The Simple Engine Swap That Nearly Doubled HP and Made This RAnger Into a Beast

When Marcel Nunez picked up his ‘93 Ford Ranger five years ago, he wasn’t looking for a show truck. He wanted the roll cage that came with it and figured he could flip the other parts to fund his real build. Fast forward half a decade, and that “mild prerunner” has transformed into one of the cleanest desert runners you’ll see rolling through Norco.

The transformation didn’t happen overnight. Marcel stripped the truck down to its bones, keeping only the chromoly cage and a few choice components. Everything else got the boot in favor of proper desert racing hardware that could handle serious punishment while maintaining that sleeper aesthetic he was chasing.

Up front, the truck runs an SI Motorsports beam kit with equal-length camper special kingpin beams. Finding those beams these days is like hunting unicorns, which is why SI switched to billet options for current builds. The whole front end bolts to the frame without any permanent modifications, so if you stuff it into a wash, replacement parts swap right in. Marcel’s running 19" of travel up front on a track width of just 83", which is seriously impressive for a compact truck.

The steering components are built like they’re heading to the Baja 1000. Those tie rods are 1 1/4" chromoly with 1/2" walls, gun-drilled and tapped on the ends. They’re heavy as hell, but when you’re charging through whoops at speed, the last thing you want is steering components flexing or failing. Marcel dialed in the geometry to just 1/8" of bump steer throughout the travel, which is ridiculously tight for a beam setup.

Suspension duties fall to King 3.0 coilovers that Dialed Shock Prep recently refreshed with new cerakote and a relocated reservoir port. Moving that port down on the shock body creates internal bump zones that smooth out the harshest hits. The shock positioning required ditching the brake booster for manual brakes, but Marcel prioritized proper shock angles over “convenience” features (lol).

The drivetrain swap is genius in its simplicity. Marcel pulled the anemic original 4.0 that was making 100 wheel HP and dropped in the overhead cam version from newer Rangers. Same motor mounts, same bellhousing pattern, same computer - just bolt it in and nearly double your power output. The newer mill pumps out 180 wheel HP and 190 ft-lbs of torque, all while maintaining the truck’s OBD1 simplicity.

That power routes through a built C4 automatic with a manual valve body that’s been holding strong for five years. The transmission is fully rollerized and eliminates the computer control headaches you’d face with more modern setups. For guys building similar trucks, this drivetrain combination offers serious bang for the buck.

Out back, Marcel runs SI’s 4 link geometry with their proprietary anti-squat built into the link angles. The system creates rear weight transfer under acceleration while keeping the front end light and poppy over terrain. The lower link pivots sandwich the frame and locate off factory body mount holes, making installation straightforward despite requiring some serious hole drilling.

The rear housing is a Currie 9" with a Morgan Clark lower truss that came with the truck. Marcel added the upper link mounts and cut off the factory leaf perches - a task that’ll test your patience and grinding disc budget. The whole setup runs on the original bushings after five years and 40,000 miles, which speaks to the quality of SI’s hardware.

Shock duties in the rear fall to King 2.5 bypasses and coilovers that Dialed Shock Prep tuned specifically for Marcel’s driving style. The rear travel measures around 23", with 14" of that being up-travel thanks to some creative frame modifications. Marcel pie-cut the frame and kicked it up seven inches above factory height, essentially creating a 7" C-notch without actually notching anything.

The interior maintains that factory sleeper vibe with the original dash that Marcel painstakingly reinstalled after cage work. PRP seats and harnesses handle safety duties, while a custom center console from Firehouse Fab adds modern functionality without disrupting the period-correct aesthetic. Marcel’s own Cutlass Designs dome lights clamp onto cage tubes without fully encircling them, providing interior lighting even in tight cage configurations.

Marcel’s attention to detail extends to safety equipment scattered throughout the truck. Two fire extinguishers, a comprehensive One Life trauma kit, and proper electrical routing show this isn’t just a weekend toy. The fuel cell setup includes a custom sender that maintains factory gauge functionality - a small touch that makes street driving more civilized.

The wheel and tire package consists of Method beadlocks wrapped in 35" BFG Bajas sourced from a Class 7 Baja team. Finding 35s in 15" sizing is getting tougher as the market shifts toward larger wheel diameters, but Marcel’s connection kept him rolling on proper desert rubber.

Marcel’s business, Cutlass Designs, produces billet aluminum accessories like those dome lights and a third brake light housing that accepts either factory bulbs or Baja Designs S2 pods. Everything gets machined from USA materials by American shops, keeping the supply chain domestic and supporting small businesses.

The build philosophy behind this Ranger centers on proven geometry, quality components, and hand-built craftsmanship. Marcel knocked out all the fabrication work in his single-car garage using basic tools - Harbor Freight tube notcher, angle grinders, and a good welder. No fancy plasma cutters or CNC equipment required, just solid planning and execution.

This truck proves you don’t need unlimited budgets or exotic hardware to build something exceptional. Marcel’s Ranger delivers serious desert performance while maintaining street manners and that understated aesthetic that makes people do double-takes. After five years of development, it’s evolved from a parts truck into something that represents the best of grassroots desert racing culture.

The next phase involves swapping to cone hubs with six-piston CNC brakes and possibly reconfiguring the cage for a third seat. Marcel’s priorities shifted after becoming a father, but the truck’s foundation is solid enough to adapt to whatever direction he takes it. That’s the mark of a properly built machine - it grows with your needs instead of limiting them.