Bio's Build Thread

[Biomechanoid]

So I decided to order my set of wheels at Discount Tire, competitive price, free install. I chose the Fuel Anza wheels. I picked these because I like how the two tone dark and lighter grey somewhat matches the two tone of my truck's lower visual - the dark grey fender flares and lighter grey bottom body panels. The wheels should arrive at the end of this week or early next week.




For the interior floor I'm warming up to the Tailoredmat floorliners. Black and red stitch, should look good in my red Ranger, but I'm still researching them before giving them the green light. Supposedly they are tailored to exact fit for a Ford Ranger FX4. (the photo below, I'm not sure what that truck is, but when you order them, you specify the details of your make/year/model/etc.)...



By this time tomorrow, the factory speakers will be gone, replaced with JL speakers front and back, using the factory pods.

[ford4thot]

Wow that will look great! Nice tires. I love new tires.

[Biomechanoid]

Originally Posted by ford4thot

Wow that will look great! Nice tires. I love new tires.

Me too! I definitely needed new tires. I can even tell in the better ride. Also the old tires, I would get a bit of a shimmer when going 70 plus mph. That is now eliminated.

I composed a photoshop what my truck would look like with the Fuel Anza wheels.....




The lighting accuracy doesn't quite match with the real world lighting, but it's close enough to get an idea what they will look like mounted....

[Biomechanoid]

Back to the floor liners, the photo above is from the manufacturer, so naturally they are going to show a precision fit.

Here's photos from a customer who posted his liners freshly installed.



Not quite the precision fit the manufacturer boasts, but I think they still look pretty good.



The manufacturer claims the fold you see in the liner (I guess from shipping) will eventually smooth out when they are heated up. They suggest you can speed the smoothing process up with a hair dryer.



I'm hesitant about these because they look too delicate to take a beating. I may stick with getting the WeatherTech vinyl floor liners. If you order them from the WeatherTech site, you can get a set that is made for vehicles with the vinyl flooring instead of carpet.

[ford4thot]

Yeah now that I look closer I don't like it, definitely will wear out quickly on the driver side and looks dangerous, looks like it could cause a gas pedal to stick.

[Biomechanoid]

Originally Posted by ford4thot

Yeah now that I look closer I don't like it, definitely will wear out quickly on the driver side and looks dangerous, looks like it could cause a gas pedal to stick.

Yea I could see that as possibly happening. Plus aesthetically, even if they are durable, those red stitches would get grimy over time from all the foot traffic.

But they would be great for someone with a show car. Pop them in for the show, store them away until the next show.

[ford4thot]

Yes that is a great idea that would make your car stand out at a show

[Biomechanoid]

Okay....well...this morning I was driving to the audio shop to have the JL speakers installed. It died on me, smoke appeared from the hood, had it towed to auto service. Just got call from them, the timing chain broke, ripped a hole in the valve cover. They have to rip the engine out, end of next week I will owe them $4,200 for parts and labor. They did give me a loaner.

That's it. I'm done. Canceled the speaker install, cancelled the new wheels. This major repair ate up my fun money I planned for after-market goodies for the Ranger.

[ford4thot]

Oh no! I wish this were a joke

[Biomechanoid]

Unfortunately, no joke. Whenever a mechanic quotes a 4k plus repair, you naturally become suspicious.

I researched their reviews and ratings online, there are a few customers that gave them a low rating due to overcharging and/or quoting items that need to be fixed, the customer took it elsewhere and the item didn't need fixing.

But well over 85-90% out of hundreds of ratings, customers give them glowing reviews, 4.5 to 5 stars. They are triple AAA approved and have a A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau.

All I can do is just hope I'm not in that minority that got overcharged for service I didn't need. Anyway, the "after-market project" for my Ranger has been canceled. Maybe after building up my checking account after that 4K hit, I might pick it back up next spring or summer.

[ford4thot]

For that price you could have done a lot of different things. I would not have put parts back in that stock motor for $4,200. Good luck! That's painful

[Biomechanoid]

Well, my only other choice would be to not spend for the high dollar repair, have it towed to my Ford dealer and take it in the rear on the trade in for a broke truck, to buy a new Ranger. $4K repair hurts, but you can easily spend $40-45k on a new Ranger today. I am totally debt free, house paid for, vehicle paid for, no credit card debts, no debts period. I really want to keep it that way, it's a peace of mind beyond measure.

[ford4thot]

No need to go from the $4,200 repair to a $45,000 Ranger. I definitely wasn't suggesting that. If that truck is your main source of transportation I understand. You've seen my project, it's hard for me not to think like that and suggest a engine swap wouldn't even be much more expensive than the repair to your stock engine.
Hell you might have gotten more money than a dealer would give you just selling it outright, broken. Then adding your play money budget from the ranger could get you another nice used vehicle

No debt would be nice!

[Biomechanoid]

Yea, it's my main and only source of transportation. I'm an old bachelor and trying to avoid a second vehicle as back up - added insurance, added property tax, added maintenance, etc. A shop that offers a loaner is really my best option for a back up. This shop offers a loaner for even minor repairs.

I consulted with the Ford Dealership service manager where I bought the truck and he confirmed they too would have to dismount the engine to work on the rear timing chain. He also mentioned they have received good word about the shop my truck is at. I called the service manage because when there's a 4k price repair tag, you naturally become suspicious.

I went by there this morning and they had just got the timing chain and other parts in, and he showed me them. If they are conning me, they are going to great lengths to con me. They did not know I was popping in this morning, I went there to get my garage door opener.

So it sounds like it's legit.

[ford4thot]

No I'm not trying to say the cost is out of line. That's just such a great amount of money. Keep us up-to-date