Questions. I have Questions!

[ericbphoto]

Full disclosure. I will, from time to time, ask dumb questions.

We try to be helpful and friendly.

We will, from time to time, give dumb, humorous or irrelevant answers.

 

[sheep herder]

Just as an example.


Pop goes the weasel!

 

[pjtoledo]

We try to be helpful and friendly.

We will, from time to time, give dumb, humorous or irrelevant answers.

which we will not synchronize with your occasional dumb question

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Engine is goes vroom!

 

[Weasel]

I went back to the wreckers again today to try and retrieve those seats. All did not go according to plan.

I had my cordless driver and tried to remove them with the Torx bit, but it wasn't having any of it. I then tried using the socket wrench but couldn't get it to budge. I had brought along my breaker bar which surely should do the trick, except for one thing. The breaker bar is 1/2, the Torx is 3/8. I thought I had packed the drive adapter but, apparently, that was not the case.

I asked if they had any tools I could use and was told that no, they didn't have any tools. "But the website said...". Well, that didn't work. I told the woman that I needed to go get a tool. She wouldn't let me keep my tools there as they didn't want to take responsibility. I left my cart which had a few emblems, shift lever, and a driver-side knee panel. The first hardware store I went to did not carry adapters. (What kind of hardware store doesn't carry these!?). I had to go further afield and was able to get one. This had taken some time.

When I returned with what I needed, I found that in the time I was gone someone had already taken the seats. The truck had been there for 3 weeks, and they went in the half-hour I was gone! He was there removing the center console.

"You Bastard!", I screamed! ..sometime later.

The wagon containing the emblems and dash piece, someone had taken it - with the emblems. I mean, I know who took it, but accusing them in a junkyard would have been a poor decision, despite having a long breaker bar.

The shift lever, for the record, ended up in my tool bag. It wasn't intentional. I thought I had lost it somewhere in the yard. It was of little consolation.

At this point, my will had been broken and I wanted nothing more to do with the yard and the other set of seats.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I went back to the wreckers again today to try and retrieve those seats. All did not go according to plan.

I had my cordless driver and tried to remove them with the Torx bit, but it wasn't having any of it. I then tried using the socket wrench but couldn't get it to budge. I had brought along my breaker bar which surely should do the trick, except for one thing. The breaker bar is 1/2, the Torx is 3/8. I thought I had packed the drive adapter but, apparently, that was not the case.

I asked if they had any tools I could use and was told that no, they didn't have any tools. "But the website said...". Well, that didn't work. I told the woman that I needed to go get a tool. She wouldn't let me keep my tools there as they didn't want to take responsibility. I left my cart which had a few emblems, shift lever, and a driver-side knee panel. The first hardware store I went to did not carry adapters. (What kind of hardware store doesn't carry these!?). I had to go further afield and was able to get one. This had taken some time.

When I returned with what I needed, I found that in the time I was gone someone had already taken the seats. The truck had been there for 3 weeks, and they went in the half-hour I was gone! He was there removing the center console.

"You Bastard!", I screamed! ..sometime later.

The wagon containing the emblems and dash piece, someone had taken it - with the emblems. I mean, I know who took it, but accusing them in a junkyard would have been a poor decision, despite having a long breaker bar.

The shift lever, for the record, ended up in my tool bag. It wasn't intentional. I thought I had lost it somewhere in the yard. It was of little consolation.

At this point, my will had been broken and I wanted nothing more to do with the yard and the other set of seats.

That's unfortunate. HOWEVER, maybe it's an opportunity to find a set of better, more comfortable seats. So, here's a list of Ford seats that I found really comfortable:

1. 2004 Ford Focus
   1. I spent two hours plus at a time in those seats, they were REALLY comfy.
2. 1998 Ford Taurus
   1. Another set of really comfy seats that I spent a lot of time in.
   2. These are buckets. You can choose between solid center console or the flip/fold one
      1. Flip fold center console converts to a middle seat when you want it, and includes a comfy arm rest.
3. 1998 Mercury Sable
   1. Same seats as the '98 Taurus.
4. 2002 Ford Taurus (I spent a fair amount of time in these seats, dad spent even more)
5. 1997 Ford Aerostar
   1. captain's chairs!
   2. These have inboard center arm rests, and they're a high back bucket
   3. These are another set of seats that I've spent hours in, and found comfortable
6. 1990 Mercury Topaz
   1. Bucket seats
   2. Might be on par with the seats in the Focus, but that's stretching it just a bit
7. 1990 Ford Taurus
   1. Choose between buckets, or a split bench
      1. split bench is 50/50 with center arm rests on both sections
   2. These are also very comfortable for long trips
8. 1991 Mercury Sable
   1. Same seats as the 1990 Taurus
9. 1992 Ford Escort
   1. Buckets
   2. On par with the Topaz seats

I think you know that almost any Ford seat will bolt into your Ranger. Those are the ones I've sat in for extended periods of time, but there are others, depending on what you want. If you want REALLY plush, comfy seats, try for a set out of a Lincoln.

 

[ericbphoto]

That's unfortunate. HOWEVER, maybe it's an opportunity to find a set of better, more comfortable seats. So, here's a list of Ford seats that I found really comfortable:

1. 2004 Ford Focus
   1. I spent two hours plus at a time in those seats, they were REALLY comfy.
2. 1998 Ford Taurus
   1. Another set of really comfy seats that I spent a lot of time in.
   2. These are buckets. You can choose between solid center console or the flip/fold one
      1. Flip fold center console converts to a middle seat when you want it, and includes a comfy arm rest.
3. 1998 Mercury Sable
   1. Same seats as the '98 Taurus.
4. 2002 Ford Taurus (I spent a fair amount of time in these seats, dad spent even more)
5. 1997 Ford Aerostar
   1. captain's chairs!
   2. These have inboard center arm rests, and they're a high back bucket
   3. These are another set of seats that I've spent hours in, and found comfortable
6. 1990 Mercury Topaz
   1. Bucket seats
   2. Might be on par with the seats in the Focus, but that's stretching it just a bit
7. 1990 Ford Taurus
   1. Choose between buckets, or a split bench
      1. split bench is 50/50 with center arm rests on both sections
   2. These are also very comfortable for long trips
8. 1991 Mercury Sable
   1. Same seats as the 1990 Taurus
9. 1992 Ford Escort
   1. Buckets
   2. On par with the Topaz seats

I think you know that almost any Ford seat will bolt into your Ranger. Those are the ones I've sat in for extended periods of time, but there are others, depending on what you want. If you want REALLY plush, comfy seats, try for a set out of a Lincoln.

Nice list. Thank you!

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Nice list. Thank you!

You're welcome, Eric. For the record, the Taurus seats were probably the most comfortable of the lot, followed by the Aeorstar, then the Focus, then the Escort (the newer ones had more padding, I think, and were shaped differently), then the Topaz. Oh, I've also spent time in 86, 87, and 88 Escort seats. They're all on par with the Topaz.

Hmm, maybe I should start a new thread, and rank them in order. Then we can start World War 3 over whether or not people agree with me.

 

[Weasel]

Thanks for the list. Perhaps I could try to assemble a list of seats based on preferences. I know there are several lists floating about as to which seats are compatible, although it does seem incomplete.

A list based on comfort, ease of installation, fit (ie: wider, narrower), look, options (electric. heated), which ones are more likely to be available.

 

[Weasel]

Dumb question time!

Should the floor mats for the 2008 be the same as 2011? The floor mats I'm looking at say they fit a 2011, but not a 2008. Just wanted to know if I'm getting bad website information. The 2011 mats are on sale.

Thanks

 

[sgtsandman]

As far as I know, 1998 - 2011 are all the same as long as they aren’t transmission type specific.

 

[Weasel]

It appears that I will be using Ford Explorer Sport Trac seats. They're in good shape. Well, the drive side is. The passenger is still in the donor car cuz I suck at taking seats out.

What universal covers are the best fitting for this sort of thing?

 

[sheep herder]

Universal fit covers are never the best fitting.

 

[Weasel]

Universal fit covers are never the best fitting.

I have optimism!

Something will be close and require only some staples and duct tape to make it perfect. Aided by the many different colors of duct tape. (See also: duck tape, cuz water would roll off it like the back of a duck and that duct tape really doesn't work the best for ducts or ducks)

 

[ericbphoto]

Optimism works much better than Universal seat covers.