Registered vehicle
1969 Ford Ranchero “Espresso-Outfitters”
About the 1966–1971 Ford Ranchero
from the generation archive
The 1966 Ford Ranchero moved the coupe utility up from the compact Falcon to Ford's intermediate Fairlane, a larger car that increased the truck's size and broadened its engine options. The 1966 transition year used Falcon front sheet metal on the larger intermediate body, and for 1967 the Ranchero adopted full Fairlane styling and trim. When Ford redesigned the intermediate line for 1968 and introduced the Torino as the upscale top of the Fairlane family, the Ranchero followed, so the 1968-1971 trucks are Torino-based. The intermediate Ranchero offered inline-sixes alongside a wide V8 range: the 289 and 302 small-blocks, the 351, the FE-family 390, and, in the performance versions, the 428 Cobra Jet for 1968-1969 and the 429 Cobra Jet for 1970-1971. All horsepower in this generation is SAE gross, the higher pre-1972 standard. Trim levels broadened to include the Ranchero 500, the performance and appearance Ranchero GT, and, from 1970, the woodgrain Ranchero Squire. The 1970-1971 trucks wore a longer, more curved restyle. For 1972 the Ford Ranchero moved onto the larger Gran Torino platform, ending this generation.
The story
I picked this up from a car lot around 1997 for $1200 and was looking for a cheap truck for work, now it's 2005 it's ran strong the entire time and I drive it everywhere and haul things all over the place including very long distances, I just put in the electronic ignition and it's just flying to such an impressive degree, especially considering it's a straight 6 with that many miles on it that I'm so impressed, I'm sticking with the block and am taking this to the next level.
Current plans:
Yes, you are saying put a v8 into it, but everybody and their brother has done that, I'm currently converting the entire truck over to modern specs, ie. power windows, power locks w/remote system "am spoiled with my 89 Cougar, so will probably salvage what I need from one from the junk yard for those toys", the currently trashed interior will also be torn out and replaced with something modern. I Will be rebuilding the exaust from scratch first though.
Future plans: Creating/Converting a supercharger or air/fuel injection system into it, looks like I gotta do it all from scratch. Disc brakes, chop the cab down 4", build a drop down bed extension, ramp, winch and lift gate w/suspension to handle it. C6 tranny customized for more torque.
The truck has been neglected for many years, even by all of the previous owners, but it's now a matter of getting something new, and all of it's headaches as well as not being able to work on 100% of it myself "such is the case with my cougar" verses this truck that just runs and runs, gets awsome gas milaege, and now, seems to have some balls.
I'll have photo's posted soon, it's a nice looking truck, just when you look underneath the paint, and hood, and interior, and bed, well, um,... it's just better admired from a short distance as it stands now, hehe. — Brian Millar
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