Ford Ranger owners... past and present... 'tis a sad day

[DetroitStyle]

Sometime Friday, the final Ford Ranger pickup will be driven off the assembly line in St. Paul, Minn., ending an 86-year run for a factory opened by Henry Ford. Here's what the end of the Ranger means for work in America.
Launched in 1982, but born from the gas crises of the '70s, the Ranger was for over a decade the most popular small truck in America through 2004. Since then, the numbers have plunged to as low as 55,000 a year, but even in its final year, Ford will likely sell more Rangers in the United States than Mustangs.

Since its last redesign in 1998, Ford has toyed with updating or replacing the Ranger for years — but decided a new model would only compete too closely with the F-Series pickups for a shrinking pool of customers. And where fuel economy had once been the Ranger's reason for existence, technology has caught up; the twin-turbo V-6 F-150 pickup now gets better mileage than the top-end Ranger.

"The compact pickup segment in the U.S. has been declining — from almost 8 percent of total industry sales in 1994 to 2 percent of industry sales in 2010," said Ford spokesman Mike Levine "The F-Series works best for customers in North America."

After the last Ranger departs St. Paul on Friday — en route to use by Orkin, which has bought almost exclusively Ford Rangers for its exterminators — the Twin Cities Assembly plant will close. Built in 1924 by Henry and Edsel Ford, the plant employed 2,000 workers at its peak, riveting together everything from Mercury Turnpike Cruisers to armored cars for World War II. After Friday, some 800 workers will be let go.

But it's also a sign that the rest of America isn't working like it used to. There are as many Americans working in construction today as there were 15 years ago. The same is true for repair and maintenance jobs -- men and women who drive from job to job every day, racking up hundreds of thousands of miles on their Rangers. The people who bought most Ford Rangers for work and home simply don't have jobs that require the ability to haul an 8-foot sheet of plywood; those that still do were steered to the larger pickups that were discounted enough to seal the sale.

That's not true elsewhere. Earlier this year, Ford launched a new Ranger in Asia that will eventually be sold in 188 countries. Larger than the current Ranger but still smaller than an F-150, Ford stuffed the new global Ranger with a host of new tech, from touch-screen navigation to new fuel-efficient diesel engines.

The two countries where it won't be sold: the United States and Canada. In Australia, where the new Ranger has won strong plaudits from reviewers, the base model costs $28,000, more than what a larger, well-equipped F-150 can be bought for here. Top-end models touch $40,000, unheard-of prices for a small pickup on these shores.

Ford's loss has other companies moving; General Motors is expected to bring out a new version of the Chevrolet Colorado, also based on a global update, and Nissan and Toyota remain strong sellers. Whether the Ranger ever goes back to work here depends on when the rest of us do as well.

 

[DetroitStyle]

I loved my FX4 Ranger. Great little truck.

 

[91trunk]

I owned/leased 6-7 of them. Great trucks, just no market for them anymore.

 

[mdhmi]

Market demand changes over time - this is normal. The idea of a mini pickup always seemed useless to me.

 

[DetroitStyle]

I owned/leased 6-7 of them. Great trucks, just no market for them anymore.

:werd: I understand why they're making the move. But yeah, I had the '04 above and a '98 that was 2WD, lowered, on Bullitts and that was a fun little commuter too.

 

[Falcon64]

Thats sad as hell. More jobs lost!!

 

[boosted gt]

never owned one but i liked the 90's stx and splash

 

[DetroitStyle]

never owned one but i liked the 90's stx and splash

When I was 18, I dated a girl who leased an early 90s Splash 2WD with the 5-speed. That truck was a blast. I was drifting back when it was still called powersliding.

 

[derbydad276]

I had 4 of them over the years
wish I would kept the last one and stuffed a 302 in it

I had 89 that I put 150k miles on it never quit untill it got rear ended and AAA totaled it

 

[hangemhigh]

I owned/leased 6-7 of them. Great trucks, just no market for them anymore.

me too......loved every one of them.....!!...:thumbsup:

 

[slideways]

I am a GM S-truck guy thru and thru, But I have a 84 4.0 5-speed currently, It's my first range and I'ts really a pretty secent little truck, Cab isin't quite as spacious as an S-truck, and the fuel mileage isint quite as good. Aside from that they are great. Mini trucks are great all around vehicle's if you want something that gets good gas mileage and isint too big yet still need to haul stuff often.

 

[JDP]

i had a 97 2.3l with 230k miles, probably my favorite vehicle i owned

 

[91trunk]

My first lease was a Regular Cab 4cylinder 5 speed for 98.00 a month. 6'5" in a 5 speed, regular cab sucked, but for 98 a month I made it work. I used it is my Winter beater. I ended up taking a 5lb sledge hammer and beating the back cab panel until it was touching the bed. I was making room for an 8" sub for behind the passenger seat. :lol:

 

[mustangjoe87]

I have had 3, with my current being a 07. Great trucks sad to see them go

 

[raroz28]

My buddy posted this on his facebook the other day. He has owned several rangers and he still has an 03 Ranger today. He loves those trucks so needless to say he's very sad about this. He wanted to buy a brand new one later on.

 

[Golden]

I love small trucks. Definitely sad to see it go. Almost as sad as when the S-10 left. However, when full size trucks are getting better fuel economy, why bother?

I also loved the Ranger Splash. My cousin bought a red one back in 93ish.

 

[85notch]

Rocking this right now, picked up for $150 put about another $150 into and it drives great.

 

[Golden]

Where the hell did you find that for $150?

 

[85notch]

it had been sitting at a house down the street that was for sale, one day stopped by and asked the guy how much for it and he said scrap value so I handed him $150 and drove it home. It needed a fender and a front grill. Picked both pieces up for cheap painted the fender and now I just drive it. The tires and run flats and came with those wheels. I picked them up for a 100 for the set.

 

[Golden]

Damn. That's a really nice score.