You always remember your first, Right?

[Fawnbuster]

My first Ranger experience was when I drove a 1982½ Ranger in 1980.

Best,
Phil

Not fair! Insider information!! FOUL! LOL

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[moorejl57]

1959 Volvo PV544 I bought in 1982. No pollution control stuff at all, had a draft tube.

 

[JohnnyO]

First car or first Ranger?

First car, 1968 Firebird. 350, auto, posi, deluxe interior, rare folding back seat option, A/C. Purchased new by my grandmother and my dad called dibs so she sold it to him in 1973. Dad let me have it when I was old enough to drive in 1976 and he got something else. I should mention that before the Firebird my grandmother had a 1965 Olds 442 and when she sold my dad the Firebird she got another Olds 442, the 1973 Colonnade with swivel bucket seats. I had a very cool grandma.

First Ranger was a 1999, the only vehicle that I ever special ordered. I had gotten divorced and my ex-wife stole our kids and moved to the far reaches of Upstate NY, i.e. snow country, and I needed something to get me back and forth safely. I'd always wanted a truck and needed something good on gas and good in snow. Supercab XLT, 3.0 (aka 3.slow), 5 speed stick, limited-slip rear, tilt wheel and cruise, CD player, and 4 doors (was an option at the time). I leased it through the company I owned at the time. Performed its tasks admirably and I might have bought it but two months before the lease was up someone ran a stop sign at high speed and T-boned me in the driver's side. Ford was offering $3500 rebates at the time so we threw the rebate on the lease and I took home an absolutely loaded 2002 XLT Off-Road, 4.0, auto, 4.10's, limited-slip, every option but the hard bed cover and 6 disc CD player, and only cost $10 more a month than I was paying on the '99.

 

[1pt21gw]

First car or first Ranger?

First car, 1968 Firebird. 350, auto, posi, deluxe interior, rare folding back seat option, A/C. Purchased new by my grandmother and my dad called dibs so she sold it to him in 1973. Dad let me have it when I was old enough to drive in 1976 and he got something else. I should mention that before the Firebird my grandmother had a 1965 Olds 442 and when she sold my dad the Firebird she got another Olds 442, the 1973 Colonnade with swivel bucket seats. I had a very cool grandma.

First Ranger was a 1999, the only vehicle that I ever special ordered. I had gotten divorced and my ex-wife stole our kids and moved to the far reaches of Upstate NY, i.e. snow country, and I needed something to get me back and forth safely. I'd always wanted a truck and needed something good on gas and good in snow. Supercab XLT, 3.0 (aka 3.slow), 5 speed stick, limited-slip rear, tilt wheel and cruise, CD player, and 4 doors (was an option at the time). I leased it through the company I owned at the time. Performed its tasks admirably and I might have bought it but two months before the lease was up someone ran a stop sign at high speed and T-boned me in the driver's side. Ford was offering $3500 rebates at the time so we threw the rebate on the lease and I took home an absolutely loaded 2002 XLT Off-Road, 4.0, auto, 4.10's, limited-slip, every option but the hard bed cover and 6 disc CD player, and only cost $10 more a month than I was paying on the '99.

Nice, in the summer of '87 I was looking at a '70 Camaro or a '70 Mustang, at $2200 it was the Mustang and the blood turned Blue. That would be the Mustang currently in the garage too. Friend of mine had a Firebird, and hated people calling it a Camaro.

And a bonus to you for figuring out I was talking about Rangers.

 

[1pt21gw]

My first Ranger experience was when I drove a 1982½ Ranger in 1980.

Best,
Phil

My dad's first Ranger was an '84 Long bed w/ the two gas tanks. Had a ton of fun riding in the back, until he put a canopy on. Looked close to this, just the stock wheels & tires.

 

[TJC]

My first was a gutted, but recently painted 57 Chevy Belair coup. Interior was intact and the seats were black rolled and pleated. Engine (283 V8) was in pieces sitting on the ground in South Florida weather. Pistons, crank, and cam still in the block, but water was in the cylinders and rust rings had formed at the water line. The oil pan and heads were also on the ground and the rest of the parts were in the trunk. Transmission was manual 3 speed on the ground. It was a 3 on the tree configuration.

I was 16 and spotted it at a paint shop in Florida City in 1971. I stopped and talked to the owner. The body was solid, no rust or bondo anywhere (it came from Arizona). I traded a high dollar Fisher Stereo and a broken 13" portable color TV for it. They hauled it 5 miles over to my home... I pushed it into the front yard (my parents were away for 2 days when this occurred).

I already had a working knowledge of engines having removed a 4 cyl from a 1960 Nash Metro. I had also removed a 170CI straight 6 from a 1964 Ford Falcon and replaced it with an almost new 200 CI 6. So I was comfortable doing the work.

I rebuilt that engine in the front yard and installed it in the car within a month. Found a pair of camel hump Fuelie 202 heads at a local junk yard, and a Muncie M21 4 speed ( I wanted an M22 but couldn't find one) to go into it. I hated to cut the hole in the floor to add the shifter, but I desperately wanted the 4 on the floor.. Added a pair of used headers and new air shocks on the back to raise it up a little. Drove it all during my high school years. I loved that car!

Looked exactly like this one - almost the same color (very close) but with Cragar mags on it. It even had the optional backup lights! Sold it for $700 in 1974 when I joined the USAF at 19. Big BIG Mistake....

- T

 

[Cmar]

1969 Ford Capri, I think they were sold as Mercury in the US. Can find a pic to scan at the moment but looked exactly like this one in the link only RHD of course. Had the indestructible Ford Kent cross-flow four which I treated like a Formula Ford. My parents wouldn't let me swap it for a 3 litre Essex V6 model - something about killing myself?? Loved that car, sold it after I graduated from University, and bought a Falcon hardtop, should never have sold it. I guess it started me on Fords for most of the rest of my life.

https://p7.storage.canalblog.com/71/44/570736/116452731_o.jpg

 

[CB750F]

1969 Ford Capri, I think they were sold as Mercury in the US. Can find a pic to scan at the moment but looked exactly like this one in the link only RHD of course. Had the indestructible Ford Kent cross-flow four which I treated like a Formula Ford. My parents wouldn't let me swap it for a 3 litre Essex V6 model - something about killing myself?? Loved that car, sold it after I graduated from University, and bought a Falcon hardtop, should never have sold it. I guess it started me on Fords for most of the rest of my life.

https://p7.storage.canalblog.com/71/44/570736/116452731_o.jpg

Hi @Cmar , nice Capri. My buddy had one, but not for long as rust had taken over.(We were in school was already an old car).

First Ford & Ranger was second hand, a 199x. Was stolen
but they eventually found the bastards. Bought another
with the insurance $. Sold that one shortly after as I started using the train to commute & having 2 vehicle
at the time was too much $. 1 month later we hit a deer
& totaled the Chrysler Sundance(thank god!). Bought a
new 2001 Suzuki wagon Esteem wich lasted 18 yrs.

 

[Markubis]

1997 Ranger XLT 4x4 w/ 4.0L V6 5sp Manual and my first new car as well. Politely lifted, and modified the heck out of the stereo with 3 JL 10's in the back. Sorry no pics of 'em. The seats were the most comfortable we have EVER had in a vehicle. It was a great truck, not sure why I was stupid enough to get rid of it.

I had a 94 Ranger and I will attest to the seats. Mine had pull out bolsters on the front seats to extend the seat longer and it reached almost to the back of my knees.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Hi @Cmar , nice Capri. My buddy had one, but not for long as rust had taken over.(We were in school was already an old car).

I still have my first car - a Capri - I restored it about 15 years ago now - it lives a life of luxury in the garage only being driven on nice days:

From back in the 80's:

And after the restoration:

 

[Blmpkn]

My first ranger, the day after I brought my 2nd ranger home. My '21 makes my 3rd MFFR.

 

[MXGOLF]

1973 Plymouth Duster baby blue with 225 slant 6. My Pioneer supertuner hanging under the dash.

I remember those supertuners. I got one from the Stereo Super Store. That was a cool place back in the 70's.

My first vehicle was a 1964 Ford Short Bed Pickup. Not sure what they were called back then LOL. It was great for my dirt bike as we used to go dirt biking most weekends as a kid and through college.

 

[AzScorpion]

My Pioneer supertuner hanging under the dash.

I remember those supertuners. I got one from the Stereo Super Store. That was a cool place back in the 70's.

Don't forget about the 6x9 Jensen triaxial speakers in the rear deck.

 

[Texasota]

Mine was a used 1975 Ford Pinto wagon (orange with manual transmission). It did not have a blue oval badge but did have small chrome letters spelling Ford on front corner of the hood. Somebody switched the F and D resulting in "DORF". I liked it that way and it was always known as the Dorf amongst my buddies and me. It was a reliable car for the 4 years that I owned it.

Looked just like this one:

 

[Dereku]

My first truck was a 96 f250 with the glorious 7.3 in it. A lot of firsts may have happened in that truck too.

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