What was your 1st car?

[wildbill23c]

They are out there... it took me like 4mo to find mine. It is off a third gen if that helps you broaden your search.

Seems like long bed Rangers were a rare thing or something I don't see many of them. I'll be keeping my eyes open though, just for the occasional bad weather trip that requires hauling stuff that I don't want to get wet, and be able to take it off for those trips to the dump and such.

That's a great looking Ranger though...love the older body style. 3rd Gen would be 98-2000? I didn't think the beds were the same size so I didn't think about those years, I was figuring I'd be stuck looking at 1st gen models from the 80's. Thank you for broading my search, that'll help a lot. Although it seems 7 foot bed Rangers of any generation are rare, at least here in Idaho. I see the 6.5 foot models all the time, the 87 I picked up I guess must be a unicorn around here LOL. I got my fuel leak fixed in my Ranger with a replacement o-ring on the fuel pressure regulator, so I've been driving it the past couple days....a few little quirks to work out but its driving so much better. No plans for any mods, just a camper shell at some point if I can get my hands on one LOL.

 

[wildbill23c]

Hmmm, I will have to take a closer look at the topper on my 87 Mazda b2600. It has the gasket to the cab and as far as I can see doesn't leak. It is the first one I've seen like it.

I had an 89 B2600i 4x4, I loved that truck. I was an idiot and traded it in on a new car...bad idea new car was far less reliable than my 319k mile B2600i pickup . The camper shell I had on my 2600i didn't have the boot between the cab and shell though.

 

[sgtsandman]

My uncle is looking at a Celica as next project. We'll check it out right after we finished installing the brake kit and ironman tires on the current Ram project. The Celica got 130k original miles and has been garage kept for about 8 years but with only minimal rust.

They are still rock solid cars. The RWD models were based off the Ford Pinto but build the way the Pinto should been in the first place. I think the thing had almost 200,000 miles on it before it got scrapped.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Seems like long bed Rangers were a rare thing or something I don't see many of them. I'll be keeping my eyes open though, just for the occasional bad weather trip that requires hauling stuff that I don't want to get wet, and be able to take it off for those trips to the dump and such.

That's a great looking Ranger though...love the older body style. 3rd Gen would be 98-2000? I didn't think the beds were the same size so I didn't think about those years, I was figuring I'd be stuck looking at 1st gen models from the 80's. Thank you for broading my search, that'll help a lot. Although it seems 7 foot bed Rangers of any generation are rare, at least here in Idaho. I see the 6.5 foot models all the time, the 87 I picked up I guess must be a unicorn around here LOL. I got my fuel leak fixed in my Ranger with a replacement o-ring on the fuel pressure regulator, so I've been driving it the past couple days....a few little quirks to work out but its driving so much better. No plans for any mods, just a camper shell at some point if I can get my hands on one LOL.

Ford Ranger Generations 1983-Present

Introduction: There has been questions concerning what years make up which generation of Ford Rangers. I think the problem came from the re-release of the Ford Ranger. A number of freelance writers, 'journalists', 'automotive writers', and 'automotive experts' have been seizing the opportunity...

www.therangerstation.com

7' bed wasn't a common option, std cab short beds and extended cabs all used the same bed so they really drown out the topper selection. Mine was off a 93-97 truck.

Same for trying to find a nice solid/straight bed... very few and far between.

 

[wildbill23c]

Ford Ranger Generations 1983-Present

Introduction: There has been questions concerning what years make up which generation of Ford Rangers. I think the problem came from the re-release of the Ford Ranger. A number of freelance writers, 'journalists', 'automotive writers', and 'automotive experts' have been seizing the opportunity...

www.therangerstation.com

7' bed wasn't a common option, std cab short beds and extended cabs all used the same bed so they really drown out the topper selection. Mine was off a 93-97 truck.

Same for trying to find a nice solid/straight bed... very few and far between.

Kind of what I was figuring out as far as the long bed trucks....I haven't seen many of them. I tried an online topper website to see what they had, only option they had for an 87 Ranger was for the supercab model with the 6.5' bed LOL....well that don't help HAHA!!! I wouldn't pay that kind of money for a topper for a 30+ year old truck though, and after spending $2k on a topper for my 2008 Toyota Tundra and the damn thing leaking everywhere I'm far from impressed with these topper companies fitment. The topper on my 84 Ranger I could drive through a carwash and that thing wouldn't leak at all. Quality has gone way down but price has more than tripled...

Now that I've got a broader vehicle selection that'll definitely help. I'll find one someday I suppose, but I'll pickup a cargo net for now to keep stuff in the bed on the highway LOL.

 

[91stranger]

Mine was my grandma's 89 Buick century custom. It had 68k when I got it. It had the ol 3300 engine which was a beast! Speedo only went to 80 or 85 and I would bury it past that. Best guess at top speed was I passed my cousin who was doing 100 like he was sitting still. Wish I still had that car as it was just fun to drive. No center console so the passenger could hit the gas pedal from time to time lol.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Kind of what I was figuring out as far as the long bed trucks....I haven't seen many of them. I tried an online topper website to see what they had, only option they had for an 87 Ranger was for the supercab model with the 6.5' bed LOL....well that don't help HAHA!!! I wouldn't pay that kind of money for a topper for a 30+ year old truck though, and after spending $2k on a topper for my 2008 Toyota Tundra and the damn thing leaking everywhere I'm far from impressed with these topper companies fitment. The topper on my 84 Ranger I could drive through a carwash and that thing wouldn't leak at all. Quality has gone way down but price has more than tripled...

Now that I've got a broader vehicle selection that'll definitely help. I'll find one someday I suppose, but I'll pickup a cargo net for now to keep stuff in the bed on the highway LOL.

The windows seep on mine in a carwash but it is old, 20th Century brand. I think they changed their name to just Century about 20 years ago...

 

[wildbill23c]

The windows seep on mine in a carwash but it is old, 20th Century brand. I think they changed their name to just Century about 20 years ago...

Century is built by Leer at least that was what the dealer told me...but if that's the case they leave out a lot of quality in the Century shells that's what I had on my Toyota Tundra, it wasn't that great.

 

[fourhigh]

67 GMC 1/2 ton, 327 3 on the tree. I was 16 and I bought it from the Ford dealership I
washed cars at after school circa 1976. I had wanted a Ford but I also wanted a truck,
new license, ready to start drivin' !!! I think it was a $500 deal. Man it was a sewing machine-
runnin' like sweet 'ol 327. I remember putting a Thrush Muffler on it AND the decal You
got with the muffler on the back window. It did sound good to my ears at the time. The
steering wheel turned so easy it was like it wasn't even hooked up !, the biggest
issue was the shifter that would lock up, so a screwdriver was a requirement at all times.
I didn't have it long enough to anything more to it as a ' 73 F-100 came in
for a trade, same version of the GMC, but with the 302, AND 3 on the tree, again with
the same lock-up issue ! getting rid of it is a hindsight is 20/20 situation, from all those
years ago.......

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Century is built by Leer at least that was what the dealer told me...but if that's the case they leave out a lot of quality in the Century shells that's what I had on my Toyota Tundra, it wasn't that great.

Dunno, for $40 after like 6mo of looking I am still not going to complain. It is old so I can't really fault it if the windows seep a little.

 

[wildbill23c]

Dunno, for $40 after like 6mo of looking I am still not going to complain. It is old so I can't really fault it if the windows seep a little.

How did you find your shell? Online, dealer? I haven't had any luck browsing the local Craigslist, haven't tried a camper shell dealer yet, and trying to avoid them as they put horrendous prices on them.

 

[Josh B]

How did you find your shell? Online, dealer? I haven't had any luck browsing the local Craigslist, haven't tried a camper shell dealer yet, and trying to avoid them as they put horrendous prices on them.

A Thrifty Nickel or FB marketplace probably be the best places to watch these days

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Mine was a 1983 Dodge Aries K wagon with a manual transmission.

My parents had one of those, with the 2.2L engine, and an automatic (theirs was an '81, though). It was so gutless, when they drove up into the mountains with it, 18 wheelers were passing them going UP the mountain!

 

[Josh B]

Mine was a Radio-Flyer A red and white convertible with two pedals

My first real car was a 64 Chevrolet Biscayne 4 door 6 cylinder my uncle sold me for $50, but before I had the money he came by the house my brother and I had rented one Friday night half lit with some woman he'd picked up and asked what I had, $35 was the final price.

It was winter and was cold riding my little Honda. I drove it around Dallas a while. Four of us took off to Austin and a 4 day "Concert at Gatlin Creek", would have been around 70/71

Actually I've got to back up on this. My first one was a 59 Chevy station wagon altho I was only part owner. My brother and I were renting a house, both driving motorcycles, and my Dad gave us his old car. It had a 6 cyl and a hole rusted into the rear passenger side floorboard. We'd eat a lot of fast food burgers and such, toss the trash in the back seat, and it would eventually find its own way out.
It didn't have a single full horsepower that I ever knew of. One day we were somewhere going up a hill and my brother let it roll backwards down the hill, and in some loose gravel dropped it into gear and gassed it, it didn't even scratch the gravel

 

[Saddle Tramp]

My parents had one of those, with the 2.2L engine, and an automatic (theirs was an '81, though). It was so gutless, when they drove up into the mountains with it, 18 wheelers were passing them going UP the mountain!

My wagon had a one barrel carb and heavy rain would affect the electrics, making it a 3 cylinder. ?