If you recently started the build of your dream truck, then consider yourself very lucky. Nowadays there are so many badass rides out there, it's easy to find inspiration for your own build. But rewind to more than a decade ago, and consider this: rollin' on 16s was the way to go, and if you had airbags you were the king of every show! This happened to be right around the time that Patrick Kennedy began the buildup of this '93 Ford Ranger Splash.

Patrick openly admitted that the sick Ranger you see here was not always this cool. In fact, just like most of us that started building trucks back in the '90s or earlier, Patrick's ride went through many phases. Patrick's Ranger began with the "bolt-on baller" phase, which included the static-drop, tinted windows, rain guards, headlight covers, and every cool, shiny object that he could afford with his platinum Pep Boys card.

After that, came the "tear-down" phase, in which he decided to take the truck apart-just to see what he could do to it. This lead to the "different stages of primer" phase, where he worked on different parts of the truck at once, while still driving it daily. Next, came the "shiny phase," which finally lead to his light at the end of the tunnel.

When it came to the paint, Patrick had Kevin Pettit paint it orange and then later he took it to Razor Custom Paint Shop and told them they're the experts, so they can do what they want. When he picked up the Ranger a week later, he loved what he saw. Once it was painted, everything started to roll towards looking like he just might finish the truck.

After a decade of hard work and seeing the truck "finished," Patrick said it's now in the "little things" phase, where he'll notice something minor and it will bug him until he fixes it. Patrick stated that, "Looking back at old pictures and seeing all the things I put this truck through, it made me appreciative of what the final product has become."

So, even though this Splash of Mercury was put through hell before looking like heaven, it just goes to show that we all have to start somewhere. Be on the lookout for more on Patrick and his Ranger, as we're sure you haven't seen the last of it! For the detailed buildup specs, check out The Lowdown.

The Lowdown

Rolling Attire

Wheels (Front/Rear): 18-inch Enkei LM-1

Tires (Front/Rear): Kumho 215/35R18

Chassis Modifications

Suspension type:Air

Suspension (Front): DJM I-beams, modified Alter Images 'bag mounts, and relocated radius arm mounts

(Rear): Custom-built two-link

Airbag: Universal Air 2500

Shocks: Nitro drop shocks

Valves: MIC 3/8-inch big-mouth manual valves

Compressors: Two Thomas compressors

Air line: 1/2-inch air line

Air/hydro accessories: Dual-needle gauge

Frame mods: Typical rear step-notch, raised transmember, and raised gas tank

Performed by: Owner Patrick Kennedy

Body Modifications

Shaved: Body line, handles, taillights, tailgate, gas door, emblems, cowl, mirrors, top bedrails

Body-dropped: 3-1/4-inch traditional

Front end: '00

Back end: Alter Images tailgate skin

Taillights: Tri-color 10-inch LED taillights

Exterior bolt-ons: Billet license-plate frame, step pads, and gas door; chrome motorcycle mirrors

Performed by: Owner Patrick Kennedy and Kevin Petitt Body line, handles, taillights, tailgate, gas door, emblems, cowl, mirrors, top bedrails3-1/4-inch traditional'00 Mercury Mountaineer front end and '00 Ranger chrome bumperAlter Images tailgate skinTri-color 10-inch LED taillightsBillet license-plate frame, step pads, and gas door; chrome motorcycle mirrorsOwner Patrick Kennedy and Kevin Petitt

Paint

Brand and colors: House of Color Tangelo, Sunset Orange

Style: Whatever Kenny Dean at Razor wanted to do

Pinstriping: On the dash, by Kenny Dean at Razor

Airbrushing: Mercury drips, by Darren at Razor

Misc.: Ghosted in Bondo logo and Razor logos on tailgate

Performed by: Kevin Pettit, Kenny Dean, and Darren at Razor Custom Paint Shop

City/state: Fredericksburg, Virginia



Interior

Seats: Honda hatchback seats

Material: Brown vinyl with embroidered Mercury symbols on top

Dash: '66

Door panels: Handmade with aluminum, vinyl, and Ultrasuede

Center console: Handmade console out of copper with bead rolls and chrome bolts

Flooring: Shag carpet

Headliner: Ultrasuede

Gauges: '66 Mustang gauge bezel with Auto Meter white face gauges and duel-needle white face air gauge

Misc.: Billet Accessories Direct steering wheel

Performed by: Owner Patrick Kennedy, and seats wrapped byTattoo in Edgewater, Maryland and the paint/pinstriping on dash done by Razor Custom Paint Shop Honda hatchback seatsBrown vinyl with embroidered Mercury symbols on top'66 Ford Mustang , reworked, shaved, painted, and pinstripedHandmade with aluminum, vinyl, and UltrasuedeHandmade console out of copper with bead rolls and chrome boltsShag carpetUltrasuede'66 Mustang gauge bezel with Auto Meter white face gauges and duel-needle white face air gaugeBillet Accessories Direct steering wheelOwner Patrick Kennedy, and seats wrapped byTattoo in Edgewater, Maryland and the paint/pinstriping on dash done by Razor Custom Paint Shop

Stereo

Head unit: Custom Auto Sound head unit for the '66 Mustang dash

Mids and highs: Orion P6.2 6-1/2-inch components

Amplifier for mids and highs: Rockford 2-Channel 600

Custom fabrication: Everything

Misc.: iPod adaptor

Performed by: Owner Patrick Kennedy

Engine/Performance

Number of cylinders: Factory 2.3L four-cylinder

Ported/polished: Ported, polished, and milled down

Intake: Kurtz Kustomz

Header/exhaust: Flowmaster

Ignition: Super Chip, Racer Walsh timing sprocket

Detail work: Painted House of Kolor Tangelo and Gray, chrome valve cover

Misc.: Under-drive pulley and relocated wire harness under the dash

Performed by: Owner Patrick Kennedy and Kevin Petitt

Special Thanks By Owner:

A special thanks has to go to all the time and effort Kevin Petitt put forth during the whole build. Razor Custom Paint Shop for all the work on the graphics. Also, I couldn't have done it without my parents. They almost never questioned what I was doing. Somewhere along the way, if they had said, "You want to spend how much on your truck?" or "You want to do what to a perfectly good truck?" the whole thing would have come out much different.