Finally after at least a 6 month search I have found my new project truck.

For those who dont know me I was a huge 2.3t freak.I have had a bad *** 87 Ranger with a 2.3t in it that ran high 11's and I just sold my mint 85 XR4Ti to fund my new project. I sold off every 2.3 part I had and started collecting parts before I even had a new truck.

My plan was to build a turbo v8 1st gen Ranger.I have looked at tons of trucks over the past few months and all were complete crap.In the mean time I got some PA Performance C4 parts,shifter,15x3.5 & 15x8.5 Centerline Autodrags,91 Explorer 8.8,TracLock,3.27 gears,massive FMIC and I bought off my buddy his fresh 408 stroker motor. This motor is 10.1-1 and with a 950Holley it ran 10.40@128 on motor and 9.50@141 on a 200 shot of nitrous in his 79 Fairmont.I bought it minus the carb and oil pan and will convert it for a single turbo blow thru carb setup.Lookin for 750-800hp on e-85.

Well I got word of a Ranger sitting in a barn for years a few days ago and after makin some phone calls I got ahold of the owner and went and seen it today.
Story goes: 5-6 years ago this guy wanted to build a 5.0 Ranger and drove down to TN from MI to buy a mint 88 long bed 2.9/auto truck.Well after he got it home and covered it up in his barn he ended up buyin a SVT Cobra and NEVER touched the truck again.Truck has been sitting covered in his barn up til today.All factory stuff just missing the tailgate,not one spec of rust anywhere,two tone white/blue with blue interior,running 2.9,nice chrome,clean interior,nice 14" aluminum rims,no dents or dings!

After much B.S.'ing we discover that I went to highschool with his brother and we then realize why each other felt like we had met before!!After a few good laughs I tell him I want it and ask how much he wants.He tells me he loves my plan for it and says come back next weekend with $550.00 and a trailer and he will have it dug out of the barn!


Sorry I couldnt get any good pix because it was stuck in a dark corner behind 3 different SVT Cobras,a nice 83GT and some 10 second 90LX that werent going anywhere because the yard was under 2-3 inches of water surrounding his barn.I will get pix next weekend!

 

Pics or GTFO

 

I wish I could have got some good ones!! My cell wouldnt take any cuz it was too dark in the barn where it was at.

Give 7 more days,if no pix I will ban myself!

 

Can we have that in writing with ur signature? and nice find man! lol

 

!

 

My word is good enough

Dam I got soooo many ideas running thru my head now!! Drop beams,Aerostar grill,roll pan,Sonic blue,cowl hood,cage,4 link rear,single 4" exhaust out the side of the fender{no muffler}.......etc.


What are some front brake up grades for a 1st gen Ranger? " Hello Gumby???"

 

Seven More days of this unless you post pics. lol

Sounds like a sweet find.

 

sweet man! pics asap.

 

Nice find man. I wish I could come across another deal like that. Let me know how the project goes. I have done a 302 swap, but it is just stock for now. I wanna know how your going to setup you rearend so it will hook.

 

NICE FIND. I'm jealous.

 

Once I get it, there will yet another project thread under my name for it.

david, I will be using a 91 Explorer 8.8 with aftermarket 31 spline axles,Ford TracLock,3.27 gears and I will make my own leaf spring pack from springs I have here.A set of Comp drag shocks with pinion angle set at -4º. Springs will have solid bushings and I will make my own set of Caltrac style bars.

All that will be done quick and cheap so I can get it on the street to start dialing in the turbo setup,once its making safe power and I can make some shack down runs I will go back and do a proper 4 link rear suspension with a big tire.

 

lol that was going to be my reply

We will beleive you for now about the find with no pics, unless you tell us you've rubberized the interior before posting pics.

 

Why a 91 expo axle? why not 95+ for the discs. I'd imagine you'd want those. And also curious on why that high gearing?

 

Why a 91 8.8? Because I already bought it dirt cheap. The big drum brakes will be fine for a drag truck.Drum brakes actully have more "holding" force than disc brakes which will help bringing it up on the converter for good launches.

With a light truck and over 700hp from a turbo motor its gonna have LONG legs! Turbo motors need to be loaded up more than a n/a motor so steeper gears like 3.73 and up will hurt it.With the big flat torque curve a big cube turbo motor makes you dont need as much gear multiplication to get moving.


.............plus roll racing Vettes or Vipers on the e-way sounds really fun.

 

sounds like a solid plan, but i hate you for not gettin me any pics, LOL
you already know that rear suspension setup will pull 1.4's w/o the hassle of a 4link. your old truck is doin it!

front brake upgrade, quick and easy. when you buy your drop beams, get beams for an 89+ truck. then go grab a set of 95-97 spindles and brakes from the junkyard. dual piston calipers, larger rotors vs. the 88 stuff. get the hoses too, or new ones. the 88 ones will be too short to reach the new calipers.

 

Thats the stuff I was lookin for! Look forward to a call from me sometime soon before I go junkyarding.

 

OK guys, I gotta ask for some wiggle room here. My uncle died Monday and I have funeral stuff friday and Saturday so I wont be able to pick up the Ranger till Sunday now. And I hope we can still get it out of the barn! We have had a lot of rain the past few days so Im sure that aint gonna help get to his barn. At the very least I will go up Sunday and get pix of it.

 

Sorry for your loss, sounds like you got a nice find, can't wait to see them pics

 

OK, sorry for the delay! The weather just would stay dry enough to get things done until today.

Read em and wheep!

https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...19#post1307719