I miss my old Rangers.

[BigSkyGT]

Here's a couple of pics of the Rangers I use to have. I like the one I have now but miss these two.[IMG][/IMG]

[kubitzford]

i like the black one. not flashy yet not subtle either

i keep looking for a red splash, but i don't know why.

[DeraldRice]

Rangers are one extreme or another, either you love 'em or hate them. I really really really miss my 88 Ranger GT. I still know where it is, and have (so far) resisted trying to buy it back.

[quikstang2]

Nice trucks man. I see you dig the step side. My brother has an '02 stepside as well.

I'm still driving mine until I get the wagon back on the road. Then I won't have room for it. Not excited to sell the truck, but I like the wagon more.

[Bryan Knebworth]

Back in high school, my friend would occasionally get the keys to his parents Midnight Blue '85 Ranger. It had the optional longbed, V6, auto, A/C, and original White styled wheels. It was a fun truck. My friend and I were cruising around in it one afternoon, and stumbled upon this elderly gentleman, selling hubcaps and other yard sale type stuff. Amazingly, he had a full set of 14X7 Magnum 500's WITH center caps. I'm like 'how much for these?' and he's like "2 dollars per wheel". "I've got the centercaps too, I'll go get them..." Needless to say, I bought the full set with caps for 8 bucks!!!
A few miles down the road, about 40 mins later, we see a car for sale, and stop to take a closer look. Suddenly some old lady comes barging out of the house, marching towards us. She gets one look inside the Ranger, and sees the Magnums I had just purchased. For some bizzare reason, she thought they were hers and that we STOLE THEM!! She's like "Hey! those are mine! I'm calling the cops" etc, and we were petrified...I'm thinking the cops are going to show up and believe this little old lady, and take away my beloved Magnums!! It was then I tell my friend to 'PUNCH IT!!!' and he does, and we leave there spitting gravel everywhere, going 70! We laughed so hard about it for years later. My friend was one of the funniest, most adventurous individuals you'd ever know. Unfortunately, my friend passed last year, but I'll always remember how much fun we had driving around in his parents Ranger.

[dburdyshaw]

Wow ---- lotsa nice trucks in this thread and all lookin' really clean.

Quikstang2, that truck of yours looks like it just rolled off the assembly line.

And that's a great story, Bryan. Sounds like a great memory, too.

[wythors]

My DD is a 98 Ranger stepside 4x4 with the axle-snapping 3.0 and a five speed. 4-cylinder power with V8 gas mileage. It's just getting ready to roll over 100,000, but runs great and goes everywhere. Great little truck.

[Shadow 1]

I've had 3 of them, but I miss my first one the most. Looks like you have had some nice ones.

[craigerSS]

I'm a ranger fan too,my dd since 1989,I'm on my fourth one,a 05 which so far was been the best one.

[BigSkyGT]

I love the step sides. I also had a white extended cab 2 wheel drive just before I bought my 06 regular cab 4x4.

[nvr2low]

i had a 96 and an 02. I loved them, but now driving a V8 dakota quadcab i cant say i miss them that much, other than the MPG's that is.........

the 96:


[IMG]http://www.dslocum-photography.com/Automotive/Static/My-1996-Ranger/DSC00293031-2/285372122_oU***-L-1.jpg[/IMG]

the 02 lifted:


02 lowered:

[In2Fords]

yeah, Im another ranger fan, atleast ranger based vehicles I like the Bronco II's and the Explorer, I never really wanted a ranger itself cause I have allways had a fullsize at any given time.

I have had many BII's, one of them was lifted around 8 inches, had 60's front and rear, a 351W and sitting on 38.5's I just got another one and plan on keeping it mild, Im only using a set of dana 44's and the 302/np435/np205 that I have sitting around.

[BigSkyGT]

Here is my 06. I had a hard time finding this truck. Regular Cab 4x4. 5spd manual. No tilt cruise or air. Plain jane truck that I use for work.

[quikstang2]

Quikstang2, that truck of yours looks like it just rolled off the assembly line.

Haha! Thanks. I'll take that as a bigger compliment to my photography skills than keeping the truck clean. She's scratched to hell, and there's some good dents here and there, and the passenger door has been shot with a 9mm... most of which happened before I got it.
I did put the 4x4 grill on (the inside is painted gloss black now), clear lights, and color matched the valance and rear bumper pad. The mirrors are upgraded from the old style manual to the more proportional, and usable, newer style. And I've got 2005 Explorer wheels with 1" adapters with the "inserts" painted gloss black on in this picture.

[Snow Wolf]

i know it is an old thread but i just had to comment.

love the first gen ranger. i have an 87. got it in 1997 and before i had it, my grandfather had it since new.
the old girl has been through h3ll but it's still here.

[84GT350CONV]

They still make and sell them. Just not in America or Canada. They are half Mazda and those Japanese transmissions could be better. Gauges are troublesome, but you can live with it.
I believe there is still a demand for them. I blame it on Fords marketing team for not offering it.
My friend loves them and wishes he could buy a new one again. He had to switch to an 2010 Explorer Sport Trac. He does not know what he will buy next as he hates the new Taurus based Explorer due to the fact it is not a truck anymore.

[Snow Wolf]

that's why you have to stick with the first gen. them A4LD where fairly good. they were a C3 with overdrive added to them. and they were still fords i do believe.

[xctasy]

I miss my 98 XLT Explorer


Top selling vehicle in New Zealand , bar none, is the Ford Ranger. It eclisped the Toyota SR5 "HiLux" last year, and sold 26000 odd in Australia, a bit below the 38,126 HiLuxes.Australia sells as many cars in a year to 26 million people as Ford USA sold Ford Fairlanes to Americans in 1957, less than a million cars a year.The New Zealand market is about 100 000 new cars total, nothing really. But in percentage terms, the Aussie designed Ranger and Mazda BT50 is over 10% of the market in NZ, and 5% of the market in Australia, good figures to have on your side for the FoMoCo balance sheet.






Both markets are just sooo tiny compareed to the US and its stalwart F150, but the last year of the Ranger sold 70000 odd in the US for 2011. But in percentage terms of a 17 million new car market, the US Ranger didn't EVEN rate a whole percent.

The situation in NZ with the Ranger in 2015 as the US with the F150 in 1988; the trucks eclipsing the volume sedans.


The Aussie Ranger is a too pretty, lifestyle cross over from the traditional sedan tray based pickup we called Utility "Utes". Thats Ranchero, Brat, El Camino, Rampage, Rabbit pickup style integrated tray fake pickups. You know, the ones you brake in half while trying to do real mans work on the farm.

https://youtu.be/TwIsV542ZSc?t=15

"Designed and developed by Ford Australia for global markets, the Ranger is one of the best dual-cab utes when it comes to playing both workhorse and lifestyle vehicle."

But its made in Thailand, with a 198 hp 3.2 liter Diesel, so you'll never see it in the US. They snap the front drive shafts, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1LQ4hYuc8I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaIcvtcIabY

And that's why the US Ranger died, though its just a 'get a real truck, man' substitute, it was far, far better than a Unibody Utility integrated try pickup. It died because Ford needs to get real sales volume, and the cost and risk of a intermediate pickup with a full chassis was too much $$$ to foot, especially when the Explorer was going to a non full chassis frame.

[FM2NOTCH]

I used a friends ranger the other day, 87 ish, 4x4 v6 auto, first time I mashed the gas I had to check to make sure it was running, LOL. He claims 12 mpg tops, 1/2 the gauges didn't work, 0 oil pressure

[GRANNYNOTCH]

Heres mine...not assembled yet.

Lowered 4/5
18" black saleen wheels
Fresh paint,all new Lights ,newer mirrors,badges,6k hids.Need to find time to put the stuff back on since it got back from paint.Stripped everything off down to door locks and the wiper squirters.

[Snow Wolf]

i have the little 2.3 with the A4LD trans. 2X4 and a 3.73 open rear. it wasn't a bad truck. it did needed help in the acceleration part. running the quarter in 19.14. and that was with low pro 14"s on it. sad... lol. but it would pull anything i wanted.... as long as the front stayed on the ground. i do need another trans now. after 150,000 miles of abuse. racing it, pulling 2 or 3 times the GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating), jumping it, and just day to day driving. oh and the gas mileage did suck for a 2.3 but wasn't too bad over all. but one thing i got to say about the little first gen's. you can beat the living daylights out of them and they keep coming back for more.

[dtmilsap]

My dad 2nd new vehicle was an 84 ranger his first wad 69 vw bug

[TheWizard]

My '04 Ranger has been flawless so far.