LUVTruck.com

Howdy, I should of started this here. I bought the Luv, with the plans on keepin it normal. Haha But, after the check oil light started coming on, and after a fresh oil change with oil good, and compression being #1,2 being 120 and #3,4 bein 140 i think it was. the truck needed some work, throw out bearing was out, brakes need work. My good friend roled his 1986 ford ranger, and things went from there. his motor had alittle over 100,000 miles on it, and it ran really good. Thinkin about it, and goin up to the junk yards, and not being able to find much luv parts, and havin to special order everythin for it from napa, desided to swap it over to the ranger frame. Parts are not hard to find and they are a hole lot cheaper! The luv has came along way sence then.

My Plans for it:

#1....Swap it to the ranger frame: steering, wiring, cab mounts, and other little things.

#2....Paint the luv, custom gauges, diamond plated door panels and cab lights.

#3....Custom flat bed with lights and the full nine yards.

Drive luv for a while

#4....Ether rebuild the 2.9 or go bigger engine or go diesel, still in the works.


Reasons for swaping it to the ranger frame....
luv motor going
Luv clutch was going
parts hard to find
ford parts, easy and dont cost alot!
easier to upgrade even more

Heres a link to the page:(viewtopic.php?f=24&t=23365)

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

More Pic's of what i did to get everythin to mount up. Not fully done yet but Getting closer! I used the ford petals, ford brake booster and master cyl, and the ford steering wheel and hyd clutch cyl, i had to cut new holes in the fire wall and patch the old steering calum hole and I used the old luv gas petel, but had to cut bigger hole and bend petal to get it to work. Haha Please Comment! Any Q's are welcome! haha

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

Bad pic's sorry, in the first pic i had to cut out a good part of the wheel well, Lots a fabing. Learning and learning! Its A fun Project! and I cant wait to get it done! haha

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

More Pic's! ! !

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

More Pic's! Haha Please Comment!!!

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

More Pic's!!!

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

Heres some more pic's, My tunnel is all back in! haha Wish people would comment! haha

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

Wow, interesting build. It looks like your switching over mostly to the ford components. How well did the brake booster fit? The ford must be an automatic right? If not, how did you hook up the clutch? With a cable? Also, are you gonna use the gauges from the ford? I don't think the luv's will mate well with the Ford... What about the fuse box and wiring up the lights and electrical? Sounds like u might have a huge mess in front of you yet...

Nice job welding the tunnel, btw. I hope it all works out for ya, . Can't wait to see it when ur done.

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My Rides:

2002 Mazda B4000 4x4
1978 Chevy LUV - Sold
1990 Kawasaki EX500
2008 Yamaha TTR230

huh so now its like "Ranger LUV?" or "LUV Ranger?" lol
very interesting swap. i gotta agree the ranger will be way easier to find parts for and that 2.9 will definately smoke a 1.8!
do ya still have the LUV frame sittin around or has that been scrapped

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Haha, Thanks for the comments!
The ranger was a 5spd, we thought it would be easier just to swap everythin. the brake booster fit with no room to spare, i had to cut the hole alittle bigger, but not to much. The really problem was the clutch, we had to cut out part of the wheel well to get it to go up at the right angle, haha but You know, it hasnt been really hard, just fabin and lots of it, but nothing didnt fit, it was all pretty easy to fit in. Haha We havent got to wiring yet, But it will mainly be the lights, and wipers, heater, I took the hole ford wiring harness, and I have to say its alot bigger than the old luv one. Haha But, its not far from being painted, just kinda waiting for the wether to get warmer and have some more drilling and welding to do. and for the gauges i was gona make my own custom gauge cluster, i thot that would be easier. There would be know way to make that work, I gutted the ranger and grapped everythin.

I gota find the right cab light for it, itll be watever i can get cheaper and small! I want to try to fit 5 but i mite just do 4, but gota get'em and see.

I havent seen anyone else do one on a ranger yet, and i thought it would be different. haha

An i sold the luv frame, that was much need money, haha. the guy got a hell of a deal on it. the ranger was scrapped.

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

sounds like a party!

dang i woulda been interested in that frame lol idaho aint far

i gotta get back out there and finish cleaning the dash frame up when i get home from work so i can foam shave and fiberglass it soon. im sick of looking at it bare metal full of holes!

when are you planning to have the first startup?

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Haha Yea, i had it on craiglist for like 2 months, and the bed to, and they took forever to sell there isnt much of a market for them around here. haha

But i was gona do the same for my dash, ill have to see what yours looks like after you get it done, PIC's! haha

Im really hopin that the luv rad will be big enough to cool the 2.9, but well see. And im gona this spring sometime when the weather gets better

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

yeah LUVs have been aroudn here forever most people that wanted one already got one. the east coast and all of that end of the country never got many so they sell a lot quicker out there.

ya know i was looking at my radiator the other day when i was thinking about throwing in a mazga 13b turbo rotary engine. and if you have any fabricating skills it wouldnt be hard to take off the two plates the rariator mounts to/between and move them farther spart to put in a wider radiator and their is room to go taller also. luckily there is room under the hood for modifications!

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Haha yea, i know what you mean.

An Haha If already done so much fabin it wouldnt be hard, but i really just dont want to buy a new one to put in it just yet, i wanta get all the electrical in and try to run it. But the luv rad is 18 1/2 ins by like 19 i think, and 2.5 ins thick, and the ranger was single core 22 by 20 i think and less than an inch thick, so there should be about the same water volume in there, and plus im gona throw in a 160dugree stat so that should help to haha lol

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

hell just grab one out of a bigger truck or a car thats bigger from a salvage yard and throw it in!

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Haha Yea, but since its getting all new paint and the old 2.9 will get painted to some well valve covers any way lol but im plannin on puttin a new rad in it when i put my cummins in it, but i kinda just wanta get by untill then. haha We all can hope anyway.

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

4bt im guessing since your the one giving input on it? lol
that will be an interesting swap for sure!

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Haha, Yup! Im rebuilding mine and ive read a hole lot about it, and i want a diesel and haha this is the cheapest way for me to get it. haha And if i wasnt in college for diesel then i wouldnt be doin it at all, haha Its really not really a luv any more but hell i may aswell make it even more out there haha lol

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)

mannn i will be honest with ya if i wasn't so into drifting lately i would be going for a diesel too, longevity , torque, efficency, i mean really whats not to luv??? i was thinking about a mitsubishi turbosiesel for a while... or the isuzu NPR diesel with raised boost okay one toooooo many shots under my belt for the night.....
anyway i was thinking about a Mazda 13BT turbo rotary engine with the 5 speed and adapting my t-case to fit the end of the mazda 5 speed and some new drivelines. just cuz the higghhhh RPM would be excent for drifting and rally... (if anyone in the portland/vancouver area has been to Larch Mountain try going 45 in a luv down the roads by the upper gravel pit at night and just try tellin me u didnt have fun!!! (DO NOT TRY DURING DAY TIME OR WEEKENDS!!!! MOTORCYCLE TRAFFIC IS HIGH DURING WEEKENDS AND DAY TIME AND I DO NOT WANNA HEAR ABOUT A DEATH ON MY MOUNTAIN!!!) and not recommenedd to try if you are now very familiar with the roads and muntain cuz random sharp turns are not uncommon....

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Haha Dont worry, i ant gona go over there anytime soon! lol haha An I like trucks alittle more than cars and 4x4 trucks dont feel fun taking turns that fast, but over here we do have dirt roads haha miles of them! and them are always fun!!! haha

Well i got a Flatbed for my luv today and i got cablights for it to! haha I LOOKS SWEET!!! ONE DIFFERENT LUV!!! Love my luv!!! Dam i can wait untill i can drive it!!! The headace rack needs to be made taller and the rear of the frame needs to be choped down and she is ready to go! haha and side boxes for my battery and tools! haha Whacha think People?

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"Project Rangeluv"-Dana 28/7.5 rear, TFI2.9V6 5spd, 86 Ranger frame swap, custom flatbed,Custom luv!
1989 ford bronco II "The Mountain Rig"
My build thread (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24076)