fer during harvest (actually used my shovel and first aid kit when a loaded wagon tire went down and came off the rim in the field) More or less daily drove it until the time change, now that I have to drive home after dark with twitterpated deer it is just a weekend driver until they start spreading salt.

I did order sliders for it yesterday both for protection and to tie into frame mounts for my Skamper. They are due Monday but it will take me a bit to figure out them out.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Just mocking them up to see how it will look:









I just eyeballed it and made it look about right. Then I checked the mounting tube and it just stuck in there. If I wanted to weld them on it would be pretty cut and dry, I am going bolt on though which will work out because the rear tubes will need to be slightly angled because of the frame design.

 

[Andrew_S]

Those sliders are going to look awesome! What brand are those? the quality looks great.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Those sliders are going to look awesome! What brand are those? the quality looks great.

Thanks! They are Trail Gear brand, summit had them on sale for $245 for black Friday week, I can't diy much for that. These are the 67" version.

 

[Andrew_S]

Thanks! They are Trail Gear brand, summit had them on sale for $245 for black Friday week, I can't diy much for that. These are the 67" version.

Wow that's a smoking deal. Wish I would have seen that.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Today... I did a thing.









It does need a little TLC, when they were moving it they dropped it on that one rocker which put a crease in the bedside...



But it is freaking solid and 95% straight so I am stoked. It even came with the base model F O R D tailgate which I very much prefer (what my truck has although mine has seen a better day) I have been looking for 15 years and this is actually the first longbed I have found within a realistic distance. Sure I have drooled over them in Texas or whatever on car-part.com but nothing this close (an hour away) Longbeds jjust are not out there compared to shortbeds. Standard cab shortbed Rangers and Supercab Rangers use the same 6' shortbox so they practically grow on trees, if you got a 7' box it is because you selected that option... and I think most of those were work trucks that got clobbered/abused.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Plans? Replace your bed or make a matching truck box trailer?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Plans? Replace your bed or make a matching truck box trailer?

Replace my bed. I already have a box trailer and the box on it is in good enough shape I am not that inclined to break the 6 bolts to swap beds.



Endgame is I want to cosmetically restore my truck. It already has nice doors and I have a perfect grille, front fenders and hood stashed already. And now I have the biggest and hardest to find part... the bed. It is going to be a bit down the road but that is what I am working towards.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Kinda neat, my truck somehow got a featured article written on it on a different forum. I had no input and didn't know it was happening until after it happened, I thought it came out pretty good.

Justin Russell's 1985 Ford Ranger 4x4 'Warthog' - The Ranger Station

Justin Russell (85_Ranger4x4) is one of our forum moderators, and has been a member since 2002. Justin got this 1985 Ford Ranger 4×4 while in high school, and has owned it ever since. As you can see on the license … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

BTW "Warthog" came from the truck in Halo. It is such a neat name I think I even inspired Ford to build a Bronco version.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Its been miserably cold, I haven't been able to do much outside until this weekend. I finally got my daylighters that I have had for a month installed.







I found a nicer spare tire and a decent wheel at the JY for my spare. Threw a cheap NOS center cap on it, kinda neat how the red pops.



Kinda fun to get it out again, its been parked for about two months.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The fist rockslider is 2/3 done.

 

[Andrew_S]

Friggin love the look of this truck. Can't wait to see more updates.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Friggin love the look of this truck. Can't wait to see more updates.

Its been neglected lately.

Been busy hauling brush and in the field and working on my camper and just taking care of things.

I did get the easy slider done and threw it on last weekend so it was out of my way.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My FIL just inherited the '91 Ranger his FIL bought new and he wanted to swap the split bench for buckets. I have already went down that road and did not care for how Explorer buckets fit in a standard cab... so he offered me the 66k mile split bench.



So I dug the tracks out of the barn and threw them in, fits much better than either the Explorer or EB BII buckets I have tried before. They blow away my old bench seat in both the seat cusion (which is actually cushy) and the side support on the backs, them XLT people don't know how good they have it!



So now I am trying to figure out what I want to do for seat covers to get them to match the rest of the interior.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Its been hectic lately, quick catch up.

New seat covers at least make the seats tan.



I have two sliders!



Dual A/C condenser fans from a Mercedes C230 Kompressor.



Factory behind the axle front sway bar was removed and upgraded to the later ahead of axle. The mounting points were in the frame because the Bronco II had it first. Then Supercabs in '86 and eventually everybody got it. Soooo now I can pull a link off for more articulation...





While I was there I decided it was time to install Billistein shocks on the front since the ones on the rear made such a difference.



Starting to grow A/C parts. Evaporator housing is installed (with evaporator), condensor and seals are installed along with the hose to connect them. Compressor will physically bolt on but the clutch will rub on the hose for my oil filter relocation kit. I am still feeling out a solution for that. I hit that two weeks before we make our annual trip and didn't want to open that can of worms so we just did without again.