Thoughts on the ford courier

[MaD]

Last year one popped up on Craigslist and I hesitated on buying it. It sold quite quick for 2k. I often think about it and maybe i should have jumped on it. It was in pretty good condition.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

This one is on Kijiji Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

 

[MaD]

That's far as heck from me lol.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Road trip!

 

[Blmpkn]

Don't we have a member here who was building a turbo courier? I don't believe he's been active in awhile but I definitely remember he was at the time I joined up..

 

[19Walt93]

I was a mechanic when we were still selling Couriers, I wouln't wish one on my worst enemy. The fuel pump was under the left rear quarter and would often freeze in the winter becuase the fuel system condensed water- I know that won't be a problem in Arizona. The body seams would bleed rust before they were a year old. The timing chain rub strips on the Mazda engine wore out early and often- then I'd spend a day twisted around the front hinged hood to replace them.
The later Couriers could have a Lima 2.3 which was a huge improvement. The original Mazda engine's worst problem wasn't the tining chain guides, it was warping heads. We devised a quick head gasket test: open the hood, remove the radiator cap, get in the truck and roll up the window, then start the truck. If the coolant geysered up onto the truck's roof, the head gasket was blown. We added "roll up the window" to the procedure after the first one. We had many heads planed because they were warped so bad- in one case the head was cut .022" to get it flat. The cam would rock on the journals and would flex every revolution.
We were very happy when the first Rangers landed.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I had a LUV before i bought my first ranger....the LUV was the couriers competition.

I can say comparing a LUV to a 1st gen ranger is like comparing a ranger to an F250 in terms of robustness and workability.

Guessing the courier would be similar to the LUV in the aspect.

Athough that being said about 8 years ago i seen a courier fresh from florida for sale. I almost bought it.

 

[cbxer55]

I had a LUV before i bought my first ranger....the LUV was the couriers competition.

I can say comparing a LUV to a 1st gen ranger is like comparing a ranger to an F250 in terms of robustness and workability.

Guessing the courier would be similar to the LUV in the aspect.

Athough that being said about 8 years ago i seen a courier fresh from florida for sale. I almost bought it.

Long years back, late 70s early 80s, had a i=girl friend who had a small block chevy motor under the hood of her Luv. License said LUVDOG! LOL!!

 

[MaD]

I was a mechanic when we were still selling Couriers, I wouln't wish one on my worst enemy. The fuel pump was under the left rear quarter and would often freeze in the winter becuase the fuel system condensed water- I know that won't be a problem in Arizona. The body seams would bleed rust before they were a year old. The timing chain rub strips on the Mazda engine wore out early and often- then I'd spend a day twisted around the front hinged hood to replace them.
The later Couriers could have a Lima 2.3 which was a huge improvement. The original Mazda engine's worst problem wasn't the tining chain guides, it was warping heads. We devised a quick head gasket test: open the hood, remove the radiator cap, get in the truck and roll up the window, then start the truck. If the coolant geysered up onto the truck's roof, the head gasket was blown. We added "roll up the window" to the procedure after the first one. We had many heads planed because they were warped so bad- in one case the head was cut .022" to get it flat. The cam would rock on the journals and would flex every revolution.
We were very happy when the first Rangers landed.

So it's best to avoid em? Lol

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

So it's best to avoid em? Lol

I would look at it as a rolling shell if it is a clean one.

Keep it out of the salt and if it is self propelled enjoy it. If not... ecoboost swap time.

 

[Shran]

I was just talking to my dad about these recently, he bought a '71 Courier brand new. Basically he said the same thing Walt said - it was a piece of junk - and a few of his friends also bought them and they were junk too. One of them had severe timing chain issues and needed a new engine 5 days after it left the dealer lot.

I'm not real fond of them I guess, maybe I'd think about it if I had a clean rolling shell and a drivetrain to put in it. Datsuns and Toyotas from that era are significantly better trucks.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Long years back, late 70s early 80s, had a i=girl friend who had a small block chevy motor under the hood of her Luv. License said LUVDOG! LOL!!

View attachment 106504

Thats badass.

Mine had a 4 cylinder....1.8L IIRC bolted to a 4speed. I doubt it coulda ran down a VW bus

 

[ekrampitzjr]

My stepfather had an '84 Mazda pickup to replace the old '72 F-100. That was the last year for that body, which was the same body the last Ford Couriers used before the Ranger replaced them.

The Mazda had serious rust problems, and this was in southeastern Virginia, which doesn't see too much road salt. The bed had rusted underneath even though it still looked mostly clean from above. One day I was loading something in the bed, dropped it, and it punched through the bed floor because of the rust underneath. Soon afterward and just after my stepfather passed away, the engine crapped out (I think valvetrain). I hate to think of what might have been going on with the frame.

The Japanese pickups of the '70s and '80s were rustprone. The Datsun and Toyota pickups might have been better at the time, but those have few survivors too.

 

[JoshT]

Dad talked about owning one in the past, sounded like he liked it.

Here's another one:
https://www.facebook.com/share/TSPBw76sgSHKC188/?mibextid=kL3p88

 

[sgtsandman]

My stepfather had an '84 Mazda pickup to replace the old '72 F-100. That was the last year for that body, which was the same body the last Ford Couriers used before the Ranger replaced them.

The Mazda had serious rust problems, and this was in southeastern Virginia, which doesn't see too much road salt. The bed had rusted underneath even though it still looked mostly clean from above. One day I was loading something in the bed, dropped it, and it punched through the bed floor because of the rust underneath. Soon afterward and just after my stepfather passed away, the engine crapped out (I think valvetrain). I hate to think of what might have been going on with the frame.

The Japanese pickups of the '70s and '80s were rustprone. The Datsun and Toyota pickups might have been better at the time, but those have few survivors too.

It seems that rust was a big issue with every Japanese vehicle during that time period. I had a 1982 Celica and my mom a 1988 Nissan truck. Both got retired to the scrap yard due to rust even though there was nothing wrong with the powertrain.