Hiya everyone! I'm Mercedes!

Truth be told I was never much of a truck person. Up until last month I exclusively owned tiny vehicles from my collection of smart fortwos (4) to my stable of Craigslist "mechanic's special" motorcycles (5). I never saw myself owning anything bigger.

That was until I went offroading for the first time ever last year on a Gambler 500. My little smart rocked in the dirt and on the trails but it was also here where I gained a massive appreciation for trucks and SUVs. Little by little I found myself wanting to take my parents' Expedition EL or Envoy XL into the dirt, across streams, or darn near anywhere I could get them.

My desire hit its boiling point at this year's Memorial Day Gambler 500. Once again the little smartie rocked, but I really fell in love with a pair of little trucks that were on my team. One guy rocked this 4.0 4x4 Ranger that was the most unstoppable thing I've ever seen, yanking you name it out of sticky situations and itself never getting stuck. The other Ranger was a newer 4 cylinder with just 2WD and even it was a delight out in the mud. Best part is how the trucks fit my love for smaller vehicles. I was hooked and just had to get one of my own.

Two weeks and $800 out of my bank account later and I drove home a 2000 Ranger with the 4.0, a working 4x4, a bunch of new parts, and a bed of extra parts. It needs some rust fixes, tyres, and some patches on the bed mounts (it twerks on potholes) but the thing is all there and everything works!



I originally got it thinking I'd make it my new Gambler 500 rig but forget that, I'm so in love with it this thing is already my daily! I already took it offroad, it did very well! Only I lost the lower valence in deep mud. With better rubber this thing would be unstoppable! This was the most fun I've ever had offroad and I just can't wait to do it again!







The really bad/old ATs it has now will be replaced with basically brand new MTs with new wheels in a week or so (getting them for stupid cheap) and I'm going to begin fixing the truck and making it even better offroad. One thing now on my radar is that front bumper. What offroad bumper options are out there that don't cost nearly as much as I paid for the whole truck? Ideally I want to put a winch there, too. I almost feel like just painting the existing bumper black then mounting my light bar directly to it.

Stay tuned for more of my cheap truck madness!

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Mercedes, welcome to FRF.

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2000 Ranger Extd Cab XLT, 4X4 Off Road, 4.0L, Auto, 8.8 - 4.10's, 01 grille & lights swap.
69 Mustang, modified 5.0, & 5spd.(project)
99 Explorer Sport, 4.0 SOHC, Auto, 8.8 - 4.10's, PW, PL, PM, Cruise, Tilt. (Wife's DD)
05 F-150 2WD Regular Cab. ( My DD)

Thanks for the welcome! Not even going to lie, I'm already reading your build thread because your truck is so close to what I want to go for!

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Mercedes, like a crazy cat lady but with vehicles. <3

Trucks --- '00 Ranger 4.0 4x4
Bikes --- '72 Yamaha DT175, '72 Yamaha U7E, '80 Honda GL1100, '82 Suzuki GS 850G, '96 Honda CBR600F3
Cars --- '05 smart fortwo, '05 smart fortwo, '12 smart fortwo, '16 smart fortwo

If you have any questions feel free to ask me or shoot me a PM & I will answer as soon as possible.

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2000 Ranger Extd Cab XLT, 4X4 Off Road, 4.0L, Auto, 8.8 - 4.10's, 01 grille & lights swap.
69 Mustang, modified 5.0, & 5spd.(project)
99 Explorer Sport, 4.0 SOHC, Auto, 8.8 - 4.10's, PW, PL, PM, Cruise, Tilt. (Wife's DD)
05 F-150 2WD Regular Cab. ( My DD)