A prerunner truck…a true pre runner, not some hacked-up truck with fiberglass panels…only serves two purposes: it’s a riot of a four-wheeled toy and, as far as I’m concerned anyways, the closest thing Americans have come to truly accepting rally cars. Suspension travel for days, power to spare, durability that is borderline legendary, and that look…the one that says you’d rather be low-level flying over some cholla bushes as you are hauling ass down some rocky path on the Baja peninsula…that look just makes everything come together. Most of the time the bed is simply a caged hollow, holding a fuel cell, spare wheel, battery or whatever is vital enough to carry but needs to be behind the driver and passenger. It’s no longer a useful pickup truck, so why own one? “Because I can” is the most appropriate answer, and this 1983 Ford Ranger isn’t a bad way to start.
Maybe it’s because I threw quarter after quarter away on Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off-Road as a kid, but the want is strong. Read through the list of fun from the ad and tell me there’s something to not like here, I dare you: “1983 Ford Ranger equipped with Fuel injected 5.0 Cobra HO motor, MSD ignition, Aluminum radiator with dual electric fans, 5 speed manual transmission, Fully caged front to rear, Fabricated extended I-beams and radius arms, Fox coilovers and bump stops in the front, Long travel leaf springs, Fox Bypasses in the rear, Currie Enterprises trussed 9″ rearend, 4 wheel disc brakes, Rear Wilwood calipers, Fuel cell with rollover vent, Dual batteries with Perko switch mounted in cab, Huge aluminum storage box mounted in bed, Fiberglass fenders, Custom wrap, Receiver hitch incorporated in to spare tire mount, Morphic lightbar on roof, Hella lights, Custom upholstered dash, Autometer gauges, Lowrance gps, Icom race radio, PCI intercom, Mastercraft bucket seats, Crow 5 point harnesses, 35″ General red letter tires, 15″ American Racing rims, And More… Truck is AZ street legal.”
Plate it, drive it, and love it.
Craigslist Link: 1983 Ford Ranger Pre-Runner
(Thanks to Charles Wickam for the tip!)
