My brother has given me his 1987 Ranger, which I will be able to pick up in March after the winter weather dies down. I am wondering how hard it would be to change the front end to the '89-93 style. By looking at both of them, it seems only the grille-headlights, and bumper need to be replaced. Is that all? Or do the fenders and hood also have to be switched over?

 

I can't answer in full everything you need to know but I can tell you that the front clip changeover will require swapping the hood and fenders as well. The second gen (89-92) has a larger "lip" on the forwardmost end of the fenders, at the top, it extends a few inches over the top of the headlight assembly to keep the cornerlights within the same curve as the rest of the bodylines, it is slightly different than the 87.

I circled the part that I'm talking about in regards to the fender in a picture of my own 89 ranger
Here: http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/8...ndertabro7.jpg
You can compare it to an 87 ranger (Random gallery page, not my truck)
Here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=67401&width=2

I'm also quite sure the hood on the 87 ranger has a larger lip on the front edge than that of the 89, although im not positive on this. Examining some pictures, or searching parts stores for hoods and seeing if the years will fit the same aftermarket hoods will answer this problem. Good luck in the swap

 

Thanks for the info, I was noticing that lip on the fender, and thought I might have to change them, I guess I will just get the entire front clip when I get it down here.

 

I don't know why you would want to change it over, the 87 front clip looks 100% better than does the 89-92. I allways loved the looks of the first generation ranger, in 89 I was so disapointed because they changed in. Then in 93 they changed it again and I liked it, so it all worked out. But anyhow, the 87 is the better looking truck as far as looks go. If the 87 has a damaged front end and you happen to have an 89 front clip, then you have to swap out everything, fenders, grill, headlight buckets, hood, the whole nine yards.

 

Well, to each their own. I happen to like the 89-92 styling the best of all the years of Ranger. That is why I want to change the 87 to 89-92, so I can have a truck I like the looks of.

 

Then you'll have to change the whole front clip, but everything should bolt up. Good luck with it !!!