Year: 1993

​

Engine: 3.0l V6 petrol

​

Horsepower: 140 hp

​

Mileage: 65.000 mls 

​

Color: Oxford White

​

Nickname: The Danger Ranger, Ranger Rick

​

Owned: 2022 - present

​

Status: Restoration and conversion almost completed, first test runs are done. Awaiting it´s first full season in 2024!

​

Background: A single cab pick-up truck with a petrol engine? From the 90´s? For traveling? Right, we might have a little of explaining to do on this quite special choice of vehicle. At least in Europe these older Rangers are rare and they are fundamentally different to Defenders. So why a pick-up truck? I guess this project is connected to a childhood trauma of Jonathan! :D When I was around 20 I owned a Chevrolet C10, a car which is very similar to the Ranger. Back in the days I did not had a clue about what to look for when buying a car and so I bought a C10 which was in a sad condition. After a couple of weeks the engine decided to quit working and my pick-up truck dreams where over before they really began - a new engine or engine rebuild just was totally out of budget.

​

During the time we were on the last stretch of our long trip at the end of 2021 I saw the Ranger online and in the back of my mind I hoped it would sell to someone else before we returned home. But it didn´t. Somehow I decided to rectify my damaged history with american trucks and I bought it. What convinced me in the end was the fact that this was a manually shifted all-wheel drive model. Although these second gen Rangers are mass production vehicles, this specific configuration is rare even for US standards.

​

Anyway, the original plan for the Ford was to fix a few minor mechanical issues and to put a bed rack with a rooftop tent on it. The part with the tent worked but the other part didn´t. Instead, we somehow found ourselves knees deep into a full restoration a couple of months after aquiring this car. It has been a lengthy and demanding process but in the end we are glad we did it because of all the valuable lessons learned and extended skill set. On top of this we now have an awesome ´light overland truck´ we use for weekend getaways, summer trips and just to cruise around in on a sunny day. Oh, and the Ranger has passed the german classic car inspection just after it´s 30th birthday!

​

See the full Ranger modification & gear list below!