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The NEW 2009/2010 Ford Ranger


Shoeboy

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I was looking for some information about a possible new 4.4L diesel in the new F-150. I happened across this about the new Ford Ranger. I read that and nearly cried, I hope they do not do this, ever!

" Ford has publicly announced that the assembly plant where the 2008 Ford Ranger is built (St. Paul, Minnesota) is scheduled to be closed in 2008. Rumor has it is that the Ranger will be reincarnated as a unibody truck (think: Honda Ridgeline) and will be called the F-100. Whether or not it will show up as a 2009 or 2010 model is yet to be seen. Stay tuned, we'll let you know when we hear anything official! In the mean time, check out our Ford Ranger section here. It may or may not look like the current Ranger available outside North America (see photo to the right). "

http://www.fordf150.net/2009/ for the original article (I just copy pasted the entire).

I hope they come to a better conclusion/ending to the Ranger problem then this.
 


Destroyer000

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damn unibodies:stop:
 

CJREX

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Hopefully Ford learned their lesson with the Taurus/Five Hundred naming debacle and won't kill off one of, if not THE, most recognizable names in small pickups.

That said, I kinda like the look of the 4-door in the pic.

Now if it would become available with a turbodiesel! :drool:
 

stegomon

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i say bring it on....will just be better to mod when we stick them on real truck frames with real motors

but look at this..it will be cheeper to make and easer to maintain and also th chomancee the heep pick up....those are unibody and i have seen some of those bad ass

oh what am i saying...ford is now going down the shitter for good....looks like is am sticking with the 80s and 90s stuff:buttkick:
 

human5

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I don't know what to think about this. There are obviously pro's and con's. One pro would be cost (might drive up sales) and the obvious con... unibody. But there is a hiddin expense in unibodies, the price of lifts are rediculous most of the time. Who knows, maybe ford will get some common sense.
 

Bill

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I think the keyword here is "rumor."

There are a lot of them regarding the future of the Ford Ranger. I think the most likely rumors are moving assembly of the Rangers to Wayne with the present body or a new one. The other very likely possibility is no Ranger, at least for a few years. While nobody likes the latter, the fact is Ford isn't selling many of them due to their marketing tactics, bonehead things they refuse to correct with the truck, like no really useful cupholders in the 5-spd versions, the reputation for poor fuel economy for its size, which is true with the exception of the 2.3L, and the difficulty involved in buying one that comes down from marketing practices and the vast majority of dealerships that play their version of a salesperson tantrum if they can't upsell you an F150.

That Ford hasn't done much with the engine lineup when multi-cam and 3-4 valves per cylinder are the norm across the board hasn't really helped much either. This is reflected in the power and fuel economy, which many truck buyers compare with the competition. Ford is ahead with the 2.3L Duratec, but going back to marketing, Ford has insisted upon making it time consuming challenge to find anything other than a plain white fleet truck if you want a 4-cylinder.

Anyway, back to the rumors:

The chances of an imported Ranger are slim and none. Tariffs make it too expensive. I guess it would be possible for them to manufacture and assemble the same truck in North America and one of the "re-tooled" assembly plants.

My own thought is that a different chassis is likely, with the global Ranger chassis being a good candidate. The current chassis is only "ok" by current safety standards. Other trucks have been redesigned to lower the chances of a rollover.
 
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Here's the news release dated April 13th....


FORD’S TWIN CITIES AND NORFOLK ASSEMBLY PLANTS WILL BE IDLED AS WAY FORWARD PLAN MOVES AHEAD

  • Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, Minn., and the Norfolk Assembly Plant in Virginia will be idled in 2008 as part of the company’s Way Forward plan.
  • Ford will be able to maintain its production capacity and undisputed leadership of the full-size pickup truck market with fewer plants, thanks to flexible manufacturing.
  • Future product plans surrounding Ford compact pickups will be announced closer to the end of Ford Ranger production in Twin Cities in 2008.
  • Ford is on track to have 82 percent of its North American assembly facilities flexible by 2008, up from 38 percent in 2004 and ahead of the previously announced target of 75 percent.
  • Ford reaffirms its commitment to a new low-cost manufacturing site for the future.
DEARBORN, Mich., April 13, 2006 – Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] today announced that its Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, Minn., and the Norfolk Assembly Plant in Virginia will be idled in 2008 as part of the company’s Way Forward plan to restore North American automotive operations to profitability no later than 2008. Going forward, Ford will be able to maintain its production capacity and undisputed leadership of the full-size pickup truck market with fewer plants, thanks to flexible manufacturing.


The Way Forward plan, which was announced on Jan. 23, is a comprehensive roadmap to strengthen the company’s Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands through innovative new products, better quality, straightforward pricing, lower costs and more flexible, efficient operations. As part of the plan, Ford said in January that it would idle and cease manufacturing operations at 14 plants, including seven assembly plants.

In addition to Norfolk and Twin Cities, the plants announced to date include Wixom (Mich.) Assembly, St. Louis Assembly, Atlanta Assembly, Windsor (Ontario) Casting and Batavia (Ohio) Transmission.


“A decision to end production at a plant is not an easy one and I’m deeply mindful of the impact this decision has on Ford employees, families and communities,” explains Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and president of The Americas. “Unfortunately, these are necessary steps we must take to move the business forward.


“The Way Forward is a long-term strategy and journey,” Fields continues. “But we are very satisfied with early progress and momentum, and we remain committed to all of the targets established in what remains a long-term strategy and journey.”

The Norfolk plant, which opened in 1925, currently employs 2,275 hourly and 158 salaried workers. The Twin Cities plant, which also opened in 1925, employs 1,750 hourly and 135 salaried workers. These staff reductions are part of the 25,000 – 30,000 job workforce reduction announced as part of the Way Forward plan.
Even with the idling of Norfolk, Ford will remain the undisputed leader in full-size pickup truck sales, thanks to flexible manufacturing. In the first quarter, Ford sold 199,801 F-Series trucks, up more than 5 percent compared with a year ago, and posted a 2.7 point increase in segment market share, while many domestic and Asian competitors posted share declines. Ford said it is on track to sell more than 900,000 F-Series pickups for an unprecedented third year in a row.


Future product plans surrounding Ford compact pickups will be announced closer to the end of Ford Ranger production in Twin Cities in 2008. Ranger sales in the first quarter totaled 22,378 units, down 15.9 percent.


Ford also remains committed to building a new low-cost manufacturing site for the future, as the company announced in January.

And the link:

http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=23128
 

stegomon

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:black_eye:
well you hurd it there...the ranger is gone...maby ford will bring it after a few years like they did with the toruse/sable...but just rember we use to be a trim package and we had a good 25 year going...but it is time to retire the name and take it from there...just remember we will be back one of thease days:fie:
 

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well you hurd it there...the ranger is gone...maby ford will bring it after a few years like they did with the toruse/sable...but just rember we use to be a trim package and we had a good 25 year going...but it is time to retire the name and take it from there...just remember we will be back one of thease days:fie:
Where does it say the Ranger is gone? Anyone's guess is speculation at this point.
 

SassyTeffie

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Looks like an SUV with an open air trunk! *Shudders*
 

human5

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Man, it's almost impossible to buy a Ranger here in San Antonio. There's a dealer here (Gillespie Ford) and they have a monopoly on the rangers here. Most Ford dealers stock like 4 except one that stocks about 15. Gillespie however stocks like they say 50+. They have a commercial on the radio that caught my attention last year saying "Buy a brand new Ford Ranger for only $9995!" Well, I go to the dealer to look at one of these Rangers half expecting to go home with one and we're sitting in the sales room going through numbers. He then drops the bomb, well, the truck is 9995 with a 6000 down payment. First of all I wouldn't be looking at a base model ranger if I had 6k for a down payment. There was one less ranger sale that day in me, but I ended up getting my b2300 for 8995 with 27k on it... almost new!
 

Will

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Nothing the matter with a unibody. Dodge vans, Jeep Cherokee's, all those old Mopar musclecars--Road Runners etc, VW busses--

This is the bottom of a VW buss. It's nothing like an old Mustang with two little bits of subframe bolted to the body. All a unit body means is they welded the frame to the body. At least the frame on the newer unibody stuff (bottom is the Ridgeline) runs outside the edge so when you get t-boned, your ass is inside the frame instead of outside.


 

almostclueless

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Plenty of time for me to see what they do.....gonna buy a 07 or 08 and drive it for a good few years.
 

motocross

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i think ford should just bring over the eurpoean ranger or what ever it is and give us a small turbo diesel. i would be waiting in line to get one.
 

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