My First Ford Ranger

[Josh B]

My First Ford Ranger

I was driving an 80 Chevy LUV. Someone at church said they had a friend who wanted a vehicle gone, i was like, "who cares", but eventually succumbed to going by there and checking it out. It was an 87 2wd

I can't remember when I first talked to them, before or after, but I wound up parking my Chevy Luv (with the wooden front bumper I'd given it), beside the road, after I'd cleaned the cables and found a greasy ground, and gotten it started. I was by that time well aware it had NO brakes, was all but rusted out underneath, but I wasn't that far from home, so I cranked it up and headed there, using only the motor and gears to increase or slow my speeds as I drove it on home.
It was from Wisconsin, had considerable salt damage to the frame, but, it was free!
The young man who gave it to me was a physics student at Vanderbilt University there in Nashville, a fine young man with a wife and baby, who promised to get me the clear title.
I spent the next two months with it up on jackstands, chipping away at the rust underneath in what time I could give it, while doing my usual work as a commercial carpenter (I especially liked the larger projects there in the city).
I was on a historic renovation project then that was on the farrrr side of town and my Chevy LUV gave up the ghost, I was stranded, with a broke down worn out Chevy and a Ranger up on stilts. Got to chippin and twisting bolts, and whatever else I could do to get it going.
I had found a brake line which had been cut, and had a rubber hose as a patch, and had concluded that young man had unknowingly preformed this repair, unaware that it could not work. I also came to believe he had gotten into a bad situation, possibly with his wife and baby onboard, and barely avoided a crash, which left him only wanting the truck gone. He had my sincerest sentiments with this.

I got new shocks on it and back on the road within a week, back to the job, then on to another, a large pool and spa store showroom, and warehouse, back on my side of town.

It had a new motor before I got it, and almost by Christmas time I went by the fella's home, and he handed me a title. i got it tagged and insured and used it to go home that year for Xmas/New Years.

It did good on straightaways, in 4th gear, but it wouldn't do overdrive unless it was headed down the side of a mountain, which I did in Oklahoma, heading to Ft Smith to see some cousins, and I floored it down a mountainside(in front of a sheriff), but I guess he was trying to make it home or somewhere for New Years also, he passed me near top of the other side as the road there gave me a slow lane, and I realized who it had been.

I drove that truck the next 4 years, 87 XLT, manual 2WD 4 1/2 speed, across Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, and Georgia(far beyond Atlanta).

My father was getting weaker and I wanted to get back home, it was 2006 by then, and I got to scrimping and saving and looking for another truck. It didn't have many requirements, other than being a Ford, preferably one on the lighter side. The daily newspaper there listed vehicles in a fairly simple way, Chevys, Fords, cars, trucks etc. I only looked at the Ford trucks for Ranger and F150.

After looking at a couple 93/94 Rangers(in my price range) which had tailpipes full of soot, one morning I got up early, drove downtown and got a paper almost as it came off the press, and saw a new ad, 93 Ranger (my price range) headed home and called them up. She said, "I just got home from work, my husband just left for his, and I'm tired. I persisted in asking to see it, so by 8am I was looking at it, she went back inside(an extremely fine home), and first thing I did was look underneath (for oil, wrecking yard yellow numbers on the parts etc) but all I noticed was a transfer case and a front differential. "we didn't list it as a 4WD as the 4WD isn't working".

Well, I'll save that for the "my Second Ranger" thread

 

[Dirtman]

 

[Josh B]

Dang, Dirtman, that looked like my first computer!

 

[rusty ol ranger]

My First Ford Ranger

I was driving an 80 Chevy LUV. Someone at church said they had a friend who wanted a vehicle gone, i was like, "who cares", but eventually succumbed to going by there and checking it out. It was an 87 2wd

I can't remember when I first talked to them, before or after, but I wound up parking my Chevy Luv (with the wooden front bumper I'd given it), beside the road, after I'd cleaned the cables and found a greasy ground, and gotten it started. I was by that time well aware it had NO brakes, was all but rusted out underneath, but I wasn't that far from home, so I cranked it up and headed there, using only the motor and gears to increase or slow my speeds as I drove it on home.
It was from Wisconsin, had considerable salt damage to the frame, but, it was free!
The young man who gave it to me was a physics student at Vanderbilt University there in Nashville, a fine young man with a wife and baby, who promised to get me the clear title.
I spent the next two months with it up on jackstands, chipping away at the rust underneath in what time I could give it, while doing my usual work as a commercial carpenter (I especially liked the larger projects there in the city).
I was on a historic renovation project then that was on the farrrr side of town and my Chevy LUV gave up the ghost, I was stranded, with a broke down worn out Chevy and a Ranger up on stilts. Got to chippin and twisting bolts, and whatever else I could do to get it going.
I had found a brake line which had been cut, and had a rubber hose as a patch, and had concluded that young man had unknowingly preformed this repair, unaware that it could not work. I also came to believe he had gotten into a bad situation, possibly with his wife and baby onboard, and barely avoided a crash, which left him only wanting the truck gone. He had my sincerest sentiments with this.

I got new shocks on it and back on the road within a week, back to the job, then on to another, a large pool and spa store showroom, and warehouse, back on my side of town.

It had a new motor before I got it, and almost by Christmas time I went by the fella's home, and he handed me a title. i got it tagged and insured and used it to go home that year for Xmas/New Years.

It did good on straightaways, in 4th gear, but it wouldn't do overdrive unless it was headed down the side of a mountain, which I did in Oklahoma, heading to Ft Smith to see some cousins, and I floored it down a mountainside(in front of a sheriff), but I guess he was trying to make it home or somewhere for New Years also, he passed me near top of the other side as the road there gave me a slow lane, and I realized who it had been.

I drove that truck the next 4 years, 87 XLT, manual 2WD 4 1/2 speed, across Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, and Georgia(far beyond Atlanta).

My father was getting weaker and I wanted to get back home, it was 2006 by then, and I got to scrimping and saving and looking for another truck. It didn't have many requirements, other than being a Ford, preferably one on the lighter side. The daily newspaper there listed vehicles in a fairly simple way, Chevys, Fords, cars, trucks etc. I only looked at the Ford trucks for Ranger and F150.

After looking at a couple 93/94 Rangers(in my price range) which had tailpipes full of soot, one morning I got up early, drove downtown and got a paper almost as it came off the press, and saw a new ad, 93 Ranger (my price range) headed home and called them up. She said, "I just got home from work, my husband just left for his, and I'm tired. I persisted in asking to see it, so by 8am I was looking at it, she went back inside(an extremely fine home), and first thing I did was look underneath (for oil, wrecking yard yellow numbers on the parts etc) but all I noticed was a transfer case and a front differential. "we didn't list it as a 4WD as the 4WD isn't working".

Well, I'll save that for the "my Second Ranger" thread

I had s 78 LUV before i bought my first ranger. I had no choice as i had all my stuff in it moving from TN to MI and the LUV only made it to about dayton before it sent a rod thru the oil pan lol.

 

[ericbphoto]

I was driving an 80 Chevy LUV.

You poor soul. Poor, poor soul.


I got lost somewhere in the rest of all that. But since you now have one or more Rangers...

Congratulations!!!!!

 

[Grumpaw]

Don't knock the old Luv Pickup's...they were made by Isuzu back then, and didn't have a GM part in em. They were just as good as the Toyo's and Nissans of the day.
Even Honda thought enough of Isuzu to base their Passport on an Isuzu Rodeo.
Back in the 90's I had an Isuzu Pup, and it was a good little pick up. Ran the snockers out of it, and it never let me down.
Now, when GM took Isuzu over, that was a different story with the S-10/Isuzu clone.
Grumpaw

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I wasnt very impressed with my LUV.

 

[Grumpaw]

You had an early Luv/Isuzu, and just like the early Toyo's and Datsun's, they had their problems. But they had no USA competition until the early 80's with the Ranger and S-10. Then they got their act together.
I had a 1990 Isuzu Pup that I bought used, and used it as a run around/daily driver for awhile. Now, I've had just about every brand/make of trucks and cars over the years, including a S-10, 87 Ranger, 99 Ranger, 94 Toyo pick up.
I would put that Isuzu up against any of them. Better build quality than the Chevy and early Ford ranger, and every bit as good as Toyo and Nissan.
The mid to late 70's and early 80's wasn't a good time for just about anything that was produced, and the imports were just making an inroad to the US market in large ###.
They learned their lesson, as, for many years, outsold US makers in certain categories.
Remember, in that era, when you bought a new vehicle it came with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty...that was it. In the 70's you bought a new vehicle and had a 50%-50% chance of making it home on the first day.
Cars in the 60's had an even worse reputation. Looked great...they looked really good sitting in the repair shop!!!
Grumpaw

 

[rusty ol ranger]

You had an early Luv/Isuzu, and just like the early Toyo's and Datsun's, they had their problems. But they had no USA competition until the early 80's with the Ranger and S-10. Then they got their act together.
I had a 1990 Isuzu Pup that I bought used, and used it as a run around/daily driver for awhile. Now, I've had just about every brand/make of trucks and cars over the years, including a S-10, 87 Ranger, 99 Ranger, 94 Toyo pick up.
I would put that Isuzu up against any of them. Better build quality than the Chevy and early Ford ranger, and every bit as good as Toyo and Nissan.
The mid to late 70's and early 80's wasn't a good time for just about anything that was produced, and the imports were just making an inroad to the US market in large ###.
They learned their lesson, as, for many years, outsold US makers in certain categories.
Remember, in that era, when you bought a new vehicle it came with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty...that was it. In the 70's you bought a new vehicle and had a 50%-50% chance of making it home on the first day.
Cars in the 60's had an even worse reputation. Looked great...they looked really good sitting in the repair shop!!!
Grumpaw

This is just my experence but...

Ive owned many, many 70s fords. None of them ever gave me any serious trouble. Out of the 80s fords ive had theyve been either great or a pain, and anything newer then that has usually given me nothing but issues.

Just my findings, not looking to argue. Lol

 

[Grumpaw]

No argument at all rusty. A lot was dependant, for a used vehicle purchase, on how it was taken care of. Also, back then, when we purchased a new vehicle (60' 70's ) we almost accepted the fact that there might be problems. Cars/trucks back then were literally slapped together, and much much more "hands on" were used to assemble them. No computer operated machines to guarantee close tolerances. The vehicles today as far as build quality are light years ahead of anything back then.
We had a fond saying...
Fords had lousey engines/trans, but the body was great.
Chevy's had great engines/trans, but would rust while you watched.
Dodge's would just shake and fall apart...you could always tell where a Dodge had been because it marked it's passage.
To this day I will never berate anyone's choice of a vehicle (xcept a Yugo) because I've owned just about anything from all the major makers, and some off the wall stuff that some of you all probably never heard of.
Loved everyone of them for some reason or another (xcept a Renault Dauphine...can't remember why I bought that one)
Grumpaw

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Sometimes i think though those looser tolerances and slapped togtherness is what made them so great though.

The further out of tolerance it starts the longer before its worn out and unuseable. If that makes sense.

All i know is if i had to pick one vehicle to own the rest of my life itd be a ford from the 70s.

 

[Grumpaw]

Naaaaah, 1963 Ford Galaxie XL Fastback roof line with a factory 427 side oiler, 4 speed,.
1962 Chevy Impala Bubble Top with a dual quad 409, 4 speed.
1972 Olds Delta 88 Hardtop with the 455 cu in engine. Had one, high test gas, and 8-10 mpg.
Oh boy, we could go on and on!!!
Grumpaw

 

[rusty ol ranger]

69 Charger R/T if we are going fantasy.

440/4sp, i regret selling mine.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

To this day I will never berate anyone's choice of a vehicle (xcept a Yugo) because I've owned just about anything from all the major makers, and some off the wall stuff that some of you all probably never heard of.
Loved everyone of them for some reason or another (xcept a Renault Dauphine...can't remember why I bought that one)
Grumpaw

In all of my vehicles, I've only had one weird one. My ex wife had a 1988 Subaru Justy when we met. That thing was gutless, and parts were nigh on impossible to find.

I've had a few vehicles:
1976 Toyota Corolla (first car) (1994 - 1997)
1979 Toyota Corolla (1997 - 1999)
1985 Ford Ranger (the truck that brought me here in 2003) (1999 - 2003)
1988 Subaru Justy (owned at the same time as the Ranger) (2003)
1989 Mercury Topaz (2003 - 2005)
1991 Mercury Sable (2005 - 2007
2004 Chevrolet Aveo (2007 - 2008)
2004 Ford Focus (2008 - 2009)
2003 Pontiac Sunfire (2008 - 2010) (wife's, until she totaled my Focus)
1991 Ford Ranger (2009 - 2013)
1998 Mercury Sable (2009 - 2010)
1990 Ford Taurus Wagon (2011 - 2015) (wife's)
2010 Honda Fit (2010 - 2016)
1992 Dodge Grand Caravan (2010 - 2011) (wife's)

** Edited to add these two:

1990 Ford Ranger (2016-2019) (the truck that brought me back)
1995 Ford Taurus (2019 - Current vehicle)

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I figure I'd better get this post back on topic. My first Ranger was purchased in 1997 by my Grandfather. He bought it to keep the miles off his 1990 Oldsmobile, but decided that he preferred driving the Olds. He drove the Ranger rarely, so when my 1979 Corolla became unsafe to drive, I asked him if I could "borrow" the Ranger until I could fix the Corolla. He ended up giving to me, so I got rid of the Corolla. I couldn't have it in my name, so before I got caught with it I signed it back over to him. I drove it on his plates until just after my wedding, when he gave it back to me as a wedding gift.

I had a love/hate relationship with that truck. I loved it when it was in good running order. I hated it when stuff broke down (and it did). I finally traded it in 2003 for the Topaz. It had had an issue for over a year that I never did figure out, and I needed a reliable vehicle. I wish I could have kept that truck......