This wonderful piece of Ford truck history was found sitting in a junkyard, waiting to be rescued.
Junkyard Dog
The very first Ford Rangers rolled out of Ford Motors factories in 1983. They were the company’s answer to an increasing trend of American drivers purchasing small pickups from Japanese automakers. Little did they know that the American love affair with small pickups was just beginning.
Photos courtesy of Autoblog
Just the Beginning
And while the Ford Ranger was discontinued due to lagging sales in 2012, it returned to in 2019 to much fanfare. This loaded 1984 Ford Ranger recently discovered in a Northern California self-service junkyard is rife for revisioning.
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Lone Ranger
What sets this 1984 Ford Ranger model apart? For starters, it appears to have several features that allude to a specially installed F-Series “Explorer Package,” recognizable by the rare exterior body stripe. After some exploration, it’s clear that this truck was considered “loaded” back in 1984 and features the standard body-on-frame chassis design and traditional leaf-spring rear suspension.
>>Join the conversation about this Ford Ranger junkyard find right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Rocket to Lima
Early Ford Ranger engines weren't exactly the stuff of performance dreams. They were powered by either a 2.0-liter or 2.3-liter models of the Ford Lima inline-4 as well as the 2.9-liter Ford Cologne V6. By 1989, the twin-spark-plug, distributorless Ford Pinto engine was utilized, a trend that lasted until 2001.
>>Join the conversation about this Ford Ranger junkyard find right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Get a Leg Up
The 2.9-liter Cologne V6 was capable a bit more output than its contemporaries, thanks to cylinder heads that were constructed with a more conventional three-port exhaust manifold. Output was rated at 140 HP, nearly twice that of a no-frills 1984 Ford Ranger.
>>Join the conversation about this Ford Ranger junkyard find right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Blank Slate
Another trait that sets this junkyard find apart is the fact that it has an automatic transmission —an extremely rare trait for small trucks in the 1984 model year. Given the "Explorer" trim features, upgraded engine, and automatic transmission, it's likely this build was made specifically for a dealership. Hopefully, this mint 1984 Ford Ranger's days in the sun are over, as it would be an ideal canvas for restoration.
>>Join the conversation about this Ford Ranger junkyard find right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
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