[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by enkeivette

16ft, 850lbs less motor. Trailer should be around 450, motor around 500, and the Jet is about 80. So that puts me in the 2K lb range, which is what a class 1 hitch it rated to.

I might just buy a class 1 hitch and weld some bracing on it for strength. But I have thought a lot about going diesel. Diesels are so good on fuel. Ideally I'd like to have a long travel Ranger with a 4cyl turbo diesel.

Diesel can also run on biodiesel, which can be made out of a whole bunch of stuff, which might come in handy when . . .

Actually, since you are into redneck tech, you could go fab up a pretty simple processing station using an old water heater and some plumbing bits. Assuming you can get free used grease from restaraunts (some will let you come and get it for free), you can make your own bio-diesel for something like $0.30/gal. Caveats: Used grease smells like a$$ and for some stupid reason most fire departments have some rules regarding the operation of small refineries in one's garage.

[Ryridesmotox]

They have rules because if you do it wrong you can blow up your house. There are kits you can buy to process for waste veg oil (WVO) diesel, which is different than bio... Think of biodiesel as more of an E85 for a car. Most diesels can run it just fine, a tune helps most of the time but sometimes its not needed (mechanical injection).

I wish a 4 cyl diesel existed in a ranger... You could go get an older suzuki samuri and put a VW 4cyl turbo in it. My solution would be go find an old military CUCV blazer with a naturally aspirated 6.2liter detroit in it. You can get turbos for em if you want but a CUCV diesel blazer can get like 26 mpg when its naturally aspirated.

[enkeivette]

That sob sold the black STI that I wanted, for less than I was willing to give him! He couldn't wait another couple of weeks! He traded it in actually. Ug.

I had a major brainstorm tonight. My school is moving to downtown SD next semester. And parking is going to suck harder than Jerry's mom (that seems to be the thing to say around here). So I'm thinking a cheap truck and a motorcycle might be the way to go. I can easily buy both for less than the cost of a diesel Jeep or an STI.

[Ryridesmotox]

I'll sell you mine for like $4000. Its a diesel with 190k on it. All original stock save for the exhaust and the shit-tastic wheels the guy put who owned it before me. Its a suburban with a class 3 hitch, brake controller and it can tow 10k lbs. On the highway , like to mammoth or big bear I get like 22 mpg with the cruise on at like 65.

Diesel is the way to go dude.

I'm just over it. I'm single and I have no need for a 9 seat vehicle. I will probably just get a truck of the same year if I sell my burb at some point.

[enkeivette]

I'll keep it in mind, but I was thinking something smaller. That I could park if I needed to when it rains. That thing sounds like a bus. And although it is a diesel, I'd rather go for something with less miles.

[Ryridesmotox]

Yea it is a bus. It's awesome in the rain, I love to sling mud in it. Serisouly if your boat is that small just try to find a suzuki Samuri with a swapped VW diesel motor or a middle 80's Blazer with a 6.2L Naturally aspirated diesel.

[Ultraperio]

Originally Posted by enkeivette

16ft, 850lbs less motor. Trailer should be around 450, motor around 500, and the Jet is about 80. So that puts me in the 2K lb range, which is what a class 1 hitch it rated to.

I might just buy a class 1 hitch and weld some bracing on it for strength. But I have thought a lot about going diesel. Diesels are so good on fuel. Ideally I'd like to have a long travel Ranger with a 4cyl turbo diesel.

Long travel on a TTB ranger is pretty strait forward as long as you can fabricate. Bent forged beams, spring hoops and shock/springs for the front. 62/64" chevy leafs in the back with an inverted shackle. You'd definitely have to go with an explorer 8.8 if you went diesel and did any amount of towing, the 7.5 wouldn't last long.

Getting one with a diesel would be some work. You could try to get the 2.5 from the Mexican rangers and swap it in (or find a Mexican ranger). The most popular/easy to source diesel swap is a 3.9 cumins 4bt but requires a bit more fabrication. It's not really a powerhouse and they're pretty heavy but they make a good amount of torque, get decent mileage, and are bulletproof. Either way, you'd likely have trouble getting it to smog in California.

[Ultraperio]

Originally Posted by enkeivette

I'll keep it in mind, but I was thinking something smaller. That I could park if I needed to when it rains. That thing sounds like a bus. And although it is a diesel, I'd rather go for something with less miles.

I had a '97 2.3 ranger given to me. Its got 215k miles on it now and is a pain sometimes when shit decides to break (coil packs, clutch pedal broke off, u joints melted, serpentine belt flew apart, cat fell apart, crazy ttb alignment issues, brakes completely failed on me twice when the rear drums fell apart, etc. etc. etc.). But the 2.3 is a trooper and ranger parts are dirt cheap. You can't really complain with a free beater (well, except when it tries to kill you). Its a pretty practical little truck with enough power to move around town and on the freeway and haul shit in the back. I wouldn't want to tow anything with it tho. I get ~19-21mpg out of the 4 cyl with the 5 speed, nothing amazing.

I had considered putting some work into it, 8.8 w/ disk brakes swap after I'd had it with the drums but decided it's not really worth it considering the mileage and worth of the truck.

I ran with a bike and a truck for a while in SD. It's pretty easy assuming you only want to ever take one person with you anywhere.

[jedhead]

You might want to consider a Toyota PU. I bought one new in 1984 and used it for work. After 225K miles, I sold it to my in-laws for $700. They drove the truck for another 120K miles. The clutch lasted until 196K for me. I was paid $.35 a mile on the truck and it cost me less than $.05 a mile to drive it all those years. The truck was the most reliable and inexpensive to own vehicle I ever owned.

Bob

[Ryridesmotox]

Diesels don't need to be smogged in CA, well at least mine doesn't. I know there are supposed to be new rules coming out or they are out already. The easiest way is to find one already done. Transfereing a car to the US from Mexico, from what I understand is a pain.

Also long traveling a diesel is kind of pointless... A diesel is heavy, if you want a long traveled truck idealy you want light. Hell if you are going to go through the trouble of an engine swap just go get a full floating currie enterprises 9inch custom ford rearend.

If you want to Long travel a ranger start with a Ranger Edge with tortion bars, they have an excellent frame. Then toss in a 4 banger gas motor in it and turbo it. That would be the most effective long traveled streetable truck. I have seen a good amount of Toyotas and Fords in Ocotillo and Glamis that have a similar setup. It will tow a little boat (which sounds like a ridgid inflatable or something similar) with ease. And the 5 speed trans that comes in them isn't bad at all.