I was thinking of getting a 1983 Ford Ranger Perkins/Mazda diesel. I’d like to restore it, but also make it as simple as possible. I had an 87 with the 2.9 that my dad bought new. I sold it at 21 years old and 190,000 miles. The thing still ran. I liked it. But I always kind of wanted a diesel. I like how simple they were. Slow.. but simple.
I want to make it even simpler. I want to take out the factory air filter housing and ducts and just put a cone filter or something similar and super simple directly on the engine intake manifold.
No A/C, manual steering and brakes, manual transmission (Has a 4 speed, I heard some of them came with an optional 5-speed that bolts up. Is that true? I’d like to try to track one of these down, as highway speed in 4th gear the rpm’s are screaming.)
Aluminum rear sliding window for more air flow when it’s hot and 15” stock steel wheels, instead of the 14” wheels.
Black paint on the bottom half and light tan on top (so it doesn’t attract the sun as much and doesn’t get as hot inside). Chrome grill, handles, door window visor and windshield surround. Black metal stock bumpers. Was thinking of buying some tan leather in bulk and wrapping the vinyl dash with it, making new door panels and making a cover for the bench seat. I also want to make a new dash bezel out of real wood. And matching wood interior door handle arm rests.
I also thought about making a wood or composite “wood” decking bed floor. Like the old trucks had.
I’m going for a classic look and something simple to work on.
I also noticed that these Ranger diesels had a knob behind the driver seat that you pull, if the water in fuel light comes on and it dumps the contaminated fuel just underneath the truck there. 1980’s environmental protection wasn’t as strict as today, I guess! 😆
So, what do you all think of this as a project? Any suggestions for it? Have I lost my mind?
Thanks everyone!
Have I lost my mind? yes you have
Do you love setting your hard earned money on fire? Because if you do this is the reason you want to do this. Why on earth would spend to all that time and money? You know who takes on a project like this. Guys who have been working on cars as long as Scotty has and their retired and their building their dream car or fixing up a car they've had for 50 years that's actually worth something. Your talking about buying and 83 an 83 and fixing it up. Good luck even finding parts for a car that old.
Do you value your time? I'm honestly questioning if you do suggesting something like this. Do you value your money? because you'd be setting it on fire a huge truck load of it to do this. Seriously...
@jacksonishere
Well, maybe I have some money. And maybe this would be a rare truck that SOME would enjoy seeing. The first generation Rangers 83-88, are getting very rare. Let alone a diesel. Let alone a restored one. Part of this is just my own personal pipe dream of building a small truck that’s super simple by today’s standards and part of this is me wanting to build something that “no one builds”.
Here is some help... A few years ago I figured out that Mitsubishi and Mazda shared some parts with the diesels in the small pickup trucks. The austrailians make adapters for engines to other transmissions and their site will tell you which bolt patter that engine and tranny are using.
I may be wrong but I believe that the Mitsubishi 2.9 liter and that diesel use the same bolt pattern for the tranny. There were a lot of 2.9 gas trucks and I bet there are some out west or in the midwest in yards with a 5 speed. Do your homework. Get the tranny and the transfer case. The pumpkin may or may not be on the correct side of the truck... But I believe it is on the Mitsu vs Ford.
Like I said, do your checking. In those days Mazda did not make their own diesels and they were Mitsubishi FUSO truck motors. They built a ton of them for Europe and Asia as cab-over city delivery trucks in the small half ton config.
The Aussies have adapters to hook that diesel up to any transmission... so you can pick 5 or 6 speeds from anything as long as you can get a cross member mount, it has a left output transfer case and then you custom length the drive shafts... It will work.
@autoelectrical
I was just going to make it 2wd. For simplicity sake and those diesels only put out 59 hp.
My nissan diesel pickup made 62 horsepower but tons of torque. It would haul 2ton Tessie and her three fat sisters up a mountain and not skip a beat. Not fast but strong. I got 50 mph on the highway at 55 and 40mpg at 65.
It was a great truck
Perhaps you lost your mind but the idea is not bad. If that's your dream, go for it. And don't forget to share your progress.
Good luck!
@g-t
I dream of a world where things make sense and are simple. I thought why not start with my vehicle. 😆
Yeah, I think that simple is better too. Once I was looking a video of someone making his own tank. I watched just 1st part.