I was wondering how many people on here truely love the ranger and are enthusiasts and how many people are on here just because they happen to own a ranger. I consider myself a ranger lover, the 09 is the 7th ranger I've owned. I had over 2,000.00$ just in engine mods on my 04 ranger 4x4. I get excited looking on the net and in magazines about new ranger parts and mods as there released. I love talking about rangers as you can tell with over 6,000 posts. I've owned F-150's, a super duty and still find myself comming back to a ranger. They seem to fit me like a glove, I'm comfortable with the size. I love wheeling a ranger because of it's compact size, I can run with jeeps and other small vehicles on the trails. I love my FX4 with it's rancho shocks and torson lsd, it just needs some BFG 265x75/16's. I love to drag race as well. If I was going to race again, my ideal ride would be a first generation ranger with a stroked 351W. I just can't enough rangers.

 

I may get ticked off with them, but the old ones fit me & my demands far better than the competition. I'm usually on the verge of literally ROTFL when somebody suggest I test a 'Dime. I've looked those over seriously when pressed to find fresh trucks & always move on to any other available Ranger. The solid chassis is confident, the control satisfying & the servicabilty is way beyond the other guys & seems to need less to boot. I've looked at Dakotas & usually get a frown on my face from contemplating thier issues. I'm beginning to pine after a second truck with a Cologne & RWD for uhh, kinda what you were writing about, Wendell. Actually, this truck seems to match my last Ranger's performance numbers somehow in spite of the big Uniroyals. It's not the duals. The old one had an equivalent mod which I still think a little better. The rest between each about equal in overall original level of setup. Maybe the MAF is the secret for the Vulcan. The MAF body looks absolutely laughable though inside. And the "velocity boosters" restrictors? Funny, not supposed to get hot enough that that huge funnel angle should do anything more than shut up the whoosh, though I suppose it could cool a degree or so in letting the air disperse. I use to turn & shape engine forgings for Pratt & Whitney, including the combustion housings. So I like Rangers for better or worse, as I can trust them to work almost as hard as GMC 2500 with less hassle. Actually keep forgetting I drove a Vandura 2500 5.0L for a while... I don't think I could really love one again until I build one up as you suggested Wendell. Then I'd probably have pictures & schematics plastered over my bedroom walls as I think & admire it in my free time. I still have a large portion of my random thoughts debating setup theories & work list as it is. Have printouts scattered around if not on the walls too. Don't even want to think about the gigs of data on my drives. I think that's about as close as you can get to obsessive & still growl at them 1/2 the time.

 

Wendell, you have me curious as to what mods you did to your '04 and their price vs performance.

 

That's another point. I remember you mentioning stroking 5.0 to 351. That require special oilpan & other special work or special pistons to keep compression streetable? I'm going to have to dedicate some browser tab searches along that line with support checks via Summit, Jegs & so on. I'd like to mess with a non- 4x4 high power version, but leery of beating on a solid Ranger body. After I get out of this hole of course. And spend several thousand in dental work. So cheap budget version. Those engines should get cheaper for a while at least.

 

I would say I am passionatly in love with my 2. I will always have 2. I would like to have a collection of say 8 or 9. Each with is own personality from hot rod to rock crawler. They have been tough trucks, they fit the bill for eveything i do or want to do. 2.3 dosent have enough power, then I whip out the big 4.GO. Take a beatin and keep on tickin. I love the 93-97 models. At offroad tasks these trucks are beasts.
If the tail pipes werent so big, well you know what I would do......

 

Woops, 347 ci is stroker. That crawler looks awesome John! You know, as I woke up, I just got it in my head what Ford's little hose restrictors actually do. Somebody said they accelerate the the air flow. Hmm, not in '93! They work more like air brakes and would heat up the air. As it exits the restriction, the air would tend to stagnate. Only from being pushed by more & good engine vacuum is it sucked in. Too bad vacuum is limited at WOT. Only benefit I can see is for a calm idle, which it does have. Man I gotta think for myself more. I'll probably leave it as-is unless my demands of the truck change. Such as playing with circling Unc's little base pony.I would SO love to blow away that 3.8l A/T, DBW & 7.5 axle 3050 pound blingship. Hardest part is hooking the tires. Suppose I'll have to test drive a late Mustang sometime to set that bar. I like the looks, and the principles, but don't hear much good of them. I think it would be the utmost pleasure to run a blower in a Ranger with a balanced & printed engine running 400 bhp at around 3200 rpm.

 

Yeah, a 302 can be stroked out a 347, however, a 351W can be stroked out to a 427 and bigger. Explorer express sells a blower to get the stock 4.0 up to 275 hp, and super six motorsports sells heads, pistons, cams and so on to get you the rest of the way to 400 hp with your 4.0.

The engine mods I had done to my 04 4x4 4.0 is as follows:
1) jba headers - 600.00$
2) gibson dual sport catback - 400.00$
3) underdog under drive pulleis - 300.00$
4) perma-cool electric fan - 200.00$
5) K&N 77 series intake with an AEM dryflow cone filter - 300.00$
6) bama 3 tune engine programer - 400.00$
As for performance it ran strong, I gained eround 25 hp and 35 foot pounds
Besides the engine, I had money in skid plates, level II shifter, hella 500 fof lights, tru-trac lsd, bilstien shocks, t-bar crank, and 4 BFG 265x75/16's AT KO's.
After all that work and money I forced to trade it off because of a family emergency. My father had a severe stroke and wasn't able to drive any longer. So I had to get something with 4 doors and a large back seat so my wife and I could take him to his appointments and what not, so I got a fusion. My wife had a mustang and it was to hard for him to get in and out of. So I sacrificed for my father. However, he's doing much better now and my wife traded the mustang for a 4x4 mariner, something more practicle. This allowed me to order another ranger and I do mean order. I ordered this one with alot of the same stuff I had to add to my 04. I ordered FX4 OFF/ROAD package to get skidplates, shifter, fog lights, rancho shocks, torson lsd and some things I didn't have on my 04, like leather seats, 4-door cab, sirus stereo and grabber orange. I don't know how much engine modding I will do to the 09, but it won't be near as much as I did to the 04. It will be getting the BFG 265x75/16's, thats a must for wheeling, I have 2 jeep projects to absorb alot of my free cash now and this ranger doesn't need much, it came bad to the bone. However I allways say that untill I get a catalog in my hand ha ha.

 

I enjoy my Ranger, and I drove 8 cylinder cars and vans for alot of years. The 2.5L is a good,dependable just the way it is. The only mods I've made are installing a K&N stock repacement air filter, and putting a couple more 2.5 inch holes in the air box, and channeling cold air to the air box using light gauge metal(old license plates painted work well). I took out the "airhorn" from the air box, and put a hole next to the original opening a couple inches to the side, and put a hole on the fender side of the box. Blocked off the other side and top with my metal "fabs". Now she can breathe. She howls a little when you get on it, but you get used to it. I can't spend a ton of money for those high perf mods like you guys, but I enjoy reading some of the stuff you guys have done. But like you guys, I do love my Ranger for what it is, and what it does for me. It's my DD, and my weekend hauler for myself, family, and friends. Pulled a car down from Wisconsin 230 miles-did a fine job, and no problem on the hills of the interstate. Hope this wasn't too long.....

 

I love my OLD rangers ( gen 1), cant kill them,believe me ive tried. My 84 2.8 4x4, I purchased new in Dec. 83, I logged 310,000 before rebuilding the 2.8 v6. Its now my DD once again ( a lot better mpg than F250 ). Owned several newer Rangers over the years, but , IMO they were not quite as structurally tough as that old 84, even though they may have driven nicer. I have owned, 83, 84, 85, 89, 96 rangers, all v6s and I have used them for everything from commuting to trailering 2,000lbs boats over high mountain passes.

 

drb1956, there's no such thing as a post too long when posting your feeling and experiences with rangers, just let it flow Thats sorta why I made this post. I'll be over at the general automotive forum for awhile and wonder why even some of those guy's even post on a ford forum, all they want to do is bash ford. Then I come back here where you guy's seem to be ford loyalist and love your rangers. I know everyone isn't a ranger nut, that some just happen to own a ranger and need help with a problem. However for the most part, most of you guy's truely love and respect your trucks and love talking about them as I do. Rangers have been such a big part of my life over the years, I just feel right at home here, talking with others that share my passion.

 

I appreciate your kind words, Wendell.. You and I see eye to eye as far as Rangers go. My '99 is my first, definetely won't be my last as long as the used Ranger market holds up for a few years-or maybe I'll start hording parts to rebuild the one I've got, hmmm???? My first car was a 63 Ford Galaxie-looked like Sheriff Taylor (Andy Griffith) was coming down the street. I loved it-289ci, 4 door, and all that room-and it was pretty good on gas. Had a couple of GM (Chevy, Buick). Bought a '79 Ford LTD brand new(need to put in signature), and that "79 Lincoln was just like heaven--hell, even my wife loved it. People ask me about my Ford loyalty, and I tell them I get a great car for decent money, and I can do "most" of the repairs myself, and at reasonable parts prices, as compared to the other makes, especially the japanese models. Opened the hood of my Lincoln and its all Ford in there. If it were a Caddy, you didn't know what you were getting, and from what division. The same holds true for Rangers-open the hood and you know its Ford Blue, thru and thru...Like I said in a previous thread-this truck has a spot in my driveway for as long as it wants!!!

 

had a 88 stx 4x4 supercab and now a 2007 fx4 off road. 6000 miles new. just had ford put full synthetic in the thing. true workhorse. my old one was great too. that was a 5 speed, the new one is a auto. if i buy another one it will be a manual. wife needs to take it to work sometimes so i order it that way. bone stock 2007 fx4 off road. red fire metalic. loaded. love em.

 

ive only had 1 ranger, my 99 but i love this thing, just went off roading the other day with 150k milers on it and no major repairs, just did a t bar crank and shackles to get a lil lift, now i really wanna get a 2wd ranger for a dd and make the one i have now a real off roader

 

I'll keep this short.

As much as I regret getting the 3.0 auto, I love my truck.

When the 3.0 dies (probably won't happen any time soon) I plan on swapping a 5.0 V8 setup out of a late 90's Explorer. So in a few years, I'll be looking that up in the swap forums.

Other than that, I've got a pretty good truck.

 

I will probably still get green in the gills a bit whenever I see a ghetto-ized/ lo-rider Ranger & might tend to snicker a bit to wonder how often the front end would bounce much more than its builder would figure on messing up the fenders. Need some big & tough bump stops or change the torsion travel. Mostly, I figure that's one less project useful truck in the world. That & wonder why anybody would replace tires with blinged oversize rims. I'm not counting the rim strips they call tires. And also wonder about the guys trying to make room for engines under the hood. I think it would be easiest if they cut out Ford's X-member & weld in some tubular steel & plates/ Probably wouldn't screw it up any worse if done right & then just best all-round unless they stick to the base un-modded Vulcan with its low intake. Ford 5.0l then not an option without high-rise hood.
I want a 2nd Ranger to build up stripped & quick with no frills beyond a radio just loud enough for traffic reports. It'll be a couple years, so I have time to ponder it. Maybe an older 4.0l rwd pre fed A/C requirement. The new SOHC could work, as long as I could find a short serp belt to yank the frills, which would then be awesome with that UDP too. Call it M's Jazz.