Worst cars of the '80s from Ford!

The Detroit 3: GM, Chrysler, and today's special guest, Ford have now all been discussed in terms of the worst cars from each brand ('80s). Possibly might make part 2's for each decade; however, I am going to first focus on the '70s, '90s, and 2000s. Most of you know one more American company that is last to be talked about. From my home state of Wisconsin, American Motors Company will be featured very shortly. Thank you all for the generous support, it helps me make the best, top-notch content for you all! Some may say trucks are not cars some say it's under the same classification. At the end of the day, I have to stay consistent with my thumbnails so please bear with me!

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 -Intro
0:45 -Car 1
3:28 -Car 2
6:36 -Car 3
8:08 -Car 4
9:53 -Tier List
12:15 -Outro Music: by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
DISCLAIMER:
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."

[lab]

Friend of mine rolled a Bronco II, I was in the passenger seat. Car pulled out in front of us on a 55 mph country road. He hit the brakes and steered to the right. We slid into the grass shoulder which caught the tires and flipped us over completely, landing back on the wheels. Thankfully we were both wearing seatbelts and we walked away without a scratch. After we got back to his house (his mom picked us up - Bronco was obviously trashed) we ordered pizza and drank beer.

[metaloverdose]

My parents bought a brand new Bronco II in 1987. I drove it a lot as a teenage and then I owned it for a while when I was 20. It was a great vehicle that was driven by 3 generations in my family. Would love to get my hands on it again and restomod it.

[adam_britton]

My grandfather had a couple Perkins Rangers on the farm. By the mid 90’s he had found two or three to use as parts cars. They really were super slow, but he put somewhere close to 400k miles on that Ranger before it rusted out.

[phantom]

I always thought that the first and second gen Rangers and Bronco II’s were handsome little trucks, the utilitarian styling really worked well for them.

[christopherconard]

The police in my old home town used propane powered cars. Another advantage for engines that run on natural gas is the oil stays cleaner for much longer. This makes a difference when your fleet alternates between stop and go driving with long periods of idling.

[miguelescobedo]

I bought a new Bronco II in 1986 and loved it. Gave it to my Dad who drove it almost the ground. It eventually found its way to rural Mexico, where it may still be running around.

[StevenHarber]

In the very early 2000's I owned a 1985 Ford Escort Wagon DIESEL and I owned a 1986 Ford Tempo DIESEL. The cars weren't quick by any means, but they got tremendous fuel mileage. The Tempo would get close to 50mpg. The Escort Wagon would only do low to mid-40's. Their little 2.0L 4cyl diesel engines were pretty reliable. Other than normal things like starters and maintenance, I never had any major mechanical problems with either of them.

[devonmask]

The Bronco II was definitely polarizing at the time. Those who went off road or through a lot of snow loved them and held onto them as long as possible. Those new to small 4x4's had a learning curve. Some figured it out, some didn't. In truth, the lil' Bronc was no worse than a Jeep CJ5, International Scout II, The Samurai or the original rollover champ, the original Bronco (yes, the present auction darling was, at the time, seen as a notorious rustbucket that cleared loose oxidation by rolling over). Granted, the Cherokee and S10 were wider and less prone to rollovers, but off road, a well-setup Bronco could only be matched by an equally prepped a Cherokee. The S10 was more road oriented.

[Masterplan]

Ford also made propane powered Crown Vic Police cars in the 90's. They quit when they realized they might explode from a rear end collision. Some of them did.

[nolarobert]

My great Uncle Charles bought the new downsized Thunderbird in 1980. I was amazed at how much it had shrunk from the previous generation. The backseat had very little room. The front seat was okay as long as you moved it all the way back. He didn't keep it too long and traded it for the much roomier LTD in the mid-80s. American cars in the early 80s were hot garbage as they struggled to compete with the Japanese on quality and efficiency. Very dark days for those of us who lived through them.

[jeffbranch]

Ford did have a diesel car program, and it was brilliant. In 1984 Ford bought 800 BMW turbodiesel inline 6 engines (designed from the ground up as diesel engines, unlike the Olds 350 fiasco), and installed 600 into Continentals and 200 in Mark VII's. The cars were capable of 40 MPG and had 25 gallon tanks - 1000 miles of range! These were GOOD CARS! The problem was, as mentioned, that the GM diesel fiasco had soured the American market to diesels, so Ford canceled the program and sold off the experimental fleet as used cars. A coworker had a buddy that bought one of the Mark VII's and they drove it from Michigan to Florida. Coming home they filled the tank in Miami, FL and stopped to refill in Monroe, MI, because they didn't think they could quite make it all the way back to Dearborn on one tank.

[GorillaCookies]

I had a 86 Bronco 2 and flipped it the 2nd day I had it . I flipped it going about 35 mph when I tuned to go around a bowling ball sized rock in the road. It was unbelievable how easily It flipped over. Broke a vertebrae in my neck and 2 in my back and was wearing my seat belt

[AlvisHerren]

My dad had an 87 Ranger with the 2.3 turbo diesel and he loved the excellent fuel economy. He got it in 1996. I enjoyed driving it around too.

[boostpack]

Seeing a boxy ranger hurts a bit those rigs are hard to kill man the 2.3 iron block with the 3 speed auto is a dangerous combo of reliability and fuel efficiency

[JamesOKeefe-US]

Awesome video, perfect for a rainy Sunday. Cheers from North Carolina! Appreciate you! PS, the presentation is great, lots of good information and you deliver it in a really digestible way. I am not a car expert at all so these are fascinating looks into the evolution of these models. Thanks again!

[Doc]

When the Ranger first came out in the 80s with the 2.3L timing belt engine, they were bulletproof.
If you changed the oil and didn’t abuse it, they could easily go 350K miles.

The Bronco II was a great idea, but they were top heavy and had a tendency to roll.

[arieljones]

I always liked the styling of the Bronco. It was simple, handsome, and i really liked the way the rear windows wrap up into the roof. Nice touch.

[spencevans]

So just a bit of information on the 1985-87 Mitsubishi 4d55 turbo diesel found in the Ford Ranger and Ford Bronco II. It produced 86hp and 134ft lbs of torque. It was a very reliable motor. The 4d55/56 started production in 1982 and is still in production in countries like the Philippines. It's amazing this engine has been in production for 42 years. New parts are readily available and easy to find. It is truly a legendary engine and was the first turbo diesel engine ever offered in a pickup for the North American market.

[ohioalphornmusicalsawman]

I started driving in '87, so research for me into this topic involves accessing memory lane. My vote on the best Ford of this era?? A Fairmont powered by the 200 ci inline 6. Decent torque and gas mileage, easy to work on, and ran forever. This motor was not fast, but quick out of a light at low RPM, adequate cruising and hill pulling power on the open road, and good on ⛽

[DJLewProductionsInc]

I had a Bronco II, and I was T boned, but mine did not roll over, and it protected my passenger and me pretty well. I had no injuries, but my passenger had a cut on the top of his head. I liked the styling, and I did add Explorer rims, which fit and made it look and drive better.