My 87 Ranger I will be restoring soon I want to keep track of my progress and add information as I find it.

[Terrys87]

I have been riding. I did get a dog carrier for Ms Molly.

My son bought this 14 Limited. It was not selling due to the color of it so he got a pretty good deal on it. They thru
a discounted paint job on it.

Here is what it looks like now it has the 2024 Whiskey Fire color on it. They did a great job. We wil be doing a few things
to it this winter as well.

 

[Terrys87]

I have not gone away and am looking forward to getting back on the Ranger. I plan on getting it painted soon. I still need to oreder carpet. I have a new head liner for it and once I get the carpet and head liner in I feel the interior is pretty much done. I will add a stereo system.

 

[Terrys87]

I posted an aftermarket fender I bought. It is actually well built but just has fit ment issues. I got one out of the boneyard.

As I understand it. These are the early style Bezels. I grabbed them as parts won’t be available forever. I don’t need them but might be able to help someone in the future.

 

[Terrys87]

I also got a set of stock rims. I have several hours polishing them. Not really happy with results. We have powder coating company near by and will check into cost of having that done.

 

[jballard81]

I also got a set of stock rims. I have several hours polishing them. Not really happy with results. We have powder coating company near by and will check into cost of having that done.View attachment 119772

That many nooks and crannies would make polishing those pretty miserable! Glad to see you working on your Ranger again!

 

[RayInStl]

View attachment 119769
I posted an aftermarket fender I bought. It is actually well built but just has fit ment issues. I got one out of the boneyard.
View attachment 119770
As I understand it. These are the early style Bezels. I grabbed them as parts won’t be available forever. I don’t need them but might be able to help someone in the future.

My 83 has a solid tan colored bezel like the bottom one in your pictures. I wondered if they came that way or if the previous owner painted it. Yours makes me think it was a factory color. Cool.

 

[Terrys87]

Hello jballard 81. I am getting parts and tools around. Planning on getting some small things done this weekend. I want to get this truck completed this winter.

Hello RayInStl.. I am not familiar with the early trucks. I think it is factory color. I did find a couple of other early models in the yard the other day. I was told they are hard to find.

 

[Terrys87]

I did make it to the boneyard the other day. Got 2 chrome bezels in better shape than what I have. I got another early model bezel. My ashtray is broken so got another. I am missing door trims. I was able to one out. I will get the other when I go back in a week or so.

I got a map light. I am guessing this was an option in the older models. Grabbed it as I figure it is hard to find.

I’m not out to make any money off of these parts but if somebody needs any of these, just pay cost and shipping. They have about 8 trucks so can get small parts if anybody is looking for hard to find parts.

 

[Terrys87]

I am going to Payless salvage in Purdy Missouri. They have several older cars and trucks to choose from. They have two perfect step side beds for the next generation of trucks. They charge $300 per bed.

It will be a couple of weeks but they have a bed that I want to get. It has a dent on the lower side but is rust free.

RayInStl..I know it is a drive for you but they do have some early model rangers and broncos there I am sure they will have some things you will need. I am slowly trying to get several parts for my 88 Extended cab Ranger and my 88 Bronco2. I have driven to St.Louis for parts on previous projects I worked on in the past.

 

[JoshT]

View attachment 119769
I posted an aftermarket fender I bought. It is actually well built but just has fit ment issues. I got one out of the boneyard.
View attachment 119770
As I understand it. These are the early style Bezels. I grabbed them as parts won’t be available forever. I don’t need them but might be able to help someone in the future.

Original sheetmetal is almost alwaysd the best, but isn't always worth the time and effort to track down good examples.

Top bezel could be 85, hard to tell from that picture. 85 was one years only having the 4 indicators and the DIN radio cutout.

Bottom bezel is a cut out 83-84, and looks like it has been painted.

My 83 has a solid tan colored bezel like the bottom one in your pictures. I wondered if they came that way or if the previous owner painted it. Yours makes me think it was a factory color. Cool.

Not going to say that ttan didn't exist, but every first gen ranger bezel I've seen came from the factory with either a brushed metal (silver) or a wood grain finished. Seemed like 83 had several one year only things, so that may have been one of them.

View attachment 120123
I did make it to the boneyard the other day. Got 2 chrome bezels in better shape than what I have. I got another early model bezel. My ashtray is broken so got another. I am missing door trims. I was able to one out. I will get the other when I go back in a week or so.

I got a map light. I am guessing this was an option in the older models. Grabbed it as I figure it is hard to find.

I’m not out to make any money off of these parts but if somebody needs any of these, just pay cost and shipping. They have about 8 trucks so can get small parts if anybody is looking for hard to find parts.

Bezels... Top two are 86-88. Bottom is 85 only, it'll fit 83-85 but only came in 85.

Does that map light have 4x4 buttons and/or indicators? If so that was definitely a good find. Decent map lights are hard to find regardless, but the 4x4 ones seem even harder. If not 4x4 what is in the information display?

I am going to Payless salvage in Purdy Missouri. They have several older cars and trucks to choose from. They have two perfect step side beds for the next generation of trucks. They charge $300 per bed.

It will be a couple of weeks but they have a bed that I want to get. It has a dent on the lower side but is rust free.

RayInStl..I know it is a drive for you but they do have some early model rangers and broncos there I am sure they will have some things you will need. I am slowly trying to get several parts for my 88 Extended cab Ranger and my 88 Bronco2. I have driven to St.Louis for parts on previous projects I worked on in the past.

Seems like ytou enjoy picking the salvage yards, so I've got a request and it'll be a long shot. Some early Rangers had a flat fuel door, no finger bump. From what I can gather it was an 83-84 only thing, and not even all of them got it. Might have been an individual assembly plant thing? Anyway I'd like to get my hands on a few of those fuel doors if you happen across them.

 

[Terrys87]

Hello Josh T … It has Date,Time and ETime. I think this did come out if a two wheel drive.
I plan getting my own fender on tomorrow if all works out right. Thanks for information on the different bezels. I only noticed them as a guy mentioned to me the 4-5 lights are for early trucks and can be hard to find.

Ray or Jballard. I guess I found the hens tooth. I’m on my phone and not showing who was looking for it. It came off of a Bronco2. I don’t see why it would not fit. It is a flat door and does not have the finger bump like the newer model does. PM me your address and I will get it in the mail. It is in great shape. Paint is just really faded bad.

 

[Terrys87]

Grr…. While I was at the yard, I took pictures of about 7 different 2nd gen beds. Step side to normal style beds. I had to get a new phone and it takes pictures to large to upload if I don’t put it on .5 setting. They only have one good 1st gen bed I hope to get next week.

Wife had a blue blazer when she was young. I went for some trim pieces and other customers just rip dashes out of trucks. Luckily I can order pieces on eBay and elsewhere. It is a minor project and is in great shape. I prefer Fords but this body style I like. I will say Chevy used cheap plastic inside of these trucks and built cheap.

 

[JoshT]

Not the 4wd map light, but that would be a good fit for someone with a 2wd or without the manual shift transfer case that wanted it. Either way, don't often find them in that good of shape. I was just giving the bezel years as an FYI for you or anyone that may be curious about the differences.


Am I the hens tooth or the fuel door? It could apply to either I suppose. I doubt many people would even notice the difference, and even fewer would be actively trying to find one.

My first vehicle was an 84 Ranger. It had the flat door and that was one of the little quirks that always stood out to me. Totaled it back in 2009, but still have it hoping to do womething with most of the good parts at some point. Picked up an 85 a couple of years ago to fix up and that is one of the pieces that want to move over when I start working on it. Problem is that the 85 is a dual tank truck and I've only got one door.

I'd actually like to get my hands on a third, but not as big of a deal. I intend to relocate the fuel tank in my 68 F-100 to under the bed, behind the axle. Planning to graft a Ranger fuel filler into the bed side to fill it. Thinking that the flat door would blend better. May end up using a F-series filler instead, the size proportions may work better.

Let me take a glance at the truck this weekend and verify that the doors mount the same front to rear. I'm fairly certain that they do, but want to verify. If it does I'll certainly take it. Paint isn't an issue, whole truck is going to need it before I'm done and what's there is faded anyway.

I went for some trim pieces and other customers just rip dashes out of trucks. Luckily I can order pieces on eBay and elsewhere. It is a minor project and is in great shape. I prefer Fords but this body style I like. I will say Chevy used cheap plastic inside of these trucks and built cheap

Yeah, happens everywhere and I hate seeing it too. Anything that's in the way gets cut, bent, or broken. Come on people it would take an extra two minutes to remove those screws and someone else might need that piece.

I did like that body style of S-10 back in the day. Kind of wanted one of the S-10 Xtremes when they came out. First gen Ranger was still my preference, but at that time I didn't know if I'd be able to get my hands on the particular one that I wanted. Fortunately I got the Ranger and forgot about the S-10.

 

[Terrys87]

Well … Rats!!! When I did the brakes on this truck. I did EVERYTHING!!! with all new parts and with best quality parts I can get. On the back side it is not the line so must be the Slave Cylinder. I had to add brake fluid one day and did not think much about it as my brake light come on. Just barely low in the reservoir so did not think much of it.

Next day brake light came on again and knew I had a problem. Did not take long to find where problem was at. I hope to get it fixed tomorrow.

I do have a rear main leak. It was just a drip every now and then. Now it is more steady. I plan on doing clutch and rear main this winter. Clutch Slave Cylinder is getting spongy so a few more bugs to chase out if truck. Painting is going to happen this winter.

 

[Terrys87]

JoshT…. If you were the one asking I meant it for the Fuel Door, I meant it for you then. I must of misread the post.

This is a new yard to me and I let the owner know I don’t destroy several parts just to get one part I want. It goes a long ways to them. I have benefited by showing respect for their vehicles. It’s a chance for them to sell parts that are not destroyed. They have given me a break many a times.