Did Ford make a factory v8 ranger for the public

[cbxer55]

I would think a 2wd 98-11 Ranger with a performance suspension would handle better than a Jeep Rubicon or a Bronco on 35's.

I think the bigger issue is the Bronco won't steal Mustang sales like a 2wd compact pickup might.

My 98 does really good with just front and rear Hellwig anti-sway bars. I've never lowered it, still at stock ride height for a SPORT version. True it doesn't have a V-8, just a 3.0 V-6. Despite all the non-believers, wit ha good cai being fed cold air, a modified exhaust with no muffler, a JET chip, and 4.1 gears, it runs really good. It goes around my favorite curvy road really nice. That road is about a mile from where I work, and I go out there every day on my lunch break and thrash it. My Lightning is heavy and doesn't do as good as the Ranger does. My 07 Mustang out handles it, but not by much. When I'm out on that road thrashing it, I manually shift it, despite being an auto, with a shift kit recently installed.

So yeah, I think the Lightningbolt would be a superb truck to own. And also, look at all the V-8 conversions out there now. A few years ago, there was a V-8 conversion with a blower on it for sale. Someone posted the link on this site. I pondered buying it. Wish I had. It was called the Ranger Lightning.

BTW: The shift kit and the 4.1 gears made my Ranger totally different. I love it. I drive it more than the Lightning or Mustang. This coming weekend, I have three days off. Planning on yanking all the non-functional ac equipment. Someone elsewhere told me it subtracts about 60 pounds of weight off the front end. Then I plan on relocating the battery to the passenger side rear corner of the bed. Trying to alter the front heavy weight bias, which goes a long way toward better handling.

 

[Snoranger]

But they had the Ranger GT!

I’ve driven a couple Ranger GTs, a GMC Syclone, and a few GMC Typhoons...

Why Ford, Why? Why could you not build a performance Ranger?!?!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I’ve driven a couple Ranger GTs, a GMC Syclone, and a few GMC Typhoons...

Why Ford, Why? Why could you not build a performance Ranger?!?!

It is like they were taunting us with the GT... if there was ever a perfect chance to drop in a Supercoupe 3.8 or god forbid a 5.0 that was it.

 

[Dirtman]

Why would Ford need to put a 5.0 in a ranger when they had already offered it with the raw white knuckle power of the 2.9?

 

[don4331]

I’ve driven a couple Ranger GTs, a GMC Syclone, and a few GMC Typhoons...

Why Ford, Why? Why could you not build a performance Ranger?!?!

Because Ford is in business to make money; not to make a couple dozen enthusiasts happy.

Chevrolet didn't make the Typhoon/Syclone - they farmed the "conversion" out. As it was a conversion, it cost an arm and leg to do the work; the result was they cost as much as a Corvette. Chevrolet couldn't sell 5k, so more/less pulled the plug on the experiment after a year, losing significant money.

And the 2nd generation ('88-92 Rangers) would have been a nightmare to install a fuel injected 5.0 of the period into. And the Mitsubishi FM146 or A4LD/Dana 28 TTB/Ford 7.5" aren't exactly well configured for a performance truck - the corporate types not feeling V-8 power in truck with no weight on rear wheels being a good 2wd candidate. And don't get me started on the brakes.

The SHO Ranger would have been Ford's answer, but it didn't compete performance wise - it really didn't perform that well on the street at all.

By the time the 4th generation ('98+) Rangers arrive, the performance mini truck craze had sailed.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Funny... but GM had another mini truck that most people don't even remember. Bob Lutz and his dream for GM to build a factory Woodward Dream cruiser. Total failure... right about the time GM needed bailed out.

 

[don4331]

A truck has box that you can put sh!t in, and will tow something: The Chevrolet SSR didn't have a usable box, so its just a roadster with a big @$$.

 

[Dirtman]

Funny... but GM had another mini truck that most people don't even remember. Bob Lutz and his dream for GM to build a factory Woodward Dream cruiser. Total failure... right about the time GM needed bailed out.

View attachment 61512

Isn't that just so coincidental... A failing company makes a terrible car right before getting billions of dollars claiming the world will end if they go out of business for being terrible. Terrible is good aparently?

 

[Uncle Gump]

There were many other problems too...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Because Ford is in business to make money; not to make a couple dozen enthusiasts happy.

Chevrolet didn't make the Typhoon/Syclone - they farmed the "conversion" out. As it was a conversion, it cost an arm and leg to do the work; the result was they cost as much as a Corvette. Chevrolet couldn't sell 5k, so more/less pulled the plug on the experiment after a year, losing significant money.

And the 2nd generation ('88-92 Rangers) would have been a nightmare to install a fuel injected 5.0 of the period into. And the Mitsubishi FM146 or A4LD/Dana 28 TTB/Ford 7.5" aren't exactly well configured for a performance truck - the corporate types not feeling V-8 power in truck with no weight on rear wheels being a good 2wd candidate. And don't get me started on the brakes.

The SHO Ranger would have been Ford's answer, but it didn't compete performance wise - it really didn't perform that well on the street at all.

By the time the 4th generation ('98+) Rangers arrive, the performance mini truck craze had sailed.

Injected swaps are nearly plug and play electronically.

Easy peasy for a second gen especially post 1990 when they got the 8.8.

AODE/M5ODR2 for a trans.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Injected swaps are nearly plug and play electronically.

Easy peasy for a second gen especially post 1990 when they got the 8.8.

AODE/M5ODR2 for a trans.

They could have scavenged anything needed from the Foxbody and Thunderbird lines very easily. Even the Foxbody harness could have been lightly modified to be a plug and play set up in the Ranger.

Face the facts guys. Ford should be called Buzz Kill Motor Company.

 

[RonD]

Come on Ford built the Mustang and......................................well I am sure there was another fast Ford..........................I am sure, yes, the Shelby, oh that's a Mustang

Steve McQueen drove a Mustang fast, so good enough

 

[cbxer55]

So did H.B "Tobi" Halicki, Gone in 60 Seconds 1974. And Nicolas Cage, Gone in 60 Seconds 2000.

If you haven't seen the 1974 version, you haven't seen probably one of the most epic and longest car chase scenes in moviedom. It's much better than the 2000 version.

 

[cbxer55]

Come on Ford built the Mustang and......................................well I am sure there was another fast Ford..........................I am sure, yes, the Shelby, oh that's a Mustang

Steve McQueen drove a Mustang fast, so good enough

Er, Uh, Duh, Gee.......................................................Dare I say it? LMAO!! The LIGHTNING

 

[RonD]

Wasn't the Lightning a truck?