1977 Ford F250 Ranger Reborn

This truck had been sitting unused on my brother-in-law Jim’s property in upstate NY for years.  Except for the body and the frame, which were in good shape, the rest had seen its day.  But it was always his dream to put it back on the road.  Sadly he passed away before he realized that dream.  And so it sat for a few more years on his property until we had to make a decision as to what to do with it…. scrap it or rebuild.

The emotions were just too high to scrap it, and in honor to my late brother-in-law we decided to take on the project and rebuild.

So we went for it, keeping true to the original styling and look starting by completely rebuilding the original massive 460 block and replacing all components…new Edelbrock carb, new Edelbrock manifold, generator, alternator, new headers and dual exhaust, rebuilt transmission, new driveshaft and universals, new radiator, new water pump, new Edelbrock electronic fuel pump, new springs and shocks, new master cylinder, brakes, new bushings all around, new tires, powder coated rims, replacing a missing auxiliary fuel tank, replacing the front grills, replacing the front and rear bumpers to name a few.  After the mechanical, we had the interior redone with recushioned and reupholstered front and rear seats, new rear bolsters, new visors, new carpeting and new headliner.  We kept the 8-track stereo though.

After all that, my favorite part….the hood ornament. (Thank you LMC.)

Honestly, if I had never seen the LMC truck catalog in my brother-in-laws home, we would never have gone to this length.  Knowing that major components were available made this project possible.

And the end result of this labor of love is having a classic that is back on the road.  It looks awesome.  And with that big 460 and dual headers and exhaust…  sounds bad-ass.  Its a lot of fun to drive and I can’t tell you how much attention it gets on the road.  A real head turner for pick-up lovers.  18-wheelers have slowed down and given big salutes when they see it.

Here’s to you Jim…..hope we did you proud.  I know we are.  Thanks.