EDITOR’S NOTE
WINTER PROJECTS
The first vehicle I owned was a 1998 Ford Ranger. I still remember the day I got it: Halloween 1999. I took it home and immediately started modifying it.
I did a lot of stupid stuff with that truck, but I learned a ton. That’s the truck that solidified my obsession with pickups. It had a huge impact on the direction of my life.
I drove it for three years before I did what all parents fear their kids will do to their first ride: I totaled it. I did it right, too. I rolled it while going so fast the back end flipped straight over the front before coming to rest. I still have the scars from that accident. It happened on a barely maintained dirt fire trail up in the mountains. I came around a corner just a bit too fast. Needless to say, I learned to slow down going around blind corners—especially off road.
To this day I miss that truck. It’s probably why I’ve owned several of them since—all purely as off-road toys. I picked up my current one about 15 years ago. There’s not too much “Ranger” left on it because I have spent more time wrenching on it than driving it. However, I never touched the engine because I always leave the offroad toys’ engines alone.
So, what does all this have to do with diesel? Well, it needs an engine. And because I don’t like spending money on gas, of course it’s getting a diesel. The question is: what diesel is going in it?
My first thought was to get an old Ppumped 4BT, build it to around 400 hp with a small set of compounds on it, quick spool for increased drivability, and call it a day. However, 4BTS have a pretty heavy rotating mass, so using throttle to turn at high speeds might not be the best longterm thing for that engine. So, I conness. sidered an Ecodiesel, which would be a blast in that 4000-lb truck.
With how that engine is designed, getting on and off the throttle wouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, the price of an Ecodiesel is an issue. There aren’t too many of them in wrecking yards, and the ones that are there go for a pretty penny. My next thought was to use a VW TDI. This might still be a good option, but it has just been done so many times. I’d rather do something that makes people say “what the heck?” After thinking about it for years and after driving the diesel 335D Bimmer I picked up a year ago, I’m thinking I’ll go with the engine out of it. I’ve got the Bimmer to 365 hp at the wheels, it pulls like a diesel, and the power comes on quick. It’s a perfect swap. So, I’ve been looking for a wrecked 335D to buy and have had some pretty good luck. It looks like I can get a low-mileage engine and trans pretty easily. I already sourced a stand-alone tune. What’s going to be tough is the wiring harI’d prefer not to have to hide a bunch of extra modules if possible.
No one I know has done a swap with this engine before, and it’s going to be a huge project. Just thinking about having the power that car has in a 4x4 Ranger makes me grin ear to ear.