NEW TOW VEHICLE Ford Ranger

[BCDave]

Originally Posted by gmw photos

I thought of this thread when I went to the auto parts store today. Parts houses use a jillion of the little rangers as delivery trucks. When you see a vehicle in use in a lot of fleet type ops like, it's generally a pretty good sign it's a bullet proof daily runner. Nobody would know that better than auto parts houses !

Or they just tender it out - call for bids for "supply of 25 trucks with 4 cyl engines" and etc, etc.

Then buy the ones that came in at low bid. The bean counters in the back orifice are not the ones who sell the parts so they have no clue of what vehicles need parts most often!

Fleet managers/purchasing managers can be the smartest, most knowledgeable folks around, or they can be the dumbest bunnies on the planet!

Around here the parts houses seem to mostly use small (Really tiny!) cars (used to be the Geo Metro was most common) as delivery vehicles - mixed bag of types & makes. Next step up tends to be the F250/Chevy 2500HD size and then on up to the humongous sized ones with separate cab & box.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by BCDave

Or they just tender it out - call for bids for "supply of 25 trucks with 4 cyl engines" and etc, etc.

Then buy the ones that came in at low bid. The bean counters in the back orifice are not the ones who sell the parts so they have no clue of what vehicles need parts most often!

Fleet managers/purchasing managers can be the smartest, most knowledgeable folks around, or they can be the dumbest bunnies on the planet!

Around here the parts houses seem to mostly use small (Really tiny!) cars (used to be the Geo Metro was most common) as delivery vehicles - mixed bag of types & makes. Next step up tends to be the F250/Chevy 2500HD size and then on up to the humongous sized ones with separate cab & box.

I hear you on that. I remember reading an article some years ago about the fleet vehicles of the US postal service. For quite a long time, they ran many of the much maligned Ford Pinto. It turned out it was one of the least expensive vehicles to operate in their overall fleet.

I guess that was, as long as it didn't burst into flames from a rear end collision.....

[GeorgeR]

Originally Posted by BCDave

……………………. The bean counters in the back orifice are not the ones who sell the parts so they have no clue of what vehicles need parts most often…………………….

I guess the spell checker played a little trick with you; a really small office in an orifice or perhaps back orifice meant a place where some folks hide their heads in. Sorry, could not resist.
George.

[BCDave]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

I guess the spell checker played a little trick with you; a really small office in an orifice or perhaps back orifice meant a place where some folks hide their heads in. Sorry, could not resist.
George.

That was just a horrible pun on my part........

[rgrugg]

Horrible pun or not, I've discovered that the smarter people are , the more they appreciate and understand puns. FWIW, at work I had the reputation of "teller of bad jokes." I'm very proud of that.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by gmw photos

When you see a vehicle in use in a lot of fleet type ops like, it's generally a pretty good sign it's a bullet proof daily runner. Nobody would know that better than auto parts houses !

i've watched the CAA use many, many Rangers over the last decade or so in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Too bad the USA politicians got involved with footprint over emisions <CAFE>. It makes no sense to me to buy a bigger truck because it's emission / efficiancy requirements are more lenient. The question is pound for pound or mile for mile is a smaller truck worse for the enviorment than a full sized one, or do the big guys get away with more than others? (typical)

I bought my Ranger because it fits the dogs, the MRS and I, while pulling the trailer. Once or twice a year, I might pick up a 1/2 yard of gravel, or a yard of topsoil. Most months, I won't go through a tank of gas for most months unless we are on vacation and towing the trailer. I know it holds about $200 of interlock before becoming overloaded.

My '94 just hit 167,000 Km or less than 104,000 miles. As far as I am concerned it is finally broken in. Most years, I max out at 10,000 Km or 6,000 miles.

[CallDon]

So first, Ford got rid of the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis. Next they zapped the Lincoln Town Car and left that market with tiny little Caddys which barely ride four people, and stretched, don't ride that many more or the new baby Lincolns which, when stretched, look like a tube traveling down the highway. And now they zap away the compact pickup.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by CallDon

So first, Ford got rid of the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis. Next they zapped the Lincoln Town Car and left that market with tiny little Caddys which barely ride four people, and stretched, don't ride that many more or the new baby Lincolns which, when stretched, look like a tube traveling down the highway. And now they zap away the compact pickup.

The problem with the full size Crown Vics and Town cars was that their target market was literally dying off. The chassis design was from the mid 70's. Ranger was designed in 1979 / 1980, so was ancient compared to competitors.