Thread: The Not So Mini - Mini Reserection

I want to start off this thread different. I want to give a huge thanks to Geoff Falzone the owner of Giant Motorsports, and Brandon at btf fabrication aka NODNARB on here. Both of them helped me out a ton, and gave me a lot of advice. I was very luck with the quality of stuff I have received. All the giant parts were truly bolt on once the factory stuff was removed and holes were drilled. I will be lifetime customers of both!




Well it started off life as this truck. I picked it up from Mike (prerun113) on here.




I then bought the Mini back from geoff. I knew I could not be able to make this truck a good daily driver again, so I stripped it. I feel bad about giving up on it, but all the parts are going back on the new truck.




It then became this...




and I had a pile of parts




Next began the tear down of the extra cab






Now I started bolting stuff on. Got the mini beams on and the glass




Then the rear suspension






Then I got the driveshaft and drove it out of the garage and back in




Next it was time for the hoops that brandon built me. I am stoked with the work he did for me.

In progress pictures:








Picked it up from Brandon's house






Then it was time for me to tie up lose ends. I had to drop it to find the limit strap sizes and rear brake line size.

I guess I forgot the specs

93 ford ranger 4.0 v6 5spd. Power windows, door locks, and mirrors.

Suspension front: Giant 8" over a side beams, giant radius arms and brackets, 3 tube bypass and coilover, and btf fabrication hoops. Some where around 20"+ of travel

Rear Suspension: Giant 64" leaf pack, Rad Flo link killer bypasses, Currie 9" with Giant truss, stock third member, expo disc brakes, and btf fabrication bed cage. Right around 19" of travel to the beginning of the bump stop.

Looks good! Strap the front around 16 if you want that stock steering to live and strap the rear as inch or so before the leaf springs start separating.

Mike

nice mikey! is there a cab cage in it, or plans for one?

Looks great Mike congrats on "resurrecting" the Mini.

truck looks awsome mikey i like the bedcage alot

I thought you sold the yota cause you were leaving in a couple months. Why build another truck?

Originally Posted by only1mikey

Looks good! Strap the front around 16 if you want that stock steering to live and strap the rear as inch or so before the leaf springs start separating.

Just curious on why you say that for the front suspension? I know the mini, my f-150, and the green ranger were all strapped around 18"+ of travel.

I will keep that in mind for the rear

Mike

Originally Posted by doyouquaxu

nice mikey! is there a cab cage in it, or plans for one?

Not right now. Going to keep it nice, and attempt to keep it on all 4's. Almost lost a spindle yesterday though

Originally Posted by nmsilveradorunner

Looks great Mike congrats on "resurrecting" the Mini.

Thanks man I am so stoked with it!

Originally Posted by LVbLaCkRaNgEr

truck looks awsome mikey i like the bedcage alot

Yeah Brandon did exactly what I told him and more. I said I need a strong bumper, dual spares, front hoops, and shock mounts. Here is the truck lol.

Originally Posted by Dezertsand450

I thought you sold the yota cause you were leaving in a couple months. Why build another truck?

The main reason I got rid of the toyota is storage. When I leave for basic I can put this truck in the garage at my parents house. I had no room for the toyota and f-250 before.

The gas mileage on the 460 did not make up for the enjoyment I got out of the toyota plain and simple.

Maintaining two vehicles sucked

More reasons also.

Originally Posted by 04yfzkid

Just curious on why you say that for the front suspension? I know the mini, my f-150, and the green ranger were all strapped around 18"+ of travel.

I will keep that in mind for the rear

You have a drop pitman arm right? If so then 18" will be just fine.

Mike

Mikey, so this is the only truck you have now, correct? I'm so confused! lol

Originally Posted by only1mikey

You have a drop pitman arm right? If so then 18" will be just fine.

Mike

Yeah I have a drop pitman on there. It was on the truck with the drop down bracket lift.

Originally Posted by FCORR

Mikey, so this is the only truck you have now, correct? I'm so confused! lol

Correct. I lose count myself. Including the trucks I have stripped, it's been 10 or 11 in the last two years.

Looks good mikey. You got it done quick!

im jealous now mike. glad you made it bad ass... now have some fun in it.. keep it on all 4's this time..

truck looks great! solid build!

but you officially killed the mini..

so I think your a dick.

joking.

kind of.

Originally Posted by jacob78

Looks good mikey. You got it done quick!

Yep, you know how I know I have no life

Originally Posted by prerun113

im jealous now mike. glad you made it bad ass... now have some fun in it.. keep it on all 4's this time..

Thanks Mike, lets say I have had to replace a lot of parts too haha. Stoked on the truck though!

Originally Posted by Baja_Guy21

truck looks great! solid build!

but you officially killed the mini..

so I think your a dick.

joking.

kind of.

Yeah I know I kick myself for it. Just would have not made a good daily drive with the dash set-up and too much to fix the cab. I guess I could have spent the same out on a cab swap and had no cage.

Originally Posted by 04yfzkid

Correct. I lose count myself. Including the trucks I have stripped, it's been 10 or 11 in the last two years.

Gotcha, that makes sense to have 1 truck that is both a DD and a toy...I wish my DD was more desert worthy sometimes too....

Originally Posted by FCORR

Gotcha, that makes sense to have 1 truck that is both a DD and a toy...I wish my DD was more desert worthy sometimes too....

Yeah it is super nice. I guess it sucks when you break stuff in the desert, but then again stuff doesn't get overlooked. If I am on top of everything all the time, I should find problems before the desert. Also nice to not have to slow down for bumps, or worry about potholes and stuff

More pics...

Originally Posted by 04yfzkid

Yep, you know how I know I have no life

Haha
I wanted to see it the other night at the bonfire but noooo. haha
I guess Ill just see it at tuff trucks.

Unless you go to the night race on the 13th?

Time for a new camera brother!

Anthony, I will get some more when I stop working on it lol. Hopefully this weekend

Jacob man I was working on this until 3:00am saturday night and most of sunday. I tried to make it but nope it wasn't going to happen lol. Which night race, I will be at the MDR plaster city race for sure!

Travis, I know I should use a real camera. My phone is just always handy and with how many pics I take I just don't want to carry one. I will make sure to get some good pics here soon hopefully stretching it's legs

Ah. Its all good man. Only like 6 people showed anyway.
Thats the one. Ill see you there.

Pics of you jumping it??

Originally Posted by FCORR

Gotcha, that makes sense to have 1 truck that is both a DD and a toy...I wish my DD was more desert worthy sometimes too....

make the yota street legal AJ if mine can be you should have no problem

I just Green Stickered it a few months ago...it was too much of a hastle to deal with...

Originally Posted by jacob78

Ah. Its all good man. Only like 6 people showed anyway.
Thats the one. Ill see you there.

Sweet man, just stop me if you see me out there. I should be pitting for a 9 car KIT racing.

Originally Posted by DiRt YoTa

Pics of you jumping it??

Don't have any yet. No one had a camera on hand.

Originally Posted by FCORR

I just Green Stickered it a few months ago...it was too much of a hastle to deal with...

Yeah exactly why I didn't with the toyota.

Pictures:








Side shot of that jump when I was first testing it.

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...t=P1000360.flv


Also another video of a different jump

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...t=P1000361.flv

nice usage of your turn signal haha

So what happened to the 5.8 and e40d swap? What are those triples on the rear?

hahah I like the vid of danny doing the burn out LOL! Truck looks good dude wish I

could have seen that shit but the vid works to haha.

Originally Posted by slcpunk74

So what happened to the 5.8 and e40d swap? What are those triples on the rear?

theyre one off 2.5's with 3.0 valves in them, i think they were built special for Jeff when the mini was built at Giant. its got their 64" spring kit.

Originally Posted by doyouquaxu

theyre one off 2.5's with 3.0 valves in them, i think they were built special for Jeff when the mini was built at Giant. its got their 64" spring kit.

Sounds like the sickness.

Thanks for the compliments guys. It was smoother then concrete .

Yeah as Mac said they are 2.5" radflo double bypasses with 3.0 bypass valves I am pretty sure. All of my shocks are leaking right now.

Hoping to pick up a threat motorsports 9 inch third member this week

that 9" will be the sickness. hows the motor doin in it? it sounded pretty good in the vids

dood, the right front tire toed in like 5 inches on the landing. awesome!

SICK tierod deflection. Looks good, glad you went this troute then trying to piece together the old trucks cab and everything.

Originally Posted by 04yfzkid

Thanks for the compliments guys. It was smoother then concrete .

Yeah as Mac said they are 2.5" radflo double bypasses with 3.0 bypass valves I am pretty sure. All of my shocks are leaking right now.

Hoping to pick up a threat motorsports 9 inch third member this week

Fixed lol

Originally Posted by doyouquaxu

that 9" will be the sickness. hows the motor doin in it? it sounded pretty good in the vids

Whoops meant I am going to pick up a third member. Have low 3 or 2 gears sucks balls. I only see 4th if it is down hill on the freeway, and fifth is just not worth even trying,

Originally Posted by matt_helton

dood, the right front tire toed in like 5 inches on the landing. awesome!

Haha dirty hooker travel ftw

Originally Posted by 85yota

SICK tierod deflection. Looks good, glad you went this troute then trying to piece together the old trucks cab and everything.

Yeah I am glad too, because this truck is still a very friendly DD. Well I need to do something with the front end because it rides like a lifted superduty at the moment.t

Looks like its time for crossover steering

Originally Posted by NAFLASH

Looks like its time for crossover steering

Single swing, its not equal length, correct?

so night race this weekend?? be there or be square!!