newbie wants Baja prerunner

[spacomponents]

Hi, just found this cool forum thanks to Blanco's posts elsewhere. I need a lightweight prerunner type vehicle to tow with the motorhome for excursions into Baja.

would like to seat 4 and still have space for supplies. have looked hard at Cherokees cause they're light, but not sold on them yet.

anyway, will spend some time here learning from others, thanks!

[Blanco]

http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/12.gif

Glad to see you here..

Baja Huh?
what do you do with your time there?
How Often do you go?

I hope you like it here & stick around...

you say your looking for...
Do you have any toys now?

[Froggmann]

Exploder, Nice aftermarket because of the ranger...

Cherokee (XJ) not much of an aftermarket but is a stout little bugger.

Grand Cherokee (ZJ) No aftermarket but roomy and many of the same componets as the XJ

S-10 Blazer It's a Chevy, you will find parts anywhere.

Toyota 4-Runner Mild aftermarket, that 22 motor is bulletproof but everythign is $$

Nissan Pathfinder Ummm... No

[spacomponents]

thanks! our toys now are quads. can't venture far enough or fast enough nor haul enough on the quads. plus, I busted up my leg pretty good in Ocotillo in Nov, so looking for something 3300-3400 lbs or less to tow. Bronco II seems a little small so do Wranglers.

what does the original Bronco weigh? anybody know?

[Blanco]

Tom will chime in here later & he can tell you what EB's wiegh, But I dont think they seat 4 very comfortably. :shrug:

I like what Frog said about the Exploder... Its true, that theres a good after market for them...
& it will seat 4 comfy & still has room for lots of stuff in the back :m2c:
I'm not sure what they wiegh though..

[bigbroncojeff]

personally i would go the route of an xj... with the jeepspeed series there are now tons and tons of resources and info out.... and they are pretty damn tough

nothing wrong with an exploder i just think a jeep build up would be easier if you want bolt ons for most of your mods

[spacomponents]

thanks! 'Exploders' weigh 3900 roughly, and XJs are 3350 approx.

all things equal, the XJ makes more sense to tow, plus Jeepspeed, plus there's a ton of XJs in Baja, if we need parts. plenty of Rangers down there too.

I have thought of getting a 4 door Ranger they sell in Baja, it looks great, true 4 doors, not funky looking like the Exploder Sport-Trac

[Blanco]

Might you have a Pic. of this 4door ranger? :6:
That sounds kinda neat.

Yeah wieght wise the XJ a much better bet..

But then you have other considerations..
2WD or 4WD
Solid front axle or Indepent front axle....

The 2WD XJ's still have a solid front axle IIRC.

[bigbroncojeff]

xj had solid front and rear... all of em

[Froggmann]

1 problem with a 4 door ranger, you can't register it in the states.

[Froggmann]

Oh and here it is...


http://www.ford.com.mx/Photos/photo250/SSCMEX/FORD/RANGER/2007/4PU-C.JPG

[spacomponents]

I'll try to find a pic of 4 dr Ranger.

My plan was to buy 2 Rangers, a 2 door here, and a 4 door from Baja, pull the windshields, swap the VIN tags, then sell the 2 dr back to Baja.

I have some more research to do, look at smog crap on the 4 dr and see if it's passable here.

Meanwhile, the XJ I've thought of would be 4x4, with winch, Rubicon Express 4.5" springs, and Bilstein Resi 7100s. figure this would get us around Baja OK, not really a pre-runner, but capable of going anywhere.

[spacomponents]

how do I post the pics here?

[spacomponents]

So, my plan is to bring one of these here. It's got more room than the other crewcabs, and no one has one here yet that I've seen.http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/u64/spacomponents/red4dr.jpg

[locopny]

welcome

interesting 4dr ranger.....maybe ya wanna lay low with the swap process- being this is a public forum if ya know what I mean.

oh yeah..EBs arent exactly light 3500-4000lbs IIRC seat 4 ok, but there isn't alot of cargo space left then.

[MUDMAD]

Welcome and good luck with whatever you decide to get. I say just get a fullsize bronco, cut off the sheet metal, put some fiberglass fenders and hood, and you have got a hell of a family light weight baja truck:rofl: . OK, so I'm a little bias here. Not sure you could get a bronco less than 5,000 lbs no matter what you did to them.

[spacomponents]

well, fullsize would be great for a DD. maybe I'll upgrade the motorhome to one that can tow more weight.