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2004 Ranger I picked up last Saturday

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
Picked up a 04 ranger extended cab XLT 4.0L 5 speed 4 wheel drive with the tow package last at a car auction. It had rust over the rear wheel wells and lower rear bed corners. I roughed in a patch the one day this week it was warm and wasn't raining. I'll add more pics as the work progresses.
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This was at the auction lot.
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Roughed in patch
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Once the weather warms up I'll add a skim coat of putty and sand and paint match it.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
That truck sure looks to be in good shape.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Looks like a win/win Randy.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
The hangers and core are in great shape. The tailgate is rust free also. Just the bed wheel wells.
They put so much salt,calcium and the evil brine mix on the roads they are white all winter. I have seen cars and trucks rusted out that were less than 3 years old.
My guess is the truck had those plastic wheel well trim on it at one time. Any trim traps the deicers and rots everything to crap.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
I wonder if it's the overall moisture in the air?....we have the same kind of thing here, in fact, when I clean the garage out where the OL parks her car, there are salt crystals on the ground...yet vehicles don't normally rust out here for many years.
 

racsan

4xford
id hate to see what my metal looks like behind the plastic fender flares on my truck, ive replaced spring hangers a few years back ,my core support is in pretty bad shape, front and rear bumpers too. when i picked up a drivers side ttb axle to swap out my damaged one 2 years ago, it had a explorer tire/wheel on it with a chrome "skin" over the steel, i peeled it off and there was a rust hole clear through the rim! my receiver hitch has been delaminating and probly should be replaced. not sure how/why but the frame is still in good shape.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
That patch and the other side and rear bottom bed took a little over a 1/2 hour.
I just did a quick job so it didn't look a s bad til I can fix it right. A little metal, body filer and rattle can paint works wonders.
It was a bit to cold for the filer didn't want to set up correctly. Needs to be 45° to spread and set up correctly it was 40 Max when I patched it.

I'll do a write up on replacing the panels using body panel adhesive and might weld one side to show how to do it both ways.
 
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460Trucker

Has the Cat Scratch Fever
Neat truck Randy. Looking forward to the write up and your progress.
 

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