Dum-Dum's latest Ranger

[Dum-Dum]

Got this Ranger about a week ago, £1400 with an MOT on it. 150k, 4x4, 2.5TD with a mechanical pump, double cab with a lid on the bed and the air con even works!!!!!

Promptly the ignition switch died, they are a very common fault that leads to non starting but are £40-£50 to replace so I'm just gonna modify it to a push button start for about £2 like my old ranger had.

Anyway she's lovely
   
   



She goes off road alright
   




Got a delivery and a half off Milner
   



This included a set of wheels 16x7 were £35 each new
   




For which I bought some nice tall all terrain tyres on land rover wheels for £80
   




I changed the smashed rear light. Brand new from milner was less than £20
   




I've fitted my old stereo out of the rallye
   




And removed the hands free kit that included an absolute tone of wiring and magic boxes
   












Plans short term; sort the starting issue, service it, solder on some new headlight plugs, new wiper blades, stick on front plate and wind up the torsion bars a couple of inches and fit the new wheels and tyres.

This will be before I go to Devil's Pit on the 4th October.

Plans long term; wheel spacers, body lift kit, diff drop both ends and more suspension lift plus one of the turbos I have in the garage, a bigger FMIC and a hefty pump tune.

[lolsteve]

Short term plans: Try and be ambitious with the modifying. Realize it cant be done with a hammer. Loose interest

Long term plans: None as it'll be written off shortly after loosing interest

[cpikey316_]

Looks brilliant! I am an absolute fan of 4x4s now!

I was amazed to find though, that the severn bridge will charge you van rates for these to get into Wales! Shocker!

[Piggy]

...more like... Over does it on the boost after spending loads on looks/wheels/suspension and it blows up

Hehe

[Seb_Ryan]

At least itll clear a small puddle.. :p

[bashbarnard]

Wow taking the piss out of dum much. I like these. A lot.

So please dont blow up\flood at least its a little higher so small puddles aren't an issue.

[Dum-Dum]

Looks brilliant! I am an absolute fan of 4x4s now!

I was amazed to find though, that the severn bridge will charge you van rates for these to get into Wales! Shocker!

Yeah I'll get stung for double on the M6 toll too as they work on sensors as to if the height of the vehicle at the front axle is over or under 1.3m and I cant imagine a ranger with taller tyres and suspension lift is under 1.3m

Wow taking the piss out of dum much. I like these. A lot.

So please dont blow up\flood at least its a little higher so small puddles aren't an issue.

Yeah it's a great toy. Not fast and never will be but comfy and practical till you have to park it. They don't fit in some multi story car parks once lifted, and are too long for a standard sized space as well as quite wide.

[Danny Wideboy]

I recommend going to Whaddon pay n play before Devil's Pit.
Devil's pit will be hellish with all the rain we've had. Pun intended.
Whaddon will give you a good day out and a good idea of what your truck is capable of before you go getting stuck all day at devil's pit.
Check it out.

[cpikey316_]

I recommend going to Whaddon pay n play before Devil's Pit.

That looks cool! How much is it? Website doesn't say

[Danny Wideboy]

£20 when I last went, couple of years ago now.
Seriously awesome fun and more forgiving than the pit, which has sticks hidden in the clay that smash holes in rads n stuff! Whaddon is just mud.

[Dum-Dum]

I've seen pics of Whaddon and bar one mound it's flat.
I'll only be going to the pit on a set of ATs so will be sticking to the green and some of the red and so can't see it being too much of an issue and it'll probably be the first wet pay and play of the year so shouldn't be too churned up.
Also one section of the Upper Ickneild Way I've been driving is down hill at about 20 degrees and cambered to the left at 30 degrees on slick rooty chalk that although you can hold the decent you are constantly going sideways on and I'm getting used to controlling that (although slightly shit up my mate today on it)

   

[Niall]

Why did you buy THE worst off 4x4 going?






Nah thats not fair, the X6 is the worse 4x4 in the world....followed by this.

[Dum-Dum]

Why did you buy THE worst off 4x4 going?






Nah thats not fair, the X6 is the worse 4x4 in the world....followed by this.

Sorry where did you get that impression from?
They are one of the best from what I have read and one of the few with decent leg room.
2 LSD's, a proper low range box, torquey engine and decent ground clearance. Yes the wheelbase is a tad long as is the rear overhang to be great but certainly the best in it's class (and the least pikey)

[Eeyore]

£1400 is a steal.... i need one.

[cpikey316_]

(and the least pikey)

You rang? :p

I drive along Upper Ickneild Way every day (near Tring) and i've never seen that bit!

[Dum-Dum]

So I'd better update this.

Fitted the shiny new wheels with some 235/85R16 AT (M&S) tyres. These are nearly 32" tall which is almost 4" taller than the standard wheels and so gives 2" more ground clearance. I also wound up the front torsion bars by 2" leaving her like this.

   




I took her out green laning

   
   





And I've just been playing with the rear end for a little more clearance as the bumper keeps eating grass and I was going to loose the old tow bar plug.

   











Just looking at some longer rear spring shackles so I can lift the rear by 2" and get her level again then it'sa body lift kit and wheel spacers when I can afford it.

[WiNgNuTz]

That looks too clean to have been green laning properly.

Looking good though mate, wouldn't mind one of these myself. Had a later model 2.5TDCi to play with on Camber beach way back when I worked for the bin company down here, was a good laugh. Especially when I got to drive (slowly) along the sand when the weather was hot, and there were ladies in bikini's everywhere!

[Dum-Dum]

Dirty enough for you now?

Went to devils pit yesterday, green was too easy and some of the red was terrifying/impossible. At one point i was sliding down a wet 45* chalk slope towards a drop into a puddle of unknown depth. The truck was either accelerating or locking one axle on the brakes. I pretty well filled my pants at that point.

Anyway the truck was incredible, there was alot of thoughts of "we're gonna get stuck here and have to call the marshals to drag us out" and yet she didn't get stuck once, there was one climb it couldn't get up (and so a few more we didn't even try) but with no more mods than some cheap AT tyres and 2" of front lift she had no troubles and nothing broke which was amazing considering the amount of land rovers coming back with bits hanging off them.


   
   

[1616six]

Is that a female in your passenger seat?

[Dum-Dum]

Is that a female in your passenger seat?

Yes it is, something peculiar happened at work one day and now I has a girlfriend who fits the tall/slim/blonde criteria. Still trying to work out where the tear in the space time continuum is that caused this is.

[WiNgNuTz]

Yeah, I saw these pics on Faceache the other day, much more like it!

How's the gf's dog?

[Dum-Dum]

Yeah, I saw these pics on Faceache the other day, much more like it!

How's the gf's dog?

No Dog,, No Stick and No Aids mate.
I'm as shocked as the rest of you.

[silverzx]

Lmao, looks like fun! Lot of the boys down 'ere are into all that now. Personally I'd rather shred some tyres but that looks like a hoot!

[Dum-Dum]

So she's always got a bit warm sitting at speed but it's getting worse now especially after the dunking in the mud, thinking I've blocked the rad/fmic/air con rad. With no signs that the HG is going sadly I think this means that me working air con is going to end up going. I suppose as I haven't had working air con in about a decade I'm not gonna miss it too much but it was nice while it lasted.
Probably gonna fit a big aftermarket rad and an aftermarket intercooler when I do the body lift.


This was sitting at about 60mph (although up hill and into the wind so defo on throttle). I hate not knowing what the gauge means when it's up there, is that 90 or is it 120? Who knows? It scares the life out of me.
   

Lmao, looks like fun! Lot of the boys down 'ere are into all that now. Personally I'd rather shred some tyres but that looks like a hoot!

Mate you can still shred tyres on this, in 2WD it's RWD and it's got LSD's both ends. TBH I had tyres smoking in 4WD the other day while failing to get up a hill with the wheels spinning.

[Jonny81191]

Can't you wash the mud out?

[Niall]

So what you are saying is Ford have designed a vehicle that fails at carrying out the task that it was designed to do? And i thought these Rangers were a great off roader Chris......

[Eeyore]

So what you are saying is Ford have designed a vehicle that fails at carrying out the task that it was designed to do? And i thought these Rangers were a great off roader Chris......

undoubtedly yes.

[Matt]

Like Jonny said, cant you just wash it out?

[cully]

Can't you wash the mud out?

Like Jonny said, cant you just wash it out?

like these ^^^^^ said get your hose out and flush the fins of the rad
Simples!

[Matt]

Just don't go overkill and fill the car/cabin! Don't want another write off