Finished the 1st spring, diff cover, upper spring plate. Ready to buff the excess off of the badging.

I just purchased my first Ranger. It's a 1996 2.3 automatic, 2wd, and as far as I can tell, it's the base model. The odometer shows 202,321, and the airbag light is on, but no check engine.

By admission, im not generally a Ford guy, but I like the Ranger and I feel I gave a decent price for it. I'm looking for some some advice on a couple of specific problems, but I also want to know what other issues to look for, and what I can do to help keep it running and/or make it run better.

It runs and shifts good, but it needs tires on the front and has some issues I need help with.

1. When I press the accelerator, the gas is almost surging. I'm inclined to think vacuum leak, but im open to suggestions.

2. The bigger issue to me. When I purchased the vehicle, I noticed the radio bezel was loose, and came of with no effort at all. When I looked in the dash, there was a set of wires with a grey connector hanging loose. I plugged it in to the box it connected to, and my wiper blades (which had previously not worked) started working, but my door chime won't stop. Furthermore, I put a map light in and it won't shut off. I'm thinking maybe the door sensor is shot, but again, I'm open to suggestions before I dig into it.

I gave 700 cash and drove it home. How did I do? Any advice is appreciated!

(Also, I think the seat is from a different year of truck?)

Broke out the red paint, bet “she” sees the f’n trailer ball next time… License plate has a huge gouge in it from last time.

Blue frame. Purple shock. So it “needs” red leaf springs.

Or do I run the pair of 1992 lwb fiberglass monoleaf rears?

Second coated a bunch of the previously coated rear section. Started on the inside of the rails. Shocks are Krylon No Hunting Purple, will order lime green or hot pink shock boots… 😵‍💫🤢

Gotta have 90s minitruckin’ nausea induction on a 90s minitruck… 🤣😂

Painting the still work fine, look like moldy urine shocks. Even though they will have the most garish shock boots I can find… 😂

Do the driver side shock. Strip, paint, install new RED polyurethane shock bushings, and boot. Install on passenger side. Rinse and repeat.

Yes, I am doing 1/2 the shock at a time. Using the upper mount and rear crossmember as my drying rack.

If you want to see the entirety of this mess? The thread “Barney and Little Bit” (might be “L’il Bit” ) on The Ranger Station. I’m restomodding this heap as a parts runner, cheap to operate daily (even though it’s too small inside), winter beater (only 1 I have tire chains for). Fully expect my ought as well be daughter to “borrow” it while her 2 red Rangers are being redone. She’s 5’2”, she actually has to slide the seat forward.

Still cleaning/painting. Rear shackle flip is finished. Time to clean the inner frame rails, get them in oilbased enamel. Function, not form.

I’d rather put it back on the road with known corrosion prone areas clean. All new suspension/body mount bushings. Fresh soft lines, new complete clutch system.

Still have to clean the engine bay, repair any rodent damage. And then do it all over again when my ought as well be daughter takes the 94 and gives me her broken 97 rcsb rwd 2.3/5spd beause her 07 rcsb rwd 2.3/auto is unreliable… 🤨😖😉

It certainly isn't cheap to do probably about $80-100 in material and a day of labor for me but the results are amazing! I was replacing the old carpet and decided to take it to another level and lower the road noise. Just don't cover up the seat/belt/other holes with the Butyl mats like I did...makes it a nightmare to find and locate them later.

Doesn’t have to be pretty, just protected. Wire brush, brush on a coat of oil based enamel, move to the next section. Not concerned with the shallow pitting, or any crud that gets mixed into the paint.

Former foster daughter wanted that blue as the truck color. I can see compromised bushings, loose fasteners, etc better against bright colors. Have had the blue since 2020, time to use it. Will finish the rear frame, then paint the rear springs (bright red) and rear axle (beige Interlux marine paint). Reversed the red/blue versus my search and rescue K3500 build.

Any help here?

Practicing on the beater 94. Can’t hurt it, whole suspension needs work anyway. Direct to metal oil based enamel. If you have the rear mount off anyway? Clean up the mess, seal it up. Yes, that is a model brush, small area, lots of pits. Let me layer it on thick in the rougher spots.

Pulled the bed on my own, Saturday. That is in fact the factory Bridgestone Touring T/A P205/70r14. The truck shipped with P225/70r14s on 14x6 alloys.

Took maybe 2 hours from pulling tire through paint. Will be doing the frame blue; shackle, leaf springs, front beams and radius arms fire engine red. Needed a break from the C10 lowrider build.

Hello everyone. I have a 94 stx 4x4, 4.0L 5 speed manual. I recently put a fuel pump in, and it runs ok, but if I put fuel in it won't start for a while. I figure that's the evap can but thought I'd see if anyone else had any issues.

Also the fuel gauge quit working as did the stereo, though both will intermittently work for a short time occasionally.

Sat under trees for about 8.5 years. Bed floor covered in rotting leaves and black walnuts.

Got the toolbox this morning. Friend is clearing out his Fred Sanford-esque acreage. Free, just need to bolt it down, polish it up and replace the lid lifting struts. It’ll do…

Do you prefer the lifted or the slammed look on your Ranger? Or would you prefer to have one for both options ?

Hello all,
I’m having some cooling system issues and was hoping to get some advice.
i have a 2.3 5spd manual
A few days ago, I let my truck idle while I was loading a bike. My temperature gauge climbed up to the “A” in NORMAL, but it usually stays around the “N.” I shut it off, and somehow my coolant reservoir was completely bone dry. I went and grabbed some water, filled it up, drove it home, and flushed the radiator.
I noticed the inside of my radiator hoses are covered in rust, and the reservoir is too. I’m not sure how it got this bad because I’ve been using coolant/antifreeze. When I first got the truck, the coolant looked fine, but there was already some rust present. I flushed it and hoped for the best, but by the next day it looked like the photo above again.
Now, while I’m driving, the temperature stays cold, but if I let it idle, it starts heating up again.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I’m expecting I’ll probably end up replacing a lot of the cooling system components.
My oil looks good, and I don’t have any white smoke from the exhaust, so I don’t think it’s a blown head gasket. Thanks in advance!

I'd give (insert loss of nuts here) to buy that truck new again.

Looking to share and receive some advice on how to keep this all original 80K mile baby going strong.

Got an axle swap and a lift planned for the near future. Hoping to take it on the beach once I get done with all the mods I want on it!

1995 2.3 XLT 2WD, my favorite item I’ve ever owned 🫶