1st Gen. Ranger “Explorer”

[bilbo]

I saw a first gen Ranger in a parking lot yesterday that had some body striping and “Explorer” stickers. I thought I remembered this being an options package for full size Ford trucks. It had horn cleats along the sides of the bed, the stickers, and an overdrive badge on the tailgate. Looked to be 4wd. No idea what year. I couldn’t find much info on them except for an article from Murilee Martin. Was this a factory package? I wish I would have got a photo.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I know they made an F-100 explorer. When I was a kid at deer camp... a guy we hunted with had one. Looked just like this... without the bug deflector.

 

[19Walt93]

The oldest Ranger I've seen was a 58 Edsel, I've seen F series Rangers and Explorers but never an Explorer badged Ranger pickup. I saw a Ranger once with an early Explorer nose on it that looked pretty cool.

 

[RobbieD]

I think that this was actually a factory package, based on it looking to have been mentioned in Ford's "1984 Truck Facts Book". I don't have a copy of this book, but I did copy this image from an eBay listing for one:

Although it's only a partial page view, there's three levels, A B and C, of the "Explorer Package" for the Ranger 4X2.

The Truck Facts Book was used at the dealerships to educate the sales force. Notice under Package C it states " . . . for any Ranger Model." I just love some of the obscure funky stuff you find with the early Rangers.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Scroll all the way down and then scroll up to the first horizontal picture and then down one. The first vertical picture (page 24) and below details the Explorer packages in the 1985 dealer pocket guide.

First Gen Literature

Kind of an obscure thing to know what is even out there and I have been collecting it for awhile. Pretty interesting to browse thru, if anybody else has any post it up. If you have other generation start your own thread to keep it kind of organized and keep this post First Generation (1983...

www.therangerstation.com

 

[bilbo]

Interesting, the one I saw sat higher than my 4X2 so I just assumed it was 4X4. Maybe it just has a different suspension? That would be a fun book to page through.

Trim packages in general were way cooler back then. I can remember some of the odd GM ones. A friend's grandfather had a 'Beau James' pickup.

 

[bilbo]

From the link above, it looks like the package was available on 4X4 as well. Thanks for the info RobbieD and 85'.

 

[Shran]

Pretty uncommon. I found one in a junkyard a while back. I'm sure the Explorer box came off another truck, who knows if that was originally a 4x4 or not.

F series had the Explorer package in the 80's too.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Pretty uncommon. I found one in a junkyard a while back. I'm sure the Explorer box came off another truck, who knows if that was originally a 4x4 or not.

F series had the Explorer package in the 80's too.

Agreed, you are hardly ever see them. However it looks like if you deleted the "Explorer Two Tone" you could have any other two tone or tape stripe applied... so maybe they are out there but just don't have the stickers. See "Note 1"

 

[19Walt93]

Pretty uncommon. I found one in a junkyard a while back. I'm sure the Explorer box came off another truck, who knows if that was originally a 4x4 or not.

F series had the Explorer package in the 80's too.

That would be like gold here.