Not Exactly What I Was Looking For (better)

[Cologne Ranger]

No pain, no gain. There's a nice house up the road from me for a mere $400k. I don't worry much about rust.

Mine is smaller and simpler, so just $160k for us poor folks.

Extremely tempting. I look at job openings and real estate down south all the time, just dreaming. It's going to happen some day...

 

[Cologne Ranger]

15s are considered the period correct size wheels for just about all pickup trucks before ~2000. There is no big mechanical advantage to 15s. Most people just like having more sidewall on the tire, and more sidewall will be better off road (the 1" doesn't really matter for off road performance though).
I personally would put 15x8 American Racing wheels on it because they are period correct and timeless designs. The Outlaw 1s and Outlaw 2s are my favorite but the Bajas are nice too. I think you can get the Bajas in 16" and maybe the Outlaws too if you like that size better.

Nice. I'll look them up. Maybe do a little photo editing to see how they would look on my Ranger. Thanks for getting the thought processes moving!
Edit: okay. The chrome Baja would look amazing. Wonder how much I could get out of the wheels I've got so I can buy these?

 

[EvanCole45]

You might be able to view them on your vehicle on Tire Rack. I don't think they have that feature available for older trucks but its worth checking. They're very common wheels for a good reason so you should be able to find pics of them on similar trucks.

 

[RobbieD]

Thanks for adding pictures. WOW! You got the deal of the century on that one.

That is a nice truck, and they're getting rare to find in such a nice, unmolested condition like that. My advice, besides taking care of it and enjoying it, would be:

Stay on top of the maintenance. The truck's owner manual has a good schedule (look on eBay if yours is missing).
Upgrade to the Explorer 4.0 radiator as rusty suggested.
You're blessed with no rust. Consider thoroughly going through everything underneath, removing surface rust, painting, sealing and undercoating where needed.
Where replacement parts are needed, try to use only Motorcraft. In most cases they simply work the best, and will help keep the truck original.
Ford shop manuals can be found relatively cheap (try eBay). They're an invaluable guide on doing any work, they will make you more confident in doing your own work, and I think having them would add to your enjoyment of the truck. Do all of your own work that you're comfortable with- nobody will ever work on your truck with as much care, as you.
Get an OBD1 code reader now, as they're getting hard to find. Things will go wrong at times, and a code reader is much easier to use than counting CEL flashes.
If at all possible, keep the truck parked in or under something. That truck likely has been out of the weather for most of its life, as sunlight wreaks havoc over time on the paint and interior.

If it were me, I wouldn't change anything which could not be undone and returned back. When considering changes, it's worth it remember that "It can only be original once".

Your enthusiasm is great- just drive it, take care of it, and enjoy it!

 

[Cologne Ranger]

Thanks for adding pictures. WOW! You got the deal of the century on that one.

That is a nice truck, and they're getting rare to find in such a nice, unmolested condition like that. My advice, besides taking care of it and enjoying it, would be:

Stay on top of the maintenance. The truck's owner manual has a good schedule (look on eBay if yours is missing).
Upgrade to the Explorer 4.0 radiator as rusty suggested.
You're blessed with no rust. Consider thoroughly going through everything underneath, removing surface rust, painting, sealing and undercoating where needed.
Where replacement parts are needed, try to use only Motorcraft. In most cases they simply work the best, and will help keep the truck original.
Ford shop manuals can be found relatively cheap (try eBay). They're an invaluable guide on doing any work, they will make you more confident in doing your own work, and I think having them would add to your enjoyment of the truck. Do all of your own work that you're comfortable with- nobody will ever work on your truck with as much care, as you.
Get an OBD1 code reader now, as they're getting hard to find. Things will go wrong at times, and a code reader is much easier to use than counting CEL flashes.
If at all possible, keep the truck parked in or under something. That truck likely has been out of the weather for most of its life, as sunlight wreaks havoc over time on the paint and interior.

If it were me, I wouldn't change anything which could not be undone and returned back. When considering changes, it's worth it remember that "It can only be original once".

Your enthusiasm is great- just drive it, take care of it, and enjoy it!

Thanks for the kind words and the good advice. I will be referring to this list of your recommendations within the next few days as I try to prioritize things that are important enough to be done immediately, and stuff that can be added to my wish list for later.

I'm going to get that OBD1 code reader within the next few days. I hadn't thought of it until you mentioned it.

Minor issues I didn't think were important enough to mention in my first post:
1. One side of the sliding back window glass is missing, and has been 'replaced' with a piece of plexiglass affixed with an extravagant combo of clear packing tape and black duct tape. I've located the correct part nearby, and hope to purchase it Monday.
2. I assume that the chucklehead who tore out the clutch I had to replace probably brainstormed the above window 'repair,' and also deleted the original rear bumper. I'm hunting for a compatible 1989 silver or chrome bumper that matches the one on the front.
3. I could be wrong, but I'm giving credit again to the same genius for replacing the original 1989 tailgate with one from a different year (or possibly a different truck manufacturer.) It is painted in dull, primer white and has a recessed rectangle cut out for the license plate. Since he didn't wire in the license plate illumination lights, I'm guessing he drove it only during daylight hours. He only owned it long enough to rip the clutch out, (3 months,) so who am I to judge? If anyone on here has a 1989 gold tailgate, message me. Otherwise, I'll be picking up a teal tailgate from a junked 1989 soon, with plans to paint it the right color asap.
4. The seller did do a few things right, I think. They did tell me they had installed a larger radiator and rebuilt the front and rear brakes before the clutch went out. I'm going to find out if it is the Explorer radiator you mentioned. Sounds very familiar. Seems like I remember them mentioning that.

When I have taken care of these minor (and comparatively inexpensive) cosmetic issues, I'll post some before and after photos of what I have done to restore this truck back to what it looked like from the factory.

Edit:
Since I just listed some minor negative details I hadn't mentioned yet, it's only fair (to the truck) to point out two more positives that I'd completely forgotten about:
1. Working Cruise Control
2. Factory A/C still blows cold

Thank you again for taking the time to make me feel welcome here, and sharing your thoughts and experience.

 

[RobbieD]

All in all, the few things you list as needing correction are not that bad. The sliding window was part of the XLT package; good that you've already sourced this. On the rear tailgate, off the top of my head I "think" that in '89 the XLT would have the brushed chrome insert, which would look nice with how your truck is dressed out, and it would make it easier if repainting is needed.

Working AC and cruise control are major pluses. That's an older R12 system, so keep it healthy as long as you can. Make sure that the condenser (behind the grille) is clean and not blocked with smashed bugs, leaves or road crap.

The "good" radiator is the thick one used in the early Explorer automatics. When checking yours, look for unused auto trans cooling line ports as seen here:

On my manual '94 Explorer (pictured), and my manual (former auto) '90 Bronco II, I have both retro-fitted with this radiator. It's a good upgrade.

You're just starting on a very cool journey with that truck. Good luck!

 

[Cologne Ranger]

You're just starting on a very cool journey with that truck. Good luck!

Monday was a busy day. I got the tailgate I needed, and sliding glass for my rear window. I have no idea how to get those glass pieces into the frame. Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated...
The right 1989 tailgate has been taken apart, (brushed chrome insert removed,) sanded, and primed for the Duplicolor paint, which I hope to apply "tomorrow," (actually, later today.) My phone data port decided to malfunction, so uploading the pictures of progress on this Job will have to wait until after I finally get some sleep.

Bonus: One of my nephews stopped by unexpectedly Sunday night while on a cross-country tour. He's already been all the way to the West Coast, and is backtracking through my state, on his way to the East Coast. I haven't seen him near enough in the last ten years, and he's become a very nice young man. He immediately volunteered to run to the salvage yard with me today, and we had a wonderful time 'shopping' for truck parts and talking, while prepping my new tailgate for installation.

Bottom Line: Getting the deal of a lifetime on a truck in such pristine condition is amazing.
Getting to reconnect with my nephew (who also happens be my namesake) while working on it-- priceless!

As predicted, the journey just got cooler...

 

[Cologne Ranger]

Just to give everyone an idea of the cosmetic stuff I'm working on these last few days. This is just sanded and covered with primer.

I'm not any kind of painter, but I'm being careful as possible.

When this picture was taken, I hadn't applied all the coats of paint or enamel clear gloss top coat yet, but I couldn't wait to get an idea of how things were going to look when I finally get it all put back together.

Anybody know a good way to polish up this Chrome insert?

 

[Cologne Ranger]

Thanks for adding pictures. WOW! You got the deal of the century on that one.

That is a nice truck, and they're getting rare to find in such a nice, unmolested condition like that. My advice, besides taking care of it and enjoying it, would be:

Stay on top of the maintenance. The truck's owner manual has a good schedule (look on eBay if yours is missing).
Upgrade to the Explorer 4.0 radiator as rusty suggested.
You're blessed with no rust. Consider thoroughly going through everything underneath, removing surface rust, painting, sealing and undercoating where needed.
Where replacement parts are needed, try to use only Motorcraft. In most cases they simply work the best, and will help keep the truck original.
Ford shop manuals can be found relatively cheap (try eBay). They're an invaluable guide on doing any work, they will make you more confident in doing your own work, and I think having them would add to your enjoyment of the truck. Do all of your own work that you're comfortable with- nobody will ever work on your truck with as much care, as you.
Get an OBD1 code reader now, as they're getting hard to find. Things will go wrong at times, and a code reader is much easier to use than counting CEL flashes.
If at all possible, keep the truck parked in or under something. That truck likely has been out of the weather for most of its life, as sunlight wreaks havoc over time on the paint and interior.

If it were me, I wouldn't change anything which could not be undone and returned back. When considering changes, it's worth it remember that "It can only be original once".

Your enthusiasm is great- just drive it, take care of it, and enjoy it!

Finally got the salvage yard tailgate painted and reassembled. It looks so much better than the aftermarket one it had when I bought it. I wanted to post before and after photos, and maybe I will later, but I'm proud of how this ultimately turned out. Notice the narrow steel bar bumper in this picture...

Here's the new bumper I'm installing to bring this Ranger closer to the original look. It's not perfectly straight yet, nor is it permanently attached. This is just a mock-up to get everything lined up correctly. I still haven't figured out how to get the sliding glass rear window pieces I purchased into the track. Maybe someone on here has some experience with that repair?

 

[Uncle Gump]

You should start a new thread to show your progress and keep track of all you are doing.

Lots of people never look in the Introduce Yourself forum...

Keeps looking better all the time.

 

[Grumpaw]

Google up Brads Auto Glass Ranger Rear Sliding Glass Replacement...
He u-tubes instructions as to replacing rear slider glass...seems very easy and stright forward.

 

[RobbieD]

Great work on the tailgate! I couldn't tell what you had going on, with needing to polish the brushed chrome panel in post #23, but in your following installed pictures in post #24 I don't see anything wrong at all, with the brushed finish or the paint. You really did good.

On the rear slider.
I don't recall if I ever replaced individual glass panes (my CRS is really getting bad). The whole slider unit is normally installed, and I did a lot of them "back in the day", mainly aftermarket sliders.

I looked at some Ford shop manuals, and there ARE instructions for replacing individual panels for the OEM unit (included below, see the box).

You'll have to remove and reinstall the window unit; no big deal, and much easier with two people. The rear slider is held in with a rubber gasket. "If it were me" pulling a 31-year old truck rear window, I think I would pre-treat the rubber with a good rubber treatment (like ArmorAll, but I'm not up what's the best these days- suggestions perhaps from peanut gallery?).

I used to start pushing the gasket out in a upper corner. There's a tool called a Cotter Pin Remover (we called it a "nose picker") that works good for GENTLY hooking and pulling, and working the gasket.

Reinstallation, it's easiest to set the bottom in place, work the corners in, push down while you pull the cords, and then it zips right in. I used to use dish washing liquid (like Dawn) to lubricate the rubber; that helps a lot (for removal and reinstallation). Just take your time and go slow. If your gasket is questionable, or if you tear it, I would think that new gaskets should be readily available somewhere.

This is an '88 shop manual. The '89 was word-for-word identicle, but the '88 book was laid out better (on less pages).

Good luck!

P.S.- That was a great suggestion by @Uncle Gump, to start a new thread, on the work that you've done, and will do with this truck. A lot of us here love to see a nice old one saved and cared for. Keep up the good work!

 

[Cologne Ranger]

Great work on the tailgate! I couldn't tell what you had going on, with needing to polish the brushed chrome panel in post #23, but in your following installed pictures in post #24 I don't see anything wrong at all, with the brushed finish or the paint. You really did good.

On the rear slider.
I don't recall if I ever replaced individual glass panes (my CRS is really getting bad). The whole slider unit is normally installed, and I did a lot of them "back in the day", mainly aftermarket sliders.

I looked at some Ford shop manuals, and there ARE instructions for replacing individual panels for the OEM unit (included below, see the box).

You'll have to remove and reinstall the window unit; no big deal, and much easier with two people. The rear slider is held in with a rubber gasket. "If it were me" pulling a 31-year old truck rear window, I think I would pre-treat the rubber with a good rubber treatment (like ArmorAll, but I'm not up what's the best these days- suggestions perhaps from peanut gallery?).

I used to start pushing the gasket out in a upper corner. There's a tool called a Cotter Pin Remover (we called it a "nose picker") that works good for GENTLY hooking and pulling, and working the gasket.

Reinstallation, it's easiest to set the bottom in place, work the corners in, push down while you pull the cords, and then it zips right in. I used to use dish washing liquid (like Dawn) to lubricate the rubber; that helps a lot (for removal and reinstallation). Just take your time and go slow. If your gasket is questionable, or if you tear it, I would think that new gaskets should be readily available somewhere.

This is an '88 shop manual. The '89 was word-for-word identicle, but the '88 book was laid out better (on less pages).

Good luck!

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P.S.- That was a great suggestion by @Uncle Gump, to start a new thread, on the work that you've done, and will do with this truck. A lot of us here love to see a nice old one saved and cared for. Keep up the good work!

Thank you for such a detailed reply about the sliding glass. After nearly destroying the window frame on the donor vehicle attempting to retrieve the replacement glass at the salvage yard, I was hoping against hope that there was some 'trick' to it that I had missed...
Apparently it does require removing and reinstalling the entire window.
Nice. Thanks a lot, Ford.
smh...

I thought I lacked interesting material for starting an entire new thread. Perhaps not. I should have started with a sarcastic rant about how the entire Ranger had to be almost entirely disassembled to install a new clutch, and from there, launching into a blistering exposé on how to perform a simple repair on the back window, (which requires tearing the rest of the truck apart.)
But it's a labor of love, isn't it?
Isn't it?
It may be awhile before I get that new thread started. It seems I still have quite a bit of work to do.

Of course I'm joking. Don't take me seriously. This truck is worth it. I'll be fine. It could have been worse. They could have engineered it so that the truck bed had to be removed before I could replace the tailgate...
Don't quote me. Let's not give them any ideas.

 

[Curious Hound]

Apparently it does require removing and reinstalling the entire window.
Nice. Thanks a lot, Ford.
smh...

If it didn't, that would be an easy way to break in and steal your Cheetos.

Besides, if it was easy, children would be doing it.

 

[Cologne Ranger]

If it didn't, that would be an easy way to break in and steal your Cheetos.

Besides, if it was easy, children would be doing it.

You're obviously right of course.
I value my Cheetos. Can't lose those.
However, those sliding windows (at least 80s or early 90s models) aren't exactly Fort Knox.
In my teens and early twenties, I had a terrible habit of accidentally locking my keys in my vehicle, and breaking in through the slider windows saved my butt more times than I'd like to admit...