Troy, my Mazda B-Series, is going to be getting some very special attention.

Troy is a 1999 Troy Lee Edition Mazda B3000.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Troy Lee Edition, I invite you to visit this page: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/p...ess001964.html


Ok... Now that we've got that out the way, here's a list containing a few of the basic stock specs for Troy:

- 3.0L Vulcan
- Automatic transmission w/ overdrive
- Rear wheel drive
- 8.8" rear end
- 4.10 gear ratio
- Open differential
- Torsion bar front suspension


Troy started off as just another B3000. The truck was purchased new by my grandfather in 1999. (He had the "Troy Lee Edition" flames taken off at the dealership.) He drove it to work every day for about eight years. He never made any modifications to it, but he kept it serviced regularly and took good care of it. He was nice enough to let me start using it when i was a sophomore in highschool, because my dad wasn't able to take me. He basically gave it to me. That was about five or six years ago, so we'll start there...

Here's some photos from when I first started driving Troy. (Completely stock)

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After driving it for a while I started liking it more and more...

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After driving it for a few years, Troy had pretty much become mine. In June, 2012 I decided to finally add some personal touches.

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It's amazing what a few cans of Plasti Dip can do...

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Here's some photos of the interior:

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No mods at this point.

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Last summer I moved to Cumming, GA just outside of Atlanta. I finally got out of my small, country town in Mississippi. I got my first job and quickly got several raises and a promotion, and had Troy looking better than ever!

Things were going great!

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Unfortunately, however, that didn't last long...

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Cool truck man. I've seen it on instagram.

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Sub'd

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03 Ranger XLT 4x2 | 3.0l 2-door ext. cab auto trans | BTF Fabricated Spindles/Camburg Upper Arms/Camburg 2.5" coils/Bilstein 5100s/Limit Straps | 2" shackles/2.5" blocks | airbox mod w/ k&n drop in | thrush welded | blacked out emblems | 6000k hids | 06+ tails & corners | Cargo Light Mod | Billet Grille | Custom Bumper | Hella 700ffs | 32x11.5x15 BFG AT KO | 15" Procomp 7031 | Buggman LED Mustang Dome/Cluster/Reverse Lights | Kenwood Headunit | FORD floor mats

Subbed, doing that to my headlights.

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1996 ranger 3.0 extended cab 2wd straight shift SOLD 6/13/15

2003 f150 4.2 regular cab 2wd straight shift still in the driveway

1998 f150 4.2 regular cab 2wd automatic daily driver

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTbeast Cool truck man. I've seen it on instagram.

Thanks! I remember seeing yours on there too. Nice truck!

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I had been driving for over six years and never made a mistake or had an accident, and I used to drive this poor truck like crazy. From jumping it at railroad crossings, to drifting on gravel roads. I always prided myself for being a great driver, but last October I screwed up...

It was a stormy night. I came up to a curve on the twisty road over Buford Dam on Lake Lanier. It wasn't a sharp curve. It was just a small shift left, but it did have a low spot where the water flowed across. I tried to turn the steering wheel, but the truck kept going straight. I scraped again the guard rail on the right. The truck bounced off the rail and headed straight for the other side. When it hit the other side it ripped the front bumper to shreds, peeled my door back like a can opener, and knocked the tire off of the wheel.

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That night I sat up for hours wondering what to do. I was going to get rid of it and get something else, because it was going to cost so much to fix it, and it wasn't worth anything in the condition it was in.

I found a door for a great price at a local junkyard, so I went ahead and bought it. It was tan, but it was a door. It did its job.

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So I was ready to sell it and buy a new car, but then I started thinking about everything I've been through with this truck. I started to realize that this truck meant something to me. Something more than you can put a price on. Ever since my grandfather gave it to me in high school, it's been my escape from the world around me. It's been my freedom. When I'm driving it, I feel this connection... a feeling that I've never gotten from anything else. It means more to me than any price tag. It may sound stupid to some people, but maybe a few will understand.

After thinking on it a little more, I made a decision. I wasn't going to sell it. I told myself I was going to build something epic... something different... something no one has ever seen.
Something one of a kind.

This is the beginning of Project Troy.

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Sweet looking. Looking good as far as refurb goes. Judging by your avatar picture, Troy has come a long way?

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2000 Ford Ranger XLT - 4x4 Off Road - 3.0L - 5speed - 4.10 - 3in BL - 2in Torsion Lift - Lokka Front Locker - RCI Skids - Rancho Shocks - Super Start Extreme AGM Deep Cycle Battery - Cragar Soft 8s - 33x12.50 BFG M/T KM2 w/ Hitch Mounted Spare - Smittybilt XRC8 Winch - On Board Compressor - Hidden Snorkel

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJSLAIL22 Sweet looking. Looking good as far as refurb goes. Judging by your avatar picture, Troy has come a long way?

Thanks! And yes he has! That avatar pic was taken over a month ago. It's come along way since that. lol. Since I started my build thread late, I'm just basically catching up to present day.Then I'll start posting daily updates and photos.

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I'm considering doing a build thread for mine as well.... will be a great deal of catchup, over a years worth of upgrades and mods already done. If I get bunch of time...already have most pictures along the way lol

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2000 Ford Ranger XLT - 4x4 Off Road - 3.0L - 5speed - 4.10 - 3in BL - 2in Torsion Lift - Lokka Front Locker - RCI Skids - Rancho Shocks - Super Start Extreme AGM Deep Cycle Battery - Cragar Soft 8s - 33x12.50 BFG M/T KM2 w/ Hitch Mounted Spare - Smittybilt XRC8 Winch - On Board Compressor - Hidden Snorkel

Sub'd, you gotta love when you get the "I'm on top of the world" feeling until you get humbled. Can't wait to see the rest.

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You gotta do a build thread! Trucks looks great by the looks of your avatar and sig.

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2000 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4, 4.0 auto, 143k, Behind Grill LEDs, Tailgate Bar, Reverse, dome, cargo LEDs, Escape Emblems, SI/SO MBRP Exhaust, Delta Tool Box, TYC headlights, Platinum Plus Fogs, 06+ Tails and Chrome Mirrors, Window Tint, Pioneer Stereo, 4 Infinity Speakers, Painted ext. plastic black, 16x8 ProComp 1069s, Discoverer Cooper ATR 265s, tbar crank and shackles. 1 1/2 in. lift.
Build thread!http://www.fordrangerforum.com/proje...ld-thread.html

Ok... So at this point I knew absolutely nothing about working on cars. I did know a lot about cars in general. I could tell you the year, horsepower, engine size, etc. for almost any car out there, but I couldn't tell you how they worked. Looking under the hood was like trying to decode an alien language. I didn't know anyone who worked on them or knew how too either. So, with the help of the internet, I sat down and started teaching myself. Then I noticed that this stuff just stuck. I could watch a five minute video and then get out the tools and go crazy.

One tip that I have from what I've learned:

If you are new to this like I was and trying to learn how to work on a vehicle, don't focus on "how to work on it" right away. Take the time to learn how it works first! Once you know how everything works you may not even need "how to" videos.


The first thing I did was have the body work done. Got all of the dents fixed. Most of the work was done to the fenders and bedsides. Looking back on it now, I wish I would have used that money to just get some fiberglass...

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The next thing I did was crank up the torsion bars and buy some 2" wheel spacers. (I took them off later when I put new wheels bearings on.) Oh I thought I was the coolest guy in town... Haha.

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After that, I painted the entire frame, front to back, with chassis paint. (Not just the part that was easy to get to.)

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Got four new Alpine Type R speakers, because my old ones were all trash!

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Then came my biggest upgrade yet..

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Ever since I've had Troy I've dreamed about having General Grabbers and Method Race Wheels. I used to see them on all the prerunners and trophy trucks, and I always admired them. They just look sick! At this time I needed new tires... bad! The sorry excuses I had for tires were worn down to the point that the metal was showing... not safe at all! I felt uncomfortable every time I drove it, so I decided to go ahead and spend the money and pick up this sexy combo...

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- Specs: 33x12.50x15" General Grabber Red Letter tires mounted on 15x8" Method Race Wheels Double Standards.

I actually bought the tires a few weeks before, but I didn't have the money for the wheels at the time, so they sat in my garage for a while.

I finally got them on the truck, and I absolutely love them! The ride is great. The noise level is fairly low for a full on off-road tire. There's a little noise at highway speeds, but I like it. It sounds awesome. It's like a howling wind coming straight at you.

The day I put them on:

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I think I put over two hundred miles on them within the first three days. I love seeing peoples reactions to them. Everyone seems to love them, and people are always asking me about them. Most people here have never even seen them in real life, and the people who know what they are know that this truck is special.

Here's some more shots of the new setup.

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Its amazing how a new set of wheels and tires can change the entire appearance a vehicle.

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