This is kind of a send off video. The last Ranger and the closing of the Twin Cities Plant. This happened last December, but I just saw this video and it's kind of sentimental I guess.
Not everyone has liked the Ranger and it hasn't changed much in the last couple decades, but I have been around them all my life, from family to friends, from high school to work, they have been there doing what they do best, being a small truck. I'm gonna miss it. 
Yes, sad indeed. Such a great small truck and the last "true" compact domestic truck.
When I was over in sand-land, I got to drive a diesel 4cyl, 4x4, crew cab, manual transmission Ranger. What an awesome little truck! Thanks Ford for forcing us the drive F150s.
The "Tonto" thread had me looking at Rangers on CL last night. I miss mine
I had two rangers. I really loved my 92 STX.
This isn't her, but she looks damn near.
cool vid
hope that plant got new work
the world (or at least the US) needs more small trucks.. not less
mad_machine wrote: the world (or at least the US) needs more small trucks.. not less
agreed. I'd add "more small diesel trucks", like the rest of the world gets.
For some reason diesel trucks and SUVs don't make it to the US - maybe the demand isn't there, the emissions aren't there, or they can't meet the compact truck price point with a diesel?
fasted58 wrote: cool vid hope that plant got new work
Nope - it will be torn down and the land redeveloped. The location (in St. Paul, MN right on the Mississippi river) is well suited to adding housing and retail, so the developers have been licking their chops over this for a decade or more.
edit: this plant had been in operation since 1927, they started out making Model Ts there. It was the oldest Ford plant still in operation when it closed.
It was remarkably self sufficient; they had their own hydroelectric power plant and for many years manufactured their own glass, from sand mined below the facility. There are still many tunnels that can be accessed from down by the river.
They used to have an all Ford car show there every year. I have a '66 F-100 that was built in the plant, and one year at the show an older gentleman came up to talk to me; he had worked on the assembly line back then so most likely had a hand in building my truck which I thought was pretty neat.
You know, I'm glad the last Ranger was a 4x4 extended cab with a trim package.
I hate when the last vehicle from a production line is some stripper fleet vehicle.
Let that last vehicle go out in some form of glory. 
Once again, I bring you the Mexican Chevy Tornado. Email Chevrolet and beg for this.
Not a stripper, but still for a fleet. The last Ranger went to Orkin, which uses a whole bunch of them, and that's OK too.
"Since 1983, Orkin has used the Ford Ranger as its primary fleet vehicle because it's a reliable and economical truck," Paul Youngpeter, Director of Fleet for Rollins, Inc. (Orkin's parent company) tells Autoblog. "We're honored that Ford has agreed that we will get the last Ranger, and we'll put into our regular service rotation before it's retired to our corporate archives or used for training."
In reply to EvanR:
When has begging for any vehicle ever worked? The companies are just going to do what is more lucrative for themselves, and who can blame them for that when they struggle not to go bankrupt?
EvanR wrote: Once again, I bring you the Mexican Chevy Tornado. Email Chevrolet and beg for this. Chevy Tornado
Desde: $178,900
no comprende 
fasted58 wrote:EvanR wrote: Once again, I bring you the Mexican Chevy Tornado. Email Chevrolet and beg for this. Chevy TornadoDesde: $178,900 no comprende
About $13 large, for a base model.
so what small pickups are still availible?
Wow, and I thought American car companies (and most foreign car companies ) had little in the way of color choices....the Tornado is available in 4 colors: red, silver, grey and charcoal.
Glad it's $178,900 as I'd be tempted to want one, otherwise.
Oh, and I owned a '94 Ranger XLT with 4 cylinder engine, manual transmission, and A/C. Put 100K miles on with "normal" maintenance...considering how I drove it, and only the little things breaking off it annoyed me. Things like the headlight switch that started to "flake out" at 90K miles and the small plastics that broke.
The goob who thought the catch on the armrest "door" needed to be made of plastic should be forced to walk without shoes for about 1 or 2 years (annoying, but liveable).
integraguy wrote: Wow, and I thought American car companies (and most foreign car companies ) had little in the way of color choices....the Tornado is available in 4 colors: red, silver, grey and charcoal. Glad it's $178,900 as I'd be tempted to want one, otherwise.
Okay, if you don't like the color choices in the Mexican version, the same truck is sold by Chevrolet of South Africa as the Chevrolet Utility.
Available in your choice of EIGHT colors. From ZAR118,500, or about USD14,200.
Any other questions?
Yes, I want this truck!
I am sad.
-Former owner of 87, 89, 91, and 94 Rangers
EvanR wrote:fasted58 wrote: Desde: $178,900 no comprendeAbout $13 large, for a base model.
What he said - that price is in pesos (I didn't know until I looked it up just now that they use the $ sign in Mexico for pesos.) $12,766.26 in USD to be exact.
N Sperlo wrote: In reply to EvanR: When has begging for any vehicle ever worked? The companies are just going to do what is more lucrative for themselves, and who can blame them for that when they struggle not to go bankrupt?
Okay, "beg" may not be the correct word. But, as you say, profit is the motive - and with that, if enough people in the US want to buy this truck, there will be profit in it.
Yes, GM will spend some money to federalize the Tornado, both for safety and emissions. The rest of the truck exists, so federalization will be relatively cheap.
If a bunch of people tell Chevrolet they'd like to own a truck like the Tornado/Utility, there will be profit.
EvanR wrote: Once again, I bring you the Mexican Chevy Tornado. Email Chevrolet and beg for this. Chevy Tornado
I was driving down I-70 a few weeks ago, and came upon one of these in the slow lane with Mexican tags, and wondered just what the hell it was.
It does seem like an interesting solution to most folks "need" for a truck.
I like it.. GM needs to bring that north now
Racer1ab wrote: I was driving down I-70 a few weeks ago, and came upon one of these in the slow lane with Mexican tags, and wondered just what the hell it was. It does seem like an interesting solution to most folks "need" for a truck.
I was driving down I-70 a few minutes ago. Nothing interesting enough to mention except your average amount of shiny happy person drivers.
The overall bed length in that picture looks like it has the payload capacity of my escort. How big is it really? I know pictures can be deceiving.
I bought an '88 for my son in 2000 for $50.00. Needed motor, fenders, 1 door and seat bracket. 4 cyl. 5 speed. fun project. I just did a brake job on an 87 this weekend. The f150 does ride nicer.
It angers me to think that Ford knows what we want: F150 to replace Ranger
Thanks for letting a great small pickup die on the vine.
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