Local Legend Vital Designs Regular Cab Ranger

[dwphoto]

Big Local Legend boyz!

Thanks for all your work dudes! The truck alone is on another level with the attention to detail. The thing is a work of art! On the forum-side of things, you taking the time to write up with photos and videos, and answer questions. etc..

Threads like this really fuel the passion to keep growing whatever we are doing here.

Thank You!

Elliott

 

[Exploder_M]

Big Local Legend boyz!

Thanks for all your work dudes! The truck alone is on another level with the attention to detail. The thing is a work of art! On the forum-side of things, you taking the time to write up with photos and videos, and answer questions. etc..

Threads like this really fuel the passion to keep growing whatever we are doing here.

Thank You!

Elliott

+1

 

[RW81]

Big Local Legend boyz!

Thanks for all your work dudes! The truck alone is on another level with the attention to detail. The thing is a work of art! On the forum-side of things, you taking the time to write up with photos and videos, and answer questions. etc..

Threads like this really fuel the passion to keep growing whatever we are doing here.

Thank You!

Elliott

All Christian and Jake! I’m really excited with how the trucks turned out.

The forum/media side of things is something that I feel very lucky to have. These dudes are always foot on the gas whether it’s in the garage, at the computer, or in the desert (haha) and it shows. Their explanations in videos has gotten very clear, and it extends to this forum.

Forums are awesome for gathering info and meeting people. I met Christian on a forum almost 15 years ago and here we are haha.

Anyways I haven’t posted like anything in this because christians the one who is staring at it all day everyday (I do too just on my phone lul) BUT I do plan to start posting when I get going on the wiring. I plan to teach myself how to wire to a race spec standard to match this crazy fabwork they have done haha. Hoping to get a start on that sometime in October

Cheers!

 

[dwphoto]

 

[KaiserJ]

God, this thing is so nice. No matter where you look at the thing, there is some serious thought put into it. Big jealous!!!

 

[ChristianEwing]

Big Local Legend boyz!

Thanks for all your work dudes! The truck alone is on another level with the attention to detail. The thing is a work of art! On the forum-side of things, you taking the time to write up with photos and videos, and answer questions. etc..

Threads like this really fuel the passion to keep growing whatever we are doing here.

Thank You!

Elliott

Thank you! Tryin to keep it real just like back in the day on DR. I learned alot of what i know from reading through the build threads and looking at photos of what people were doing on there so I want to keep that going and have the dudes coming up now be able to learn the same way

God, this thing is so nice. No matter where you look at the thing, there is some serious thought put into it. Big jealous!!!

Thanks dude, I spend alot of time trying to plan things out ahead of time so i dont shoot myself in the foot later. There is still things that I miss the mark on but I am still constantly learning and trying to be better. Theres stuff on this truck ive never done before either so theres a learning curve just in that itself haha! Just taking things one step at a time


Im gonna go take some photos today of where the trucks at currently and ill update this in a few

 

[ChristianEwing]

Alright so to bring this up to current, I have spent the last couple weeks getting the cab sealed back up. A lot of tin work and a lot of silicon bronze welding but it came out rad. Cutting the back wall, floor and firewall out were pretty much a necessity to be able to get the most out of this regular cab platform and to optimize the final product. Exhaust is also done on this thing minus getting the tips done off the mufflers, but I’m waiting to get the panels built to be able to do them so they come out the panel work properly. Engine and trans were pulled back out as well to be able to build out the firewall and get it all welded in, it also allowed me to get the engine mounts boxed in and fully welded as well as weld the engine crossmember in that ties the two beam pivots together. Another item that I was able to get knocked out was the front bumpstops. With how tight the packaging is on the front of this truck, the bump had to land on the backside of the beam, so I had to fret crafty with the bump pad coming off the beam. All in all this things coming out rad, next is getting the IDIDIT tilt column mounted and the steering shaft built so this thing can roll into off road expo in a few short weeks!

 

[UR_Mawm69]

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[RW81]

Couple pics from off-road expo

 

[FENDERFAB]

Seriously nice work on this truck! Glad i got to check it out at the expo

 

[ChristianEwing]

Been meaning to take a second to update this. Been bouncing back and forth between working on this thing and other projects since off-road expo.

Start with some photos taken by RDC and Evan Walsh (BlackHat Studio’s) from off-road expo

 

[ChristianEwing]

After the cab was sealed up, I started on driver controls and pedals. The steering column being used in the truck is an IDIDIT hot rod column, Ryan and I ended up going with this one because it has a keyed ignition on the column, turn signal lever, flasher, and a bunch of different positions of tilt all incorporated into it. All in all, it checked all the boxes as well as visually looks the best out of all the options you have for aftermarket columns. Once I received that, I burned the splined stub onto it for the quick release hub, and then had Ryan come over and get test fit in the truck to put the wheel exactly where he wanted it. The entire column and wheel are sitting higher up and further back in the chassis compared to a factory ranger.

The next one was pedals. With the space constraints inside the cab, custom pedals were the only option to get everything to clear right. I started with the gas pedal, it uses the factory cable mechanism that runs to the throttle body. I am going to change the ratio on it though which is why the mounting tabs are still tacked, it’s very “on/off” feeling and I think it’s going to be too touchy. It’s not the end of the world, this was the first time I’ve played with something like this and the change is very simple so that will be coming soon.

Once that was in, I started on the brake/clutch pedals. I scanned the cab so I could get the area im working with inside the computer and build around those constraints the best I could. You can’t see it in the photos but I did have to cut a hole in the firewall to get the pedals far enough forwards. I knew this was gonna be the case from the get go, and is also why if anyone’s noticed the hole for the steering shaft has been blown open and not addressed yet. The steering shaft hole and the hole for the pedal assembly are so close together I have been waiting to just do one big panel to enclose it all back in. Now that everything’s in place I can get the panel made and the cab sealed back up

 

[ChristianEwing]

Getting the front clip on the truck has been a time consuming process trying to get it all together by myself. This is the first time I’ve mounted an entire front end on a truck from scratch without have a factory core support to work off of. Meaning everything is floating in space to begin with while you try and mount things one by one. I definitely learned a lot doing it and once I got into it, it really wasn’t too bad other than trying to get crafty with propping things in place on my own.

Also got the meat and potatoes of the front bumper built. The main tube is 2” with a slight radius throughout the whole thing to match the front profile of the grill and then tightens into the corners. The skid plate design I’m stoked on, wanted to do something different than the standard 4 rectangles you always see. This is a similar design but I added the “V” to the center of it to try and throw a subtle Vital designs stamping on it. I still need to mount lights on a removable rack on it, I’m just waiting on BD to get me setup as a dealer currently

I also added the same stainless hexagon mesh that’s behind the skidplate behind the grill to protect the radiator from bigger rocks and things getting thrown at the front of the truck

 

[exp24]

Looks, killer! This build has a lot of detail that the pictures don't justify!

 

[ChristianEwing]

Looks, killer! This build has a lot of detail that the pictures don't justify!

Thanks dude, I really struggle on portraying what this thing truly looks like in person through photos. I think offroad expo was cool because alot of people were able to physically see it with there own eyes and be able to look at everything as a whole

 

[the bodj]

Everything looks awesome, but the icing on the cake is the subtle Vital Designs logo in the skid!

 

[Giant Geoff]

WOW! You boys have tuned into men! Great job!

 

[Turboyota]

Such beautiful and tasteful work!

 

[Chimi]

What dreams are made of... Can't wait to see more!!

 

[FasterNU]

skid plate cut out is nice subtle touch indeed!