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Watch Donut Turn a $500 Ranger Into a Pre-Runner

Will this terrible Ford Ranger become a desert shredder?

February 16, 2024

Donut Media is going to attempt to turn this…thing into a legit desert pre-runner.Donut Media

Donut Media scores piles of YouTube views taking sub-$1,000 beaters and turning them into legitimate weapons. Their last project was a $500 Honda Civic that sucked up $50,000 worth of parts and labor to become… Well, not quite as good as a brand-new $50,000 Civic Type R. But it was still way better than most Civics will ever get.

Even the desperately neglected 4.3 still has enough to get the back end to step out.Donut Media

Now Donut is turning its attention to desert racing with this $500 1993 Ford Ranger that they’re planning to turn into a pre-runner. That’s a way more ambitious plan than the Civic was, given that the Civic build entailed an engine and suspension swap, while a full-on pre-runner will require a largely reworked chassis, custom suspension, and a gnarly powertrain.

Needless to say, the clapped-out 4.3-liter and four-speed automatic are overmatched for the task, and the driveline has seen more abuse than maintenance over the last 30 years. Being a California truck, it isn’t rusty, but that’s about it for good news.

An actual pre-runner in actual action, just for context. There’s a long way for this build to go.Donut Media

Everything, and we do mean everything, else is totally hooched and will need replacing. The video is worth watching just for the hilarity of whipping this turd around the desert. If we’re honest, that’s probably where we would have stopped. But who are we to argue with millions of YouTube subscribers? Check it out for yourself at the link.