With any luck, someone will save this cool little piece of Blue Oval history.
Fixer Upper
Though the Ranger as we know it today, is a rather large, mid-size pickup, Ford fans clearly remember the days when it was a compact pickup. The smaller Ranger was a hit from the day it arrived for the 1983 model year, a simple, no-frills truck for folks that needed one but didn't have a ton of money to spend. We have a soft spot for early Rangers too, which is why we were so interested to see this promising fixer-upper recently spotted in a junkyard by Autoblog.
Photos: Murilee Martin for Autoblog
Powerhouse, Sort Of
This particular early Ranger is a 1985 XL model that's fitted with the most powerful engine buyers could get that model year - a 2.8-liter Cologne V6 that was originally rated at 115 horsepower. Obviously not anything that'll set your hair on fire, but this V6 is also backed up by a five-speed manual transmission, so there's that.
Photos: Murilee Martin for Autoblog
>>Join the conversation about this rare Ranger Ford find right here in the forum.
Well Optioned
This Ranger also has factory air conditioning, which wasn't a terribly popular option on early Rangers. But since it's an Arizona truck, we don't blame the original owner for opting for it. And with less than 200k miles on the clock, it certainly seems to be in relatively reasonable shape for a truck relegated to the junkyard.
Photos: Murilee Martin for Autoblog
>>Join the conversation about this rare Ranger Ford find right here in the forum.
Scrapyard Worthy?
The exterior of this old school Ranger certainly doesn't appear to be in bad condition whatsoever. The panels are pretty straight and rust-free, from what we can tell, and the truck looks to be fairly complete as well. It's hard to believe that someone chose to scrap it instead of selling it, but perhaps there are some issues under the surface here.
Photos: Murilee Martin for Autoblog
>>Join the conversation about this rare Ranger Ford find right here in the forum.
Mostly There
There are some bits and pieces missing from the interior, however, which have probably been purchased by folks seeking replacements for their own Rangers. But the interior isn't bare by any means, and just needs a few parts to be complete again. Heck, even the cloth-covered bench seat appears to be in decent shape.
Photos: Murilee Martin for Autoblog
>>Join the conversation about this rare Ranger Ford find right here in the forum.
Relative Cleanliness
Peek in the engine compartment, and you'll find a relatively clean bay there as well. The carbureted V6 is intact and looking pretty good, all things considered, but there's no telling if it's in running condition or salvageable whatsoever. But even if it isn't, a pushrod 5.0 will fit in there just fine.
Photos: Murilee Martin for Autoblog
>>Join the conversation about this rare Ranger Ford find right here in the forum.
Worth a Save
Obviously, this classic Ranger isn't worth a ton of money even in stellar condition, but we think it's a cool truck worth saving, regardless. And hopefully one day, folks will see the virtues of these lightweight, compact pickups and give them the attention they deserve.
Photos: Murilee Martin for Autoblog
>>Join the conversation about this rare Ranger Ford find right here in the forum.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section of Ford-trucks.com.
