1989 Ford Ranger GT Is Junkyard Treasure in Colorado
After greater than a decade of promoting Mazda pickups with Ford Courier badges in america, Ford created its personal small pickup on the market right here. This was the Ranger, the primary technology of which was constructed from the 1983 via 1992 mannequin years. One of many rarest of all Eighties Rangers was the GT, and I’ve managed to search out considered one of these vans in a self-service boneyard in Denver, Colorado.
The Ranger GT was offered for simply the 1987 via 1989 mannequin years, with the 1988-89 fashions getting a cool-looking physique package with floor results and color-matched bumpers.
All of the Ranger GTs got here with the fuel-injected 2.9-liter Cologne V6 (140 hp, 170 lb-ft) below their hoods. In addition they obtained suspension upgrades and 14-inch aluminum wheels.
The Ranger GT had a five-speed handbook as commonplace gear, whereas a four-speed computerized was an possibility. This truck has the handbook.
The inside in in the present day’s Junkyard Treasure is generally lacking, so we’ll want to take a look at the brochure to see the form of cab you bought with a Ranger GT (or STX) in 1989.
The GT-specific physique elements are completely thrashed, but it surely’s doable a Ranger restorer would possibly discover them helpful. Take into accout, this yard solely retains autos within the stock for a number of months earlier than crushing them, so in case you are studying this after about June of 2024 then you’ll be able to assume the truck has been crushed by now.
The GT bundle was obtainable solely on rear-wheel-drive Rangers with common cabs. Because it was an possibility bundle and never a definite mannequin, it seems to be unimaginable to get manufacturing figures. We are able to make certain that not many had been made, perhaps even below a thousand complete.
The MSRP for a 108-inch wheelbase 1989 RWD Ranger began at $8093, whereas the GT bundle added $3462 for a complete of $11,555. That is about $29,802 in 2024 {dollars}.
The primary sports activities automotive that comes… with a mattress.
The Ranger GT option package was obtainable for the 1987 via 1989 mannequin years, solely on rear-wheel-drive regular-cab vans.
This one was built in Louisville, Kentucky.
It is tough, with loads of rust-through and much-bent sheet-metal.
The GT got here with essentially the most highly effective engine obtainable within the Ranger on the time: a 2.9-liter Cologne V6.
For its ultimate 12 months, the Ranger GT obtained a singular physique package and color-matched bumpers and grille.
It additionally obtained the identical upgraded inside because the Ranger STX.
The odometer exhibits simply over 80,000 miles, however we won’t know what number of occasions it obtained previous 99,999 in its profession.
The bottom audio system within the Ranger GT was an AM/FM quad-speaker radio, however this truck has the nicer non-obligatory unit with auto-reverse cassette and Dolby.
The GT-specific physique elements are in poor situation, however nonetheless is perhaps price shopping for for a restoration venture.
As of mid-April, 2024, this truck resides at the U-Pull-&-Pay in Denver, Colorado. This can be a self-service-only yard, so you will must go there in individual if you’d like elements from this truck.
