I had an 89 F150 with a 300 and a Borg Warner T18 creeper gear 4 speed for 10 years and liked the truck but I wouldn't use a 300 for my Ranger. It had 3.08 gears and I could drive through town at 800 rpms and it would willingly accelerate with a tough of the throttle. 3.08's worked better that you'd think, I could use creeper low to take off on steep hills and cruise somewhat comfortably on the highway- at 62 mph. If I ignored the speedo and tach and just ran the engine at the rpm where it sounded happy I'd look down and see 62 mph. It wouldn't have been ideal for long trips. If you want low end torque and don't care about high rpms, a 300 is a good choice that doesn't stink or thrash like a diesel. A 302 with an RV cam would be a good choice, too and fit easier.