stock 2.3 exhaust?
 

hey, got a 96 ranger 2.3l 5spd 2wd. when i went to go change the plugs and wires, i noticed that the truck actually has a header on it. i talked to the previous owner (who's notorious for modding rangers) and he said he never put a header on it. i don't know who owned the truck before him. a friend of mine said that some of the 2.3 rangers came with headers on them from factory. is this true?

Sure is, Ford made a pretty nice header. They were trying to get as much fuel economy out of them as possible, and part of that is shedding weight, and increasing engine efficiency, the header helps accomplish both goals.

It is actually a "Tubular Exhaust Manifold". The fact that it looks/works just like most aftermarket "shorty" headers is simply a coincidence........
But yeah, my 95 has it as well. Not sure when it first came into use.