Detroit-area Junkyard Rangers - extremely pic-heavy

[rumblecloud]

Hey Kishy...

Sorry to hear about your experiences with US Auto. I've only been to the one in Sterling Heights. They always check my tool box in and out and I've never had an issue - they've questioned me on a couple of things, but overall no big issues.

 

[901wd#2]

I have posted about it before, thought it was funny. It was a neat kit painted red with cutout Bronco II script in the ext radius arms, I just laughed cause I had no interest in grabbing it. wasn’t a money thing. More of a I don’t feel like laying on the ground for two hours to sell it for twice what I paid that still wouldn’t have been a lot. 20 years previously I would’ve happily laid in the mud and snow armed with just wrenches to get it.

Then again, in 2006 I bought a used James duff front kit, drop brackets springs and shocks for 100 bucks. In
2010ish I sold it for 100 bucks to a member here.

Priorities, they change.

You guys ever run across lift kits on any of these Rangers?

 

[kishy]

Popping in for my infrequent junkyard update.

Since the last update here, I made the following visits to junkyards, without taking pics of any Rangers (all clickable links):

2025-11-02, Taylor Auto Salvage

2025-11-22, Parts Galore

2025-12-06, U-Pull & Save

2026-01-10, Parts Galore

2026-03-07, Parts Galore

2026-03-22, U-Pull & Save

2026-04-06, Taylor Auto Salvage

2026-04-12, Ryan's Pick-a-Part

2026-05-31, Taylor Auto Salvage

2026-06-07, Ryan's Pick-a-Part



And here are a couple with Ranger content:

2026-01-24, U-Pull & Save
Went to check out a cap on a newer Ranger for use on my '89. Liked it, bought it.

Then realized it really doesn't fit the pre-93 bed very well.

Subsequently sold it (roughly broke even) and instead bought...

2026-02-14 and 2026-02-21 at Parts Galore

2026-04-12, Taylor Auto Salvage
Found this:

2026-04-27, Bud's Auto Parts (Gowen, MI)
This was a genuinely incredible experience. Bud's is an old-school type of "cars stacked in a field" junkyard, and there are decades worth of cars there. If you're into this sort of thing I recommend scrolling through.
Not a huge amount of Ranger/BII content but definitely some:

2026-06-13, Taylor Auto Salvage
This is current; this truck is still there. 87 2.9 auto w/4x4.
Also a nasty Explorer.

And just for reference, this is how far deep I am into box Panthers...this was my haul from a derby car partout 2 hours away in May.

 

[kishy]

June 24: Not a Ranger: went to part out another derby car. 91 Grand Marquis this time. I've been trying to get my hands on a pair of clean bumpers for my own 91 Grand Marquis for literally a decade - they do not turn up often without significant defects. Either rust on the steel version, or major gouges or powdery aluminum corrosion on the aluminum version.

Ended up with a massive haul. I rented a Home Depot van to facilitate this.

June 29: I had become aware of both an 83 Crown Vic and an 88 Grand Marquis at US Auto in Sterling Heights, and I was told the 88 appeared to have good bumpers (88-91 sharing the same design). Already having a good pair, but unwilling to pass up having more, I went and checked it out.

I did not notice at the time that there was a moderately interesting 84 Ranger in the yard. However,

July 1: I received a couple requests from friends to grab a couple things at US Auto, so I went back. Despite insane heat, I got the things I went back for, and also took a quick look at the Ranger. Appears to have been extensively modified, might have been fast at one point (or was aiming to be). I'd be surprised if the truck doesn't have some sort of history that is known to at least someone on this site.

 

[Lefty]

Times are changing. Older Rangers, gen I and II, were once a common sight here in Saint Paul. There's fewer in our junkyards, too.

 

[kishy]

Updates:

July 11 I visited a friend who had some stuff hanging around his tow yard. Got some parts for the cars. No Rangers. Pics here.

Later the same day, I went to Parts Galore as they got a couple of my cars. No Rangers. Some interesting stuff for sale whole. Pics here.

July 24, I went to three yards.
US Auto for some Panther parts. No Rangers. Pics here.
Parts Galore for some Panther parts. No Rangers. Pics here.
Ryan's Pick-a-Part to help a friend with some Mustang II stuff - but, there is also a Bronco II in the yard. Pics here, but here's the BII:

 

[kishy]

I realized that I had missed a 92 Ranger in the yard at US Auto. Since I went back yesterday for more pieces from the blue Crown Vic, I snapped some pics of the Ranger.