Dude, get a short bed, regular cab ranger with the smallest engine possible (save money). Then take out that crappy 4 banger and throw a small block v8 in there and maybe even a turbo. Thats what I would do

31C

 

the point of me getting a newer one is because I dont want to do much work to it. That'd be nice, I just dont have the time.
Shane

 

Regular cab, or Single Cab? I kinda like the regular cab better.
Shane

 

I have always considered regular cab and single cab to be the same thing, I think that the truck that you have on the right is called a "Super Cab" by ford. I have liked my Super Cab because of the extra storage and extra space for more people, it helps as a college student also.

 

go with the supercab.

the regular cabs are pretty small. 2 adults and its full. Having the backseat area is nice for bags, extra coats, whatever.

I notice you are in Illinois so you do get the snow. Do you really want your stuff in the bed in a snowstorm?

 

If I had to pick right now, I'd pry go against popular demand and get just a regular cab. Extended cab and 4x4 would be nice, but I don't NEED them. I drove a buddies Edge last night. Its an 03, Sonic Blue regular cab, 4x2 3.0. And I really liked it a lot. The interior wasnt as bad as I thought.

(I really liked the bucket seating) But thats hard to come by. There is a lot of used ones out there, I just dont like any of them that much. I may go take a look and see if the dealership has any 03's left. There is still that one silver 02 that I like a lot. Its 4x4 and has extended cab. That may be an option too. It does have the bucket seating.
Shane

 

thats the bad thing about most trucks, tons of options, but they are a lot more fun then some cars in my opinion

 

I had a 94' Ranger with the 2.3L and 5-speed. I totally drove that truck like I stole it everyday, pedal to the metal. I sold it three years ago when it just turned 100k miles, and I still see it on the road every now and then. Especially when I go downtown. Rangers are tough little trucks. No doubt about it.

 

The most I got in my regular cab was 4 people, but I think only 2 1/2 were actually touching the seat. Needless to say I ended up hitting a curb, busting my tire, and denting my wheel. I wouldnt def. say the Max Occupancy for a regular cab is 2 adults and 1 child.

31C

 

Going that route, why not just find a later 90's 4 banger, and then throw in the 2.3l turbo engine with a T-5 tranny and crank up the boost. Good power and lighter then the 5.0

 

that'd sure be fun to do. Pull the motor out of any car and put a bigger one in. I just dont have the time or cash for that. What Im looking at is a daily driver. Something better on gas, and more practical to drive during the week. Then drive the truck a little less, and take it out on the weekends.
I didnt make it to the dealership last night. I was sick like a dog.
I may be able to go tonight and take a look and see if they have any 03's left, or look at that one 02 I liked again. Thanks for all the advice. Is 0% financing still available on the 03's?
thanks, Shane

 

here's some pics from a guys truck over at FordTruckWorld and he has bucket seating. I really like how his looks with the console in the middle.

 

I found a nice edge with Bucket Seating. Its just too far away.

Shane

 

I drove a '93 Ranger the whole time I was in Michigan, about 2 years. It was a short bed/cab and had a 2.3l engine, 5 speed manual tranny, and was 2-wheel drive. I just made sure I put two bags of salt and a shovel in the bed when it started to snow, just in case. I never had to use them. I drove 15 miles to and from work every day and made a monthly trip to Detroit, about 3.5 hours away.

The only time I got stuck was when I was out messing around triing to relearn how to drive in the snow/ice.

 

I had a 94 extended cab 4x4 with the 4.0L and 5 spd. Loved it, it was a great truck. Sold it because there was no place for child seats. It had seats that flipped down from the side of the truck. You cannot legally put a child seat on those.