So my Toyota dealer keeps an old 3rd gen Ford Ranger as their parts gopher

Just found it funny that I went from a super reliable B3000 (Ranger) to an even more (hope so) reliable Tacoma and my dealer keeps a 3rd gen ranger as their parts gopher truck to haul stuff around. Should have taken a picture it was a nice red extend-cab.

Love the new truck, kinda miss the old girl a bit too.

 

Nothing wrong with a bit of change

 

Awww, the good ones are always tough to let go and forget about.

 

Used, high mileage trade-in that can't be sold..

 

My brother owned a 2005 Ranger he drove for 10 years with nothing other than change the tires and the oil.

Part of the reason nothing broke was because...well, it didn’t have much besides a motor, a transmission, and a steering wheel. He loved that truck, though.

He now has a base 2015 GMC Canyon Crew Cab 4-cyl automatic. He is very happy with it, too.

 

Nice. Mine was a 99 with a 110k on the clock. Few minor fixes (alternator, clogged fuel injector) but nothing major and never left me stranded.

Funny thing is my 2.7 4 on the Taco feels more powerful (I know right?!?) than the 3.0 Vulcan V6 even though they are pretty much both 150ish HP engines.

 

The reason I drive a Toyota now is because I had a 1996 Ranger 4.0L. I sold it at 70k by which time it already had a transmission replaced under warranty, blown a hub lock (at which point I converted to Warn manual hubs) and had gone through 2 intake gaskets (I think the intake was molded or finished wrong but didn't ever confirm). The 3rd brake light leaked from the day I bought it and the radio had stopped working.

Even so, I didn't hate it.

 

Mine was so old it still had an aluminum intake. I hear the ATX on those were kind of problematic so when I bought it I swapped out the fluid for a nice Castrol synthetic Mercon ATF. Shifted smoother and lasted all 70k I put on the truck without any problems. The key is to keep those transmission from overheating.

Plus 3.0s were known for reliability like the 2.7 on our trucks.

 

I do wish I knew then what I (sorta) do now. It had the 5R55E and IIRC I could have bought it with a 5 speed manual. If I did that I might still have the truck.

 

My first truck.. '83 Ranger 2.3 liter. Bought dirt bikes, then I realized I needed a truck to get them around.

 

Some of the auto parts stores around here still have old Rangers for delivery vehicles, sure they are cheap to operate.

 

My 2004 2.3l ranger was a pos as far I was concerned. I owned it new and by 70,000 miles it would drink a quart + of oil every thousand miles.

If it didn't drink the oil I'd most likely be still driving it as a daily.

 

Oh man that brings me back. My first vehicle was a 99 Mazda B2500 manual single cab. Drove it for 8 years. It lives at my dads now (another 8 years, since 2011 as a ranch truck still running. love that lil truck, but love my new truck.