So, in my pre-Ranger/B4000 4x4 days, I was a hardcore minitrucker. I have a love for all trucks, classic, new, lowered and lifted, so I love all aspects of the truck scene. When funds permit again, I would love to build another lowered truck and keep my B4000 4x4 as a slightly lifted daily/work truck.

I'm posting this mostly as a memorial to myself for my truck,which I sold so I could pay for trade school. I built this truck over 2 years and spent the better part of $10 000 in the process. I want to post this as a showcase for what keeping your mind to a project can do, as well as what you can do on a budget and all in your own driveway.


This story begins in February 2006. I had a 95 Ford Contour that I was getting tired of constantly repairing and with 200k miles on the clock, I thought it was time to retire it to the scrap yard. I have always been a huge fan of the 86-93 Mazda trucks, so I set out on a mission to find a nice clean one for up to $5000. A friend and former co-worker had this little gem, which was a 1989 B2200 SE5. Only had 80k miles on it and the body was in great shape. He was asking $2000, but I gave him $1800 for it and drove it home. Took it for inspection, passed no problem. Things were great.

I am going to split this thread up into a few posts so that you're not scrolling down one giant thread.

Since you've read enough I'm sure you want pictures. This is what I started with, the day I bought it.


With a lovely burgundy interior lol

 

MORE!!! It came out good. I know the end result. LOL

 

Come March/April of 06, I hadn't done much work. New stock tires,tinted windows,tonneau cover and a cd player.



Come May of that year, I went to leave work one night and I started up the truck and all of a sudden it just started smoking like mad, as if it was on fire. I smoked out the entire parking lot. Turns out I had a hairline crack in one of my oil rings.

I took the truck to my mechanic and we rebuilt the engine. Bored it out,all new internals, head rebuilt and ported and polished, new clutch and flywheel, new u-joints. Got it all back together and it was good as new. Since all the mechanicals were taken care of,I decided the truck would be reliable enough to start working on as a full out project.

First on the list was cosmetic work. Some bodywork and a shot of primer got things rolling.


After the body was primed, I started searching for interior parts so I could swap out the hideous burgundy and swap in a complete grey interior. It took me 6 months to find all the parts, but it was worth it.

The process of ripping the dash and interior out


Beginning to put it back together


Finished product. I swapped in stock buckets, stock centre console and a factory gauge cluster with a built in tach.



Had to throw some tunes in there too,ofcourse. 4" Pioneers in all the corners,10" Pioneer sub and 400w Kenwood amp with a Sony headunit. It sounded alright,but nothing to brag about.


So,I was rolling around in a truck with a new engine, stock height, steel 14" rims, painted in primer and a new interior.

It wasn't til January 2007 that I lowered it...

 

I finally got it lowered in January 2007. I should also mention that I built this truck working $10-12/hr jobs,so money was always tight between this and paying bills.

I used AIM 2" drop spindles, cranked torsion bars, 3" blocks and mono-leafed it.





At the same time I lowered it, we also put on a 2.5" custom exhaust with a Magnaflow cat and Dynomax muffler with a side exit infront of the rear wheel.


In the spring,I bought a set of stock chrome rims for $75 while I waited to buy some nicer wheels. During this time, I had also purchased an H4 headlight conversion, chrome bumper and grille and clear corners and turn signals,as well as a "bubble" hood from a B2600i.



Later I got a great deal on a set of 17" Cadillac Escalade rims.


I also managed to find a set of flared B2600 4x4 front fenders


I also picked up a Grant Kustoms rollpan and added my plate box on the left.

 

that thing really did look good
especially with the escalade wheels

its too bad you had to sell it

 

In May 2007, I finally added some paint. Yup, spraypaint lol. Duplicolor Grabber Green and Duplicolor Black Enamel.

This is right after we finished it. I painted the truck in my driveway over a long weekend.



About a month later, I bought new 205/40/17 tires and painted my rims as well as getting a set of all clear tails. This now is my completed project as of August 2007.




I drove the truck like this til October 2007 and put it in storage for the winter in November. The truck was parked for the winter and in March 2008, I went to trade school for heating and air conditioning. I sold the truck to fund my schooling, so I never really got to finish up the truck the way I really wanted to.

However, the best part out of it all is that I had it featured in the October 2008 issue of Minitruckin Magazine in the Reader's Rides section.


So,that's it! From February 2006 to March 2008. It was a great experience. I learned a tonof stuff, met some great people along the way and most of all,enjoyed every bit of it!

Thanks for checking it out!

 

The mod list is long,but mostly subtle changes. I wanted to modify the truck with as many stock options and accessories as I could.

Here's the Down Low on the ol' Dawg.

1989 Mazda B2200 SE5 Std cab (Base model work truck. No power steering, No rear ABS, No AC, No sliding rear window)

Engine
2.2L FE2, stock Nikki carb with high flow filter
5 speed manual, new clutch
2.5" custom made exhaust with Magnaflow cat and Dynomax muffler. Chrome 2.5" slash tips
Ported and polished head
NGK 8mm plug wires
Block bored out and all new internals & timing belt.

Rolling attire
17" Cadillac Escalade rims. Centres bored out to fit Mazda hubs. Rims painted black, stock Mazda chrome centre caps used.
205/40/17 Nexen N5000 tires

Suspension modifications
AIM 2" drop spindles
Torsion bars cranked down
LCA bump stops removed
3" Belltech drop blocks
Middle leafs removed.

Body Modifications
OEM chrome bumper
OEM chrome grille
Clear corner lenses and turn signals
H4 headlights with 3850k bulbs
B2600i bubble hood
B2600 4x4 flared front fenders
Shaved fender emblems
OEM Chrome non-"elephant ear" style mirrors
Sportmasters vinyl tonneau cover
OEM chrome door handles
All clear tail light lenses
Grant Kustoms roll pan with intergrated licence plate box on driver's side
Mazda RX7 "MAZDA" emblem on tailgate
Tinted windows

Paint
2k Urethane primer
Duplicolor Grabber Green Enamel engine paint
Duplicolor Gloss Black Enamel engine paint
1/4" vinyl Silver pinstripe along upper body line

Interior
Grant Challenger 860 3 spoke steering wheel
OEM gauge cluster with tach
Grey full length centre console
Stock grey cloth/vinyl buckets with head rests removed
Chrome door latches
Dimming rearview mirror
Grey carpet
Grey headliner
Grey "LX" door panels
Entire interior was swapped from burgundy to grey.

Stereo
Sony CDX-GT710 headunit
4x 4" Pioneer component speakers
10" Pioneer Premier subwoofer
Kenwood KAC6402 400w amp.

I also forgot to mention that I won 2nd Place for Lowest Static Drop at the Canadian truck Nationals in London,Ontario in August 2007.

 

I like it, it is a shame it had to go.
Grabber Green engine enamel FTW!

 

every time i see some pics of this thing makes me want to get one more and more

 

I miss that truck a lot. It was also my first pick up truck and my first completely custom vehicle that I completely built. Without the help of MazdaBscene.com and the friends I made and met through that site, that truck never would have been anything near what it ended up.

They call that paint Grabber Green for a reason...it granbs the attention of any cop within sight range. I'd get pulled over 2 to 5 times a week with it, mostly just to "check it out" and run my info.

 

www.mazdabscene.com will make you want one more and more. Especially once you start hanging out on the boards and realize how cool and laidback everyone is.

 

just went and checked out that site, lol the advertiser is cando specialties which wasnt too far from my house in chico, they were featured in an issue of chico news and review recently too

should i go with a b2200 or b2600? Was wondering which is the better engine .... i would want the xcab

 

2600 is crap. Major headgasket problems, ECU's that like to fry and are impossible to find. Weak bottom ends...it's a crappy Mitsubish engine.

2.0's and 2.2's are the best. Most common problem with them is bad valve guide seals, which will cause the truck to smoke like bad. Just means the head needs to be rebuilt. Stock Nikki carbs can be a pain in the cold, and FI versions are only from 90-93.

They aren't fast by any means. I think I had mine up to 85mph once on a speed run llol.

 

This was my beater xcab. See any similarities with my B4000? lol


Had over 210k miles on her,ran like a champ. Sold that along side the green one when I was funding school.

 

You and Mazdas... Get a real truck!! Maybe a ranger!

 

Seems like every time I need replacement parts for this Mazda I have,they always interchange with a Ford Ranger. wtf is that about? coincidence? lol

 

Truck looks real good. Looks like a lotta work put into that truck. Shame you had to sell it. You should buy another one in that style and recreate it.

 

yea i knew it would be slow but ive heard of people pulling 27 or better on the mpgs .... and i had heard bad on the 2.6 i figured id ask you though

 

They're pretty decent on gas. FI's are much better on gas than the carbed ones. Ext cabs also have a bigger gas tank.

I want to get another one someday when I can afford it again, or a 1977-1984 Mazda, or a 70-74 B1600/B1800.

This is a 70-74 Mazda B1600/B1800/Ford Courier. Like finding a needle in a haystack.



Here's a 77-84 Mazda
Mazda.
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Check it out. Ranger headlight swap. This is becoming more and more common because it's pretty easy.

 

i actually saw some of those for sale on the CA / OR border back in march last year .... knowing this economy and the country *** area they were in i bet they are still there.

 

dont tempt me lol

 

no rust ..... they are about 4 hours north of me if you want me to check if they are still there

 

lol I have no money and I am in debt.

 

yea plus importing them into canada would probably be a ***** ... i know its bad trying to bring one into the us, my buddy married a girl from toronto and she ended up selling the civic she had up there before she moved to california cause it was too much trouble to bring in.