What made you buy a Ranger?

saw my first ranger when i was in the 10th grade in 1983. thought it looked "cool" bought my first 5 years later.
 
All my life I've wanted a Jeep Wrangler. I guess simply because I always thought I would look cool in one and it was small like me. Never really paid attention to specs, gas mileage, options, or mechanics I just wanted it because it was "the cool thing" when I was younger.

When I recently started looking into an off road vehicle I saw a ranger listed next to an ad for a Jeep. I never thought I would be a "truck girl", but it was very cool looking and after doing some research on the pros and cons of each vehicle I quickly gave the thumbs up for the Ranger and decided that was the vehicle for me.

I've only had mine for two days, took it on a "little" off road trip through a muddy, hilly, construction site and was thrilled! Can't wait to do some REAL mudding now!
 
I inherited my Ranger after my grandfather passed away, been a die hard GM fan for years and still own my first car, a 99 GMC Sonoma. This truck changed my mind about Fords. I also wouldn't take it for Grandma, I paid her for it. I needed a 4wd for going to college in Montana, so it worked out. 2 years, and 63000 mostly trouble free miles later, she's drug me all over the states. I wouldn't trade this truck for the world, and it keeps me in touch with Grandpa, I miss him, but I think about him every time I crank the truck up and hit the open road.
 
I have never sold a vechicle that didn't require a tow truck.

Last month, when my 2000 Neon became not economical to repair (at 11 years and 329000 km, it owed me nothing), I set out to buy the best car I could with the cash I had in hand.

I was not satisfied with the condition of cars in the under $4000 range, so I started looking at trucks.

None of the trucks were any good either, so I started looking at Fords. [duck]

:)

All in all, I am quite happy with it this past week... and my 2.5 year old son just loves it.
 
My 93 Ranger

Always wanted a 4x4. Saw this truck for a steal and haven't been sorry. Lasted me two years after my estimate of about 215,000 miles. Need a transmission now but wondering if I should buy one or just go for a newer version. For the price I paid, it did its job well. Let down that it's broke but not disappointed because it was my doing.

Anybody that has a transmission for an fairly inexpensive price, let me know.

Thx!
 
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traded a f-150 for mine i wanted gas milage 2 days after i bought it i bought rims after a week i had a k&n cai 3 weeks in i had exhaust after a year i body lifted it and put on a set of 285/75/r16 tires. started with around 21-25 mpg (not lying) went to 10-12 mpg (lead foot) now back to around 15-18 (trying to grow up so i dont hot rod it as much) so i wonder why i traded a f-150 for a ranger... screw it the rangers way cooler. :D
 
I originally got into a Ranger because I wanted a 5.0 Mustang, but couldn't afford the insurance. I've always considered myself a Ford Guy, except for a couple of VW deviations. I knew I wanted 4x4, and I certainly didn't need a 150, so I went with a Ranger. I'm currently driving my fifth, so obviously, I've found something that works for me.
I bought my first Ranger brand new in 1990-red STX 4x4 regular cab with the mighty 2.9 and 5-speed-I wanted the "new" 4.0, but in '90 they were only available with an auto and I hated automatics (at the time).
After a LONNNNG 6 months, that truck was lemon-lawed, so I got a black '91 XLT 4x4 regular cab with the full STX interior and suspension and the 4.0/manual combo. That was a nice little truck, but after about 6 months, the sports car bug bit me HARD, so I traded it and took a beating on it.
Fast forward to '93, and I bought a brand new '93 black 4x4 XLT reg cab that was identical to my 91, except in the newer body style. I even had DEJA VU on my license plate. 4.0/manual, and man, that truck was fast for it's time; I used to race people all the time. That truck was the first that I really started to modify--Superlift 2" lift coils, Trailmaster shocks, 31" BFG A/Ts, Flowmaster, and some stereo work. I drove that truck for 4 years until we traded it for a new Outback for my wife. Definitely did NOT take a beating on that trade-the general manager of the dealership absolutely fell in love with that truck.
On to 2000, time for another new Ranger-this time a DSG 4x4 XLT Supercab, 4.0/manual. loaded to the gills (again). That truck I loved from the day that I ordered it, I still miss it, the color was perfect, it was finally a Supercab, so it had some room in it, it looked amazing, and it went like hell. Did a fair amount of modding: Hurst shifter, intake, MAF, TB, Gibson exhaust, 245 BFGs, etc. I drove that truck untill May of '04, when my current truck finally arrived at the dealership. I sold the '00 outright for 12 grand with 64K miles on it-the saleman at the dealership couldn't believe that I got that kind of money for a truck with a stick in it, but it was a NICE truck.
So now, after 7 years, I still have my '04--black 4x4 XLT S/C, 4.0 SOHC/Auto, stuffed. The most heavily modded of all of them, and for obvious reasons, it will be the last one that I ever buy new. The only regret that i have about this truck is that I got black again--I really should have gotten DSG, but I didn't see the sense in buying a brand new vehicle and getting on that looked exactly the same as the one that I'd just sold.
MikeR
 
My 6th grade teacher got the very first Ranger two tone red/white XLT. I fell in love with it! I said I am going to get one.

I would go to the dealer and just day dream of owning one one of these days. I couldn't afford one when I was 16, so I had to settle for a '79 Mustang.

After HS, the mustang had to be retired, and was looking at Ranger, but was still out of my price range. Dealer had a used S-10 that was in great shape, and cheap. Brought the S-10, and after a year a half, I had to get rid of it. Was in the shop almost 2 times a year!

1993, the new Ranger came out, and I happen to pass the dealer when they were getting a shipment in.. I was in the next day eying this blue XLT Ranger.. 2 hours later, the S10 was history, and Ranger in my life! I was smiling BIG time! Mom said she has never seen me smile soo much!:D

5 years later, traded it in for a car since my friends were always driving us some where, and I didn't have the room..

Now into my adult life, owning a home I had to get a Ranger again! Was looking at one for 2 years, and one day said "Screw it! Get one today!" so I got myself a brand new '09 XL Ranger. Great on gas, enough for me to do yard work and quick trip to Home Depot.. F-150 is too big to fit in my garage!

Now, it's too damn bad that Ford is killing the Rangers! What am I going to do down the road if I want a new Ranger????
 
After driveing it for 3 days ,I wanted it.It was my father-inlaws , He bought it used in 2005 with 31,868 miles on it ,He has to sell it, can`t drive anymore .I told him I would sell it for him , It now has 34,100 miles on it .It has been in the garage for 6 years .It was taken to a Ford dealership for service 2 years ago . I had an independant mechanic check it out .It`s like a 2 year old vehicle inside and out .What more could I ask for ,4.l , V6 4x4 4door auto, everything except pwr door locks and windows Drives and performs great. Couldn`t pass it up for $7,000.:rolleyes::rolleyes: It reminds me alot of my 89 full size I had but smaller.
 
i was searching for a ZR2 and they had this fx4 LEVEL II they said and i was liek wth is that drove it and took it home the next day.
 
my first truck was a 93 ranger 5 speed 2x4 then came the 98 sport 5 speed 2x4 x-cab then came my 2000 4x4 auto sport. i didnt have that much money when i got my first truck and i think i payed 1100 out the door. after that i just fell in loe with the ranger's
 
Lets see. My first ever vehicle was a 98 jeep wrangler that my mother gave me for my 15 birthday. She had bought it brand new and had it for 10 years and 165k before I got a hold of it. Had that for 2 years, took me to prom, banged a few girlfriends on the hood, had a lot of good memories. But after 2 years and 194k on the clock it began to show its age. I put over 1000 bucks into the a/c and it lasted 3 months before the evaporator took a ****, then the trans took a **** at 185k ( 1,330 bucks to rebuild a 3 speed auto). Lets just say it was your typical Chrysler product. NOW for the ranger- I babied the jeep while looking for a new truck. All my friends had rangers and ran them into the ground and they kept going, and my father who had fords all his life ran his fords pretty hard and never let him down. So i hunted, all the rangers that I found were either beat to holy hell and over priced or not what I wanted. After 4 months my father said get rid of your jeep and I will help you find a truck. We looked and looked- not a single ranger in sight. He said " oh there is a mini cooper dealership, that could be a fun car" I was like hell no but lets look. So we were hunting the lot when I spied a ford logo through some shrubs, and I walked over and there was this 98 xlt with a 7 foot bed sitting in the trade in lot waiting for reconditioning. So we went back when they were opened and I put 500 down on a deposit and drove it and fell in love. I got it for 4100 a year ago with 144 k on the clock. Ive had it for a year now and wouldnt trade it for the world. Funny..... I almost got a cooper.....
 
well to be honest I was looking for a 03 and older Chevy S10 ZR2, I know a Chevy, i was young and dumb couldn't find one with under 100,000 miles for less then 10k, so my Dad drove by the dealer that had my Ranger and he told me about it, so black friday 2007 i went and looked, it had 59,437 miles and they only wanted $9,990 for it soi went to the bank and by 5pm that friday she was mine, she had the big tires already and the dual exhaust done
 
i started out with a big 3500 cummin ram, that i used as a work truck, but gas prices hit high up here in 08/09 so i sold it and werent threw car after car, then got an 87 ranger and ran it for a few months before it died, got a 92 ranger and crashed it, then found a 4x4 ranger and bought it, and i still have it today, i got the rangers because they are tough trucks, small, and ok on gas for a truck
 
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