1988 Ford Ranger Reviews, Pricing & Specs
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 1988 Ford Ranger have a strong appreciation for its reliability and durability. Many drivers love its ability to handle tough conditions and the decent gas mileage it offers, particularly for a vehicle of its age. However, a common complaint is that the engine can feel underpowered, particularly in the 4x4 versions, and some noted issues with the interior space being a bit cramped. Additionally, while it generally performs well, some found it less easy to work on compared to other models."
My first truck ends up being a project just like almost everything else i seem to buy ;) The truck was originally purchased with one goal in mind, to be the replacement base for a paintball tank at my local paintball field. The previous truck, and 1990 Mitsubishi 4WD pickup, was too far gone to be saved with my limited knowledge of it, and the lack of parts availble for it. The Ranger was purchased in non-running condition, off the road for 2 years, for 300 dollars off of Craigslist. The non-running part was easy to fix, as there was only a couple of fried connections and a blown fuse to the fuel pump. After a tune up, the engine ran like a dream, despite having over 116k on the clock. Right now the truck is serving double duty as a farm vehicle and a paintball tank, with the eventual goal being to put it back on the road and use as a work truck. Only thing stopping me right now is a new bed, an exhaust, and some frame repairs. The few times i've had to take it up through the gears it does drive quite well; you can really only get to 4th gear on the back roads i drive it on before you run out of space or don't feel like rattling your teeth out on the bumps. Combine a 2.9 V6 with the M5OD 5 speed in the truck and you've got a good setup for just about anything. However the upside is also the downside; the Cologne V6 engine is fraught with head gasket issues from 86-88, thanks to a flaw in the cylinder head design on American Cologne engines only. Also, being only 2.9 liters means this truck won't win any speed trials; it will get up and go, but it's no V8 and shouldn't be expected to smoke the tires. as long as you keep that in mind, and keep a good eye on the engine's vitals, these can last well into 200k miles before needing any work.
December 9, 2010Solid vehicle although a little small gets great gas millage and has decent power for its age. Relatively low maintenance costs and not too expensive to buy. It is relatively fun little truck to drive simply because it is a manual transmition. It is however on the small side but it helps when parking spaces are tight. It is a tough little truck and can hand loads of abuse
November 25, 2011Performs excellent on and off road, extremely durable frame and suspension. Its old so its seen a lot of action and needed some repairs/modifications to keep it going but its always been a solid truck. Only complaints I have is its a little too small inside for any more than 2 people, even with extended cab. Parts are cheap and easy to find. Theres still a lot of performance upgrades available too.
December 13, 2010What owners say
My first truck ends up being a project just like almost everything else i seem to buy ;) The truck was originally purchased with one goal in mind, to be the replacement base for a paintball tank at my local paintball field. The previous truck, and 1990 Mitsubishi 4WD pickup, was too far gone to be saved with my limited knowledge of it, and the lack of parts availble for it. The Ranger was purchased in non-running condition, off the road for 2 years, for 300 dollars off of Craigslist. The non-running part was easy to fix, as there was only a couple of fried connections and a blown fuse to the fuel pump. After a tune up, the engine ran like a dream, despite having over 116k on the clock. Right now the truck is serving double duty as a farm vehicle and a paintball tank, with the eventual goal being to put it back on the road and use as a work truck. Only thing stopping me right now is a new bed, an exhaust, and some frame repairs. The few times i've had to take it up through the gears it does drive quite well; you can really only get to 4th gear on the back roads i drive it on before you run out of space or don't feel like rattling your teeth out on the bumps. Combine a 2.9 V6 with the M5OD 5 speed in the truck and you've got a good setup for just about anything. However the upside is also the downside; the Cologne V6 engine is fraught with head gasket issues from 86-88, thanks to a flaw in the cylinder head design on American Cologne engines only. Also, being only 2.9 liters means this truck won't win any speed trials; it will get up and go, but it's no V8 and shouldn't be expected to smoke the tires. as long as you keep that in mind, and keep a good eye on the engine's vitals, these can last well into 200k miles before needing any work.
December 9, 2010Solid vehicle although a little small gets great gas millage and has decent power for its age. Relatively low maintenance costs and not too expensive to buy. It is relatively fun little truck to drive simply because it is a manual transmition. It is however on the small side but it helps when parking spaces are tight. It is a tough little truck and can hand loads of abuse
November 25, 2011Performs excellent on and off road, extremely durable frame and suspension. Its old so its seen a lot of action and needed some repairs/modifications to keep it going but its always been a solid truck. Only complaints I have is its a little too small inside for any more than 2 people, even with extended cab. Parts are cheap and easy to find. Theres still a lot of performance upgrades available too.
December 13, 2010The truck literally will run til it dies. Unfortunately im now working out some bugs. It does alright for an 88. The heater works well if by chance you lets say flip it... You will survivewhle wearing a seatbelt. I love this truck and would love to find another.
March 3, 20134 cyl. engine was way underpowered in the 4X4. Couldn't use overdrive into a head wind. Put the poor little thing through hell and it kept going though. It only quit on me once (after abusing it through some pretty serious mud)...went back the next day and she fired right up!
March 29, 20082.9 V6, 5-speed manual trasmission, 205,000 miles when I traded it in for the F-Bird, This thing was thru hell and back......a few times.....lol My dad bought it when it had like 100,000 miles on it so we had this thing forever and yes we beat the hell out of it, deer hunting, ditch/field running, mudding, snow drifting it did it all.
January 12, 2008Excellent little truck. I bought it more for look-good and daily driving. Super cab, 2.3L 4 cylinder , 5-speed, AC, Stereo. I put a bed liner and light bar on it. Not very fast but it goes pretty far. Not practical as my family grew.
August 3, 2013I drove my family's Ranger for the first year of college. What a trooper! It started in the coldest of Fargo days always on the first try. I also got in a wreck with it there, but it held up great. It's a cute little silver Ranger with tinted windows. And when it's in 4 wheel drive it's unstoppable. Oh, and it's a manual shift, so it's fun to drivet too!
March 2, 2008It has gone every where i have asked it to go. and it tow anything i ask to it its got the 2.9 and motor is still working good with 235K. and its got good gas mileage for its age group
April 16, 2012The truck accelerates very well! It has a 5.0 Mustang motor in it and it growls like a beast! This truck scoots across the pavement. Braking and handling are very easy! It's a 23 year old truck, of course it's going to need repairs....though they are fairly simple! The back seats (jumper seats) are very uncomfortable for anyone who isn't tiny or short. This is an amazingly fun truck to drive around and squeal tires in!
October 31, 2011
