I never really hung with the "off-roading" crowd, but back in high school (mid 90's) I had a 83 Ranger, 2.0 carb, 4 speed manual. Most of my buddies had newer 4.3 S-10s or 4.0 Rangers, Nissans, Yota's. One guy had A Mitsubishi Truck ( D-Max ? ), anther had an Isuzu P'up. ONE other guy had a 1st gen like mine, but his was a diesel. They would always tell me that my truck was "not enough" and the diesel truck was even better because it was diesel. I knew it wasn't fast, but there I was, In my doo-doo brown 83, right there where everybody else was, out in the woods, doing doughnuts in fields, fish tailing on dirt roads, 2wd hill climbs. I did everything in that little truck that they were doing in their trucks. I got used to and tired of hearing " Dang man, How'd You here in THAT ". That truck is the reason I respect for the Ranger as the Iconic "little" truck it is.