All it takes to turn a regular, run of the mill, don’t think twice about it vehicle into something pretty special is talent and a vision. And if there is one vehicle that needs a vision, it’s the Ford Ranger. For what they were designed for, they did well…it was a small but useful truck that would start, drive, and for the most part not immediately explode on contact. It went through roughly 3/4 of a design change throughout it’s life…it got a mild refresh in 1989, a body reskin in 1993, and a mild wheelbase stretch in 1998 that stuck around until 2012. Other than that, Ford only did what they had to do in order to keep selling them by the ton. But do they speak to BangShifters as anything other than a parts truck? Other than forum member BBR, whose initials stand for Big Block Ranger, I’d wager not so much. But over the past year I did find two examples that really stand out from the crowd.
First up is Issac Sandlin’s 1999 Ranger. I saw this truck running during the Diesel Drags at U.S. 60 in October. It was one of only a couple of gas-powered vehicles hitting the strip, and the immediate surprise was it’s hard-launching ways and the unmistakeable bark of a 5.0L Ford coming from the pipes. His build is pretty basic: the drivetrain was lifted out of a rolled Ford Explorer and was bolted into place, only requiring the rack mount one inch down for clearance. As I saw it, other than the exhaust, the running gear was pretty stock, but ditching some of the Explorer’s weight and running a 3.73-geared rear made the little Ranger buck up and move. It’s not Sandlin’s only hot rod…the Ranger shares parking space with a 1999 F-350 that is being built up, and in it’s current form it ran a 9.77@72…it’s not fast, but it’s also at the beginning of the build. Sandlin has plans that include 4.10 gears, a F303 cam and valve springs, ported and polished heads and a turbocharger.
Sandlin’s truck is a pretty stout start to a solid V8 Ranger build, but what about something a little more different? You see, Sandlin has a buddy who owns this Sonic Blue 2003 Ford Ranger. He bought it new, and for 200,000 miles it was a faithful daily driver. But when he decided to build the engine, he went for it. The 3.0L V6 was treated to a 3.3 stroker kit from Marana Racing and received Eagle rods, Diamond pistons, a custom-grind cam, and Harlem Sharp 1.7 roller rockers. Blankenship provided a custom tune that would work with the Holset HX35 turbocharger, intercooler and 4.56 gears. On 8 PSI, the Ranger makes about 300 at the wheels.
What we can appreciate from these two Fords is that there is still a place for ingenuity, out-of-the-box thinking and straight up performance by competition. These trucks are used, raced, broken and rebuilt for more, and that is saying a lot for a truck most people know as the telephone service truck.
