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Cab swap ahead

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
Well went to replace the brake line on the 85 ranger and saw the floor board looked kinda rusty.:(
I got the screw driver and started poking around found that both floor boards up to the firewall is like Swiss cheese :headbang: . Pulled the carpet up to take a better look. I was amazed at the amount of rust. Both floorboards were so bad( none existent) I decided not to try and patch it up.
I have a rust free cab that has the clutch pedals hung already so I am going to swap cab, transmission to a 5 speed from the crappy A4LD that is in it now.
Might even pull the bed and sandblast the frame and paint it.
Might even swap in a 4.0 to replace the 2.8 that is in it now.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Pulling the bed is so easy, it seems like you might as well do the whole frame in one go.


Good call on swapping a five-speed in place of the A4LD, too...that isn't exactly a great trans, to put it mildly.



*Just 'cause I'm curious- how's the radiator support? On my '97, it was the first place to start rusting (and is absolutely toast now)...and other Rangers I've been around (I'm thinking of an '00, in particular) seem to start rusting there first, too.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
The radiator mounts on the cab i am swapping are like new their is not one speck of rust at all in that cab.
The cab with the bad floor boards I am not sure about the shape they are in never looked yet.
I started dismantling have the hood off fenders are off except the rear bolts by the door hinges. Didn't have a lot of time today to spend on it.
I will get a few pics of everything.Hopefully Sunday or Monday I can get it ready to lift off.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
pic of what was the floor board
1273856837.jpg

Here are a few other pics
1273856942-1.jpg

1273856942.jpg

cab that is going on
1273856944-1.jpg

I broke the frame into on this truck.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
Had a little free time today to actually get s bit further along.
Have everything unbolted and unhooked except the radiator mount bolts and it will be ready to lift off.
Trying to upload a few pics to photobucket but it is being difficult
 

Austin

FTF's #1 Knob Polisher
10,350
297
Cumming, GA
Had a little free time today to actually get s bit further along.
Have everything unbolted and unhooked except the radiator mount bolts and it will be ready to lift off.
Trying to upload a few pics to photobucket but it is being difficult

I gave up on photobucket. Try: tinypic.com
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
A few better pics of the rust damage.
The is no floorboards they were rusted out completely. I trimmed the tranny tunnel a little to get to the linkage. The other side is just as bad.
1275012833.jpg

Here the fenders and doors are removed.
IMAG0026.jpg

1273856944.jpg

Have everything unhooked except the steering and a few wires in the harness. Hopefully I can get it lifted off in the next few day.
 
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smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
Got the transmission and transfer case out.
The frame is cleaned and painted flat black.
Tomorrow afternoon if I have time once the paint is dry I will start putting in the transmission.
Painted the front bumper while I was painting it has a black bumper on it for now at least.
While I was painting everything I was thinking of Grabbing a quart of Grabber Green for the suspension parts.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
The truck is ready to set the cab onto finally.
Started tearing the cab off the donor truck and bees were attacking me. Darn hornets decided to build a huge nest under the passenger fender. I have been on a bee killing spree this morning. I think I have most of them killed off only 9 or 10 are attacking me when I get near now.
 
Last edited:
Well went to replace the brake line on the 85 ranger and saw the floor board looked kinda rusty.:(
I got the screw driver and started poking around found that both floor boards up to the firewall is like Swiss cheese :headbang: . Pulled the carpet up to take a better look. I was amazed at the amount of rust. Both floorboards were so bad( none existent) I decided not to try and patch it up.
I have a rust free cab that has the clutch pedals hung already so I am going to swap cab, transmission to a 5 speed from the crappy A4LD that is in it now.
Might even pull the bed and sandblast the frame and paint it.
Might even swap in a 5.0 to replace the 2.8 that is in it now.

ThereIfixedit.. :wasntme:
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
If I had a good carbed 302 and all the running gears I would have did that swap.
There is always next year. I need this running for winter for my daughter to drive back and forth to college when the roars Re bad.
Will put the lockers back in front and rear in the spring from the other truck. Locked front and rear it will go about any where bit has poor manners on snowy roads wanting to break loose on turns.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
I missed this Randy...looking good!
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
I got the bees all killed except maybe 3 of them. Was about 100 bees in the nest and they were not happy I was serving a eviction notice on them. Every time I went near they did their best to sting. They bounced off me a few times but my tough hide didn't allow the stinger to get me.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
A update been swamped with work and other things. Everything is ready to bolt back on. Hopefully will have the doors, fenders,hood, on and will fire it up and pull it out of the garage.
 

Ridgerunner

Missouri Chapter member
23,457
573
Stillwater Ok
A update been swamped with work and other things. Everything is ready to bolt back on. Hopefully will have the doors, fenders,hood, on and will fire it up and pull it out of the garage.

Great was it easy to find the parts?
 

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