Hello.

I have been on here a few months but I have finally found the time to be more active. My name is Arin. I am from Latonia KY (greater Cincinnati area)
My truck is a 92 Ranger 2wd Short bed. I actually bought this truck new and have owned it ever since. it's been pretty much a show truck or in storage all it's life. I have now decided it time to get it back out and enjoy it again. It's still a work in progress as I changed the truck totally (again) I am going for a race truck feel for the truck. Mods go Like this......

2.3L with cold intake
95 2.3 header
magnaflow exhaust with flat camero tip exiting in front of right rear tire.
electric fan
Dropped I beams up front
rear axle flip
15x7 ARE daytona wheels
226/60/15 tires
Jegs 6point roll cage
smoothed and painted dash,pillars, kick panels,and door panels
suede headliner, b pillars and top of door panels
880 watt stereo with 10's ported from bed to cab
2000 edge floormat and seats
96 Ranger shift boot with cup holder
G-force 5 point harnesses
94 explorer limited front bumper
94 explorer sport grille
Lund roll pan
Shaved emblems handles and taillights.
Custom built sheetmetal tonneau cover
5"spoiler @ 55* angle
NASCAR/ARCA contingency decals
number graphics

I still have a few things left to do like my side skirts, jack points, Paint the spoiler and tonneau, add a splitter, 1" lug nuts,and bullet center caps

The goal is to make a street legal race truck. I am using ARCA rules (because they run rangers)for the body heights spoiler angles etc to get as close as I can and still be able to drive it on the street with out killing it. I am getting a lot of looks but it's about 50/50 love/hate. I will let you be the judge.

Here are some pics. I took these on Tues. I don't have the spoiler on in the pic yet, I got that on last night. well look her over and let me know. If y'all are really intersted I can put up a thread on my build as well.

Thanks.

 

I like it dude... there are some things I'd do differently, but the truck still looks damn good for a 92 in/around Ohio!

 

I like it too. Actually if you ditched the stickers I would like it more.

You need some nice wheel and some wide rear tires for that thing!

 

pretty sweet truck dude. you should go bigger than that 4 banger.

 

You ever thought about the 2.3T from a turbocoupe? It'd be a REAL EASY and REAL CHEAP swap for you! And it would totally be b/a in your truck! That or go with a 5.0. Either way, it would be awesome in your truck.

 

nice, that interior looks great with the black and silver

 

I love that truck!

But i would ditch the stickers. IMO

 

Welcome to another Cincinnati area member.

I like your bed topper, how does it work? It looks better than the bow of a tonneau top, and it looks like it doesn't have the weight of the fiberglass hard tops.

 

hey that thing is pretty cool

 

Nice truck. I like it. Welcome to the site!

 

x2, I don't think i have ever seen a 92 that clean before.

 

Welcome Arin, Great looking truck.

Is the "Sudden Impact" and "reverse" reflective paint or did you cut through the tailgate? Either way, I like it.

Good luck with the project.

 

One Clean Truck

 

welcome and nice lookin truck.

 

That truck is freakin' awesome! Gotta see some track pics, now!

 

welcome to R-F, Arin!

 

welcome to RF

 

Welcome

 

Thanks guys I appreciate it.

OH BTW the truck only had 39k on it when it went backout last week. so far I have put a 1000 miles on it with no issues.

Couple of replies and explanations:

Freddie& Zabeard, I am not usually a decal guy but to pull off the race truck
theme it's a necessary evil.

Freddie & Trucks423. Right now to keep true to the ARCA specs the motor has to be a n/a 2.3 but if the time comes that the motor bites it, I will probably go with a 5.0 /t-5 combo.

Zabeard. I would like to go with wider tires but any wider and it rubs the fender lips. I originally put 235/70/15's on it. they looked killer but could not drive it due to rubbing the lip on the bed sides. as far as wheels go, I had a set of billets on it at one point but for this look I needed the black racing wheels.

07- thanks for the comment on the interior. this is as far down as I have gone on the interior of a vehicle. I think it turned out pretty well. Hardest part was getting the dash to fit around the roll cage and not look like poo.

Jason EE, Thanks for the comments, the Tonneau was built by me. it is lighter than a fiberglass unit. the sheetmetal actually started out as a set of doors to a power distribution unit that my work gave to me to scrap out. I scrapped the frame but kept the doors in case I came up with a use for flat sheet. Luckily I did because 2 of them with a little timming fit perfectly. the pieces has a "C" bent in the ends to give strength so I cut off that 1 inch bend then cut the panel to fit. to keep with the race built theme I riveted the cut off "c" back on to the end and added 2 pieces of 3/4" angle to each panel for added strength and riveted those in as well. Now it looks like one of the race trucks. With the angle in place I have driven this at speeds on the highway in excess of 80 with very little if any movement. I added a piano hinge I had lying around to the cover to allow the back part to open and I am currently building a set of racing style supports to hold it up when open. I am really happy with the results. All I need is some time to paint it and it should be done.

MemphisSenior, The tail gate is a mod I did back in 93 to this truck when I shaved the lights. NO one back then had ever thought shaving the lights in the back so I did and then had the aluminum panel cut with a plasma cutter and filed it down to finish it off. I then shot it to the body color and mounted the light sockets to the gate and added red plexi to the cut outs. the reverse does light up with the back up lights. Since the lettering is so dated I am going to remove it and put just a plain one back on painted to match the truck, and add a line of fire and tail light decals. that will be a little more true to form for this but I am keeping the cut panel incase I change my mind.

Jimmeh, as far as the track pics. that's going to happen on Nov. 1. KY speedway is having a drive the track day. Spend 40 bucks in the gift shop and get laps on the track. last time I was out(different truck) I got to run around 105. only way I knew was the guy behind me had a honda and I asked him what we were running the last couple of laps. he said that last lap on the back stretch going in to 3 he was running just over 100 and I was pulling away. I was happy. I can't wait to see how this truck handles the track!!



Arin

 

Sweet truck, man. Welcome to the R_F club

 

Whats ARCA? What kind of racing?

CLEAN truck!

 

Automobile
Racing
Club of
America.

 

Ever look at those nascar edition victory wheels?
I also think your truck would look good with a rollbar or metal nascar style rear spoiler.
I really like it though.

 

If you can see it in my interior I have a 6 point cage in there. I also have the spoiler just didn't get to take any shots of it yet.

Also ARCA is like NASCAR, it's just a lower series sanctioning body. They have a truck series that runs the Ranger as it's ford model, Hence why I used it as a guide in the build.

I will have to look at the victory wheels and see how they are. Thanks for the tip.

Arin

 

Thanks for the explanation. I've got a snapless tonneau now, but the corners are starting to wear out from going off and on. I also swear that they cut mine a 1/4" short compared to the frame. I always have to stretch it at the tailgate to the point where the frame is actually bowed in while the sides fit fine.

I'm just looking around for different ideas for eventually replacing that tonneau.

If you don't have the time for paint, I know a body shop not far from Riverbend that does an awesome job on color matching. You couldn't even tell the wife's previous car had one front quarter panel and the bumper replaced, even a couple of years after the repair. PM me if you want their info.