The True Ancestor of the 5G Ranger

[P. A. Schilke]

Seems right to me. We are driving a truck developed outside the US.

The Sport track is to me a deadringer for the current Ranger less some styling.

Wonder if Phil can shed some light.

Hi OHTremor,

The Explorer Sport Track is indeed based off the Explorer and is not related to the 5G Ranger. the ancestor of the current Ranger is the Thailand Ranger and the South American Ranger and was designed by Ford of Australia.

Best,
Phil

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[Dereku]

Still would take an 06+ sport track. Maybe ill buy one for the kids. I mean they need a decent first vehicle.

 

[Progeny2021]

Speaking of unibodies, Ford tried it during the early 1960s: 1961 - 1963 models. While not a true unibody, these trucks had a one piece body sitting on a frame. Good looking trucks, but there were lots of problems with it.

 

[Fawnbuster]

I had an Explorer Sport Trac for 18 months and HATED it, mainly due to the bed. The cover was easy enough for one guy to remove but putting it back on without gouging the bedside was hard to avoid. The bed was shorter and narrower than my current Ranger, I literally could not put my Bow case in the bed length wise and close the tailgate and if I put it in there at an angle i couldn't get much else in the bed, problematic for a weekend hunt for 2 guys. Plus the depth of the bed, all of our totes and coolers that fit all of our other vehicles struggled to slide in without lifting the bed cover. The final straw for me was I could not fit a 4x8 sheet of anything in the bed or on top of the bed. At the time I was remodeling my home and snapping sheets of drywall got old fast so I traded it in on my 2012 f150. When I bought the sport Trac I went in to buy a 2010 f 150 but the 6k rebate and buying it at dealer Cost was too good to pass up at the time. That's the only truck I've bought without seriously investigating it before hand. Won't happen again. Its ride was very comfy as a grocery getter but that's it.

 

[JohnnyO]

Still would take an 06+ sport track. Maybe ill buy one for the kids. I mean they need a decent first vehicle.

FYI there was no 2006 Sport Trac. Gen 1 2001-2005 and Gen 2 2007-2010.
I've owned both and the ride and handling of my '08 was so much better than my '05 that it wasn't even funny. Gen 2 has a bit more legroom in the rear seat than the Gen 1.

 

[Dereku]

FYI there was no 2006 Sport Trac. Gen 1 2001-2005 and Gen 2 2007-2010.
I've owned both and the ride and handling of my '08 was so much better than my '05 that it wasn't even funny. Gen 2 has a bit more legroom in the rear seat than the Gen 1.

Good to know. We had an 06. Explorer, I just assumed.

 

[pbethel]

The independent rear suspension took out all that side to side motion of the solid rear axle Explorers. Much more composed ride.

 

[raytwntrvlr]

Maybe if this was available in a crewie it would been around longer.

 

[ControlNode]

I had an Explorer Sport Trac for 18 months and HATED it, mainly due to the bed. The cover was easy enough for one guy to remove but putting it back on without gouging the bedside was hard to avoid. The bed was shorter and narrower than my current Ranger, I literally could not put my Bow case in the bed length wise and close the tailgate and if I put it in there at an angle i couldn't get much else in the bed, problematic for a weekend hunt for 2 guys. Plus the depth of the bed, all of our totes and coolers that fit all of our other vehicles struggled to slide in without lifting the bed cover. The final straw for me was I could not fit a 4x8 sheet of anything in the bed or on top of the bed. At the time I was remodeling my home and snapping sheets of drywall got old fast so I traded it in on my 2012 f150. When I bought the sport Trac I went in to buy a 2010 f 150 but the 6k rebate and buying it at dealer Cost was too good to pass up at the time. That's the only truck I've bought without seriously investigating it before hand. Won't happen again. Its ride was very comfy as a grocery getter but that's it.

As for 4x8 drywall and such. No issues getting that with my Focus before I bought the Ranger. I don't know why a 5x10 utility trailer is so overlooked, it turns any car into a truck of sorts, or gives a compact truck a full-size truck bed.

 

[Progeny2021]

Maybe if this was available in a crewie it would been around longer.

Many realize the Courier was built by Mazda. Sold in America from 1972 to 1982, before being replaced by the American built, compact Ranger for 1983.

The 'Courier'(?!?!) I'm interested in is the Mazda Rotary Pickup Truck sold in America from 1974 to 1977. Larger than the compact Courier, many considered the Rotary a 'mid size'. Some of us had hoped that Ford would rebadge a few for the American market but it never happened. Running examples can still be found.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a32617/first-drive-mazda-rotary-pickup-truck/

 

[Fawnbuster]

As for 4x8 drywall and such. No issues getting that with my Focus before I bought the Ranger. I don't know why a 5x10 utility trailer is so overlooked, it turns any car into a truck of sorts, or gives a compact truck a full-size truck bed.

Agreed, a trailer is handy...if you own one. IdeAnd if you want to rent one, some rental places here refused to rent if your pulling with a sport Trac. No idea why

 

[Progeny2021]

I had an Explorer Sport Trac for 18 months and HATED it, mainly due to the bed. The cover was easy enough for one guy to remove but putting it back on without gouging the bedside was hard to avoid. The bed was shorter and narrower than my current Ranger, I literally could not put my Bow case in the bed length wise and close the tailgate and if I put it in there at an angle i couldn't get much else in the bed, problematic for a weekend hunt for 2 guys. Plus the depth of the bed, all of our totes and coolers that fit all of our other vehicles struggled to slide in without lifting the bed cover. The final straw for me was I could not fit a 4x8 sheet of anything in the bed or on top of the bed. At the time I was remodeling my home and snapping sheets of drywall got old fast so I traded it in on my 2012 f150. When I bought the sport Trac I went in to buy a 2010 f 150 but the 6k rebate and buying it at dealer Cost was too good to pass up at the time. That's the only truck I've bought without seriously investigating it before hand. Won't happen again. Its ride was very comfy as a grocery getter but that's it.

Always liked the Sport Trac. To this day, I see my Lariat as the progeny of Sport Trac. Image: marketing material I received from Ford back in the day.

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