ranger

My "new" 1983 Ford Ranger. (ERIC MELTZER PHOTO)

I’ve been lamenting the affordable small pickup for years. The first new vehicle I bought while still going to college was a 1987 Toyota 4x4 pickup. It was pretty basic at the time, with a five-speed manual transmission and standard (single or regular) cab with a cloth bench seat and long bed — off the lot. The only options were a sliding rear window, back bumper (yes, an option on trucks back then) and a dealer-installed AM/FM/cassette stereo. Total price, all in was $11k ($30,560 today).

Small trucks were always the price leaders. Around the same time, my dad needed a cheap commuter and bought a red, two-wheel-drive Toyota short bed, standard cab, manual transmission pickup — the Sunday paper special that brought customers into the dealership with the promise of an inexpensive new vehicle.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.