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Lone Ranger: 1955 Ford Ranger 4-Wheel Drive

Marmon-Herrington is renowned for the 4-wheel-drive conversion work that they performed on Ford commercial vehicles, and it was this company that waved their magic wand over this vehicle. The owner claims that this is the only known survivor. He has been undertaking a pretty thorough refurbishment of the vehicle but has decided to part with it. The Ranger is located in Portage, Indiana, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist.

It appears from the photos that the owner of this Ranger has performed a full body-off restoration. The frame looks to be clean and freshly painted or powder-coated. The body itself looks solid, and it appears that the majority of it has been freshly painted. Along with the work performed by Marmon-Herrington when the vehicle was new, a company called Siebert and Associates, located in Toledo, Ohio added the side windows to the panel truck and performed a repaint. Siebert and Associates were no stranger to this type of work, with their core business being ambulance and hearse conversions. There is still some work to be completed, but it does appear that the majority of it has been completed to a fairly high standard.

Under the hood is a Y-Block V8 engine, while it isn’t clear whether the vehicle is fitted with a 3-speed or a 4-speed manual transmission. It has also been fitted with an aluminum radiator, and everything in the engine bay looks very tidy, although not original. Given the fact that this vehicle is claimed to be the only one of its type still in existence, I am quite surprised that the owner didn’t attempt to maintain an original appearance under the hood.

The interior is partially refurbished, with all of the original metal-work freshly painted. The driver’s seat is not original, while the rear area is far from complete. According to the owner, the rear area was upholstered and fitted with seats, while the floor was covered with a rubber mat. A bit of investigation suggests that the rear seats may actually have been two bench seats, set one behind the other. It suggests that this vehicle may have been used as an emergency rescue vehicle of some description, or a crew carrier. The battle that the new owner will have will be in trying to restore the rear area of the vehicle to its original specifications, as records and photos are extremely scarce.

This Ford Ranger Panel Truck is something different, and while a lot of restoration and refurbishment has been completed, there is still a fair way to go for the new owner. I am disappointed that the owner has made some pretty obvious deviations from the standard specifications for what is claimed to be such a rare vehicle. That rarity is also likely to throw some obstacles into the path of the new owner as they attempt to restore the vehicle to its original specifications. The owner has set a sale price of $130,000 for the Ford, and while that is a lot of money, if the new owner can locate the necessary information to complete a faithful restoration, it might be worth it.

Comments

  1. HoA Howard A Member

    They’re nuts. While it is a very desirable vehicle, why not finish it with a decent paint job? Someone sure went gonzo on the rest of it, a paint job would insure a better selling price. Sorry, it looks like a beater, and most will be turned off by that right away, despite it’s new fixins’ underneath. In it’s stock configuration, these are really no fun to drive and were meant for slow going. At $130g’s, sounds like someone is over their head in this and possibly can’t afford to finish it. Old car hobby is so twisted today.

    Like 31
    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      Yup. Interesting but crack pipe pricing.

      Like 24
  2. Avatar mark

    Someone watched one to many of the Barrett Jackson vehicle car auctions…………………

    Like 34
    • Avatar geomechs Member

      Well it’s Barrett Jackson season once again. Some people look forward to that more than Christmas…

      Like 3
      • Avatar rle1875

        Not me, these auctions just tax, fee, and hype vehicles into prices they are not worth, and ordinary folks are priced out. We do everything to extreme and it really ruins things in the end. I,d like to see a grassroots rrejection of it. We need true classic swap meets where it,s man to man or woman to woman deals. Think about your youth, it was a better happier slower time, and most could buy a decent classic. Sure I,m a dreamer but deep down would,my you want to back up things.

        Like 2
  3. Avatar Lroy

    Cool ride, worth $27k as posted $60k if Chip Foose finish it.

    Like 6
  4. Avatar Mike

    $130k? Put a VW emblem on the front, add 14 more windows and you might get that number.

    Like 25
  5. Avatar PDXBryan

    No expert here, but it seems that when one takes on a restoration you decide either 1) You’ll do it the way you want with whatever mods or changes you prefer regardless of their effect on value, or: 2) Do it by the book to maximize resale value. Seems like this seller wants it both ways. Either way, however, this is soooo freakin’ cool!

    Like 4
  6. Avatar Sam61

    Holy dorF Batman…Portage is where I grew up…in da region.

    This smells like a PO’d wife…Daddy put a big price on his toy appease her and scare everyone off.

    Like 16
    • Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

      Yeah, Sam, we can all hear the guy saying to his missus, “I tried to sell it – I really, really did, Dear, but nobody was interested…”

      Like 10
  7. Avatar RDM59

    Too much! It’s so rare, make up your own restorations and make up stories to support. Who’s alive that can debate it? But don’t start at $130,000 when you can find a nice ’57 T-bird for $25-30k.

    Like 7
  8. Avatar Mark

    Owner should have left it unrestored, parked in his garage with all kinds of junk piled on it and then posted it saying ” old Ford truck up for auction, don’t know much about it”…..and presto…instead of being ridiculed for his asking price we would see comments like “it’s super rare, guy doesn’t know what he’s got, look for the bidding to pass $100k..”

    Like 12
  9. Avatar Little Cars Member

    Stalled project when owner realized how much it would cost to repaint the exterior properly. Total disappointment with those back doors and passenger front fender. Maybe some attempt to “relic” this vehicle for “patina” look? Total disappointment with that ask…really should be a 5-figure truck at best! I’ll stick to my 1/24th Monogram model of same, it’s award winning and won’t break the bank for gas….

    Like 2
  10. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Probably meant to type $13,000.

    Like 10
  11. Avatar Saul Member

    @leinedude A bargain at $13k, at $130k not so much. Blank canvas on the interior judging by the photos you are just getting a restored driver’s seat and if you’re lucky upgraded instruments in the dash.

    Like 3
  12. Avatar Pascal Hemery

    Nice joke!

    Like 3
  13. Avatar James Martin

    Is this a go fund me account? Sounds like a guy who found a rare vehicle and decided hey bet it is worth a fortune.

    Like 3
  14. Avatar Andrew S Mace Member

    $130k? Wow! For that money, it had better come with 24/7 access to either an actual Marmon or Herrington family member, and perhaps a Ford or two for advice. Oh, and the original parts taken off in favor of the absurd chrome engine dress-up “goodies,” etc.

    Also, would something like this really have sported military Jeep-style tire treads when new?

    Like 2
  15. Avatar Karl

    I am and have been a Marmin/Harrington fan forever and they were a fairly successful company before and after Henry Ford screwed but they were very resourceful in their thinking building some of the most capable military trucks of their time, I collect military trucks and owning a Federal and a M&H is on my list.
    As far as this little Ford, the owner is dreaming!

    Like 3
    • Avatar Mark Mossell

      Wasn’t asking 130 k, said totally done would be worth nearly that, it’s the only surviving 55, was for sale then for 60 k not 130 k, as is, Mark, in Portage

      Like 0
  16. Avatar Tracy

    With a finished correct restoration I would say max $55k It been converted to 12 volt. Odds are this truck came with an I-6. Could have listed the VIN number. States that the inside is finished but offers no pictures. Where is the passenger seat? Aftermarket drivers seat. Too many issues.

    Like 2

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