charlie brown 1988 ranger

[Dirt Yota]

Wow, pretty rad truck!!!

 

[charlie brown]

as usual while working on 4 other offroad related projects, i need to start another.

cutting the stock trailer fendees was still to close on the tires when loading up by myself. so started this project. 16 more to cut.

and a truck picture because

 

[RSP Shock Prep]

as usual while working on 4 other offroad related projects, i need to start another.

cutting the stock trailer fendees was still to close on the tires when loading up by myself. so started this project. 16 more to cut.

and a truck picture because

Heck yeah, that was a fun day!

 

[charlie brown]

so the holidays are slowing me down some. the trailer project is moving along. got all 16 gusset cut and fitted. sanded for welding.

got the old fenders cut off. was careful on cutting them off so i can sell them. if anyone needs them....hit me up. trade??? what you got?.

now to start cutting the plate.
question: does anyone know how much travel/room i should give it? the syock set up had about 5". i may cut that down to 3.5" or 4" about the wheels.

went to the king shocks toy drive. so may people. I dont think i have ever seen so many toyota's other then on a large dealership lot.

 

[DP_Tundra]

What ever came of your battle with the people you bought the trailer from?? Did you get that ordeal all settled?

 

[SteveG]

i will say this. i would have built the cage differnt. at the time to weld 360, we made the rear part around the cab. then pulled it out and welded it up. then we made a tube to go all the way around the floor. from one side of the truck to the other. it attached to the front frame and at the body mount areas. the i side cage was welded to it. i was able to kick it sideways off the halo inside tube to tip it forward and weld most all of it. i know some are not 100 % but only on a few of the cross brace.
had a buddy silicone bronze weld the sheet metal. used a automotive seem sealer, then sprayed it with the lizard skin ceramic coating. painted everything that could not be poweder coated with the por 15 paint.
installed the McNeil dash and concel.

Depending on which generation that 660-PLUS intercom is, we might be able to upgrade the BT module to make WAY better music. Let me know if you’re interested and we’ll work on it

 

[charlie brown]

What ever came of your battle with the people you bought the trailer from?? Did you get that ordeal all settled?

that was a area i have not dealt with much in life. I tryed a few times to get a hold of him after i got the plates. I did file a complaint with the DMV. if you ever get on the bad side of the DMV (investagaters) they feel you are guilty and its up to you to prove otherwise. I know it hurt him.
there was some other unwrite able things also.

 

[charlie brown]

Depending on which generation that 660-PLUS intercom is, we might be able to upgrade the BT module to make WAY better music. Let me know if you’re interested and we’ll work on it

hey steve.... how would i be able to tell which generation i have? it has been working very good.

 

[SteveG]

hey steve.... how would i be able to tell which generation i have? it has been working very good.

I'd need to look inside of it. Would need it here. It was already a great intercom, just putting it out there that we've made some improvements over the years... either way, all good and thanks for your business!

 

[C_Cab]

Jumping in on this thread late but I just got an old threat equal length kit with some beams ends, I reached out to threat and they offered no guidance on putting them together. Looks like the same kit on the ranger in earlier posts. Just wondering if you put it together or had anymore pics of them I could look at. Thanks!

 

[charlie brown]

Jumping in on this thread late but I just got an old threat equal length kit with some beams ends, I reached out to threat and they offered no guidance on putting them together. Looks like the same kit on the ranger in earlier posts. Just wondering if you put it together or had anymore pics of them I could look at. Thanks!

i will look. check out https://forum.badlinesgoodtimes.com/threads/project-g4-aka-quasi-ghetto.87/ build thread. most all I beams install with the same basic approach. cycle, cycle, cycle. make sure everything clears. do have all his mounts (beam, radius mounts, steering)?

I had a few problems with mine blowing out the cam on the top of the knuckles. dave could not fix it so geoff at giant motorsports/solid shocks had a set of billet "ears" so he cut mine off and used his jig. welded up the new "ears" and made some alignment corrections. have not had a problem since.

 

[Harry Johnson]

hitting "the wall" years before it was named. i think this was preruning the old score Lucerne 250?? 1989..90.
thats my buddy in the 73 van. he used to help out/prep cars. he helped me with my 1st build on the truck.
that van was impossible to keep up with. full floater, 35" tires custom shocks, big motor, race built c6. it pre ran everywhere in baja. goat trail was kids play for him. he told me he made most all his money from tv truck/cars. said he helped out building trucks for the 1980s tv show "the fall guy" i never paid attention and dont know/care if it was true, we just hung out racing our trucks party in baja.

That van caught my eye. Last year my buddies and I were camping/Wheeling down in cougar Buttes when this dude in an orange van pulled up and asked if he could camp/wheel with us. I think we got singled out because there were a few buggies in our group.







Van sounded mean and the owner claimed it hauled ass in the desert and that he had enough power to light up the tires while towing. If it's not the same one, the rear spot light and similarly cut fenders make it a darn good look-alike.

I think the owner's name was Bill? Said he was an engine builder for drag boats.

 

[charlie brown]

That van caught my eye. Last year my buddies and I were camping/Wheeling down in cougar Buttes when this dude in an orange van pulled up and asked if he could camp/wheel with us. I think we got singled out because there were a few buggies in our group.

View attachment 18993


View attachment 18994


Van sounded mean and the owner claimed it hauled ass in the desert and that he had enough power to light up the tires while towing. If it's not the same one, the rear spot light and similarly cut fenders make it a darn good look-alike.

I think the owner's name was Bill? Said he was an engine builder for drag boats.

oh shit.. thats him/ bill montigue. he owned a fab shop way back in the day.. like 70s 80. did a lot of movie trucks and cars also. he must be way late 60s+ maybe 70. i lost contact with him many years ago. I have ridden in that van many baja miles. always had a mean motor. builds all his own stuff.
also has a late 70/early 80s chevy step side prerunner with a mean as motor. that van goes everywhere. followed him up the back side of mikes sky ranch. he had no problem. how was he doing?

 

[charlie brown]

l looked him up and he is 77 now.

 

[Harry Johnson]

oh shit.. thats him/ bill montigue. he owned a fab shop way back in the day.. like 70s 80. did a lot of movie trucks and cars also. he must be way late 60s+ maybe 70. i lost contact with him many years ago. I have ridden in that van many baja miles. always had a mean motor. builds all his own stuff.
also has a late 70/early 80s chevy step side prerunner with a mean as motor. that van goes everywhere. followed him up the back side of mikes sky ranch. he had no problem. how was he doing?

He seemed to be doing great. He camped with us for a few days, and when we were going to head back to reality, he was eyeing up another group that had rolled in with some hardcore looking rock buggies. Seems to have his setup and free time dialed in and is living the dream.

Not sure if anyone in our group got his contact info or not.

*edit* Here he is as of last May:

 

[charlie brown]

thats great. looks about the same. he seem to always living the dream. always gone on road trips for weeks/month. loved to sky dive. every weekend home he would be skydiving. he used to help organize big groups trying to break records of the largest group to jump together or something. grew up living on cantilena. had to take a paddle? boat everyday to LB for school.. solid dud. loved orange. painted everything he owned orange including his house.

 

[C_Cab]

i will look. check out https://forum.badlinesgoodtimes.com/threads/project-g4-aka-quasi-ghetto.87/ build thread. most all I beams install with the same basic approach. cycle, cycle, cycle. make sure everything clears. do have all his mounts (beam, radius mounts, steering)?

I had a few problems with mine blowing out the cam on the top of the knuckles. dave could not fix it so geoff at giant motorsports/solid shocks had a set of billet "ears" so he cut mine off and used his jig. welded up the new "ears" and made some alignment corrections. have not had a problem since.

Cool thanks I’ll check that out! Yeah I have the whole beam kit with mounts and dual swing steering.

 

[FasterNU]

i will look. check out https://forum.badlinesgoodtimes.com/threads/project-g4-aka-quasi-ghetto.87/ build thread. most all I beams install with the same basic approach. cycle, cycle, cycle. make sure everything clears. do have all his mounts (beam, radius mounts, steering)?

I had a few problems with mine blowing out the cam on the top of the knuckles. dave could not fix it so geoff at giant motorsports/solid shocks had a set of billet "ears" so he cut mine off and used his jig. welded up the new "ears" and made some alignment corrections. have not had a problem since.

not sure I uploaded all the beam install photos.

If you need help C_Cab, let me know. Pretty easy to install once you know a couple tricks.

Which kit did you have? Standard D44 ends? Tubed or boxed beams. I have installed like 3-4 different sets. They all install the same, but some needed to be tweaked more than others to get most out of them

 

[charlie brown]

just finishing up my trailer project. waiting on some 2" 4130 strips to wrap around it and the new lights.
lost the rubber traction deals and a blade on my portaband swag saw cuting all this hot roll stuff. went through a 10 pack of vut off wheels. i dont want to ever use hot roll for anything again.

had to paint it before the rain.
use por15 paint. i used this on my truck and it is the most durable paint out there.
now it is a 101 1/2" wide.
ready for king of the dust.

 

[charlie brown]

i have been kinda hidden for a while, busy with life lets just say.

anyways, been trying to sorce a 1981-1988 ranger front valace for about 2 years with no luck. thought i would just through it up here.