Polaris Ranger 150 Build - Aftermarket

[RiverDave]

Singleton was asking about the RZR 170 vs Ranger 150 vs others for his kids.. So I figured I'd show the finish build pics of the "RDP KIDS 150 EFI".

This started life as a stock Polaris Ranger that I purchase from @Devious_Chris from his dealership up in Oregon. Here's what it looked like stock.

The reason why I picked this over the RZR 170 is quite simply for the money it's a better machine.. Note that "better" doesn't mean faster.. It's just a better constructed and better overall program.

It is EFI so no messing with carburetors all the time.. starts every time etc..
It has double wish bone suspension up front (RZR is single)
It has a full digital Dash (RZR is a sticker on the dash... no shit)
It has "Polaris Ride Command" with youth features.. Meaning I can program speed limits in the car from my phone. I can set GEO FENCES on my phone where the car will hit the fence and slow down or stop.. and most importantly I can see where the kids are at if they go wandering off in the desert so long as I have cell service.. or if I had another vehicle with ride command you don't even need cell service I don't believe.
it's wider and larger so an adult can fit in it..
It has legit LED headlights that are bright AF from the factory... and there's a host of other shit, but that's the main stuff.

Cons
It's slower than a 170...
They don't race them so way less after market parts available (you have to search a bit, but we will go over that)


Lastly the Polaris Ranger 150 is based on the same platform as the 150 ACE.. If you search ACE upgrades you will find more stuff available.

 

[RiverDave]

At that time I had planned on keeping my Can AM for quite awhile, so I built this little guy to match it. I figured it would be kinda cool to have Dad and Kids mobbing around the Desert together.

In this shot you can see it's got the same wheels, they are both murdered.. I didn't have the flags on my Can Am, but they were shorties as well (I wanted them shorter on the ranger, but didn't want to get too picky).

Here you can see the car has been lifted (they make 2 lift kits for this car.. this one is the highlifter lift kit. You can also see the whips and chase light that are all "Safeglow"
products.

The cage itself is stock, but Morgan Motorsports here in Lake Havasu Fabbed the extensions on the back to help "finish" off the look as well as installed the # Plates on the side to give it more of a "race feel" You can also see in the back that they tabbed a skid plate for the sprocket and disc brake (a must have).

The doors are made by a company called "Rival" and I have to tell you they are the nicest Offroad product I have ever purchased.. However they did have an error in their cad which required we take one side and cut it apart and fix it. The way they function though, and the fit and finish is absolutely unbelievable. You can find them for anywhere between 400 - 675.00 online. I'm not sure if they fixed their CAD issue or not. Their customer service and finding out the problem though was superb.

You will also see if you look closer at the front and rear fenders that we embossed the wrap in a "kids font" that says "RDP KIDS" up front and RiverDavesPlace.com in the back.

The Wheels and tires are KMC XD's and they will require wheel spacers in the back because of the odd spacing from the factory.. I bought them form Wheel pro's and they new the exact wheels, tires, and spacers I needed.. The tires are called "Hammer" and are 23 x 9x5 x 14.

If you look under the car you can see we also had a skid plate fabricated and installed to protect the sprockets and Disc Brake.

Chris @Devious_Chris is also a Simpson dealer so I ordered up a set of seats that closely matched my Can Am, but with some subtle differences (Simpson was in red at the top and stitching was red.). I loved the seats in my Can Am, so I went with the same "suede" centers and carbon sides. The seats for the mini's aren't cheap, but we are all in on this at this point so we might as well go the Distance.

It has a WetSounds sound bar for the kids.. (above the seats) That said this sound bar is an absolute piece of shit I have had trouble with it from Day 1. Do not ever buy the all in one WS bar.. Just get a normal one and use an amp, the internal amps are garbage and sound terrible and work terrible.

Wired For Sound can fix them by bypassing the internal amp, and putting an external amp feeding it.. That will be one of the next upgrades.. I have to make sure it's water proof because the kids pressure wash this thing.. LOL.

To the left and right of the steering wheel (inside) you can see 2 of the four switches that cover the function of : Light bar / Chase Light / Dome Light / Whips. The chase light also has a button you can push to go through modes.. We only hooked up the Ambers on the chase light and not the other colors, but there's still something like 5 modes that they do from constant to alternating, flashing you name it..

One of the shots of the digital Dash, with it showing engine Temp and RPM at 0.. (engine was off). You can scroll through menus for various gauges right down to a volt gauge. Very cool little dash..

Another shot of the Fenders embossed and Doors.. Notice on the top of the door the put a foam pad for the kids so they don't hurt their elbows etc.. On the Fenders it's a good shot of how subtle that embossing can be to how bold it can stand out at certain angles.

For Seatbelts we again matched the Can Am, and with what the kids were used too (back seat) with the PRP belts.. They are one of the most user friendly seatbelts on the market, and if you get them "set" the kids can put them on by themselves. Mine aren't old enough to "properly" adjust them yet, but they are getting there.

We did a Safeglow Radius Light bar that is set kind of inside the cage in case they roll it.. (I didn't want to be fixing and buying new lights..)

Inside it has a dome light (again by Safeglow) and a Joe's Racing mirror that is curved so they can see all the way around the car and beside it. I'd highly recommend anyone to get these for adult or kids cars.. That all said Jason at Morgan Motorsports puts them in different than anyone I have ever seen with one Tab offset to the other and it really works out well.

A better shot o the case light / roof / and fab work that Morgan Motorsports here in Lake Havasu installed and created.

So with some help from the RDP members we tracked down a guy back East that custom makes sprocket kits, and he had a kit for the Ranger 150. We went over what was stock, how much we increased the tire size.. Then he gave me 3 primary sprockets that I can switch out, and one secondary.. We picked the one in the middle for the first run.. The car is geared down and much quicker and overall faster than it used to be stock. It runs around 30 mph now on flat ground in the dirt. I haven't experimented with the other two sprockets, but we have them.

I also ordered the custom "red" chain from him when we did the sprocket change.

Pick of the highlifter lift kit in the back.

Close up of the embossment on the wrap.

Happy Camper that walked up when Austin was shooting the Ranger.. LOL

 

[RiverDave]

I primarily started this thread to show that if you are looking to build something cool for your kids, then this is definitely the route I would go over a RZR 170.. The EFI / Digital Dash & Ride Command Youth features seal the deal..

Building kids cars is WWWAAAAYYYYY cheaper than building adult cars and can be a fun process that you end up with something very cool and unique.. It's a great way to turn your kids on to customizing stuff without breaking the bank, and as with anything you can go from as mild or as wild as you want.

If you do end up getting a Ranger 150, I'd recommend looking for Polaris Ace 150 aftermarket in your search engines.. It helped me a lot. @Devious_Chris was invaluable in terms of getting the car / seats and seat belts. Robert and Heather at Safeglow are always my goto Lighting peeps.. Wheel Pro's has every kinda wheel / tire imaginable for Cars Trucks SXS's and yes even Mini SXS's..

And most importantly Jason @ Morgan Motorsports is pretty much the "King" for when it comes to legit custom offroad builds out here. There's a reason he's got all the big names cars in his shop all the time. The stuff he builds is next level. Bit of an odd duck, but most genius's are.. . (Joking Jason).


If anyone wants to build one for their kids and needs help finding parts let me know!!

As well, thoughts, input, or if I missed something on this little build I'd be interested in hearing it!

Future upgrades will be
1. Slightly Larger Battery (Full River)
2. Adding an Amp to the sound bar (Wired For Sound / Kicker)
3. Getting the Stator rewound to put out more amps.


RD

 

[monkeyswrench]

That thing is pimp! Far cry from the little three wheelers an 50cc quads...ton safer too.

 

[RiverDave]

That thing is pimp! Far cry from the little three wheelers an 50cc quads...ton safer too.

Honestly my kids don't even know how good they have it. They didn't even make shit like this when I was a kid, and if they did my pops (whom had far more money than I ever will) wouldn't build the shit like I do for them.. LOL. I really get a kick out of it though, so I think it's more fun for me than it is for them.

Besides with the current market, it isn't really how much it costs.. It's how much you can sell it for. Being this is the nicest little one out there if we decide to part with it, someone who's gotta have the best of the best will buy it.

RD

 

[Guest06]

Honestly my kids don't even know how good they have it. They didn't even make shit like this when I was a kid, and if they did my pops (whom had far more money than I ever will) wouldn't build the shit like I do for them.. LOL. I really get a kick out of it though, so I think it's more fun for me than it is for them.

Besides with the current market, it isn't really how much it costs.. It's how much you can sell it for. Being this is the nicest little one out there if we decide to part with it, someone who's gotta have the best of the best will buy it.

RD

Is this the start of the for sale thread?

 

[monkeyswrench]

Honestly my kids don't even know how good they have it. They didn't even make shit like this when I was a kid, and if they did my pops (whom had far more money than I ever will) wouldn't build the shit like I do for them.. LOL. I really get a kick out of it though, so I think it's more fun for me than it is for them.

Besides with the current market, it isn't really how much it costs.. It's how much you can sell it for. Being this is the nicest little one out there if we decide to part with it, someone who's gotta have the best of the best will buy it.

RD

My kids first quads were electric start. About the same time, I bought my first quad with a starter...my kids still don't know the joy of trying to light off a cold 2 stroke, and the pain of a backfire or peg trashing their shin.

Damnit, it was upgill, both ways, in the snow..

 

[BingerFang]

Wow that is amazing, love the interior to top it off.

And I thought I was lucky getting a new dirtbike as a kid. These are next level with room for a buddy!

 

[Badchoices03]

Honestly my kids don't even know how good they have it. They didn't even make shit like this when I was a kid, and if they did my pops (whom had far more money than I ever will) wouldn't build the shit like I do for them.. LOL. I really get a kick out of it though, so I think it's more fun for me than it is for them.

Besides with the current market, it isn't really how much it costs.. It's how much you can sell it for. Being this is the nicest little one out there if we decide to part with it, someone who's gotta have the best of the best will buy it.

RD

That is a nice build, great job on it!

I think the difference between when we were kids and nowadays, is back then it didn't matter what you had in the desert as long as you were out there having fun...nowadays its all about who has the newest/nicest/fastest/loudest/brightest rigs out there. I remember riding 3 wheelers in Glamis and being happy that I one single light bulb at the top of my flag just so I could be seen at night, now I see cars with like 4 LED whips, why 4, because Jimmy over there has 2 and we need to out do Jimmy....LOL

 

[Singleton]

I show my daughter RD’s ranger, I am F’d.
To be honest, not sure I want 2 seats, that is why I am leaning towards an ACE150.
bad things occur when you showing off to your friend in the passenger seat. Plus mom would be stuck with her all the time.

 

[That Guy]

Wow! Looks great.....

 

[LowRiver2]

That is a nice build, great job on it!

I think the difference between when we were kids and nowadays, is back then it didn't matter what you had in the desert as long as you were out there having fun...nowadays its all about who has the newest/nicest/fastest/loudest/brightest rigs out there. I remember riding 3 wheelers in Glamis and being happy that I one single light bulb at the top of my flag just so I could be seen at night, now I see cars with like 4 LED whips, why 4, because Jimmy over there has 2 and we need to out do Jimmy....LOL

100%
While I like the kid sxs’s I see too many parents that use them as a “nanny” while they drink and the kids drive around full blast with no one watching because the kids are in a cage.
No one here does that , but it’s going on too much these days.
I like kids working their way up through old stuff to appreciate new stuff , but props to these new rides just the same.

 

[Bails]

I'd love to hook my boy up on something like that.

 

[SoCalDave]

Super nice RD, bet the kids really enjoy that ride.

 

[RiverDave]

100%
While I like the kid sxs’s I see too many parents that use them as a “nanny” while they drink and the kids drive around full blast with no one watching because the kids are in a cage.
No one here does that , but it’s going on too much these days.
I like kids working their way up through old stuff to appreciate new stuff , but props to these new rides just the same.

So on one hand if we don't let them adventure and explore and become "men not mice" than we are pussifying our kids.. But on the other hand if we aren't sitting there on top of them baby sitting them sober than we are irresponsible..

Kinda damned if ya do and damned if ya don't.. . (Relax I'm just joking and making a point)


I will tell everyone an interesting story about last weekend in Shea rd that opened my eyes a little bit.. On Monday the wind died down and I really wanted my kids to put "some miles under their belt." Do some challenging stuff that maybe they haven't done before, and feel like they really "accomplished something." So everyday they say "Dad can you lead us somewhere?" and this day... well this day we are gonna go "somewhere." So we jump in the RZR me and my youngest, the other two on their quads fall in line behind us, and we go down the first hill into the wash.

Now any jack ass can just lead his kids for miles down a wash... No No no... We are going on an adventure here my friends. I'm gonna take them somewhere else.. Where? Fuck if I know but somewhere.

So I look and I see trails off to my left that just lead kinda straight east and around this mountain, That's the spot.. That's where we are gonna make our assault, and really show these kids what their made of.. No huge hills, but the terrain is rough, rocks everywhere, switch backs, off camber this is perfect. So we hang a left and head up a little hill and out into the wilderness, or the wild blue yonder whatever your fancy.. I'm driving, and I'm driving.. And we have gone a few miles! I'm looking and you can't see camp anymore, hell you can't even see the wash anymore. I'm thinking "Well maybe I should turn around, after all they are pretty young?"

Then the little horned guy on the other shoulder says "Fuck that... We raising mice or men here? Lets go a little further!" So I keep going, and eventually I'm starting to feel bad because, ya know.. We are in this RZR, and they are on these tiny quads so maybe I went to far.. The guilt consumes and I start turning around and stop and this pretty cool shale / rock feature looking thing.

We stop and I get out and I'm talking to them saying "Well what did ya think of that?" and Daniel instantly goes "Can I go play in that waterfall looking thing?" I say "No son, that's kinda limestone shale looking stuff.. see how it's all layered? You get near that edge and it can come loose and you can fall" as I'm wearing my Dad jacket proudly here..

Daniel - "Well I didn't fall in yesterday when I went in it?"

I respond with "What do ya mean?"

That's when Sierra pops in "Dad we rode out here before by ourselves with Brock. We turned around a little further up." Now Brock is Robert with Safeglow's kid.. whom also has a quad and is just a little older than Sierra. LOL.


Needless to say my kids are going a lot further on their quads than I originally anticipated.. LOL. And my Indiana Jones style "lets go on an adventure" program literally just got shamed by @Clearmax kid whom already took them out there already..

RD

 

[LowRiver2]

So on one hand if we don't let them adventure and explore and become "men not mice" than we are pussifying our kids.. But on the other hand if we aren't sitting there on top of them baby sitting them sober than we are irresponsible..

Kinda damned if ya do and damned if ya don't.. . (Relax I'm just joking and making a point)


I will tell everyone an interesting story about last weekend in Shea rd that opened my eyes a little bit.. On Monday the wind died down and I really wanted my kids to put "some miles under their belt." Do some challenging stuff that maybe they haven't done before, and feel like they really "accomplished something." So everyday they say "Dad can you lead us somewhere?" and this day... well this day we are gonna go "somewhere." So we jump in the RZR me and my youngest, the other two on their quads fall in line behind us, and we go down the first hill into the wash.

Now any jack ass can just lead his kids for miles down a wash... No No no... We are going on an adventure here my friends. I'm gonna take them somewhere else.. Where? Fuck if I know but somewhere.

So I look and I see trails off to my left that just lead kinda straight east and around this mountain, That's the spot.. That's where we are gonna make our assault, and really show these kids what their made of.. No huge hills, but the terrain is rough, rocks everywhere, switch backs, off camber this is perfect. So we hang a left and head up a little hill and out into the wilderness, or the wild blue yonder whatever your fancy.. I'm driving, and I'm driving.. And we have gone a few miles! I'm looking and you can't see camp anymore, hell you can't even see the wash anymore. I'm thinking "Well maybe I should turn around, after all they are pretty young?"

Then the little horned guy on the other shoulder says "Fuck that... We raising mice or men here? Lets go a little further!" So I keep going, and eventually I'm starting to feel bad because, ya know.. We are in this RZR, and they are on these tiny quads so maybe I went to far.. The guilt consumes and I start turning around and stop and this pretty cool shale / rock feature looking thing.

We stop and I get out and I'm talking to them saying "Well what did ya think of that?" and Daniel instantly goes "Can I go play in that waterfall looking thing?" I say "No son, that's kinda limestone shale looking stuff.. see how it's all layered? You get near that edge and it can come loose and you can fall" as I'm wearing my Dad jacket proudly here..

Daniel - "Well I didn't fall in yesterday when I went in it?"

I respond with "What do ya mean?"

That's when Sierra pops in "Dad we rode out here before by ourselves with Brock. We turned around a little further up." Now Brock is Robert with Safeglow's kid.. whom also has a quad and is just a little older than Sierra. LOL.


Needless to say my kids are going a lot further on their quads than I originally anticipated.. LOL. And my Indiana Jones style "lets go on an adventure" program literally just got shamed by @Clearmax kid whom already took them out there already..

RD

Stop taking my posts out of it’s entirety
Most do the right thing , but go to Glamis or Ocotillo and I assure you , you will encounter camps with kids doing 1K circles around camp the entire time with the parents siting in the middle oblivious to what’s going on polishing off tequila / truly’s , etc

Moderation and mixing up the riding is key.

My kids are fully geared up for one reason :
I’d rather not deal with my ex in an ER in BFE

On the other hand they still fall off the quads and so far, end up just bruised .

Arguments can be made for both types of vehicles and I’m not picking sides. Just stay involved with whatever they are doing. Save the heavy day drinking for non kid times lol.
(Not referring to you Dave, lol)

 

[ka0tyk]

Daniel - "Well I didn't fall in yesterday when I went in it?"

I respond with "What do ya mean?"

That's when Sierra pops in "Dad we rode out here before by ourselves with Brock. We turned around a little further up." Now Brock is Robert with Safeglow's kid.. whom also has a quad and is just a little older than Sierra. LOL.


Needless to say my kids are going a lot further on their quads than I originally anticipated.. LOL. And my Indiana Jones style "lets go on an adventure" program literally just got shamed by @Clearmax kid whom already took them out there already..

do they make some type of GPS tracker for them? Or some type of radio finder? I know kids are kids and the above kinda proves the point. they went on a pretty far trip and probably no one knew exactly where they were. maybe they did, whatever. I'm just wondering with a rig like posted above being able to cover miles pretty easily and some young energy, decisions on trails made having fun and possibly getting lost... are there devices to find them? obviously some are gonna depend on cell signal which might not exist. hell on bike rides around the block i tell my kids not to get too far ahead and they never listen.

 

[RiverDave]

do they make some type of GPS tracker for them? Or some type of radio finder? I know kids are kids and the above kinda proves the point. they went on a pretty far trip and probably no one knew exactly where they were. maybe they did, whatever. I'm just wondering with a rig like posted above being able to cover miles pretty easily and some young energy, decisions on trails made having fun and possibly getting lost... are there devices to find them? obviously some are gonna depend on cell signal which might not exist. hell on bike rides around the block i tell my kids not to get too far ahead and they never listen.

If they are in the ranger yes I can see where they are at in my phone.. They took their quads. LOL

RD

 

[fishing fool]

Can you please provide the Oregon dealership for @Devious_Chris.

Thank you

 

[RiverDave]

Can you please provide the Oregon dealership for @Devious_Chris.

Thank you

I just texted Chris what I wanted and he got it for me. I honestly don’t have the contact information on the dealership itself other than it’s called Devious and is in OR

 

[Beachcomberbrian]

I primarily started this thread to show that if you are looking to build something cool for your kids, then this is definitely the route I would go over a RZR 170.. The EFI / Digital Dash & Ride Command Youth features seal the deal..

Building kids cars is WWWAAAAYYYYY cheaper than building adult cars and can be a fun process that you end up with something very cool and unique.. It's a great way to turn your kids on to customizing stuff without breaking the bank, and as with anything you can go from as mild or as wild as you want.

If you do end up getting a Ranger 150, I'd recommend looking for Polaris Ace 150 aftermarket in your search engines.. It helped me a lot. @Devious_Chris was invaluable in terms of getting the car / seats and seat belts. Robert and Heather at Safeglow are always my goto Lighting peeps.. Wheel Pro's has every kinda wheel / tire imaginable for Cars Trucks SXS's and yes even Mini SXS's..

And most importantly Jason @ Morgan Motorsports is pretty much the "King" for when it comes to legit custom offroad builds out here. There's a reason he's got all the big names cars in his shop all the time. The stuff he builds is next level. Bit of an odd duck, but most genius's are.. . (Joking Jason).


If anyone wants to build one for their kids and needs help finding parts let me know!!

As well, thoughts, input, or if I missed something on this little build I'd be interested in hearing it!

Future upgrades will be
1. Slightly Larger Battery (Full River)
2. Adding an Amp to the sound bar (Wired For Sound / Kicker)
3. Getting the Stator rewound to put out more amps.


RD

RD,

Can you post the contact for the sprocket guy. I gave my boys their new 150 for Christmas and I can’t leave anything alone. Got a lift, wheels, tires and spaces on the way. Sounds like that sprocket is the answer to not choke this thing with the larger wheel and tire package. Thanks!