Ford Ranger, Lexus V8 - Project Name "Slow Progress"
Discussion
I'll warn you that the reason I've started this thread is to try to speed myself up.
I originally wanted a nice fast V8 car with a manual box and after struggling to find anything (I've tried Monaros etc) I decided to build one
As I love MX5's that seemed ideal and I went off and bought a V8 Soarer as a donor for £500 as some genius had stripped the interior - if you think that's cheap, it's because that was 10 years ago.
I decided to run it for a few months to confirm it was a good engine and I wanted more noise, so I chopped the exhaust after the crossover pipe - deleting all 4 silencers...
OMG it sounded like a NASCAR at higher revs
Various cars came and went and I found I was hardly driving my supercharged MX5 as I was always carrying the kids or stuff so spending time and money on a car that wasn't going to be used much seemed silly.
So I started looking for something I would use.
I've owned Dodge Ram / F150 and they are just too big and heavy to throw around so I wanted smaller and lighter but it had to carry 4 people so I could collect my kids (mostly on short journeys)
So I decided on an extended / Super / King cab which meant I still had a decent load bed
After looking at all the options and weights and towing capacities I decided on a Mk2 02- 06 Ranger Supercab mostly because it had a suicide rear doors which meant the rear was easily accessed for people or tools, it also didn't have canbus and was far lighter than the later trucks.
I wanted a higher towing capacity so it had to be 4x4 - eventually I found the perfect donor with a blown engine for £600
I originally wanted a nice fast V8 car with a manual box and after struggling to find anything (I've tried Monaros etc) I decided to build one
As I love MX5's that seemed ideal and I went off and bought a V8 Soarer as a donor for £500 as some genius had stripped the interior - if you think that's cheap, it's because that was 10 years ago.
I decided to run it for a few months to confirm it was a good engine and I wanted more noise, so I chopped the exhaust after the crossover pipe - deleting all 4 silencers...
OMG it sounded like a NASCAR at higher revs
Various cars came and went and I found I was hardly driving my supercharged MX5 as I was always carrying the kids or stuff so spending time and money on a car that wasn't going to be used much seemed silly.
So I started looking for something I would use.
I've owned Dodge Ram / F150 and they are just too big and heavy to throw around so I wanted smaller and lighter but it had to carry 4 people so I could collect my kids (mostly on short journeys)
So I decided on an extended / Super / King cab which meant I still had a decent load bed
After looking at all the options and weights and towing capacities I decided on a Mk2 02- 06 Ranger Supercab mostly because it had a suicide rear doors which meant the rear was easily accessed for people or tools, it also didn't have canbus and was far lighter than the later trucks.
I wanted a higher towing capacity so it had to be 4x4 - eventually I found the perfect donor with a blown engine for £600
vx220 said:
Speed yourself up indeed, maybe you can build another for me?
So it'll be V8, manual and 4x4?
The Lexus V8 can fir to the Toyota Supra Mk4(?) gearbox, I think. But those are getting harder and spendier to find, and I wonder how you'd get the rest of the transmission hooked up?So it'll be V8, manual and 4x4?
Headaches and scraped knuckles ahead. OK, I'm in...
I wanted this to be a daily driver, weight ruins cars albeit I'm under no illusions it's still an old truck but for the 100+kg weight saving of the transfer box driveshafts etc the four-wheel drive is going.
So why did I buy a 4 x 4 ? They have a stronger rear axle and an LSD as standard, I also might want to tow my car trailer etc and the towing weight limit is stamped on the chassis plate 😉 and it's a lot higher than the 2WD
Why not use a Ford V8 ? They are not freely available in the UK and those that are, are old and crap. The Ranger (Mk1,2,3) is actually a Mazda just slightly redesigned and rebadged as a Ford.
The Lexus V8 is incredibly well built, cheap and available, there's a huge industry in transplanting them into various cars particularly in South Africa and Australia and 250 -300bhp will do me although there are plenty of people turboing them to 500+bhp
So why did I buy a 4 x 4 ? They have a stronger rear axle and an LSD as standard, I also might want to tow my car trailer etc and the towing weight limit is stamped on the chassis plate 😉 and it's a lot higher than the 2WD
Why not use a Ford V8 ? They are not freely available in the UK and those that are, are old and crap. The Ranger (Mk1,2,3) is actually a Mazda just slightly redesigned and rebadged as a Ford.
The Lexus V8 is incredibly well built, cheap and available, there's a huge industry in transplanting them into various cars particularly in South Africa and Australia and 250 -300bhp will do me although there are plenty of people turboing them to 500+bhp
So here is what a £600 Ranger looks like, it's very sound, no rot underneath, just needs a new wing
I sold the rear bumper, wheels, fuel pump, head and injectors so now it owes me -£200
I spent £100 on some big wheels as a temporary measure, as I want modulars with a deep dish
I want it to end up looking like a Pre Runner, something like this
So cut / blown arches etc however I decided that before I embark on body mods I'd just get the engine / box in to see if I like driving it.
I sold the rear bumper, wheels, fuel pump, head and injectors so now it owes me -£200
I spent £100 on some big wheels as a temporary measure, as I want modulars with a deep dish
I want it to end up looking like a Pre Runner, something like this
So cut / blown arches etc however I decided that before I embark on body mods I'd just get the engine / box in to see if I like driving it.
My kind of mental.
I love the idea, wish I liked the styling of the Ranger more as they’re the pickup that seemed to be most popular in king cab format, which is the setup I like best.
Slammed L200 king cab for me, but if you don’t mind I’ll live out that vicariously via this thread!
I love the idea, wish I liked the styling of the Ranger more as they’re the pickup that seemed to be most popular in king cab format, which is the setup I like best.
Slammed L200 king cab for me, but if you don’t mind I’ll live out that vicariously via this thread!
As I've been planning to use a Lexus V8 as a donor for some years, I've been collecting stuff when I see it.
I managed to buy a GS430 for £500 as an alternative donor - more power, more torque and better economy, it only has 80k and was cheap because a brake component broke, which from Lexus is a £2k part.
I also managed to buy an FD RX7 without an engine
(as my username suggests I've previously owned a V8 RX7 6.0 LS2)
So I'm wondering whether to transplant the simple 250bhp Soarer engine or the complex 300bhp GS430 engine into the Ranger - it will cost £700 more for the wiring in the GS430.
If I use the Soarer engine you can bet I'll never get around to using the GS430, which is the better engine.
I also bought a Supra W58 gearbox but as I've taken so long there are now kits available using the far cheaper BMW or IS200 6 speed gearboxes so I could sell the W58 on for a profit.
I wonder whether 6 speed is an advantage, I owned an IS200 with a Lexus V8 and only used 2,4,6 but it was lighter and had stupidly close gearing as it used the std IS200 box and diff.
The BMW boxes are available as 5 speed but 5th is 1:1 and with the Ranger axle gearing I really need an overdrive.
Decisions, decisions...
I managed to buy a GS430 for £500 as an alternative donor - more power, more torque and better economy, it only has 80k and was cheap because a brake component broke, which from Lexus is a £2k part.
I also managed to buy an FD RX7 without an engine
(as my username suggests I've previously owned a V8 RX7 6.0 LS2)
So I'm wondering whether to transplant the simple 250bhp Soarer engine or the complex 300bhp GS430 engine into the Ranger - it will cost £700 more for the wiring in the GS430.
If I use the Soarer engine you can bet I'll never get around to using the GS430, which is the better engine.
I also bought a Supra W58 gearbox but as I've taken so long there are now kits available using the far cheaper BMW or IS200 6 speed gearboxes so I could sell the W58 on for a profit.
I wonder whether 6 speed is an advantage, I owned an IS200 with a Lexus V8 and only used 2,4,6 but it was lighter and had stupidly close gearing as it used the std IS200 box and diff.
The BMW boxes are available as 5 speed but 5th is 1:1 and with the Ranger axle gearing I really need an overdrive.
Decisions, decisions...
Dave. said:
FNG said:
Slammed L200....
I do like a lowered Navara.I considered the HiLux but the rear window is lower than the front one and that's just wrong, the later ones look good but they are just too heavy
I'm hoping to end up at 1500kg
So first job was to remove the front diff - as I'd sold it
Fortunately a leaking rocker cover meant nothing was rusty / seized
I went for the easy option and cut the front driveshafts
I was hoping to remove engine and gearbox in one but as it's ridiculously heavy and long I decided to split it, which turned out to be very easy as there's plenty of room
Fortunately a leaking rocker cover meant nothing was rusty / seized
I went for the easy option and cut the front driveshafts
I was hoping to remove engine and gearbox in one but as it's ridiculously heavy and long I decided to split it, which turned out to be very easy as there's plenty of room
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