Other than the gap-toothed grille, this 1984 Ford Ranger XLT looks pretty nice on the outside. And even inside, now that I look at the photos again. The seller talks about it with the polish of a stage-hardened comedian, and it’s good stuff. The ad copy is worth the price of admission. They have it posted here on craigslist in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and they’re asking $2,650. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Mike F. for the tip!
A person could take out the upper piece on the grille two slots over to even it out, or just find another grille. I’m surprised how nice this Ranger looks other than that, but there are a few things you’ll see as you look at the exterior photos. The seller has included a nice array of photos inside and out, along with, gasp, an engine photo! This is one of the best craigslist ads of 2026 for me. The left headlight is dark when the lights are off, but it looks ok in the photo above with the lights on.
I can’t find a photo of Del Norte Ford in Del Norte, Colorado, but maybe our vintage dealership guru, Bob_in_TN, can dig up something. There’s a Del Norte Automobile, and I’m assuming that’s what the old Ford dealership evolved into. I can’t make out the left-side sticker, and the license plates seem to have been scrambled a bit. Thanks, internet scammers, for making us all paranoid. Here’s what the bed looks like inside. If that’s just liner paint, it looks great.
GAAA! An automatic. Well, it is what it is, and lots of buyers would want an automatic, so it isn’t that bad. The Navajo-themed (?) homemade console is a nice touch. For how much the seller jokes about the issues with this Ranger, it looks nicer to me than I thought it would. I just bought a nice little hot-water extraction carpet cleaner (new puppy), and I’d hit every square inch of the seat and carpets with that, maybe even the carpeted dash cover. Here’s a fun 1984 Ford Ranger brochure. The XLT was the top trim level in this era.
This engine is Ford’s 2.8-liter OHV V6, which in 1984 would have had 115 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by the optional three-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels, the seller says that it leaks, which sounds like one of the main reasons they’re giving up on this Ranger. Known for valve seal leaks, there’s also some white smoke with this 2.8 V6. All of those things are fixable, and if the body and chassis are solid, this one may be worth tinkering with. Please read the ad and let us know your thoughts!
Whilst I didn’t care for the 2.8 motor don’t feel bad, I don’t care for any V6, and I simply can’t contain myself, with this offering, there was no valid reason to buy an import. Okay, the S10 was a dud, but these racked up HUNDREDS of thousands of miles. A neighbor has a 4×4 with an astonishing 420K, never opened up. I was surprised to see, the Toyota undercut the Ranger by almost $600, and that’s all it took. That reversed air cleaner top adds a lot( cough), and since most, if not all withered away, a new motor is not the end of the world, and be the last pickup you’d ever need. Great find.
This is indeed another truck we used to see everywhere. I never owned one. But knew plenty of people who did. The ad is well worth the read if you want a good laugh. The only line I would add to it is….. Oil leak??? What oil leak???? Thats just sweat dripping from ALL THAT HORSEPOWER!!! 😆 🤣 😂
For what its worth. You could do a whole lot worse for that asking price.
Oh, and Congrats on the new puppy Scotty. Puppies are a lot of work ( as you know) but the smiles are well worth it.
Creative Writing majors….they live amongst us.