The obvious question, when looking at this Modified Ford Ranger, is, “What the hell is going on here?” It has a body kit, and a wing at the front of the bed…and at the back! Ground effects and 4×4 trucks don’t usually make great bedfellows, but that’s none of this truck’s business. Oh, and let’s not forget that convertible top and the killer tape stripes.
The late ’80s and early ’90s were a confusing time for manufacturers of small trucks. Custom mini-trucks were all the rage. Customizers were lowering them and raising them and cutting the tops off and adding ridiculous stereos and tilt beds and untold other tricks. It was a legitimate automotive craze.
Dodge tried to jump on the bandwagon my offering the convertible Dakota, a standard Dakota modified by the American Sunroof Company. The timing wasn’t great, the choice of base vehicles wasn’t great, and the price tag placed the Dakota roadster apart from the type of person interested in modifying a small pickup. In the end, the production over three years was only 3759. Which, in terms of keeping a company like ASC busy, is significant, but by Big 3 automaker standards, is not.
According to some hasty google research and the information in the eBay ad, the SkyRanger was an attempt by the same company to sell their service to a “production” Ford Ranger convertible. They produced just 19 before the project was scrapped. This is one of those 19 – and it’s a peach. It has just 7219 miles on the clock and it looks pretty much perfect.
So many questions: Who bought this? Why was it stored for the better part of 25 years? Why would ACS start with a 4×4 when the fad at the time was lowered trucks? Is it worth $30k? Is it just an oddball or should it be in a museum? Why do I want it in my own garage so much?
Its price tag, just like the Dakota roadster’s, will probably keep it out of the reach of someone who would really love to own it, but there is something really cool about this truck. Somebody buy this and then get back to us about how awesome it is. Oh, and please take a photo with the top down.
Ross Ballot 
Kamil Kaluski
I thought my ’80 Durango was the coolest small Ford pickup from this era but this trumps it by far. Maybe not by $30k though…
Hang on- you have a Durango?
Pics.
He’s already been kind enough to do so:
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2008/01/03/fords-last-chero-the-durango/
S-W-E-E-T!
Wow, A Ford Durango is a fugly thing. Ranchero Wannabe??
SO many questions. Why an extended cab? Is this a convertible people (children) can sit sideways in?
Probably extended so the roof can fold down behind the driver without compromising bed space.
My question is: does the rear spoiler detach so that bulky items can be loaded?
Judging from the forward slope it doesn’t look like the basket handle actually even reaches over the bed, at least length wise. And width wise you’re more likely constricted by the wheel wells anyway.
I’m referring to the spoiler at the rear of the bed over the tailgate.
My bad, the truck is pretty spoiled when it comes to spoilers.
Cool, but I’d rather have the Dakota. IMO, they were better trucks for truck things.
Because convertible trucks are often used for truck things, right?
Or a Marlboro Syclone for being different.
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Archive/Event/Item/1991-GMC-SYCLONE-PICKUP-177112
4×4 + Cabrio + manual trans = winner.
Yeah, I fail to see this being a bad thing.
Why are the seatbelts laying across the front seats? Did they have to scrap the retractors as part of the conversion?
That’s exactly what it looks like. The B-pillar is gone, and the door has been chopped.
The retractors on my 2001 Ranger stopped working at about 75K. Total crap.
4-wheel drive so you can rally it, of course.
No top down pics? Isn’t that the point of this thing?
First results when you do an image search for “Ford Skyranger” are all from the last time this exact truck was auctioned. Already a pretty steep price http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?SaleCode=DS08&CarID=r389