Noob...

[P. A. Schilke]

Hey Phil,
Just a shout back to ya, prolly a Z question, but do you have any idea why they discontinued the GT option after only two years? Was it low sales maybe? Well, with the gfx. Y'all actually had an GT in '87 that was without gfx, but then they were added. And changes had to be made to the gfx for the new '89 body style, but then it was gone in the '90 brochure, tho you can find early order books from dealers that showed it available, but the revised ones had it removed. Any recollections on it?
Thanks!
-Stu

Hi Stu,

The Ranger GT was one of these go fast, strike while the iron is hot and get out when the hype dies. Always viewed as a short term product run and Marketing decided it was time, and so it was. Bye GT. Make sense?

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

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[Shook0002]

Hey was just Found this thread through facebook. I was the one that purchased the 27k mile Ranger GT from Shorangerbird. Always wanted a Ranger GT. When I was 16 my father brought home a 1988 GT, that was going to be my truck but unfortunately it was totaled in a rollover. Years went by and a I saw a few around until one week I found one, a 1988, in Colorado. That day we left Philly and rented a Uhaul trailer and got it. Then when I got back I found the ‘89 with 27k on it mint. I had to have it so we headed to Alabama and bought that one. I sold the 88 to a friend who is now restoring it. The ‘89 now resides in my garage under a custom cover. I added some wheels, a bedcover, and windshield decal to it but nothing that’s permanent. I like the rarity of these now. Nobody knows what it is. Anyway the convo on how it was created was a good read. I enjoy my ‘89 and she now has 29k on it.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hey was just Found this thread through facebook. I was the one that purchased the 27k mile Ranger GT from Shorangerbird. Always wanted a Ranger GT. When I was 16 my father brought home a 1988 GT, that was going to be my truck but unfortunately it was totaled in a rollover. Years went by and a I saw a few around until one week I found one, a 1988, in Colorado. That day we left Philly and rented a Uhaul trailer and got it. Then when I got back I found the ‘89 with 27k on it mint. I had to have it so we headed to Alabama and bought that one. I sold the 88 to a friend who is now restoring it. The ‘89 now resides in my garage under a custom cover. I added some wheels, a bedcover, and windshield decal to it but nothing that’s permanent. I like the rarity of these now. Nobody knows what it is. Anyway the convo on how it was created was a good read. I enjoy my ‘89 and she now has 29k on it.

Wow...way cool! My buddy, Mike Charles, is my liaison to the facebook ground. Mike owns one of the Saleen Racetrucks I built at Livernois. Mike provides a buffer as he said I would be swampped with qestions from this group... The Ranger GT was one of the best skunk works projects in which I was involved... The SHO version of the GT was a lot of fun too.... Shame we could not get it into production....Damn XR50 steering gear.

Best,
Phil

 

[Shook0002]

Wow...way cool! My buddy, Mike Charles, is my liaison to the facebook ground. Mike owns one of the Saleen Racetrucks I built at Livernois. Mike provides a buffer as he said I would be swampped with qestions from this group... The Ranger GT was one of the best skunk works projects in which I was involved... The SHO version of the GT was a lot of fun too.... Shame we could not get it into production....Damn XR50 steering gear.

Best,
Phil

Its really ashame the SHO truck wasn’t built. But you worked with what you had, I get it. They didn’t want to re-engineer it to work as the cost probably wouldn’t justify it. It would have definitely been on par with the Syclone, which only lasted a year. Being a former Typhoon owner those things rocked. But besides turbos the rest was off-shelf. I’m glad you made the GT, and it was a pretty rare experience reading through and actually hearing from its creator. I was always a Ranger guy and for me owning what is probably one of the lowest mile, cleanest ‘89’s out there is what makes me happy. This truck won over my fully restored ‘89 5.0 LX which was sold to make garage space for my GT. I enjoy explaining to people that this is not an aftermarket kit but a factory built truck from the heyday of the minitruck scene!

 

[9zero1790]

those are pretty sharp! how did i miss seeing those growing up. i remember gmc doing the syclone and typhoon and dodge doing the shelby dakotas etc.

 

[jdh951]

Hey was just Found this thread through facebook. I was the one that purchased the 27k mile Ranger GT from Shorangerbird. Always wanted a Ranger GT. When I was 16 my father brought home a 1988 GT, that was going to be my truck but unfortunately it was totaled in a rollover. Years went by and a I saw a few around until one week I found one, a 1988, in Colorado. That day we left Philly and rented a Uhaul trailer and got it. Then when I got back I found the ‘89 with 27k on it mint. I had to have it so we headed to Alabama and bought that one. I sold the 88 to a friend who is now restoring it. The ‘89 now resides in my garage under a custom cover. I added some wheels, a bedcover, and windshield decal to it but nothing that’s permanent. I like the rarity of these now. Nobody knows what it is. Anyway the convo on how it was created was a good read. I enjoy my ‘89 and she now has 29k on it.

Awesome trucks. I'm partial to the sealed beam headlight front end as my first vehicle was an '86 Ranger. Any updates on the '88 you sold or links to images.. thanks

 

[Shook0002]

Awesome trucks. I'm partial to the sealed beam headlight front end as my first vehicle was an '86 Ranger. Any updates on the '88 you sold or links to images.. thanks

Here’s a pic when I had both. The ‘88 is completely taken apart and currently being restored in my buddies garage. I can grab some pics next time I go to his house.

 

[Shook0002]

And of course an up to date pic of mine.
Along with pics of my dads ‘88 that was going to be mine but was wrecked and started my search way back in the 90’s when I was 16. Pic quality sucks.

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