Question about cabs....

[gatlin04]

I have found a 2008 reg cab v6 Ranger at an auction that i am going to this weekend. The truck has just under 12K miles on it..... but the front part of the cab is bashed in.... I havent went to go see the truck yet so i really dont know much about it. I dont know if it is "totaled" or whatever. Online it says it runs and drives.

My question is can i just drop an older ranger cab on it without problem (if i buy it)? Another question.... If i cant do that, then could i just chop the top and weld up a new top on it?


Thanks for the help!

 

[Maverick]

Any Ranger cab from 98 and up will bolt on. I'm not a big fan of chopping and replacing tops, I'd rather just swap cabs. I guess thats easy for me to say I though, I have a lift to use. Some people are intimidated by taking on a project like swapping a cab. If you have basic wrenching skills and tools its really not that hard to accomplish.

 

[kunar]

Any Ranger cab from 98 and up will bolt on. I'm not a big fan of chopping and replacing tops, I'd rather just swap cabs. I guess thats easy for me to say I though, I have a lift to use. Some people are intimidated by taking on a project like swapping a cab. If you have basic wrenching skills and tools its really not that hard to accomplish.

no not extremely difficult, just a lot of wrenching. i agree about not welding a new top on though. what happens if you roll it and the roof falls apart cause the welds didnt hold? you could also use the entire drivetrain for a swap into a different truck. maybe one with a blown engine or trans.

 

[wvcat]

You can just swap out the cabs but I would try to go with a 2004 or newer cab for a couple reasons. The differences I have found on 2004-up...
The fuse box is located under the ps kickpanel on 04 up
The facory holes for the wiring harnesses are in different locations and different sizes and shapes
swapping out the roof
pros...
you don't have to mess with the vin tag or sticker
alot less disassembling and reassembling
cons...welding and bodywork

just my .02

 

[gatlin04]

swapping out the roof
pros...
you don't have to mess with the vin tag or sticker
alot less disassembling and reassembling
cons...welding and bodywork

just my .02

If i do get the truck, then i would more than likely just throw a new cab on. But if i bought a 99 cab and swapped it out, i would then have a 1999 ranger...lol...

I really dont want to mess with the VIN tag or anything.... what is the penalty for doing that?

If i did do the chop, i would make damn sure that it was strong enough by putting some sort of extra supports in it.


The damage really doesnt look that bad, does it?

 

[gatlin04]

ya... im not to intimidated by it, but it will definitely be a chore.

Seeing how much work i would have to do to the Ranger, what is the maximum that i should spend on buying the truck?

 

[wvcat]

You can leagally swap the vin if you go through the rebuilding process in your state but you need to check with the dmv and go by the rules.

 

[GreatWhite]

I mean you couldnt beat the price for a ranger with 12k miles I'm sure. But one thing I would have looked at is the frame, just knowing that I got nailed in the rear right tire from a honda accord rolling 5mph through a parking lot and required frame work from such a low speed accident. Another thing is you will want to avoid having a body shop to buy a bumper or the corner lights because I guarantee they will charge out the ass for it.

Good luck w/ buying, and I want to see the finished product when your done!

 

[Shran]

I would say that thing is definitely totaled, but I would probably buy it if the price was right. I honestly don't think I would even fix most of the damage besides the cab...just throw another one on, spray paint, and fix the lights. Good cheap beater. That's just me though.

 

[gatlin04]

ya, if i do get it, i will just fix the cab/lights/mirrors etc..... Then later on down the road i would do the rest of the body work.

I will probably go look at it tomorrow or friday. Is there any specific areas on the frame that would be a key indicator of a twisted/bent frame?

As for buying all of the lights and stuff, i will probably go through LMC or try to find them cheap on eBay.

I will check out the rebuild laws tomorrow!

 

[Shran]

I would think that it would be kind of hard to tell with a rollover vs a collision. I guess I would first off check to see if there are any suspension pieces visibly bent or broken, and see if you can test drive it around the lot and make sure it doesn't pull one way. I think the only way to be absolutely sure it's not bent would be to take it to a place that does frame straightening and have them check it out.

Good luck, let us know how it goes.

 

[gatlin04]

I will keep you guys posted! i may have to wait until friday because the auction owners wont let people "inspect" the vehicles until the day before the auction.

 

[wvcat]

I have rebodied 2 rollover frames with no damage except one had the front of the frame bumped in a little. I doesn't appear to have damage to me.
Good luck!

 

[dhinch279]

Unfortunately, unless you can see visible damage, there really is no for sure way that you can tell if a frame is slightly tweaked unless you get it up on a frame rack or you find original measurement points off of a brand new not wrecked truck. Judging by the damage being on top and all the body lines match up ok I don't really see how it could be anything serious. The only way to find out is to get you a new cab and start swapping... if the bolt holes don't line up than you know somethin is FUBAR! lol, good luck

 

[gatlin04]

My dad stopped by the auction earlier today and he kind of glanced at it. He said that the doors were bent up badly and every panel on the body was bent. If i buy a new cab from someone off the street, i assume that i can get the doors with it. He also said that one of the tires were bent inwards. He wasnt able to get a good look, but he was able to tell me the obvious things that he saw.

Ya, hopefully if i do get it, and the cab doesnt line up..... I WILL MAKE IT WORK!!! FRANKENSTEIN TRUCK!!! MUAHH HHHAAAHH HHAHHA HA!