Ford Ranger Plant Blues

The 925 workers who assemble the Ford Ranger pickup truck are set to get an extra year on the job.

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Is this true?

I wish they'd just cut the leash on that POS.

Why drag it out... cut the cord, be done with the thing and get over it.

Rangers run 2nd from the bottom of the pack only ahead of S10's... i guess they quit making them didn't they.

Reply to
Picasso
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"Picasso" wrote in message news:47326407$0$5262$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aliant.net...

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Why the hostility towards Rangers? My Father and me have owned five over the last 25 years.

1983 - 2.3L 4 cylinder, automatic, SWB, standard cab, 2WD (no AC - Dad wanted AC) 1986 - 2.9L 6 cylinder, automatic, SWB, standard cab, 2WD (wrecked, fixed, wrecked again) 1989 - 2.9L 6 cylinder, automatic, LWB, standard cab, 2WD (Dad wanted extended cab) 1992 - 3.0L 6 cylinder, automatic, extended cab, 2WD (Dad wanted 4WD) 1999 - 4.0L 6 cylinder, automatic, extended cab, 4WD (Mother still owns)

I no longer own a Ranger (I owned the 1986 after my Father wrecked it - I fixed it, then it was wrecked again). For 14 years I had an F150. Now I have a Nissan Frontier. The Frontier is a 4.0L, automatic, King (extended) cab,

4wd. Although it has a larger bed than the 1999 Ranger, it won't haul any more because the suspension bottoms out. The Frontier chassis is wimpy compared the Ranger chassis. Despite being much larger on the outside, the cab is much more cramped (I constantly hit my head getting into the truck). The Frontier gets worse gas mileage. The Frontier does ride better. The Frontier has a better 4WD system. The Frontier cost 50% more. So you may ask, why did I buy the Frontier instead of another Ranger. Well at the time, I wanted something different. I didn't even consider another Ranger. I primarily looked a the Colorado, Tacoma, and Frontier. After looking them all over, I rated them Tacoma, Frontier, Colorado (best to worst). I tired buying a Tacoma, but the Toyota dealers in my area are the worst in the world (at least I hope they are the worst in the world). They would quote a price (and not an especially attractive one) but then when you sat down to finish the deal ridiculous additional charges would appear. In retrospect, I should have checked with dealers a little further away. My SO got decent treatment at a Toyota dealership around 40 miles away. So after giving up on the local Toyota dealers, I started dealing with a local Nissan dealer. The difference was night and day. They actually wanted to sell me a truck. So I bought one. After two years with he Frontier, I can't say it is a bad truck, but I wouldn't buy another. In fact, I think I'd go buy a Ranger. I still drive the 1999 that my Mother now owns. For a nearly 8 year old truck that has been beat like a drum, it still compares favorably to the Frontier. The Ranger doesn't have the charisma of the now much larger small trucks, but it is still a fine work truck.

Ed

Reply to
Ed White

Amen.

My Dad's Ranger ran forever and got beat to shit, Dad worked that truck _hard_, but took it all in stride. Proper maintenance kept it running fine. Hell, if the guy he sold it to5 years ago kept up with the same main schedule it's probably still running.

I had an '88 with the little engine, 2.3 litre. Bought it to deliver a motor paper route. It ran fine but I sold it in '92 when a brand new extended cab B2600 4X4 Mazda caught my eye. It's probably still running as well. Not fast mind you but it could get almost anywhere if you took your time. ;-)

Not flashy but cheap and if you take care of them they'll run forever.

Reply to
Jeff Mayner

extra year on the job.

they quit making them didn't they.

last 25 years.

wrecked again)

Looks like dad didn't get everything he wanted when he bought a truck.

Reply to
Shawn

At each point he got what he wanted, but what he wanted kept changing. As he got older what my Father wanted changed. Until 1972 he only bought trucks with manual transmissions. Then he started buying them with automatics, but no radio. He didn't get a truck with a radio until the 1986 Ranger. I think the first truck with power steering was the 1986 Ranger as well. Ditto for A/C. He was a farmer and was fairly tough on trucks. He liked to trade them every 4 years or so at most. The 1986 was a very good truck, but it was in two accidents while he owned it, so rather than fix it, he let me have it and I fixed it - and then I wrecked it again (bad karma?). He replaced the 1986 with the 1989. It had a long box, but was otherwise identical to the 1986. When I had little children, he decided he wanted a truck they could ride in - inside - so he got the 1992 with the extended cab. He kept that for 7 years. He got 4WD on the 1999 because he was older and didn't feel like walking home from one of the other farms we operate if he got stuck.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Your father must be a small man, i'm only 6', and driving the ranger for as many hours a day as I do is crippling me. i'm not the only one to suffer from this.

i have an 02... and i got some seats from an 06... mild improvement at best.. they are more comfortable, but are more firm at the same time...

just not big enough.. with the seats all the way back, my legs are rasied off the seat.

Now the big problem... i can deal with comfort issues... is the repairs... these things are just not reliable anymore... they were a great truck up until about 96...

the new trannys fly all to hell... the motors (3.0L) aren't even standing up...

they just are definatly not built ford tough... they should just die and quit making these horrid vehicles... i would not buy one of these for my worst enemy...

Reply to
Picasso

My Father was only 5'8" tall. But, I am 6'3" tall and have never found the Ranger to be uncomfortable. If you think the Ranger is uncomfortable, try riding in my '06 Frontier for 3 hours. Nissan engineering is amazing, they managed to make the Frontier bigger on the outside than the Ranger, but smaller on the inside and give it less ability to carry a load. Fabulous Japanese engineering.

In over 35 years of Ranger ownership, the most serious problem has been one water pump on the 1992. The 1997 had to have the IAC replaced, otherwise there have been no problems. The 1986 required one muffler and one ignition module. The 1989 never need a repair. The

1982 never need a repair. I doubt my Father spent $500 on Ranger repairs over 25 years. I spent more on that on the Frontier in 1 year.

We never had a transmission problem of any sort - and my Father never changed transmission fluid. After he passed away I had it change in the '99 Ranger that my Mother still has. The fluid still looked fine. We had a 3.0L in the 1992. It had a water pump replaced, otherwise no problems.

To each his own. Based on my families experience I say Rangers are great trucks. Certainly a much better buy than a Frontier, Tacoma, or Colorado. I made a$5K mistake when I bought the Frontier. The Frontier looks "tough" but it is really just a doughnut.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Wish my Ranger were a little better. 2000 and 50K for $3500 (taking off a liberal $1000 for a nice topper - paid $4500 actually on a car lot). Been underwater and was in need pronto when some lady jumped the median and smashed my C10 van all to hell. Been a good year or more now, and replaced the O2 sensors last week. Runs better and hardly uses gas - 5spd, 4cyl. Wouldn't want to go back to 50 or 60 miles for $15/20 of gas I got with the van - more like 150 miles with this Ranger. I'd be looking at GMC as well as imports for a little itty bitty pickup if I got smashed to hell again (god forbid anybody going through that).

Reply to
Flasherly

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