Seems there are some floating around here! All I need is a good title and VIN #. I don't care about condition. The foreign Rangers are a bit difficult and expensive to register here.
WIKI REPORT:
North American Ranger
First generation
Production 1983–1988
Engine(s) 2.0 L OHC I4
2.2 L Perkins 4.135 Diesel I4
2.3 L OHC I4
2.3 L Mitsubishi 4D55 Turbodiesel I4
2.8 L Cologne V6
2.9 L Cologne V6
Transmission(s) Manual
4-speed Toyo Kogyo TK4
5-speed Toyo Kogyo TK5
5-speed Mitsubishi FM132
5-speed Mitsubishi FM145
5-speed Mitsubishi FM146
5-speed Mazda M5OD-R1
Automatic
3-speed C3
3-speed C5
4-speed A4LD
Wheelbase 107.9 in (2741 mm)
113.9 in (2893 mm)
125 in (3175 mm)
Length 175.6 in (4460 mm)
187.6 in (4765 mm)
192.7 in (4895 mm)
Width 66.9 in (1699 mm)
Related Ford Bronco II
In North America, the Ranger is Ford's compact pickup truck. The Ranger replaced the Ford Courier, an American version of the Mazda B-Series in a segment largely defined by the Toyota and Datsun pickup trucks. The Ranger was the best-selling compact pickup in America from 1987 to 2004.
The Ranger and related Mazda B-Series are manufactured at Ford's Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which is now scheduled to close in 2011. They were also assembled in Louisville, Kentucky until 1999 and in Edison, New Jersey until the plant's closing in 2004. It was reported in 2005 that an all-new Ranger, codenamed P273, was in the works to be introduced by 2010.[2] The P273 was slated to be world pickup, presumably to be merged with the Mazda world pickups. A 2007 Ranger for the Thai market based on the Asian 4Trac concept was unveiled, but it is not scheduled to replace the North American truck. According to a recent article in the Car and Driver, there are three alternatives for Ford: 1) to redesign and continue to build the next generation in North America; 2) to import a smaller version from the plant in Thailand; and 3) to discontinue the Ranger line and exit the compact pickup market in North America.[3] There are rumors that Ford's future product plans in the compact pickup market segment will be announced closer to the end of Ford Ranger production at the Highland Park, Minnesota plant in 2010-2011. There are reports that the plant will be sold and redeveloped once the production is ceased.[4][5]
[edit] First generation (1983–1988)
Ford began development of the Ranger in 1976, focusing on quality and fuel efficiency. The intent was to build a truck that was as capable as the full-size F-Series, but in a more economical package. The compact Ranger had styling similar to the full-size Ford pickups, used a similar architecture, and was offered with four-wheel drive. The ability to haul a four-foot-wide (1.2 m) sheet of plywood is a common standard for trucks. In the compact Ranger, however, the space between the wheel wells was less than four feet; Ford designed the box with provisions to allow hauling of a standard sheet of plywood.[6]
1983 Ranger production began January 18, 1982 at the Louisville Assembly Plant,[7] hitting showrooms in March.[8] Available engines were the 72 hp (54 kW) 2.0 L and 86 hp (64 kW) 2.3 L OHC four-cylinders, a four-cylinder 59 hp (44 kW) 2.2 L Mazda/Perkins diesel, and a 115 hp (86 kW) 2.8 L Cologne V6. In 1985, a Mitsubishi-built 2.3 L turbodiesel with 86 hp (64 kW) replaced the Mazda diesel engine, and in 1986, the 2.8 L engine was replaced with a 140 hp (104 kW) 2.9 L Cologne V6. The SuperCab was introduced in 1986, offering an extra 17 inches (432 mm) of storage space behind the front seats, with a pair of jump seats available as an option. Many interior parts such as steering wheels and window cranks were shared with other Fords such as the Escort.