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Lefty
Well-Known Member
I remember when the Splash was first introduced. The bed was unique, a nostalgic look backward at old those old step sides from the 30s. 40s, 50s, and 60s. The old Ford Roadster coupes had long since disappeared from this great nation's best junkyards. Guys were even trying to resurrect grease spots in their grand daddies' barns. Shade tree mechanics and weekend warriors wanted project cars, but had no choice. They turned to trucks. Regular cab step sides were the next best thing.
And why not? A regular cab was a little like the old coupes. Those bodies were small and light. The rear axles were plenty strong, strong enough to handle a V8. They were often geared like mountain goats, great for jack rabbit starts and burnouts, too. They were easily lowered for better handling. And most important of all, parts were abundant and cheap. All that was required was a few thousand hours of elbow grease. Vintage step sides became cool, very cool.
The designers at GM chimed right in and built a little lowered short box, and souped it up, way up: 280 HP and a 0-60 time that beat a Ferrari roadster in 1991. It was a wonderful idea, but it never really caught on, maybe because that engine was just a little too much.
Maybe this was what got Ford to thinking. They took a different tact. Why not just make a truck that looked retro? It certainly worked for the Mustang. And, lo and behold, through the miracle of time, they came out with the Splash in 1993.
The Splash was not a true street rod. It offered the same three engines as the standard Ranger: a 2.3 liter 4 cylinder paired with a manual, the 3.0 Vulcan V6 or the 4.0 Cologne V6 both with the 4-speed automatic. When optioned with the 4.0, the Splash came with power-bolstered sport bucket seats and was rated at 160 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. This resulted in the Ranger Splash doing a sub 9 second 0-60 time and close to 6000 lbs of towing and 1,250 lbs of payload.
The flareside really was what made it cool, an homage to all those Ford's F-100 trucks from the past. The idea caught on quick.
A bright yellow version soon appeared on Bay Watch and, never mind Pam Anderson, teenage boys soon fell in love.
The Ford boys hit the nail right on the head. The Splash simply morphed into a flareside and remained a favorite until 2009.
Still I can't help but wonder what that sweet little sports truck could have been if they had built one with a V8. Maybe too, they could have scrapped those 60/40 bench seats and offered leather buckets, maybe too a moon roof, or something that appealed to the fairer sex.
And why not? A regular cab was a little like the old coupes. Those bodies were small and light. The rear axles were plenty strong, strong enough to handle a V8. They were often geared like mountain goats, great for jack rabbit starts and burnouts, too. They were easily lowered for better handling. And most important of all, parts were abundant and cheap. All that was required was a few thousand hours of elbow grease. Vintage step sides became cool, very cool.
The designers at GM chimed right in and built a little lowered short box, and souped it up, way up: 280 HP and a 0-60 time that beat a Ferrari roadster in 1991. It was a wonderful idea, but it never really caught on, maybe because that engine was just a little too much.
Maybe this was what got Ford to thinking. They took a different tact. Why not just make a truck that looked retro? It certainly worked for the Mustang. And, lo and behold, through the miracle of time, they came out with the Splash in 1993.
The Splash was not a true street rod. It offered the same three engines as the standard Ranger: a 2.3 liter 4 cylinder paired with a manual, the 3.0 Vulcan V6 or the 4.0 Cologne V6 both with the 4-speed automatic. When optioned with the 4.0, the Splash came with power-bolstered sport bucket seats and was rated at 160 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. This resulted in the Ranger Splash doing a sub 9 second 0-60 time and close to 6000 lbs of towing and 1,250 lbs of payload.
The flareside really was what made it cool, an homage to all those Ford's F-100 trucks from the past. The idea caught on quick.
A bright yellow version soon appeared on Bay Watch and, never mind Pam Anderson, teenage boys soon fell in love.
The Ford boys hit the nail right on the head. The Splash simply morphed into a flareside and remained a favorite until 2009.
Still I can't help but wonder what that sweet little sports truck could have been if they had built one with a V8. Maybe too, they could have scrapped those 60/40 bench seats and offered leather buckets, maybe too a moon roof, or something that appealed to the fairer sex.
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