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Ford Ranger and Broncos are mentioned


97RangerXLT

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1997
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
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Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2"
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31"


sgtsandman

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Pre-2008 lift/Stock
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31X10.5R15/265/65R17
QC and pride in workmanship has definitely taken a big hit and not just in new vehicles. It seems to be across the board with everything.
 

CamTheHedgehog

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From Charlotte, NC; Living in Lansing, IA
Vehicle Year
2003
Make / Model
Ranger Edge
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 SOHC
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Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
Torsion Bar Max Crank (Pre-2008)
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265/75/16
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Professional Dingus At Work
QC and pride in workmanship has definitely taken a big hit and not just in new vehicles. It seems to be across the board with everything.
People ask me why I am so insistent on driving a 21 year old pickup with 250k on the clock, heck they ask why I keep all my old stuff running.
This is the very reason why. Even the "luxury" stuff isn't built well anymore, not with pride and care at least. My ranger isn't perfect, but it is exponentially more simple and built with more care than almost any new vehicle. And it was affordable.
 

rusty ol ranger

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1987
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Ford
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2.9 V6
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177 CID
Transmission
Manual
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2WD
My credo
A legend to the old man, a hero to the child...
QC and pride in workmanship has definitely taken a big hit and not just in new vehicles. It seems to be across the board with everything.
You cant buy anything that isnt junk anymore.

Doesnt matter what it is. I was just thinking about this yesterday.

Back in 2014 i paid like 800 bucks for a new maytag washer. In 2019 i rebuilt it because the transmission was shot. Fast foward to last wed, the thing wouldnt agitate right. Crawled under it to find the clutch (or splutch or whatever it is) shot, the shift motor shot, and the trans leaking again.

I absolutly refuse to buy a new one on principal now. Wife was pissed but im not spending 1000 dollars for another 5 year washer when i can spend 200ish every 5 years and 3 or 4 hrs rebuilding this hunk of shit.

I bought a wireless phone charger from the truck stop just over a year ago. Because my cell phone would no longer charge on a cord (i feel they DONT WANT TO design robust charging ports), and now the plug in on the charger is shot. Every day i have to unplug it, bite then end of the cord slightly, and replug it in so it charges right. This was a 70 dollar charger.

I bought a pair of catapillar work boots (to replace my carhartt ones that lasted 1.5 years, 200 dollar boots), the cats were 100, got them in october, and they are ripping out already.

Its a friggin joke. I got stuff from the 70's and before that still work perfectly. I got a can opener from like 1974 that i still use. I got a sawzall from probably the early 80's, runs great. Could go on and on. Hell my 48 farmall cub fires up every time.

Then people sit and wonder why no one has spending money. It all goes to replacing shit that lasts 4-5 yrs when it should run 20.
 

rusty ol ranger

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2.9 V6
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177 CID
Transmission
Manual
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2WD
My credo
A legend to the old man, a hero to the child...
Oh and let me bitch for a minute about the biggest bane of my existience....my wifes friggin bissel carpet shampooer.

We got 2 small rooms with carpet and she runs it once a month, maybe. Every two uses like clockwork i have to pull the piece of shit apart to put belts on it. Geared belts that according to the annoying condescending old lady at the vacuum store "should never wear out"...well guess what they do.

Constantly.

The damn teeth get stripped off the belt because obviously they arent robust enough to handle what they need to handle. Like bolting an A4LD to a friggin 460.

Then its a royal bitch to get the brush shafts lined back up in their seats because of course you have to remove 1000 things you shouldnt have to to change the belt.

Would it cost THAT much more to design a better drive system? A chain maybe? A driveshaft/diff gear type setup? Of course that im sure would be made of the cheapest plastic the dirt floored sweatshop in china could come up with.

Sorry to rant...but being a massive cheapass when it comes to utilitarian household items (and alot of other things) this whole idea of paying out the dick for absolute garbage that is basically impossible to repair (assuming you can find the damn parts) can go straight to hell.

...and dont tell me why they do it. I know why they do it. To sell more shit. But you know, back 30-40 years ago companies stayed in business just fine building quality, repairable products.

But of course i also blame society, because people would rather toss out shit that is "outdated" (but works) so they can buy modern garbage for the cheapest price possible just because it has a wifi connection and can tell you that your clothes are dry or WTF ever.

It can all go to hell. Piss on it,
 

RobbieD

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Ford
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2WD
My credo
Toonces drives a Ranger . . . . just not very well.
Old-time companies with good products and a good name get bought out by "investors".

Maximum profit becomes the name of the game.

Stockholders become the The Customer, and the people that trust and buy the cheapened products become nothing but a herd of cows . . . to be milked and then sent to financial slaughter.


I too, keep old shit and rebuild it when needed.

Parts have gone the same way- these days if it's not NOS, it's usually junk.
 

rusty ol ranger

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177 CID
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Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
A legend to the old man, a hero to the child...
Old-time companies with good products and a good name get bought out by "investors".

Maximum profit becomes the name of the game.

Stockholders become the The Customer, and the people that trust and buy the cheapened products become nothing but a herd of cows . . . to be milked and then sent to financial slaughter.


I too, keep old shit and rebuild it when needed.

Parts have gone the same way- these days if it's not NOS, it's usually junk.
Tell me about it.

My old yazoo mower from the late 70s/early 80's with a K582 kohler needed a fuel pump. I bought a repopped cheapo thinking even china cant mess up a mechanical fuel pump.

I was wrong.

Ended up spending 150 or so dollars on a kohler one.
 

RobbieD

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2WD
My credo
Toonces drives a Ranger . . . . just not very well.
Tell me about it.

My old yazoo mower from the late 70s/early 80's with a K582 kohler needed a fuel pump. I bought a repopped cheapo thinking even china cant mess up a mechanical fuel pump.

I was wrong.

Ended up spending 150 or so dollars on a kohler one.
The Snapper rider I use, I bought new in 1992. I've gotten my money's worth out of it, and hate the thought of replacing it only when I absolutely have to.
 

rusty ol ranger

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1987
Make / Model
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Engine Type
2.9 V6
Engine Size
177 CID
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
A legend to the old man, a hero to the child...
The Snapper rider I use, I bought new in 1992. I've gotten my money's worth out of it, and hate the thought of replacing it only when I absolutely have to.
I bought this yazoo for 500 bucks. Pry have another 500ish into it. So 1k total.

Its the most bruteish lawn mower i have ever used. Not only does it do great mowing a rough 5 acres, but it also functions as a fairly decent brushhog.

Ive literally mowed grass so thick with it that the front tires lost traction and i couldnt move forward. That big ol kohler barely bumped the governor.

The deck spindles are 3/4inch steel rods riding in big hefty replaceable roller bearings. The deck itself is built out of some stupid thick shit and weighs like 400lbs (60inch) just by itself. The actual mower weighs like 700lbs.

Compare that to the modern cub cadet zero turn i had (that was junk) with a 54 fab deck and a 24hp kohler that weighed in at like 400.

Id put that old yazoo up against anything modern in its class for durability and performance. Its probably a bit slower then a modern unit...but the fact it just chews up anything in front of it with zero regard to how thick, wet, tall, whatever it is, more then makes up for it.
 

Uncle Gump

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Location
Ottawa IL
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2006/1986
Make / Model
Ranger/BroncoII
Engine Size
4.0L SOHC/2.9L
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4WD
My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way

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