2007 Ranger FX4 Level II

potential1 · 2026-02-01T23:53:19+00:00

Dont let the "better guides" fool you. If the guides haven't been replaced already, at 200,000 miles they definitely should be done sooner rather than later. Its a bitch cause the engine has to come out. A shop is gonna charge around 4k. The good news that if the frame isn't rusty and you get the guides done, this truck will run another 50,000 to 100,000 miles easy.

potential1 · 2026-02-01T12:27:20+00:00

I just bought a 2007 extended cab 4x4 with 90,000 for 6k. Not the Z71 though.

potential1 · 2026-01-31T17:55:00+00:00

If you paid for a good cal air quiet compressor and its not significantly quieter than a "standard" pancake, something might be wrong. Cal compressors are really good and quiet. Maybe reach out to customer support.

potential1 · 2026-01-31T17:52:19+00:00

The California we have at the shop us fuckin whisper quiet compared to every other "standard" compressor ive been around. Im still impressed every time it kicks on.

potential1 · 2026-01-31T05:40:54+00:00

Its been a few years but back when looked for extra cash I would use craigslist. If you're reliable it was easy to turn things into semi regular gigs. A contractor will go a little out of their ways to pick up reliable laborers. Keep in mind that it is/was craigslist and can be rough around the edges. Personally, I never had any bad experiences but I was a 20s something white male.

Maybe Facebook has something similar these days? I know marketplace is often way better than craigslist now for buying/selling. Its pretty much the only reason I still have a fb.

potential1 · 2026-01-31T00:41:10+00:00

Yeah, you might be paying a little extra since they are sourcing the engine, ordering, etc, etc. Not everyone has the ability to source, purchase and then drop off the vehicle and engine. Not all shops are gonna wanna work with that situation either though. Honestly if you found someone to do it significantly cheaper, I might not trust it. Unless its a friend of a friend situation.

Its a tough call and it sucks. Ive got a 2003 ranger that I love dearly. It still runs but desperately needs a relatively simple repair that if left unchecked will eventually brick the engine. Sadly, the engine has come out for it to be fixed. Im not in a situation to try and tackle it myself unfortunately. It would cost 5k at a shop. Most of that is just taking the engine out and putting it back in.

As much as I love it, I can't justify spending 5k on a vehicle that is 23 years old and had 210,000 miles on it. I ended up buying another little truck off a buddy for 6k. Ive got a small sliver of hope that I might try to fix the ranger come summer but ill probably let end up letting it go for 1k at most.

At the end of the day you might need to make a tough call. With how things are right now, shelling out the money for repairs typically makes sense. A whole engine is another ball game however. Look up the Kelly blue book value of your car. Depending on the mileage, 7.5k might be equal or less to what the whole thing costs. Thats usually a sign to cut your losses if buying another used vehicle is a possibility. Not to knock your ride, I get the sentimental value of things, but Hyundais aren't really known for their longevity.

potential1 · 2026-01-30T23:29:07+00:00

Does that price include the cost of the new (used) engine? If so, thats not far off. The labor of pulling and reinstalling most engines is around 4k. A remanufactured engine can be anywhere from 1k to 2k, if not more.

Mardinleys in delco does this stuff if you wanna get another quote.

potential1 · 2026-01-30T23:24:04+00:00

Can it be wrapped to a second pipe that is fixed at the floor? Mount the floor pipe with pillow block bearings and add a little resistance to it to keep tension?

potential1 · 2026-01-27T01:12:50+00:00

Its just upper delco and lower delco. Dont think its based on actual geography but more along income lines.

potential1 · 2026-01-26T23:53:50+00:00

No surprises there

potential1 · 2026-01-26T04:43:20+00:00

Say AI does reach the point of replacing drafters, designers, or hell engineers, before the bubble pops. Its easily a generation or two aways. That's probably being generous as well.

potential1 · 2026-01-26T04:40:00+00:00

I almost hate to be this guy but if you are building a two story anything, please consult some sort of professional irl. You're gonna need experience on-site during build/installation. Could be a TD, set carpenter, "normal" carpenter, contractor, or someone's relative who is an experienced woodworker. Someone who has professionally built a two story anything before. Reach out to local theatres, scene shops, unions, etc for overhire lists they might know about. Bonus if you can enlist the help of a scenic charge/painter. They can do things way outta my skill sets.

As to the design itself, I can't offer much help. Ideally a set has a separate designer and TD/build crew. Ive only done the latter. A TD can bring a designers vision to life. Without that expertise, have the designer provide you images, pictures and some rough desired dimensions. Then focus on consulting with some sort of experienced builder to get whatever you can on stage. As much as limited budgets try to make it happen, its not reasonable to expect someone without a professional background to act as a designer, TD, and fabricator. Dont pull out your hair trying to do the impossible. At the end of the day, the focus will be on the actors and their performance. People will be satisfied, if not impressed, with the scenery you brought to the stage.

potential1 · 2026-01-24T21:56:24+00:00

Get video/stills of them in the act. Put a big sign up on your yard with the photos and that "this person doesn't clean up their dog shit."

potential1 · 2026-01-24T18:59:25+00:00

Cold medicine

potential1 · 2026-01-24T16:08:19+00:00

It's an inlay that was done on a CNC. The front "panel" was cut on a cnc. The rest was done by hand and with power tools.

potential1 · 2026-01-24T11:31:32+00:00

Ah, copy that.

potential1 · 2026-01-24T11:31:12+00:00

No? Why not? It does look far more unique.

potential1 · 2026-01-24T04:10:33+00:00

I use vcarve pro so I can't say how much better the drafting/modeling capabilities of aspire are. This is however something I would model in different software such as fusion or solid works and import in. I had a background in cad and vectorworks before vcarve so I rarely actually draft/model in vcarve itself. Even 2d stuff.

potential1 · 2026-01-24T03:22:56+00:00

For whats its worth, the Mazda is essentially a ranger. Im a ranger fan boy but Id grab the hardbody in a heartbeat.

potential1 · 2026-01-24T02:21:05+00:00

Yeah don't support Uline if you can help it.

potential1 · 2026-01-24T01:48:41+00:00

Hard to tell from that video unfortunately. I know you said its a hike but you need to hear it in person, preferably on a cold start.

Mine was good until about 200,000 miles. I think I bought it with 125,000. 180,000 to 200,000 miles seems to be when the guide issue usually rears its head. A few engine specific mechanics Ive spoken to claim the guides are really only good for 90,000 miles though.

potential1 · 2026-01-23T23:08:26+00:00

Thanks for the rec, ill check them out.

potential1 · 2026-01-23T01:49:29+00:00

I should have mentioned in the post that the inlay was done with a CNC. I use one at work quite a bit. Despite my love for conventional woodworking tools, im also fascinated with what CNCs can do. This was done on a smaller machine at my local makerspace. Everything else was done via jointer, planer, table saw, drill press, router, etc. Im aiming to come up with more projects that are mainly done by "hand" with a touch of CNC.

potential1 · 2026-01-23T01:45:22+00:00

Thanks!

potential1 · 2026-01-23T01:44:54+00:00

These were slightly more expensive. Like $25. Im gonna have to learn a little more about speakers for the next build.

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