I bet there's no chance to get people to stop calling Rangers by "Generation" is there...

[scotts90ranger]

Too many opinions on this but calling them by generation is pointless as people will be looking for oddball things which never helps by using "generation". Some people want to call '83-92 first gen but go and order a fender or hood and have year ranges, need a dash or wiring help? Even dumber in year range since some early wiring was kept through '89 but other parts of it were changed for '89 then again in '90, instrument cluster pinout changed in mid '92

I still call my '90 second gen at times but I know most of the dumb that happened around then, for the most part I'll just refer to the year range... Everyone on the book of faces seems to go toward the wiki version of generation but myself I'm just trying to wean myself off of using that term for these random assemblies of ranger related pieces

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

 

[pentode]

I think this is why most dealership parts counters won't even talk to you anymore without a VIN... which I find highly annoying in itself. In town here Ford will ask and then grumble if you refuse to give it but they'll still make a half hearted effort. Hyundai has turned me away twice because I didn't have a VIN with me and they refused to even look up a part.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think this is why most dealership parts counters won't even talk to you anymore without a VIN... which I find highly annoying in itself. In town here Ford will ask and then grumble if you refuse to give it but they'll still make a half hearted effort. Hyundai has turned me away twice because I didn't have a VIN with me and they refused to even look up a part.

It is EXTREMELY easy to get burned freestyling ordering parts without a VIN.

Most walk in's don't even really know what they are looking for which does nothing to make it any more pleasant to do.

A busy dealer could easily look at it is as a waste of time at best. I would do it to test the waters for availability, if some plausible options were available I would suggest they either get a VIN or a part number so I can double check and make sure it is the right one.

Regular customer's have their VIN's saved in the system...

 

[RobbieD]

Too many opinions on this but calling them by generation is pointless

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

Why don't you all f-fade away? (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try dig what we all s-s-say (talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation (talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation (talkin' 'bout my generation)

I actually feel your pain; there's a lot overlap of this or that, middle of model year detail changes, cousins marrying cousins, and other weird stuff going on with the Ranger.

I try to just stick with the model year where I can, but there are still some things in conversation that are better addressed as "generation".

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I try to just stick with the model year where I can, but there are still some things in conversation that are better addressed as "generation".

Even model year can vary.

For example an early '85 2.8 has the thermostat in the lower rad hose, later has it in the intake. Different housings, different hoses, different gaskets, different t-stats.

That is why dealers want to use the VIN, they can't just send the wrong parts back to their PDC like O'Reilly's can. They are stuck with them until some other sucker comes in looking for the misordered part. With something over 10-15 years old... there is a good chance that will never happen.

Then a company policy gets put in place you can't order anything with a VIN...

 

[Shran]

It’s better than “OBS”… now the Facebook experts call everything older than the current body style of any make OBS. Nobody knows what anyone else is talking about.

 

[RobbieD]

Even model year can vary.

For example an early '85 2.8 has the thermostat in the lower rad hose, later has it in the intake. Different housings, different hoses, different gaskets, different t-stats.

That is why dealers want to use the VIN, they can't just send the wrong parts back to their PDC like O'Reilly's can. They are stuck with them until some other sucker comes in looking for the misordered part. With something over 10-15 years old... there is a good chance that will never happen.

Then a company policy gets put in place you can't order anything with a VIN...

Sure sounds like cousins marrying cousins to me.