Is my truck rare?

[elbringit]

Hey guys I picked up an 88 ranger for 700 bucks a few days ago. It has dual tanks but only the rear works :/ but on the plus side it is a 2.9 v6 with a 5 speed manual trans and an 8.8! Did these come with 8.8's? I thought they came with 7.5's? Ruby red interior black exterior spare in the bed super cab with the little fold out seats and shortbed. Just wondering if I am different!?

 

[Explorin94]

No. The 8.8 was probably added by a previous owner. The dual tanks are normal for the older trucks. They put the spares in the beds as the rear tank is where the tire should be. Your truck was pretty common back in the day.

 

[adsm08]

Well it wasn't THAT common. I agree that the 8.8 was probably added by a previous owner. Either that or it was originally a chassis cab truck that someone made into a full body.

The dual tank option wasn't that common. I think less than 10% of the Rangers got them. They were common on full size trucks though.

Check your door tag for an axle code. With that we can tell you what axle was under there from the factory.

 

[feellnfroggy]

For that matter throw the vin up, Im sure some online research will tell us all we need to know about everyaspect of it....maybe

 

[Shran]

Well it wasn't THAT common. I agree that the 8.8 was probably added by a previous owner. Either that or it was originally a chassis cab truck that someone made into a full body.

The dual tank option wasn't that common. I think less than 10% of the Rangers got them. They were common on full size trucks though.

Check your door tag for an axle code. With that we can tell you what axle was under there from the factory.

I really think that dual tanks on at least 83-86 trucks were very common, I've had three of them and I still seem them around a lot. Later years I almost never see.

Dual tanks in any truck IMO is THE worst option to have... older trucks ALWAYS have one neglected tank that is full of goo, the tank selector valves are crap and it's kind of a pain to add the tank delete option.

 

[Explorin94]

Well it wasn't THAT common. I agree that the 8.8 was probably added by a previous owner. Either that or it was originally a chassis cab truck that someone made into a full body.

The dual tank option wasn't that common. I think less than 10% of the Rangers got them. They were common on full size trucks though.

Check your door tag for an axle code. With that we can tell you what axle was under there from the factory.

Really...like Shran said they are everywhere. Including around where I live. So yeah they are THAT common!

The factory rear axle was a 7.5 as the 8'8 was only offered under a fullsize. M

 

[rebel167us]

I have an' 88' Super Cab XLT with Dual Tanks. I've only seen two others around with the same equipment as mine. Same color too. Light blue with Silver two tone on the bottom.

 

[AllanD]

Dual tanks are well LESS than 10%.

The reason you see them "everywhere" is because it is a HIGHLY desireable capability and people tend to preserve dual tank trucks or pillage them for parts to convert an existing truck to dual tanks.

Sorta like the effect of the Thunderbird turbocoupe. only about 1/6 of all thunderbirds made
were turbocoupes, but you'd never know that now... people maintain them and swap the body kit onto other (typically V8 cars) thunderbirds, who preserves a factory 3.8 T'bird?

1988 Supercab Rangers particularly those produced in Canada were highly likely to get "surplus" 8.8" axles, that were made for the "incomplete vehicle" (commonly refered to as "Chassis Cabs") line when that line was shut down.

Another large group of 2.9 trucks were manufactured with 8.8" axles near the end of the 1992 production run, when ford was trying to use up the narrower Gen1-Gen2 axles because the 1993-up trucks used a wider axle assembly and it made little sense to have warehouses of surplus axles.... even so early "narrow" ranger axle assemblies were being sold progressively cheaper for several years in the ford motorsport catalog.

AD

 

[koda6966]

I pulled an 8.8 from my brothers 88 before we junked it, oem axle.

Plus AllanD said they were on there, so we'll go with that.

 

[adsm08]

I really think that dual tanks on at least 83-86 trucks were very common, I've had three of them and I still seem them around a lot. Later years I almost never see.

I guess it's all about where you are. It's all but unheard of to see a twin tank Ranger around here. Then again if someone only took a cross section of Rangers from my area one might think that 2wd units are about as common as diesel Rangers. Down south they are all over the place.

it's kind of a pain to add the tank delete option.

No it's not. Cut the wires to the tank you want to delete and install the single tank fuel reservoir. I just did that on a customer's truck 3 weeks ago because the front tank had been removed and the anti-siphon valve in the selector was shot.

 

[shadow88]

I got a 92 parts truck with 8.8, according to the door sticker , but it has crappy hwy gears, don't want to give up my 3.73's yet

 

[GoGoggansGo]

i have an 93 4.0 with an original 8.8 3.55 gears, regular cab, short bed, raven black, pin strip delete, 5 speed, and I have the window sticker too =)
just let you guys know my father special ordered it back in 92 she was one of the first thousand 93 Rangers

 

[adsm08]

Really...like Shran said they are everywhere. Including around where I live. So yeah they are THAT common!

If they were THAT common the auxiliary tank would be available from some source other than custom manufacture.

Aftermarket parts manufacturers don't look at what is still out there, they look at what was originally made when they decided what parts to mass produce and warehouse.

 

[Explorin94]

If they were THAT common the auxiliary tank would be available from some source other than custom manufacture.

Aftermarket parts manufacturers don't look at what is still out there, they look at what was originally made when they decided what parts to mass produce and warehouse.

Why are you beating a dead horse from 2010?