Eure's Virginia Ranger
Jason Eure of Suffolk, Virginia, went for the prerunner look with his '94 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4. He added a 4-inch Skyjacker lift, 15x10 Centerline Aluminum wheels, 32-inch BFGs, dual stablizer bars, dual exhaust, and of course, a prerunner lightbar holding two 6-inch KC HiLiTES. Inside there is an Alpine custom-built stereo system with a CD player, an amplifier, and two 10-inch subwoofers.
Carenza's Connecticut J-10
This somewhat rare find is owned by Michael Carenza Jr. of New Britain, Connecticut. His '82 J-10 Honcho Sportside pickup has a stock 258 inline-six attached to an automatic transmission, and the tires are 30-inch Trailhandler All-Terrains on American Racing wheels. The restoration involved spraying on new black clearcoat, fixing rust, installing a new gas tank, and reupholstering the interior.
Smith's California Bronco
Bret Smith of Van Nuys, California, has kept this '70 Bronco running despite its rough life. After he bought it in 1994, the 302 V-8 blew and had to be replaced with a rebuilt engine. It ran so well that he took it off-road-and rolled it. Fortunately, every time something bad happened, it emerged a better truck. He used each opportunity to fix pesky problems and to upgrade. He painted over the old, light-brown paint with emerald-green and added white Bushwacker flares.
Ugly Truck Of The Month
This aesthetically challenged vehicle is an '85 Jeep Laredo owned by Erich Pflanz of Frankfort, New York. He got it when he was 17 and has beaten it with an ugly stick ever since. Erich believes this beast has a mighty 2.8L V-6 and considers it to be a cheap ride. It appears that this '85 spent the last 13 years following a salt truck. A close examination of the lower body panels reveals a custom brushed-on paint job, highlighted with crusty pieces of rust.
Brown's U.K. Nissan
Rodney M. Brown of Upton, Wirral, Merseyside, England, drives this four-door, '96 Nissan 2+2 Crew Cab imported from Cyprus. In the U.K., it is regarded as fullsize and American. It cost $24,000 to import including freight, various taxes, and import duties. The engine is a stock 2.5L normally aspirated diesel that gets 38 mpg, sucking down petrol that costs $4.75 per gallon. The truck sees lots of action at construction sites and tows horse trailers to shows on the weekends.
Beckman's Tennessee Scout
What started out as a father and son project for Gary and Nicholas Beckman of Arlington, Tennessee, has become an almost-original-factory-condition '62 International Harvester Scout Model 80. Rather than add a whole bunch of modern trappings, Gary and Nicholas decided to restore the 'Binder to its original glory, from its four-cylinder Commanche engine and three-speed transmission to the sliding windows and fold-down windshield.
Warner's Wisconsin Ramcharger
Chris Warner of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, owns this '89 Dodge Ramcharger. The 4-inch suspension lift and 35-inch BFGs add plenty of height and traction to help this Ramcharger plow through whatever weather and terrain Wisconsin can throw at it. Plans include larger tires and engine mods. His wife picked out the sharp American Racing wheels.