Hey Pablo, isn't russia swiming in oil, you guy's should have gas for 50 cents a gallon. Russia is a big oil power broker with all that siberian oil they have, or do you guy's sell it all to china, russia I mean, not you Ukranians. We were supost to have enough oil in alaska to last us 200 years, at least thats what they said in the 70's when they were wanting to build the alaskian pipeline. 200 years sure seem to pass fast, I heard japan gets alot of our alaskain oil. We have an oil shortage but still sell oil to other nations, "go figure". I think we are hording ours while using everyone else's so we still have oil when no one else does. Of course by then they will be burning water or something and won't need our stinken oil.
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2009 FORD RANGER fx4 off/road, 5-speed manual, torson diff and rancho's!
i realy think that mid size is the way to go for the (foreseeable) future. They propably could keep the Ranger name as a spec level like back in the day. I think the F100 will replace the Ranger and the Ranger compact offered only to the rest of the world. Wish theyd give us the F100 to.
So Ford is going to let a great truck with a great reputation die. Replace it for 2 years with a slightly larger truck and then replace that truck with redesigned Ranger that is slightly smaller than the current Ranger.
That sounds like such a waste when all they need to do is launch a massive advertising campaign reintroducing the Ranger to everyone who forgot about it.
Maybe that's one of the reasons Ford is in so much trouble. They have idiots running the Company into the ground.
The problem with the ranger is that it hasn't changed in 25 years. The platform itself has been pretty much the same since 1983. About the only thing was occasionally throw in a new engine and change the body, and changed the front suspension. Other then that its stayed pretty much the same. The 2008 Ranger still has the same payload and tow rating as a 1983 ranger, the interior is still small and slightly cramped, and they don't ride that great either.
That is the problem with Ford, they have a good selling vehicle, then they start to change focus on something else (In this case the F-150/250/350), and recycle the same thing over and over again. While all the bigger trucks got more advanced and more capable and more comfortable, the Ranger stayed the same.
Ford also did this with the Crown Victoria, and several other vehicles as well.
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- Ian
1987 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 2.9
Needs a lot of work, including some rot on the body, but shes getting there.
i think theyve just gotton too pricey. i remember base rangers being about 5-6 grand. my '88 s/c was around 14K and the '93 i have now was 17K new. and because the new ones are so $ (to replace my '93 as close as i could with whats available now would be 25K) the used ones have more value to them. my '88 was bought used, 3 years old with 100K on it. paid 7K for it, the '93 was 12 years old and had 60K on it, paid 10K for it (yes ,overpriced but it was what i wanted and would have been 23K new at that time) trucks have gotton too cushy and pricey. for a few more $ you could get a F150 and get simialr milage. i dont like how they did away with the twin Ibeam/twin traction beam front ends, went to rack and pinion steering and went away from lockout hubs on 4x's. im seriously considering a mahindra truck when they come to the u.s. 2.2 diesel, 7.5 box. looks like a back-to basics truck. dont know about their 4x setup. only thing i dont like is they have a 6 speed auto only for transmission. but a small diesel that can tow 7,000 and has a 30 mpg rating sure intrests me. they aint cheap either, but at least its more useable that waht the "others" are offering now. the bodies may last longer now then they did years ago, but i just dont think they are built nearly as good as they used to be-any make/model.
i think theyve just gotton too pricey. i remember base rangers being about 5-6 grand. my '88 s/c was around 14K and the '93 i have now was 17K new. and because the new ones are so $ (to replace my '93 as close as i could with whats available now would be 25K) the used ones have more value to them. my '88 was bought used, 3 years old with 100K on it. paid 7K for it, the '93 was 12 years old and had 60K on it, paid 10K for it (yes ,overpriced but it was what i wanted and would have been 23K new at that time) trucks have gotton too cushy and pricey. for a few more $ you could get a F150 and get simialr milage. i dont like how they did away with the twin Ibeam/twin traction beam front ends, went to rack and pinion steering and went away from lockout hubs on 4x's. im seriously considering a mahindra truck when they come to the u.s. 2.2 diesel, 7.5 box. looks like a back-to basics truck. dont know about their 4x setup. only thing i dont like is they have a 6 speed auto only for transmission. but a small diesel that can tow 7,000 and has a 30 mpg rating sure intrests me. they aint cheap either, but at least its more useable that waht the "others" are offering now. the bodies may last longer now then they did years ago, but i just dont think they are built nearly as good as they used to be-any make/model.
I agree on most of that, except rack and pinion steering. IMO, rack and pinion is far superior to recirculating-ball steering boxes.
I've been following that Mahindra truck for a few months now, and it seems very interesting. What trucks should be.
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- Ian
1987 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 2.9
Needs a lot of work, including some rot on the body, but shes getting there.
I agree on most of that, except rack and pinion steering. IMO, rack and pinion is far superior to recirculating-ball steering boxes.
I've been following that Mahindra truck for a few months now, and it seems very interesting. What trucks should be.
I love old school trucks, but the Mahindra, well no...Atleast If you are getting the same ones we got. As a ranger driver youd be dissapointed. And as far as thet 2.2l Diesel mill pulling 7000lbs, well that 160 ftlbs wnt do it. Ones we have here wont pull much over 3000lbs odd. She's a plain Jane wich i appreciate but id rather buy a good conditionend Ranger or such if i am on a tight budget (wich i am)
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