New to me 97 ranger!!! I sold my 95 splash a while back and I miss it so much. I found this hunk on marketplace and brought it home. Frames crusty but solid still. The guy pulled the transmission for a project he had. And the trans cooler. Everything else seems to be there. However.. if you notice picture 2 that’s a spark plug, or at least what’s left of one. It’s a 4.0 automatic. I’m really torn in keeping it stock or dropping a 302 swap in it. It depends on how much I can find parts for. I’ve got a 302 drive line available for dirt cheap. Then it’s just labor. Anyone ever see a plug this bad? How would you tackle it?

 

Might look into new heads. Are there any better options than stock?