Weird Combo?

[flwsock]

Hi all. I was wondering if my ranger had some weird combo or something. It's an 83 4spd, 4wd, 2.8. But what perplexes me is the paint and interior. I haven't seen another one like it.

It's two-tone blue and has bucket seats with a hard plastic console in the middle. All other 83 rangers I've seen have had a bench seat, and none of them were two-tone blue. I have never seen another 83 with bucket seats. Was this a rare option? It also has the woodgrain cluster, but I've seen those before (they seem less common than the aluminum ones).

I've attached a pic of the truck before I got it completely repainted a few years ago. Unfortunately, the plastic molding on the bottom (which I've also only seen a few times on rangers) and the step things had to be thrown away. They were totally rotted underneath. I liked the molding.

Oddly enough I was just going through some old files and videos and noticed I made this gem back when it was at the paint shop. Does anybody know where I might be able to find these?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The paint i dont *think* is anything special.

I dont think buckets were ever an option on 1st gen rangers, spicially in 83. You got some pics of that? Im gonna guess they were installed by someone other then ford.

Those rocker covers scream 80s JC whitney.

 

[RobbieD]

The paint scheme looks to be the factory applied "Deluxe Tu-Tone Paint". If your door safety compliance sticker is still legible, it'll list the original colors. I'd guess from the pic and video that yours is likely original.

Reclining bucket seats were listed as standard in the XLS, and a factory option for the XL and XLT. The woodtone dash panel was used in the XL and XLT models.

Lower body side molding was factory applied; all black with XLS and with a bright accent with XLT. The "step things", or running boards, are aftermarket.

Do you still have the console? It's not clear if this was factory or dealer installed. The sales brochures for '83 doesn't list a center console, but there are two versions of consoles in the 1984 "Factory-Installed Options" pamphlet (a lot of options in the pamphlet were dealer installed items).

Looks like you have a very nice early Ranger, well optioned. I wouldn't call it "weird", but definitely not common.

 

[Locotomb]

My 86 has factory buckets with lumbar. I thought they were out of a b2 or something but nope. B2 style door cards as well.

 

[flwsock]

@RobbieD

I'll grab some pics next week when I'm home. I'm planning on using most of the week to work on the Ranger. I haven't driven it in like 8 years. It was my first car. I'll never sell it, I like it way too much.

If I remember correctly, the console in the truck looks like the bottom one in your picture. It's been a while since I've really looked at it, but it looks damn close. It's the same seats, too. Although, I don't have the middle ribbed thing in my console, the previous owner must've broke it or took it out (unless I've been oblivious all these years and it's just pulled all the way up, I'll have to check next week). If It is broken or otherwise, maybe I'll get a new one.

Does anyone know of a place where I might be able to buy the old rocker trim, or would this be a junkyard run?

 

[RobbieD]

That's really cool that yours still has the console. They're not common at all.

Not sure on how hard it would be sourcing the rocker trim; it's another not-often seen option, and it's getting hard to find early Rangers in junkyards.

I'd love to see some more pics. You have a nicely optioned early Ranger, and you're smart to hang on to it.