Recent content by Chuck "Classic Ford" JR.

So I've read the tech article on here about the K&N Air Filter with the angled inlet (it's actually for a 2011 & up Toyota Tundra, oddly enough) being mounted directly to the throttle body. I did it on my old Ranger, and I really liked the way it looked. The problem with the factory air box is...

Two years ago, I lost Rusty (My 86 2.9L Ranger) the same way they all go, when my heads cracked and I never got to rebuild the engine. Rusty was my first truck and I put a lot of blood, money, and effort into breathing life back into the old retired Dothan Power Company workhorse. I had not long...

I've been off the forum for WAY too long. As some of you know, I unfortunately had to part ways with Rusty, my old 86 2.9L Ranger, after he bit the dust and blew both cylinder heads. Not a day goes by that I don't regret selling my first and only truck, but unfortunately there's nothing I can do...

Okay, first let me start off by saying this - I UNDERSTAND that to most people out there, there is so much part swapping and money involved that it just flat out isn't worth it. I UNDERSTAND that the amount of time, labor, and funds involved would probably make someone think I'm crazy for...

I know that 2WD vehicles will never have the FULL capabilities of a 4x4, but I still think that 2WD's, ESPECIALLY Rangers, make great mud toys. My buddy from school has an Edge on 33's and it will go anywhere a 4x4 will. My favorite Ranger mud toys are the 1st and 2nd Generations, but I like...

This is kind of a long story, but I will try to condense it as best I can. My 86 Ranger 2.9L had a hesitation upon accelerating that had bugged me since I bought the truck. So I asked my Ford ASSET instructor to come out and take a look at my truck, and we discovered that the vacuum line to the...

Rusty is due for an oil change pretty soon, and this will be the first one since I've owned the truck. Rusty's (original) 2.9L has well over 250k miles, and I can't tell but it looks like it's been a while since it's had an oil change. The only reason I haven't changed it yet is because I'm...

Ever since I bought my baby Rusty back in September 2013, I've done everything I can to improve it both cosmetically and mechanically. I've completely redone the interior, I did the K&N air filter swap found in the Tech Articles under "Engine Tech", I've tried my best to keep it up on oil...

I'm considering two possibilities for my 86 2WD: Either a 2" suspension lift and a 1" body lift (this way I can do the "Lifting on a Budget" mod with the spacers from a 4x4 Ranger and F-150), or a straight 3" body lift. My friend did a 2" susp. lift on his 04 FX4 Ranger and I helped him put a 1"...

I've heard that deleting my catalytic converter will actually help my gas mileage a little bit since it's old and doesn't have all the computer crap on it. Would it hurt to delete my cat or would I be better off simply cutting off the muffler and straight piping it back from there?

I'm curious as to whether or not it's possible to put the front end of a 2nd gen Ranger (89-92) onto a 1st gen Ranger (83-88) without a whole lot of difficulty. I really like the look of the 2nd gen front ends, especially the January Mini-Truck of the month. Is this swap possible and, if so, how...

I have an 86 Ranger 2.9L 2WD with an A4LD automatic transmission (floor shifted). As you know, here in the Birmingham, AL area as well as in most of the Southeast, we just had a devastating snowstorm come through about a week and a half ago, and needless to say I was caught out in it trying to...

I have an '86 Ranger 2WD with no lift (though I plan on a 2" suspension lift some time in the near future). I want a little bit of a wider stance, and I think that half-inch spacers will do the trick, but I was wondering if I'd need longer wheel studs and, if so, which ones do I need and where...

So I read the tech article on TRS titled "Lifting Your Ranger on a Budget" and I like the ideas of the spacers in the front and the 4x4 blocks in the back. I was wondering if anyone out there has actually done this to their truck and if so, how difficult was it to do? I have a 1986 Ranger base...

My father owns a 1998 F-150 XLT Lariat with the 4.6L V8, codename "Big Red". We have both searched high and low, and for the life of us we cannot find ANY upgrades for the Windsor engine (the Mustangs had the 4.6L Romeo engine, so I believe that the parts are not compatible). Does anyone know...