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December 2004 Issue

Tim’s Fun Project

= His Stepson’s Great Deal

story & photos by Tim De Borde

In 2000, I bought a little ’94 Ranger from a friend at work. He was an older fellow with no family and pampered the truck since it was new just driving to work and back. I gave him the book value at the time which was $7,500. My plan was to “bribe” my stepson with it; kinda like the “carrot in front of the horse” theory. At the time he was 19 years old and not trying very hard at anything. I financed it for him with a low payment and told him if he “got it together” he could take over the payments. Well, that didn’t exactly work, he ended up buying a Ranger off the internet that wasn’t half as nice. It was a 4-cylinder, with no air and had rust.

I drove the truck to work and back a couple of weeks and just decided to keep it and do a few things to it. I put a set of Ventshades on it and that just opened up a can of worms. You see, all my life I’ve been a car and truck nut that hates anything “stock”. Back in the ’80’s I autocrossed an RX-7 and a VW GTI. I showed the GTI and won two 1st.place spots and lots of seconds; so it was already in my blood but I had never owned a truck. I subscribed to your magazine and got a visual of what I wanted to do then proceeded to construct a plan.

First off, to me, “stance” is everything. Without the right stance there’s not much use to go on. What I wanted was a functional, safe lift. I either wanted the truck level or with a very slight rake. One thing I can’t stand is a truck with the nose in the air looking like an old Toyota 4-Runner with the rear springs sagging.

I took the truck to the 4 Wheel Parts Performance Center in Charlotte, N.C. and had them install a Superlift 4” lift kit and a steering stabilizer. Then I “be-bopped” back down the interstate 90 miles home on the stock rubber and drove the truck straight into the basement where it stayed for 2-1/2 years before seeing daylight again.

What I had in mind for the truck was a pre-runner race look. Something serious looking, yet with show quality. That meant to me, no flames, no carpeted dash, etc. I’m a 46-year-old male nurse with a history of multiple fractures and arthritis, so in the back of my mind I was really building the truck for my stepson for when he matured, but no one knew that but me.

By the way, my stepson got married and now has two children. He had to mature real quick. He’s doing great and I could not be more proud of him. And, Yes, I sold him the truck for half of what I invested in it. By the way — 90% of all the parts were bought from the mail order department at 4 Wheel Parts.

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