RWD conversion

[Murphys_ghosy]

My ex wife screwed me hard. I’ve dropped a bunch of money into rebuilding a Ford Ranger and she left and got the title, but she left the truck with no title to just scrap. Normally, people want to get their ex back by doing some random, desperate act of adultery with a close friend of theirs, but I have a much more productive idea...

I’m pulling the transmission back on the ranger and I’m sticking it on the Saturn; it’s a mid 90’s Ranger supercab with a M5OD 5-speed from a 4 cylinder, and the Saturn is a 98/99 SW2 with a 5 speed/SOHC setup. I am also going to turn the bed into a trailer.

I know this is tenacious but I am hellbent on getting my revenge AND my money’s worth. Does anyone make an adapter to mate the bellhousing to the engine, and does anyone have any advice? I love my Saturn and it’s a lifer that i already rebuilt twice, so I’m going to stay with it and build something insane.

And for the record, when I am done, I plan on leaving the cab that’s titled to her on her front lawn with a little note that says “You forgot this!”

[Saturn Night]

It would be easier to adapt the wiring and run the 2.5L Ford Four banger, than it will be to get a bellhousing adapter made to longitudinally mount the Saturn 1.9L

[SC2Sick]

It's always the SOHC guys coming up with these pipe dreams...

[Sir Wagonsky]

You asked for advice.. sooo.. Easier and cheaper to just -

-Buy a $100 dead Ranger and pick a weekend. Do not discuss anything "truck" with ex.

- move everything worthwhile off the "ex-truck" and over to the keeper truck. If your "bunch of money into rebuilding" is in the engine or trans, just get it swapped and mounted. Leave the hoses and wires and linkage crap for later.

- Doesn't have to be pretty when you throw the dead gear in the truck you're scrapping, either.

- Flip flop any body panels and again, you are just transferring for parts custody. Do the lineup and stuff later.

- Scrap the "ex-truck" on Monday.

- Get the new truck running securely. When the ex plays the "title" game, wave yours in front of her face. Or you can also demand she get her "junk truck" towed off your property. (instead of step 5)

.... advice from Sir Wagonsky is for entertainment purposes only.
This information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional legal advice.
Always talk with your legal professional about any questions you may have regarding separation of property...

[Sir Wagonsky]

LOL

[alordofchaos]

^ ^ ^ that's clever, swapping out the parts.

Originally Posted by Murphys_ghosy

My ex wife screwed me hard. I’ve dropped a bunch of money into rebuilding a Ford Ranger and she left and got the title, but she left the truck with no title to just scrap.

Can you clarify? Were you forced to sign off the title in the divorce, and she refuses to do anything with the title or truck, forcing you to scrap it because you can't insure/register it?

Or did she just take the piece of paper with her? If so, whose name(s) is actually on the title?

Normally, people want to get their ex back by doing some random, desperate act of adultery with a close friend of theirs, but I have a much more productive idea...

I dunno, a random act of adultery with one (or more) of her "close" friends sounds pretty productive to me. . . . less work, more rewarding. And hopefully fewer busted knuckles and dirty hands

[Murphys_ghosy]

First off, yes us SOHC guys are always up to this funny business, we all know.

She has the name on the title to a disassembled truck. I can cut my losses with most of the truck and say it’s the price I pay, but the actual drivetrain I want for the swap was never in the truck - I purchased a 2.3 I4 and a 5 speed to swap in, using what parts I could from the thoroughly seized v6/auto (power steering pump, ac, alternator, etc.) and a few odds and ends from the pull yard to do exactly what i did to my Saturn years ago - swap down for fuel efficiency.

I should also clarify that we have been together for a decade and have a child, and although I have called her my wife and treated her as such, we were not married on paper and only qualify as commonlaw by the books - so i have no stake in this truck now. I was trying to get cheaper insurance through her and had it titled in her name even though I paid for it and put all the work into it (it was going to be my work truck).

Since I originally posted, somebody broke into it and I still can’t figure out what they stole. I think it was a bottle jack but I’m stumped because I haven’t gotten a chance to really get into it and search. Either way, I’m pissed about it and I want to get my money’s worth before the whole truck disappears...

I’m about to be hemorrhaging money over a lawyer over other messed up details so I wanted to cheer myself up by doing something cool with the parts that i have. I have since determined that maybe trading ranger parts for an s10 transmission, rear end, and suspension would work better since I have heard the bolt pattern is close sans two bolts on the bottom. No clue where that old article went but I read it years ago in a post about a Triumph TR6.

And I know it isn’t easy. I have a welder who’s been doing stuff for fun like this for about 25 years who offered help, and I was considering the biggest expense to be hiring a machinist to make a bracket. I was dead serious - it floods down here in New Orleans and I want to lift my saturn and just have fun with it.

[Sir Wagonsky]

I just want to say, Murf, a nice crafty hardware project with your hands is a good idea. With separations, it can get pretty stressful, and 24/7 stress will mess you up. Doing something you enjoy is a good way to provide balance, like a see-saw. Let the ex rattle to pieces 24/7. Mine lost her checkbook, crashed her car, ect.. You make sure to forget about her a little bit daily so you can recharge. Rest so you have the power to fight. This works.

Now, about the " cut the azz-end off the Ranger and make a trailer and put a Ford trans in a Saturn" project. That just sounds like a hassle and contradicts the advice in paragraph 1.
But if that's what you enjoy, go for it. Weld all the parts together and make a lawn-art dinosaur if that's what floats your boat. I have no advice for the project, but have fun & I do wish you Good luck !

[Hiisi]

I think the engine has nothing to do in front of the car. Make it mid-engine
Maybe it's easier just decorate Ranger with plastic Saturn parts...

[can0fspam]

I second the mid-engine idea. Take the Saturn engine and trans and put it behind the driver's seat so it will drive the rear wheels.

Then you can top the oil off while driving on the highway.

[Waiex191]

Originally Posted by can0fspam

I second the mid-engine idea. Take the Saturn engine and trans and put it behind the driver's seat so it will drive the rear wheels.

Then you can top the oil off while driving on the highway.

Cool idea, but I'd keep the front engine too.

[Hiisi]

Why don't go hybrid then? One gas engine, the other one electric

[Murphys_ghosy]

Hey folks!

Thanks for the replies! Definitely some cool insight, but I wanted to kinda conclude this one:

I managed to get the title for my truck, bit the bullet when I had an opportunity and she was hard up and gave her $200. I am now rebuilding the 4.0 in the Ranger from scratch (one of the piston rods sheared at the bearing and jammed onto the crank, looks like it hydrolocked catastrophically, but the block is good and the crank is still straight aside from a small nick). That is a slow but steady project.

I have decided once again against the RWD Saturn. Now that everything is chilled out, I’m gonna rebuild it as a twin cam and put some work in to really make it fun. I have everything on tap except the correct pcm and manual trans for the dohc, so this is the more obvious step in the right direction for what I can do in my front yard

I really like the mid engine idea, but my issue with it in the Saturn is traction - the car is so light that it hydroplanes easily: one reason I wanted to swap to a FR layout is to try and improve handling in an already featherweight sedan. Since I have a spare drivetrain, I’m really thinking about this one for the most kicka$& illegal gokart ever... it’s either that or a FR mini model A with my 700cc Honda V4. Somebody talk me out of this please...

I’ve moved my new plans for my car to a new thread.

[jcloutier]

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you don't have the title to a vehicle again, just register it in VT! They'll register anything 15 model years or older, no title required. All you need is a bill of sale, and you don't even have to live there! Just fill out the paperwork, write 'em a check for tax and registration, and mail it all in. If you need to drive whatever you're registering right away, you can go on the VT dmv's website and pay $6 to print out a temporary plate that you can drive on while your actual plates are being processed. I've registered a few bikes and my current truck that way. The classic jap bike guys call it "greenplating".