How to make this Chero somethin special?

Ok so question, I am planning on doing a complete resto on this. Body off, painted frame and underbody etc. Now I am wondering where I can look at more pictures of custom interiors, bodies, and other little modifications. Any help? Being 19 and working in a shop I have alot of tools at my disposal so I can pull off almost anything. I have a little knowledge in alot of different areas so I am hoping this will turn out to be pretty simple.

 

Try looking through these threads
http://www.ranchero.us/forums/showthread.php?t=3713
http://www.ranchero.us/forums/search.php?searchid=135669

If you are talking specifically about ideas for the Squire, I hand painted the wood grain on my 1973 Squire Cobra Jet
Before

After

 

im not so much into the wood paneling. Just not really my style. I am thinking of shaving the trim holes since all the trim is gone. I just want to make it stand out from a crowd. I have power seats from an 01 Intrepid ready to be put in it so that way I can at least ride comfortably but I am just not sure on what else to do to it.

 

Look through the threads I posted above to get some ideas from what other people have done with their Rancheros.
Some people have added hood scoops, stripes, custom grilles, tucking the bumpers, enlarging rear wheel well lips, swapping front clips with a '72 front clip.
Interior you can install buckets and a center console, customizing the rear storage area. Off the top of my head HuevosRanchero, Lovinmy74, and Sarah all have some good shots of things they have done to their interiors which are the same model Ranchero as your Ranchero.

 

I appreciate all the help you are givin me bubba.

 

Remove the fuel cap and put a door in place of it.

 

I suggest you scrap the body off resto idea as it's a waste of time and effort (especially if you plan to 'paint' on woodgrain or 'french' in the license plate). The only way a frame off resto is worth the effort is if you plan to make it concours perfect,....and if it is a Camaro, Cuda, Mustang, or other car that is worth some money. Trust me, it's not worth the time or effort.

 

I was gonna do a frame off... but I cant find the bolts
I kinda like the painted on woodgrain, how easy was it?? one of these days .. Im gonna paint mine.

 

I found the process to be pretty easy. I had planed to replace the vinyl sheets but I thought I would go ahead and try the wood graining myself and if I did not like it I could always just sand it down and install the vinyl sheets. I like how it turned out and people are always asking me how I was able to that with real wood.

 

how exactly did you do the fuel door and what is it off of? i personally agree that ford should have put a door on instead of just the cap. but then again i am speaking from my gas bein jacked a few too many times. I also like the frenched license plate. what bumper did you use to replace the stock one? we have plenty of junker cars at my job so i will prolly end up using lots of things off of different cars. i am putting an auto dimmer rearview mirror out of a caddy with map lights just for convenience, 60/40 split power bench seats out of an intrepid, and a third brake light out of a seville sts. i am still looking at more ideas for Bucket so anymore ideas are awesome. Pics with a small write up would be kooler than a polar bears toenails

 

i am putting an auto dimmer rearview mirror out of a caddy with map lights just for convenience,

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I'm curious about that mirror ... I have had in recent times a couple '90s Chryslers that had rv mirrors that were self-dimming, kinda turned green when struck with a light. Very effective, and what I was wondering, do they work standalone? Just needing switched power, or ??? what else?

 

Yeah, that's kind of what I am trying to tell him. It is a long, hard and expensive process to do a full 'body off' and he should really ask himself what he wants to do with the Ranchero when he's done. Mine got sidetracked by a new kid, then a new house, then 3 years of no wage increases, then a new job, in a new state and another new house. Someday, it'll all come together. Sometimes I wish I would have just undercoated the bottom,...thrown some bondo on the body,....tossed in an interior like we did in HS (cover the door panels in vinyl from JoAnn Fabrics, etc), given it a half-ass paint job and some cheap wheels and just drove the damn thing. Man, why must I need everything perfect?

Not everybody puts stuff in the bed of their Ranchero. They cover it up and forget it like the trunck of a car...so sad.

 

they tap into a 12v source like adding a stereo pretty much.

I aint sure if i wanna do the body off but the passenger floor pan is rusted out in some spots so i wanted to try and weld patch it from underneat and check out any frame rust as well. do they make replacement floor pans for these or will i have to make my own pan? Also how effective is a sand blaster? I was gonna sand blast the interior since there is surface rust everywhere but I have never used one. Its either sand blast or rust converter but I would rather make sure the rust is gone. I have alot of questions bout replacement parts for this as well but we will address this later on.

 

I would like to take credit for it but my grandpa did it back in the early 80s when he built it. He just cut the fuel door off a station waggon he saw in a junk yard.

 

My 98 Durango has that mirror, too. Changes to greenish when dark as you say and it does work great. It needs only power, has an override switch built in to it on the bottom. Doesn't have map lights.

 

Here's a custom job for ya. Not mine, just found it on the net.