I saw on here a wial back that sombody was turnin a mazda into a hot rod, and since i was doin somethin similer i figured id post up about mine. It started life as a 91 ranger, 2wd 2.3 5speed. She was owned by some old guy who literaly only drove it like once a day since it was new. (only has like 55-60 thousand on it) But when he died it went to his son/grandson im not sure, who only had it about a week, and ran it into a stump. Then my dad bought it for $300 thinkin hed put a new front clip on it and sell it from their. But when we got into it and saw that the frame rails were bent he dint want to fool with it any more. And so it sat for almost a year. Till one day i was readin a Ol' Skool Rodz Mag, and i just decided that i wanted one. So insteasd of spendin all that money on a actual 32 ford coup or somethin, i decided that i was gonna spend the least amount on it possible. So i ask the old man if i could have the wreak he said yes and the rest has just been cuttin and removein. Im headed out to go work on it now, so ill have pics up later today. Oh and dont heasatait to ask questions about anything, even my sanity. They help me work it out in my head.

 

Hey, another one :)

Feel free to ask any questions, I HIGHLY recommend looking on Craigslist and eBay for the front suspension from a '55 or so F100 if you want to do away with the twin I beams.

Chopping the cab? It's easy. I did it all with a tape measure and cutting wheels.

 

No im gonna keep the I beam for now, i kinda like it. And yes im gonna chop the top, how low did you cuy yours?

 

how low? lol its not there lmao see:

https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...ad.php?t=78868

 

I brought pics!!!
this is after i cut the front end off.

their is were i cut the fram rail.

the inside almost striped out

and this is what the bumber looks like now

 

I'm assuming you're going to drop in a 302? What are you mounting the radiator to? Are you going to trim down the inner fender walls some more?

BTW- a sharp chisel and mallet work great to get off that windshield weatherstripping

 

Also, are you planning on moving the cab? That's what I'm going to do. If I was you, I would move the cab back about a foot (the cab mounts are just riveted on, it's very, very easy to grind them off and then bolt them back on again wherever), and mount the engine about a foot behind where the stock engine was using a universal engine and tranny crossmembers... You'll get much more of the classic rod look with the steering way out front.

I'm glad to see this project, glad to see I inspired someone :)

 

For now im dropin in a old 302 my dads has sittin around, and im gonna add some frame up to the front and make some kind of custom grill. Im gonna trim the frenders back even with the firewall. As of right now im not gonna move the cab. i like the way it looks now, but i may change my mind on down the road. Iv got lots of plans for the bed and im prolly gonna need all the space i can get out of it.

 

Well iv decided to change the motor a little bit. Instead of just a regular 302 im gonna change it up a little bit, by putting in a cam and crank from a 351W. The crank is suposed to be a typ of simple stroker kit. A lot of guys around here use them in dirt track cars. And the cam is suposed to balence the motor out a little bit better becaus of the change of fireing order. Im gonna look into a little bit more just to make sure it can be done. If you know of any thing else that i can do to it for cheep or free speak up, im always lookin for new things.

 

Crazyness

 

thanks

 

any progress?

 

not much till later today, I pulled the bed off later today, but other then that nothin much of anything. But today after the gf leaves im gonna go and pull the motor out and try to get the rest of the heater stuff out.

 

keep us posted with pictures! lots of 'em. i'm glad to see another crazy guy on here that likes to think outside the box.