Wild Coyote

The Ford Ranger is no slouch, but that doesn't mean you can't have more. Like,say, a supercharged FPV V8.

- Justin Walker

LET’S PUT a V8 in it.” Gary Coleman of Diesel Leaders doesn’t often hear a suggestion from a client along those lines, especially when they’re discussing a Ford Ranger. It may well have been said out of exasperation, though. Gary’s client, who wishes to remain anonymous, was trying to figure out what to do with his Ranger after it had blown its standard 3.2-litre inline five-cylinder engine.

Maybe it just popped into the owner’s head that fitting a Ranger with a V8 petrol mill would make it a local equivalent to the Ford USA off-road monster that is the F150 Raptor, but we’ll probably never know the real reason. Instead, we can admire this tough rig for what it is: an example of how plenty of time, loads of patience, and exemplary engineering can transform a regular off-roader into something unique that retains a factory look.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

WHEN Gary first saw the Ranger it had been rolled in with a blown engine, and the owner was having difficulty getting it replaced under warranty; so the conversation was struck up regarding options of fitting another engine. The owner suggested the option of a V8, and the conversation went from there.

“So we decided to put a V8 in it and had a think about what kind of engine we wanted to put in there. He [the owner] wasn’t too fussed,” Gary said.