1971 Ford F100 Ranger XLT Pickup

Ah, the old bump side Ford. Very cool. Definately watching.

BK

Hi Mike;

Thanks for the heads up about Moebius. I've been eyeing their '66 pickups to model one I used to own -think I'll pass. Looking forward to seeing what you do with you Ranger!

Those are nice looking trucks. I'll be following this build.

Owned a '70 Ranger in red and white back in the day.  I'll keep an eye on this build.  Good luck on dealing with the warps.

That's a shame about Moebius.  I've enjoyed the couple kits I built but customer service is king in this hobby.  I'm sure you'll be able to make right.  

Thanks guys for your support!  My intention for this kit is to make it look really good!  This WIP was to be part of a build off between a friend and myself, but he had to opt out due to unforseen issues.  Since he opted out, maybe I'll add my McNally story to this WIP that I was originally going to use.  I was going to make this a down and dirty quick build, but that has all changed.  McNally will be part of this build!

I had a story written for this build, but chose not to use for a build off with a friend.  He had to pull out at the last minute, so I will insert the story starting with this post.

The Story

The old man walks into Boston Police Headquarters and he tells the desk sergeant that his wife is missing.  The desk sergeant calls for a detective from Missing Persons to come down and talk to him.  Since the man's wife has been missing for only a few hours, the Police will take a report and keep an eye out for her, but they really can't search for her until she has been missing for 24 hours.  The detective walks back upstairs to Missing Persons and the old man becomes very frustrated and he cries out for help.  McNally was in the process to turning in his Visitors Badge when the old man started crying loudly and he offered to help.  The old man says he can't afford a private investigator and McNally tells him to not worry about the money and they would work something out later.

The old man is Jesse Hawkins and his missing wife is named Rhonda and she went for her morning walk and never returned home.  McNally asks about her route for walking and he will drive along looking for her on her route.  Then he will search side streets and empty houses in his neighborhood.  Jesse will call McNally if she does return or a ransom demand is made.

The Build

The engine and transmission has been assembled, but I have never seen a fuel pump like that.  The instructions even show this design.  I think I'll remove the bottom portion of the fuel pump.

McNally will return...

Looking forward to this.  I'm in the process  of doing the 6 cylinder.  No warping problem with mine. That fuel pump is accurate. 

You are correct as the fuel pump you have pictured is accurate!  I changed my parameters and the fuel pump was listed along with a standard looking fuel pump.  

These Moebius Fords are very inaccurate compared with the real thing.  I owned a 72 F-100 2wd with a 302 for 15 years, and have a 70 F-250 4wd crewcab.  The real frame is not boxed as depicted by Moebius.  It is a c-channel.  The I-beams are not curved as they are straight, not curved which are like the 80-98 versions.  The swaybar did not come on 67-72's.  The auto trans is a C-4 which was only behind the Sixes and 302's in F-100's and 300's in F-250's.  The photo is of an FE engine which used a similar fuel pump with a filter canister underneath.  That kit one is not right.https://www.napaonline.com/en/search?text=fuel%2Bpump&q=N%3D2500004%2B2600402%2B2801958%2B10197100%2B5002600%2B5002800%2B200280160%2B402802400%2B599999900%2B2000107500%26Nty%3D1%26Score%3D0.71&referer=PLP&leftNav=leftNav

richs26, this Ford F100 Ranger looks like it should on the outside.  Yes, there are things wrong with it, but many people like myself have built/building this kit.  I am not a rivet counter, so some of the things that you find wrong with this kit, others like me, could care less about.  I'm just trying to make this kit look good!  

The Story

McNally drives around the neighborhood and has follows the route Rhonda takes everyday.  He will drive her route and then he'll check the side streets for her.  Rhonda is about 5' 4" tall, 100 Lbs., and 84 years old.  He doesn't find her on his inital drive on her route.  He stops and talks with people walking on the sidewalk and he even made a few friends with those owners dogs.  

He drives and he stops at an intersection and he could hear a dog barking, but it sounded far away.  Then the barking stopped and McNally drove on following the route again.  He calls Jesse and he asks if Rhonda had called or returned and Jesse replies no.  He will keep looking and he starts searching the side streets.  He doesn't find her on any of the side streets and he will start searching abandoned houses.

The Build

I assembled the rear bed and started with the tailgate.  The inner gate didn't match the tailgate and I removed the mounting bar and sanded the inner gate smooth and it matched the tailgate better.  The rest of the bed went together without any issues.  It was time for a mockup to check for fit.  Not bad!  The left rear cab is still warped and if I push down on it, the cab and bed line up perfectly.

McNally will return...

When I see this in its unpainted state it reminds my of Mr Majestic with Charles Bronson. 

BK

Thanks Lee and Brandon!  

Brandon, that truck sure does look like it is unpainted.  I'm sure it does have some paint on it though.

Well?

 Hey don't keep us waiting. Where's more about the Truck and McNally?

Tanker-Builder

Well?

 Hey don't keep us waiting. Where's more about the Truck and McNally?

 

My, my!  Aren't we a bit impatient!

Looks like the same color i painted mine. 

Pretty darn close, I would say!  Looks good!  Mine will be the Combination Tu-Tone of Wimbledon White on the roof and lower body and Competition Orange on the upper body.  

Thanks.  Your colors should look great. 

Thanks Lee!  I'm not looking forward to all the masking, but the color combo should look great!

You Bet Yer sweet Bippy !

Shoot;

      I still miss my Three on the Tree, Long Bed 73,with a Six and power Nothing. Darned good truck for All those years. Plus, I could work on it myself .Even in the rain! There was so much space Under the hood, I could pull the hood almost closed and still keep working! Plus I did cheat. I installed my own sound system. One very good Bose System I took from a Wrecked Grand Marquis.

      That was the prettiest Electric Blue truck I ever owned. 73 to 95. Not a bad life. I had her painted in 85 because the original Ford Baby Blue was showing it's age. Had it painted at the Ford dealer. They were instructed to strip it down inside and out. Correct any rust and paint her that beautiful Blue like they had on Corvettes at the time. Ford had a matching color but I don't remember what they called it.

     They found very little rust! Geez, I loved that truck.

The Story

It was getting late and McNally was hungry.  He stops at a convience store and he grabs a sandwich and a cup of coffee.  He drives back to the route that Rhonda walked daily and he stops to eat and think.  Suddenly, bright lights illuminate the interior of his car and he places his hands on the steering wheel and he waits for a cop to come to his window.  The cop asks why he is there and McNally identifies himself and he says he is working.  

He is told to get out of the car and he is searched with the cop finding his SIG Sauer P227 in his shoulder holster.  The cop asks about the gun and McNally tells him about all the permits he has for it.  The cop takes the permits and his drivers license and hands them to his partner and tells her to run his name through the computer.  A couple of moments later and she comes back and says hi to McNally and that they had met last year when he bought her Jeep Grand Cherokee LTD V8 from her.  McNally returns the greeting and he explains why he is there and what he is doing...searching for a missing person.

The Build

I painted and assembled more of the engine this afternoon.  I got the wires installed on the distributor and will wire the engine.  I might plumb the engine a little with a fuel line from the fuel pump to the carburator and a line from the PCV Valve.

McNally will return...

Thanks Keith!  It's getting there!

Well;

 You can put that engine in any of my Fords! McNally is a careful man. He'll git'r dun !