Projects Anybody familiar with this Ford? Just outside St Louis.

I am currently communicating with the seller on this '49 Ford and having a hard time deciding if I want to make the trip. Just curious if anyone else has seen the car and can maybe give me a little insight before I make the 6 hour trip/rent a trailer/etc.
Apparently, it used to be a race car called "the Beast".

The biggest concern I have after talking with the owner is the fact that he says it is on a Ford Ranger frame. But, I can't understand why a person would replace the frame when they were going to rip the suspension out anyway(has a straight axle now).

 

My nephew collects Rangers, and almost every one of them is rusted through at the spring mounts. I can't understand why a Ranger frame would be considered an upgrade. Hard p***!

 

Havent seen it. Im just west of st.louis (wentzville) , Id look at it for you if its out my way.

 

When did Rangers have 5 stud wheels? Down here they didn’t but ford couriers did. down under did strange re branding names

 

Thanks. If I remember right, the car is in High Ridge. I don't know how far that is from you.

 

All our Rangers have always had 5 lugs.

 

And I believe our Mazda P/U's had 6 lugs. But as always I could be wrong.

 

My 1993 Ford Ranger XLT has OEM 5 lug wheels. 14 inch dia.

 

I have one bought used. I liked it until one day, when I was underneath, I started to look at the rails.
They were coated with like powder coat that was flaking away, and exposing the ugly dark brown scale.

 

You need lots more pics! I don't understand the logic of a Ranger frame unsless maybe it started out to be a custum and the Ranger frame may have been a way to lower it, seen/ heard of worse..

 

Thats why I live in the SW....... Hate the summer but the metal last forever !

But anything plastic/rubber or Vinyl FOR GET ABOUT IT !

 

I got some more pictures from the seller and we also talked about what he's got in it/what he needs to get out of it. I still like the car overall but I just can't get over that Ranger frame. I am guessing, when I finish my current project and tried to sell this car again, everyone would be saying what I'm saying now.

 

Depends on what direction you're going with it. Keep or sell. If planning to sell, are people still buying street g***ers, I figured that little trend had played itself out by now. Check the market on shoebox ford's, I've mainly seem buyers wanting resto stuff.

If it runs 10's, timeslips talk
If it's a show queen - it'll be about paint and interior.

If all the suspension and drivetrain has been changed: straight axle/ 8.8 or 9" all the ranger frame is at that point are some frame rails, they could be box tubing or whatever.

If it's cheap enough - and has very good rockers - I'd s**** the g***er build and set it up low, with bigs and littles. Minitub and rear wheel well rearch.

 

I'd personally never buy a ranger frame under an old vehicle.... Yuck.

 

I'd be keeping it until my current 'keeper' project car is finished.

As for the g***er thing, that's the main reason I would even consider driving that far. It's got a tunnel ram big block Chevy set way back(front of the block is real close to axle centerline) and a 4 speed. If I bought it, I figured I would probably primer the whole thing, put some steelies with tall tires to fill the rear wheel wells, come up with a hood and drive it.
He is asking $10,500 and says that is pretty close to what he has in it. He was offered $7500 by another looker and turned it down.

 

Ha!!!

 

Unless he has a ton of money in the engine and trans and the receipts to prove it I have a hard time seeing it being worth anywhere close to 10K.
As far as the truck frame, first we don't know what shape the original frame was but we as Hamber all know that those experts down at the spit and whittle club think that you are supposed to put midsize truck frames under everything rather than do ch***is work on the frame that came under a rig. We get that every time we talk to someone who's comment is "I've been told" and then go on as to how they were told that they needed to use such a frame under their rig no matter what the rig is. Then you see the results for sale in the failed project section of FB marketplace and Craigslist.

 

Reading between the lines, I'm wondering if this was one of those 'looking for new hobbies thanks to Covid restrictions". The current owner is admittedly not really a car guy. He bought it pretty much as it is now. But he did hire someone to do a little work as the car had apparently sat for a while(carburetors were leaking when he got it and I can't remember what else).

 

He's on F'n Glue.... Seriously!

 

Obvious rattle can

 

10+k?


sold as a roller with a 350/350

ad says it runs and stops.
5k

 

I love shoe boxes, but the frame thing puts me off too. 20 years ago, wasn’t the s-10 the trendy swap? Seems like the ranger was a bigger undertaking. Seller still have the original frame? I guess not.

 

Tunnel ram big block and 4 speed, now we're getting talking.
If it actually runs and drives, you can test if the steering / front axle swap is actually sorted out.
Figure he has it listed at 10.5k, and it's still there. You're gonna buy it put time and money in and need ? $ out of it.

See how long it stays available, keep his number. I've bought a lot of cars 2 weeks AFTER they were no longer listed for sale.

 

i used 80s/90s ranger rims on my '57 ford when i first took it home, roughly the same size.

 

I don't see anything about a ***le. Is it registered as a 49 Ford or a Ford Ranger? You might want to check with the Iowa DOT to see how they feel about old cars with swapped frames. In addition, is it insurable in Iowa.? I like the car but I think he should have taken the $7500.

 

I haven't asked that. If I am not mistaken, by '49 the vin was on the body. In my experience, unless a person decides to broadcast it to the govt, the only thing that has mattered is that the primary vin location and the ***le match. The only exception I am personally aware of is when we used to rebuild late model wrecks and the vehicles had to be looked over before we could get the ***le changed from 'salvage'. Not sure how strict they are about that stuff in Missouri.

 

a swap to a later frame is rarely a good way to go.

 

Many years ago, I asked the IDOT about a frame swap for a '49 Chevy pickup I was going to build. They said it would have to be ***led as a specially constructed vehicle if I did it. I used the stock frame.

Gary