My 98 build(very pic heavy)

I've been dding this 98 ranger the past three years, although I've owned several other vehicles i could never part with it so about 2 months ago decided to do a clean overhaul, nothing custom and keep my loved truck but that quickly changed and i keep adding work on top of myself.





The Needed work I've done to start was ;
Lower control arm bushings and ball joints
New uppers with bushing and ball joints
Inner and outer tie rod ends,
Wheel bearings
New calipers, rotors, pads, Rear drums with shoes, new spring kit and all new lines flex hoses master cylinders etc etc.
I fabbed up a full new manifold back exhaust
New shocks on all four corners (which i later replaced again for the drop)
Had cracked leaf springs so i found a set from 2009 ranger
Full tune up, fluids filters etc etc
And cleaned up and painted the chassis while i was at it.

Well after that and having it parked for a bit I decided to go a little further. After a full inspection of the truck the only and only rust issues i found was a 2 inch hole in the rear floor pan from a drain plug and i had to fab up a front box mount. The chassis was excellent besides minor peeling which was strictly just cleaning issues.

I proceeded to order and get a 3/4 drop kit(not massive i know) and begin more work. I took the box off made a front mount and spent lots of time ensuring the body lines were perfect. Also i made some beefy rear cross members to stiffen it up some .

I made a roll pan and liked it but i kept going further and further to the point where i started thinking about shaving some thing, so first up was the tailgate handle, emblems and a few more things I'm currently working on like the third break light. but the biggest mod atm is the molded roll pan and tail gate to bed

Heres a quick pic outside,but pardon the body lines to the box as i only have the box lodged on here





Heres the roll pan i fabbed up and the shaved tailgate handle



I then proceeded to weld a filler strip between my tailgate and roll pan and welding the tail gate on the inside, Also I had notch out the inside of my tail gate to access My tail light screws.
And after fiberglassing the seams to the glass box side and started filler and block sanding







Picked up some 17's from an 03 mustang i believe and some 245x45x17 Fuzion ZRI's for all four corners



Kinda got a mini lighting look here



Then after completing the mechanical I gave it a couple hundred km shakedown and ensured everything was working a driving as normal and i was very impressed so i continued to finish the body work and begin paint. First i sprayed was the jams

The colors ive used are Grabber blue for the lower and a gloss black from the bosses 08 stx f150.

Also all the paint and body was done myself



Then the coat of shiny











I sprayed the black up top a few hours ago and will get some pics to follow

My goal atleast is to have it out for June 1st and 2nd. Its the local annual carshow where many nice rigs are out crusing and i`ll get to show the truck off a bit.

What I have left is:
Interior, (Dye my interior black and finish installing my stang seats. Also make a console)

When the paint is hardned upwet sand and buff it out

Some odds and ends like paint my drums

Do my silver pinstripe up the body line

Tint

And prob some other stuff ive forgotten


More pics to follow and hope you guys like

very nice job!!! what did you use on the tailgate seam? i shaved my old 2wd and did the same thing with a 1 pc tailgate/rollpan skin and had issues with it cracking on the seams.

Destroyer000 said:

very nice job!!! what did you use on the tailgate seam? i shaved my old 2wd and did the same thing with a 1 pc tailgate/rollpan skin and had issues with it cracking on the seams.

Click to expand...

I have about 3000 very hard kms on mine now and no cracking seams. Just welded the roll pan to the box real good and I also made some support brackets inside the roll pan that attaches it to the inner box sides.

Also I finally picked up a motor as well. Currently striping down an 86 mustang 302 roller block.

Heres a couple "complete" pics from a local cruise night a while back

The truck going down the road in the last picture looks like its floating.

Now that's one sexy truck. I may be a bit biased though....

Thanks 1 bad fox. Love that car. Really mss my 89 fox i had, that car was a blast, yours looks super clean.
Pretty sick I got stotm too, Thanks for the votes.
Havent been around here much but i've been crazy busy workng my regular job at construction and working nights and weekends trying to get my own contracting company up and running, 100+ hours a week takes a toll.
With that said im back at the truck. Almost got my 5.0 together and starting my c notches and 4 link this week. Maybe even some updates on the truck/