Autoblog

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Identity crisis? Repressed brand allegiance? People who intentionally rebrand their rides have reasons all their own. Take this pickup I encounted on my drive home yesterday. Maybe the giant bowtie on the tailgate is trying to compensate for something, but size doesn't matter here; there's no hiding the fact that this thing's still a Ford Ranger. Bowtie stickers also get applied to the front fenders, but the proverbial cherry on top revealed itself when I pulled ahead. Yep, that's a genuine gold bowtie badge where the blue oval ought to be. If you want to make your car or truck a member of the transbranded community, all you need is a few badges, some adhesive, a sense of humor, and maybe an ASE certified technician. Hey, everybody's doing it.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.

As record fuel prices leave automakers' carefully-laid truck plans looking as if they've been bombarded by a squadron of B-52s, an unlikely survivor might poke its head through the wreckage at Ford: the Ranger. Originally slated to be given a gold watch, a pat on the back, and then shown the door in 2009, the Detroit News reports that the current Ranger might live on until 2011, when its new global replacement will be ready. Attractive fuel economy and good sales numbers -- the Ranger is the #2 compact truck behind the Taco, even though opening the door to the Ford is like stepping into a time machine to the 1990s -- might be the current Ranger's saviors. Salvation is not completely assured, however. Some investment would be required to keep Ranger alive no matter what, as the current truck doesn't have side airbags, which are required after 2009 (this was probably one of the reasons it was slated to die off then in the first place). Is spending money on the Ranger to extend its life just two years in Ford's best interests? Bean-counters will decide. In case you haven't noticed, they've been doing a lot of deciding, lately.

[Source: Detroit News]

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What happens when you start with a '99 Mustang V6 Coupe and a Ford Ranger of unknown vintage, drop a 400-horsepower 351 under the hood, meld the 'Stang's nose and Ranger's body, and lift the suspension? You get the Muskrat. In addition to the engine swap and Frankenchero bodywork, the Muskrat is adorned with every super-fromage bolt-on accessory known to man. "Aero" kit? Check. Roof visor? Check. Louvers? Check. Wind deflectors? Check. Chromed rims that look like the demo mounts for the generic tires at the local parts store? Come on, you know the answer. The meaty rubber and all-business polished exhaust look serious, at least, despite everything else going on. Inside, retina-scorching red carpeting and interior trim (complete with "Muskrat" embroidery, natch) constitute the proverbial cherry on top. Incidentally, the Mustang IP makes the transition unperturbed. Of course, it's for sale on eBay, where it's at $3,605 as of this writing. That's below the owner's reserve, so you'll have to ... ahem ... pony up some more if you want the 'Rat all to yourself.

Thanks, 3cubed!

[Source: eBay]

We posted some conjecture about the Ranger not too long ago, with some Photochops to illustrate possible ways Ford could keep its smallest pickup alive. Automotive News has looked in to their crystal ball and determined that the future of the Ranger is murky, at best. The first bad sign is that the St. Paul, MN Ranger plant is slated to be closed in 2008. With no place to build the Ranger, it would seem to have one foot in the grave, along with the rest of the segment, not counting the evergreen Toyota Tacoma (which is not particularly small anymore). All is not lost, however. As we offered, there are existing platforms that would lend themselves to truckification, as well as actual trucks in different markets.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

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The treasure trove that is eBay Motors continues to produce. Today's big find is the 1958 Edsel Ranger motor home conversion you see here. The forward half of the erstwhile sedan has been fused to a 60's-era camper trailer that sleeps up to six, according to the seller. (Unfortunately, no pics of the living space are included.) Said to be a big attention-getter wherever it goes (no surprise there), the patriotically-colored Edselbago has visited 48 states. Power comes from a 390 Ford V8 hooked up to a C6 transmission with a floor-mounted shifter. ( The Edsel's steering-wheel-mounted Teletouch pushbutton tranny is now just for show.) Claimed weight is 7,000 pounds, and the whole package is apparently good for 15-16 mpg. Best part: it can be yours. As of this writing, the high bid's $1,958 (someone's being clever), and the seller's reserve hasn't been met. Get in on the action by clicking here.

[Source: eBay]

And then there was one. All of the Ford Ranger's contemporaries have forsaken the compact segment for the middleweight class. The Ranger is long in the tooth, to say the least, but we love the smaller size and many find it a good blend of truck functionality without the bulk and heft of a full-size. You can buy into a Ranger for $15 grand, which is a reasonable point of entry for a work truck. There used to be F150s outfitted for labor in that price range, but good luck finding a decontented full-sizer now. While the Ranger's platform is now exclusive to the model, it did sire the Explorer, via the Bronco II. Lineage aside, it's typically expensive for an automaker to have a platform that doesn't get shared, but the underpinnings of the Ranger have long been paid for. We suspect that's part of why we're not seeing much action in the trucklet arena from Ford. To engineer a new Ranger would cost money (that's arguably better spent elsewhere right now), and moving the smallest Ford Truck to a new platform raises conflicts with other models.



continued after the jump with photochops to illustrate ideas

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The UK market saw a new Ford Ranger variant debut at the CV show in Birmingham this week. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is a paint/sticker/trim package that sees the addition of two new colors join the existing ranger palette -- Chili Orange and Passion Red -- which are combined with a Titanium Grey lower body cladding for the off-roady two-tone effect used extensively by a variety of manufacturers.

In addition to the new colors, the Wildtrack is butched up with details such as rear light protectors, a sport bar, bed rails, a rollaway Armadillo bed cover, and aluminum trim up front. Side vents that look similar to the ones featured on our US-market Super Duty trucks appear on the fenders, and the rearview mirrors receive turn indicators.

More after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

While North America's Ford Ranger predates the Mesozoic era, the Blue Oval continues to update its small pickup entries around the world. In this case, the automaker has unveiled the limited-edition 'Montana,' available the standard range of 4x2 and 4x4 drivelines, and Double and Super Cab configurations.

While the resulting product remains far from cutting edge, it is nice to see Ford investing in the Ranger nameplate, if only abroad. In South African trim, the Montana is motivated by a 2.5-liter 12-valve oil-burner, with a standard-fit differential lock.

Primarily, the new model is an exercise in 'trim and tape,' with a healthy portion of stainless steel addenda (brush guard, step rails, etc.); along with a bespoke tonneau cover and 15" alloy wheels the obligatory set of decals.

Inside, the Montana receives black leather chairs with contrasting red stitching, and high levels of equipment, including a/c, power windows/locks/mirrors and a compact disc player.

Click through to the Wheels24 feature for more shots of the interior and exterior.

Mark Fields revealed last week during his update speech detailing Ford’s progress with its “Way Forward Plan” that two Blue Oval plants will be idled in 2008. The two plants affected include the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, MN and the Norfolk Assembly Plant in Virginia.

One word can sum up why these plants were chosen to be idled: inflexibility. Both were built in 1925 around the time dirt was invented. Though the Norfolk plant assembles the F-150, the best selling vehicle in history that’s on pace to sell a record 900,000 units for the third year in a row, Ford realized that flexible manufacturing at fewer plant sites could maintain its full-size truck production. The Twin Cities plant, however, was betrayed by its own product – the Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series small pickups. Ranger sales are down 15.9 in the first quarter and the aged trucks haven't received a major redesign since 1992 (MY1993).

The idling (read: closing) will affect 4,318 hourly and salaried workers. Ford did say that it would reveal its plans surrounding a Ranger replacement closer to the time the Twin Cities plant goes dark in 2008.

Follow the jump for some additional stats and a history of production for each plant.

[Source: Ford]
[Photo: AP Photo/Janet Hostetter]