Custom 1993 Ford Ranger - Skulldraggery

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to meet Mr. Patrick Reid, or rather, the sickly creation he likes to call Patience. Patience is a '93 Ford Ranger that Patrick customized almost entirely by himself no less than six times. Driven by boredom, the taunts of his peers, and a severe lack of respect for mainstream ideas of what a mini-truck should be, Patrick has turned out one of the most evil trucks of all time. This monstrosity of a truck sports some of the most original ideas we've come across in a long while. Check out the skull that Patrick molded into the roll pan. We've watched Patrick literally drag the jawbone off the skull many times, and it is a sight to behold. Moving upwards in the bed, Patrick's fiberglass handiwork produced the skeleton-like bed enclosure that also houses the pop-up license plate box. The insanity continues into the cab of this truck where a completely reworked interior displays the sadistic nature of Mr. Reid. One half of the floor is covered in tweed, while the other half is layered with multi-colored graphics that match the exterior of the cab. Driving in his socks would seem to be the only way Patrick could keep the floor-bound masterpiece looking new. Dividing these two decisively different segments of the interior is another one-off item: a fiberglass center console built by Patrick and fronted by a handmade skull shifter.

The dash is just as impressive as the rest of the interior, as it too was reworked in 'glass and features yet another skull, a new home for the Kenwood CD head unit, and more graphic work. Probably the most disturbing and creative aspect of the interior, though, is the steering wheel that Patrick built from an old transmission flywheel. Can you imagine how painful it must be to make a U-turn while holding onto that green monster? We could go on and on about Patrick's mini, writing catchy descriptions for days about the molded front end, maltese cross mirrors, and handbuilt aluminum grille. Instead, we'll let the photos tell the rest of the story and give Patrick his props for building something very different. Rock on, Patrick, the scene needs more guys like you.

THE LOWDOWN

Chassis/Suspension Patrick began his odyssey by 'bagging the front -end of the Ranger using Firestone's tried and true 2500 airbags. The 'bags retain correct alignment with the I-beam suspension because Patrick made pivoting mounts to keep them straight throughout the travel of the suspension. Patrick also installed a pair of Phantom lowered shocks to absorb the bumps in the highways of San Leon, Texas. The rear suspension work was handled by House of Bags in Alvin, Texas. A custom two-link was mounted from the framerails to the rear suspension, which is supported by another pair of 2500 'bags. Again, Phantom shocks were installed for their excellent dampening capabilities. Detail work on the suspension includes custom paint by Patrick.

Wheels/Tires 17x8.5-inch Eagle Alloy wheels were chosen by Patrick and then mounted inside of 205/40R17 low-profile tires.

Body Mods Bo Martin and Patrick began their mod frenzy by body dropping the Ranger a full 4 inches, planting the rockers of this mini flat as the Arizona desert. Patrick then began tossing stock parts in the garbage. A fiberglass hood had its recesses filled with fiberglass prior to installation, and a Nitestalker front bumper cover had its driving light holes shaved and a license plate boxed frenched-in before it was bolted onto the truck. Next, Patrick recessed the factory headlights behind the grille shell, and then built a custom aluminum phantom grille. Patrick continued by shaving half of both the upper and lower body lines on the sides of the truck, and then molded the front fenders to the wiper cowl and the rockers. Gallons of fiberglass resin were then mixed and the custom bed sculpturing produced smooth innards and a center pod for the flip-up license plate box. A fiberglass roll pan was then fitted with a skull and molded into the lower portion of the bed. The last exterior items that were added were a pair of maltese iron cross mirrors and a power sunroof. All of the body mods were designed and executed by Patrick.

Custom Paint Patrick also painted his mini, just because there were a few people who doubted that he could pull it off. Patrick says that at last count, there were 132 custom-mixed hues gracing the outside and interior of his truck. The paint came from PPG.

Interior The centerpiece of the interior is the customized dash that flows into the custom center console. You wouldn't know it from its current appearance, but somewhere underneath all of that fiberglass is the stock dash, minus the air-conditioning controls. The interior trim panels are done up in snakeskin, as are the custom-built seats that were made specifically to accommodate the rather large body drop. The center console is formed to resemble a skeleton and divides the black tweed and graphic'd floor of the truck.

Audio System A Kenwood KDC-319 CD head unit has been relocated to the upper portion of the dashboard; it controls a Kenwood 70-watt amplifier that is hidden under a false floor. A Kenwood Excelon 300-watt amplifier is hidden behind the dash and powers 10-inch MTX subwoofers that are mounted inside of a custom enclosure, which is ported from the bed into the cab. Kenwood 6.5-inch component speakers are mounted in the custom door panels, and Kenwood 5.25-inch component speakers are built into custom kick panel enclosures. A 10-disc Kenwood CD changer is also hidden behind the dash; all wiring for the system is by Streetwires.

Engine/Drivetrain The factory four-banger has been outfitted with a K&N Filtercharger air cleaner and a Flowmaster 2.5-inch exhaust system. An Optima Yellow Top battery powers the electronics within the truck.

Owner's Quote: "I learned a lot about painting vehicles, working on suspensions, and building interiors because I've rebuilt this truck six times. Next time, I'll remember to bolt the front bumper cover on before I take the truck out for the first drive. I ran it over and had to built it again. My inspiration came from smelling gallons of bondo dust! I'd like to thank my parents, Skippy, Matt, Aubrey, Frank at Next Level, and Severed Ties.