Ford Ranger Twin Cites assembly plant closed today.

REDRANT:  THE FORD RANGER DATES BACK TO 1980 OR POSSIBLY BEFORE AND MANY PARTS ARE STILL INTERCHANGEABLE.  THREE DECADES OF PRODUCTION FOR THE BASIC VEHICLE.  WE COULD TAKE THIS AS A SIGN OF MANUFACTURING DECAY BUT I BOUGHT MY RANGER NEW IN 2005 BECAUSE THE CLOSING OF THE PLANT WAS IMMINENT.  THEY KEPT IT GOING SIX YEARS MORE.


MY 2005 RANGER HAS A BASE FOUR CYLINDER, TWO WHEEL DRIVE AND A MANUAL TRANSMISSION.  THE MAIN ACCESSORY IS AIR-CONDITIONING WITH IS AMPLE.  ZERO PROBLEMS AND DEFECTS.  IT HAS 35,000 MILES NOW.  I FIGURE I CAN GO ANOTHER FIVE YEARS BEFORE NEEDING ANOTHER NEW VEHICLE.  FOR MILEAGE IT GETS A SOLID 20 MPG IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER OR THE MIDLE OF SUMMER (ac).  LATELY IT HAS BEEN GETTING 22MPG.  IF I GO UP NORTH WITH SOMETHING LIKE A LAWN TRACTOR AND OTHER STUFF IT GETS 28 TO 30 MPG.  AFTER SIX YEARS I DECIDED NOT TO PRESS MY LUCK AND GOT A REPLACEMENT BATTERY.  I HAD  TOTALLY DEAD BATTERY IN THE GARAGE THAT I COULD USE AS AN EXCHANGE.  THE OLD BATTERY WORKS FINE FOR WORK SHED LIGHTING AND JUMP STARTING. ONLY OTHER NAN-MAINTENANCE PARTS COST WERE AGGRESSIVE WINTER SNOW TIRES. GREAT VEHICLE!  GREG LANG
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Dallas Theis has worked at the TCAP for 53 years. He will drive the final Ranger pickup truck off the assembly line when the plant shuts down