Some of you folks may remember I was looking for a small truck a while back. I like the Frontier and the Ranger mainly, but others tempted me as well.
However, this super rare 1986 Ranger got me. Anyone who isn't blithering drunk and spots why it is so rare, say so.... [evil]
I love this truck. Can pull a stump out and hauls a lot more than the regular models Plus, I am getting about 28 mpg highway, and usually 22 mpg city driving -- and I drive like an asshole!
For a 22 year old truck, this one is stunning. Same old lady owned it from day one -- she was 78 when I bought it, and drove it for 20 years, only putting 175k miles on it, which is pretty low mileage for a such a truck. IT is getting a new brake system (complete overhaul, new booster, master, tubes, calipers/rotors etc), the turbo is getting a rebuild, and I am having a body guy look at it to see about derusting the bottom and coating it for perpetuity (it has very little rust, it was a Texas truck -- just a lot of dust!)
(http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/th_86FordRanger024.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/?action=view¤t=86FordRanger024.jpg) (http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/th_86FordRanger015.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/?action=view¤t=86FordRanger015.jpg) (http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/th_86FordRanger014.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/?action=view¤t=86FordRanger014.jpg)
(http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/th_amarmi136a.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/?action=view¤t=amarmi136a.jpg) (http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/th_amarmi134a.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/?action=view¤t=amarmi134a.jpg)(http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/th_amarmi129a.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/?action=view¤t=amarmi129a.jpg) (http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/th_amarmi137a.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/ducatiz/ranger/?action=view¤t=amarmi137a.jpg)
That's the first diesel Ranger I've ever seen! Well done! [thumbsup]
...and yes I am drunk! [cheeky]
Quote from: alfisti on October 26, 2008, 07:41:51 PM
That's the first diesel Ranger I've ever seen! Well done! [thumbsup]
Yeah, they offered a diesel from 83 thru 87. The 83-84 model was a Mazda 2.2 engine and the 85-87 was a Mitsubishi 2.3 turbo (astron).
It is noisy as hell -- just like a big truck diesel, but runs beautifully. I am torn between using it (I need a truck) and doing some resto work on it. I might just do functional resto work on it and let someone else down the road show it. It is a great little truck!
Ford doesn't support the Mitsubishi engine anymore, but fortunately Mitsubishi has used that engine in everything from Dodge trucks to forklifts and still use it to this day in their trucks overseas. Plenty of engine parts around.
Wooo, 86hp. Be careful you don't get whiplash from that stupendous acceleration. :P
What an awesome find!
I really wish America would importing worthwhile diesels. Every time I'm in England, they always try to stick me with some worthless Vauxhall at the rental desk, but I usually try and sweet talk them into giving me a little diesel of some sort, I love them.
neato. [thumbsup]
Quote from: NeufUnSix on October 26, 2008, 08:07:36 PM
Wooo, 86hp. Be careful you don't get whiplash from that stupendous acceleration. :P
what, are you saying your miniature T-34 may, in fact, have more power? ;D
Quote from: NeufUnSix on October 26, 2008, 08:07:36 PM
Wooo, 86hp. Be careful you don't get whiplash from that stupendous acceleration. :P
oh, i am not trying to win races with it.
however, the later model engines develop 156 hp and are a drop-in fit. I just need to get one shipped from australia.. rofl!
Quote from: darylbowden on October 26, 2008, 08:23:24 PM
What an awesome find!
I really wish America would importing worthwhile diesels. Every time I'm in England, they always try to stick me with some worthless Vauxhall at the rental desk, but I usually try and sweet talk them into giving me a little diesel of some sort, I love them.
yeah, the real shitter is that Ford sells ONLY the diesel version of their Ranger in Europe. it's a great engine too.. good mileage and great power.. in fact, in most of europe, you can't even buy a gas/petrol Ranger -- only diesel!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duratorq (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duratorq)
Congrats! Perfect candidate for grease car conversion. 50ish MPG on free waste oil from your local diner.
Quote from: howie on October 26, 2008, 08:38:50 PM
Congrats! Perfect candidate for grease car conversion. 50ish MPG on free waste oil from your local diner.
i have been looking into the WVO/SVO setup for it. I want to get it in better condition over all first. Brakes first, then engine!
those little trucks are sturdy too...i rolled over in one similar to yours several times once. came out of it laughing. hence why i still own a ford truck. [thumbsup]
I am going to ignore your blatantly sobrietycentric charge, and congratulate you on the find. That is awesome. I would love to find an alternate power plant for my venerable 1994 Ranger, now with 220k miles. I ain't mad at the Ranger.
If you go WVO, be sure to report on how hard or easy it is to find a good source. That is one thing I have been curious about...
i need to take a photo of the turbo with a ruler. it's the tiniest turbo i've ever seen.
my 1.9L VW TDI makes about 150 hp, it is kind of ridiculous that this 2.3 makes only 86. [laugh] but has gobs of torque for such a little truck.
i am researching engine mods for it. upping the turbo and a wvo option would be two of the best i think.
Awesome find! [thumbsup]
Very cool! [thumbsup] I love the boxy original Rangers.
I think I've only seen one of those before, and it was a long bed.
I had a '86 ranger I got handed down from my dad. It was a good truck, just the body fell off of it after 15 years in Iowa.
mitt
My high school auto shop had an '84 that was donated after it had been in a flood.
A couple of years after they got the Ranger, one of the teachers donated a mid-70's F100 with a 390 v-8.
An electric water pump, some fabbed up motor mounts and a radiator mounting bracket for the driver-side wheel well and presto-chango, you've got a donut machine.
Quote from: Obsessed? on October 27, 2008, 08:17:32 AM
My high school auto shop had an '84 that was donated after it had been in a flood.
A couple of years after they got the Ranger, one of the teachers donated a mid-70's F100 with a 390 v-8.
An electric water pump, some fabbed up motor mounts and a radiator mounting bracket for the driver-side wheel well and presto-chango, you've got a donut machine.
the '84, was it diesel?
I almost purchased a 82 vw diesel truck many a year ago. 0 to 60 in 11tyb seconds.
Quote from: bobspapa on October 27, 2008, 11:17:31 AM
I almost purchased a 82 vw diesel truck many a year ago. 0 to 60 in 11tyb seconds.
I think I might like a VW diesel truck and then swap in a TDI motor and convert it to vegi-oil... That way, I can get good power in a rare package and tow bikes with it. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Duck-Stew on October 27, 2008, 11:26:18 AM
I think I might like a VW diesel truck and then swap in a TDI motor and convert it to vegi-oil... That way, I can get good power in a rare package and tow bikes with it. [thumbsup]
I looked into swapping out the motor from a rabbit gti [evil]
(http://images.eurotuner.com/web/0509_128z+Volkswagen_Rabbit_Truck+Front_Drivers_Side_View.jpg)
Quote from: bobspapa on October 27, 2008, 11:51:22 AM
I looked into swapping out the motor from a rabbit gti [evil]
(http://images.eurotuner.com/web/0509_128z+Volkswagen_Rabbit_Truck+Front_Drivers_Side_View.jpg)
That is AWESOME!
I used to have one of those Mitsubishi turbo trucks, well a mazda with the mitsu engine. Bought it from a tow yard for $400, it lasted about 2 weeks until a ( or several) cam chains broke. I wasn't willing to spend $2600 to fix it, for some reason [roll]
Quote from: elTristo on October 27, 2008, 12:27:36 PM
That is AWESOME!
I used to have one of those Mitsubishi turbo trucks, well a mazda with the mitsu engine. Bought it from a tow yard for $400, it lasted about 2 weeks until a ( or several) cam chains broke. I wasn't willing to spend $2600 to fix it, for some reason [roll]
what model truck was this? none of the mitusbishi diesel engines i've seen have cam chains, only belts (they are called the Astron, all are belt-driven cams)
Quote from: ducatizzzz on October 27, 2008, 01:41:11 PM
what model truck was this? none of the mitusbishi diesel engines i've seen have cam chains, only belts (they are called the Astron, all are belt-driven cams)
I may be misremembering.... I was even more of an engine noob then than I am now. It was a Mazda B2something. 2600 maybe? 87 or 88.
Quote from: elTristo on October 27, 2008, 05:12:14 PM
I may be misremembering.... I was even more of an engine noob then than I am now. It was a Mazda B2something. 2600 maybe? 87 or 88.
If it was a Mazda diesel, then it was probably not a Mitsubishi engine. They used a Perkins engine in their diesels. The 84-85 Ranger used the Mazda engine but it was only 55 hp and was not very popular so they swapped it with the Mitsubishi turbo version with a whopping 86hp.
Quote from: ducatizzzz on October 27, 2008, 06:51:13 PM
If it was a Mazda diesel, then it was probably not a Mitsubishi engine. They used a Perkins engine in their diesels. The 84-85 Ranger used the Mazda engine but it was only 55 hp and was not very popular so they swapped it with the Mitsubishi turbo version with a whopping 86hp.
Could be, could be. I really only know what the mechanic told me, and that's a bit IZ_. Either way, my broke arse wasn't about to spend much on that $400 truck. And the towing company gave me half of my money back. Woo-hoo!