Information AboutFord Ranger |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT FORD RANGER | |
| flexible-fuel vehicles | |
| ford vehicles | |
| ranger | |
| pickup trucks | |
| all wheel drive vehicles | |
| rear wheel drive vehicles | |
| 1980s automobiles | |
| 1990s automobiles | |
| 2000s automobiles | |
The Ford Ranger name is used on two distinct and unrelated Pickup Truck lines by the Ford Motor Company
NORTH AMERICAN RANGER
In North America, the Ranger is Ford 's compact pickup truck. In the 1960s and 1970s, the name was an option package on the Ford F-Series . The Ranger replaced the Ford Courier , an American version of the Mazda B-Series in a segment largely defined by the Toyota and Datsun pickup trucks. The Ranger was the best-selling compact pickup in America from 1987 to 2004. The Ranger and related Mazda B-Series are manufactured at Ford's Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Saint Paul, Minnesota , which is now scheduled to close in 2008. They were also assembled in Edison, New Jersey until the plant's closing in 2004. It was reported in 2006, an all-new Ranger, codenamed P273, was in the works to be introduced by 2010. Future Cars: Ford/PAG/Mazda The P273 was slated to be world pickup, presumably to be merged with the Mazda world pickups. A 2007 Ranger for the Thai market based on the Asian 4Trac concept was unveiled, but it is not scheduled to replace the North American truck. According to a recent article in the Car and Driver, there are three alternatives for Ford: 1) to redesign and continue to build the next generation in North America; 2) to import a smaller version from the plant in Thailand; and 3) to discontinue the Ranger line and exit the compact pickup marktet in North America. http://www.caranddriver.com/carnews/13303/ford-ranger-endangered.html There are rumors that Ford's future product plans in the compact pickup market segment will be announced closer to the end of Ford Ranger production at the Highland Park, Minnesota plant in 2008. There are reports that the plant will be sold and redeveloped once the production is ceased. www.startribune.com/535/story/1167715.html www.startribune.com/462/story/1394610.html First generation (1983-1988) Ford began development of the Ranger in 1976, focusing on quality and fuel efficiency. The intent was to build a truck that was as capable as the full-size F-Series , but in a more economical package. The compact Ranger had styling similar to the full-size Ford pickups, used a similar architecture, and was offered with four-wheel drive. The ability to haul a four-foot-wide sheet of plywood is a common standard for trucks. In the compact Ranger, however, the space between the wheelwells was less than four feet; Ford designed the box with provisions to allow hauling of a standard sheet of plywood. The Ranger was introduced in mid-1982 for the 1983 model year. Available engines were the 72 hp 2.0 L and 86 hp 2.3 L OHC Four-cylinders , a four-cylinder 59 hp 2.2 L Mazda/Perkins diesel, and a 115 hp 2.8 L Cologne V6 . In 1985, a Mitsubishi-built 2.3 L turbodiesel with 86 hp replaced the Mazda diesel engine, and in 1986, the 2.8 L engine was replaced with a 140 hp 2.9 L Cologne V6 . The SuperCab was introduced in 1986, offering an extra 17 inches of storage space behind the front seats, with a pair of jump seats available as an option. Many interior parts such as steering wheels and window cranks were shared with other Fords such as the Escort. Mid-year 1986 saw the introduction of the Ranger GT. Only available as a standard cab short bed, it had the 2.9 L Cologne V6 with either a 5-speed Toyo Kogyo manual transmission or an optional A4LD automatic transmission putting power to a Traction-Lok differential with a 3.73 gear ratio. Inside, the truck was equipped with special bucket seats, full instrument cluster, and an optional center console. Front and rear sway bars were installed, and 14x6 aluminum wheels completed the package. A long bed option was added for 1987, and a new ground effects package was introduced in 1988. Second generation (1989-1992)
The truck received a facelift in 1989, which included flush headlamps, new front fenders, hood, grille, and a modern new dashboard and steering column, and some changes to the frame. Rear-wheel antilock brakes were added, and a 21-gallon fuel tank was now optional on extended-cab models. The 2.0 L engine was discontinued, and the 2.3 L now had dual spark plugs, giving it a 14 hp boost. The three-speed automatics were dropped, leaving only the A4LD. The new 160 hp 4.0 L Cologne V6 was added to the option list for all models in 1990. The 145 hp 3.0 L Vulcan V6 was introduced to replace the 2.9 L Cologne in rear-wheel drive trucks later in 1990. With the new engines, the only manual transmission available was the 5-speed M5OD-R1 . The Ranger GT was discontinued, although Ford did build a prototype for 1990 that had a 3.0 L SHO V6. Third generation (1993-1997)
in 1993 there was another redesign, with a shape more aerodynamic than before. Overall the truck had smoother lines, and other changes included flush-mounted door glass, wider doors, and slight fender flares. The 1989-style dashboard remained, but the seats and door panels were new. The 2.9 L engine was discontinued. The Mazda M5OD-R1 was now the sole manual transmission option. A new "Splash" model was introduced, which had a flareside bed, unique aluminum wheels, and a special paint scheme. The 1993 Splash models were only available as a regular cab, later models could have either cab. The Mazda B-Series became a rebadged Ranger for the 1994 model year. A number of changes were made for 1995. The dashboard was completely redesigned, and it allowed room for a passenger's side airbag, installed in 1996. The A4LD transmission was updated. 2.3 L and 3.0 L models got the 4R44E, while 4.0 L trucks got the 4R55E. The front brakes were changed to use the same 2-piston brake calipers as the second generation Explorer , and four-wheel anti-lock brakes were added as standard on 4x4 and 4.0 L models. Fourth generation (1998-''present'')
For 1998 the Ranger got another redesign, giving it a longer wheelbase and a three-inch longer cab for the regular cab models. The 1995-97 interior was retained. The twin I-beam front suspension was replaced by a wishbone-style system and the front half of the frame was of "boxed", rather than C-channel construction. Rack and pinion steering was also added. The four-cylinder engine was bumped up to a 2.5 L SOHC I4 giving it a 6% increase in power than the old 2.3L. It put out 120 horsepower and 149 foot pounds of torque. That engine was replaced by a new DOHC 2.3 L Duratec I4 in mid-2001. 2001 also saw the pushrod 4.0 L V6 replaced by the SOHC version from the Explorer , bringing with it a beefier M5OD-R1HD manual transmission. In 2001, the Ranger received a facelift, including a new grille, hood, and front bumper, as well as updated headlights and taillights. In 2004 the Ranger received minor updates to the grille, hood, and front bumper. New front bucket seats were also added in 2004 to meet the new U.S. Federal safety requirements. In 2006 the Ranger received more minor updates to the grille, front turn signals and taillights, along with a bigger rear Ford logo that was now centerd in the middle of the tailgate. |
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