Yes! Finally back in a Gen 1!!

[Pacific Wheel]

Realistically, Jen Too has spoiled me on tech and I’d probably buy up, but, I remember when I was younger, scrounging for decent rides.
Ford’s going to f around and find themselves the exclusive seller of trucks to the HD riding, OFWG crowd.

Never thought I'd want something so simple after having a handful of new cars ranging from newer Raptor, performance and even one EV. But one of the local shops is doing a mild offroad build on a Crown Vic Police Interceptor. Nothing crazy, mild suspension mods, lights, offroad wheels/tires etc... But when he took me for a ride I actually appreciated how simple that car is. Bare necessities and very few things to go wrong.

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

Legit. huge price increase from Jens Juan, Too and Tres, basically pricing out the aspiring enthusiast, and relegating them to the used Taco market.

Go check out a Taco forum, its booming! Turns out when your price of entry is so low it allows people to do whatever they want with them. On the Taco forum they have desert trucks, general offroaders, overlanders, SAS rock crawlers. They got everything.

Hilarious part is back in 2014 when I was tired of having eccentric (read: unreliable) cars I finally wanted something new and reliable. My first choice was actually the Taco. Sure I was living in Hawaii and the Taco makes up something like a quarter of ALL new car sales there. But heres the catch, I saw that the difference between a Raptor (my dream vehicle since my dad took me out in one) and a TRD Taco was like... 8k difference so I made the jump. Just checked, a Raptor sticker to Taco sticker is 16 to 25k different.

@Pacific Wheel. A "base model" raptor is one of those things that everyone seems to say they want but then if a manufacturer were to put it out, it would sell like dog shit on a hot texas day.

 

[John M BUNMAN]

As an OG Raptor guy, you guys are 100% correct. The purpose and truck have been diluted. Back in the early days, it was all about actually offroading your Raptor and 4x4 mods, now as @Stingray23 said, it's all about tech upgrades, PPF and 20" wheels. Kinda similar to the progression of the Hummer. I recall daily posts here of guys posting mud, snow and air shots and that is gone. It's sad but it happens to lots of vehicles over the generations. Hell, I still remember when GM marketed the C7 Vette by stating you can carry two sets of golf clubs in the hatch...

Hey wait a minute…. I’m still posting pictures of my Raptor on Subaru Outback Trails with my “Thesbian Lover” ( No Offense, not that there’s anything wrong with that )
But Sadly Sir, you are correct. I’ve been in a Raptor since day one in 2010. Every Option Shell, Lights and a few other accessories, out the door for $55k. Sold it 9 yrs later, 200k miles, for $21k.
Vegas is Raptor Pavement Princess Capital of the World! Sadly it’s become a “Status Symbol“ My fleet manager of 30+ years estimates 90% of the Vegas Raptors he’s sold, have never been further Off-Road than the Sams Club parking lot

I’m not a hard core Off-Roader by any stretch of the imagination, but I am in the Desert 2-4 days a week. In Reality I could do most of my Trails in a King Ranch with 35” shoes..but… I do Trails in the Raptor at speeds that would have flipped my Rubicon on it’s back. 8 hrs in the Raptor on the Trails I can walk the next day.
4 hrs in the Ruby with a Teriflex lift and I can’t walk the next day.
Since day 1 in 2010, I have told people it’s like Driving in an Escalade on AND Off-Road. My Gen2 even more so than my Gen1. No other Factory Truck, off the lot comes close IMHO

 

[Pacific Wheel]

@Pacific Wheel. A "base model" raptor is one of those things that everyone seems to say they want but then if a manufacturer were to put it out, it would sell like dog shit on a hot texas day.

I know it's only roughly me and 6 other people that would actually buy a base Raptor lol. I actually don't even see people saying "they want to buy a base Raptor". I do applaud Ford for trying the 800A cloth seat model that debuted in 17. But that was only 3-4k less than the next package up so 99% of buyers passed. I think the only way one would sell is if it was a substantial discount compared to the current 800A truck. If they were 25% cheaper like the aforementioned EVO RS and you could get a base Raptor in the 50's they might sell well but of course this is all speculation.

 

[So-Cal-Al-52]

My 2020 was was an 800 A, I loved it. Cloth seats, No Appliqué, No Moonroof. At the time it made for a purchase I could afford. Used the money I saved on purchase for wheels and tires. But I agree, probably not much market for that anymore.

 

[Nex]

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

I know it's only roughly me and 6 other people that would actually buy a base Raptor lol. I actually don't even see people saying "they want to buy a base Raptor". I do applaud Ford for trying the 800A cloth seat model that debuted in 17. But that was only 3-4k less than the next package up so 99% of buyers passed. I think the only way one would sell is if it was a substantial discount compared to the current 800A truck. If they were 25% cheaper like the aforementioned EVO RS and you could get a base Raptor in the 50's they might sell well but of course this is all speculation.

The Sasquatch package on the Base Model Bronco is pretty close to the same idea. I'm pretty sure thats my next vehicle.

My dad used to work for "capital F" Ford and he said they always had these ideas come across that "customers wanted" and either the execution was so poor that it was basically ignored (Mercury Marauder) or it was perfect and no one cared (GEN2 Ford Lightning). The one he always points out as a huge "exactly what the customer asked for then no one bought it" example is the Chevy SS. V8 sedan with stick? Isn't that what all the Jalopnik car nerds have been asking for?

 

[Pacific Wheel]

The one he always points out as a huge "exactly what the customer asked for then no one bought it" example is the Chevy SS. V8 sedan with stick? Isn't that what all the Jalopnik car nerds have been asking for?

Yes but they had the Chevy Cobalt design team get drunk and design that car lol. It was so ugly. If they used the Pontiac G8 GXP design or similar with a Chevy badge it probably would've done better. Who knows though.

Anyways @Big Blue back on topic, you've inspired me to update my GEN1 SCAB soon. Not quite as big as yours but I just ordered all my parts.
I almost sold my GEN1 2-3 years ago and converted back to stock minus the bumpers

2014 Oxford SCAB
Deaver +2
KHC Gen 2 Rear Shock Mounts (got some 17-18 dumb shocks for stupid cheap from rock auto)
Geiser on low perch in the front. Would've went Eibach but didn't want to go that tall
And I already had Method NV's in machined with 35" Falken AT3/W

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

Yes but they had the Chevy Cobalt design team get drunk and design that car lol. It was so ugly. If they used the Pontiac G8 GXP design or similar with a Chevy badge it probably would've done better. Who knows though.

Anyways @Big Blue back on topic, you've inspired me to update my GEN1 SCAB soon. Not quite as big as yours but I just ordered all my parts.
I almost sold my GEN1 2-3 years ago and converted back to stock minus the bumpers

2014 Oxford SCAB
Deaver +2
KHC Gen 2 Rear Shock Mounts (got some 17-18 dumb shocks for stupid cheap from rock auto)
Geiser on low perch in the front. Would've went Eibach but didn't want to go that tall
And I already had Method NV's in machined with 35" Falken AT3/W

They saw the G8/GTO and said "yeah thats good enough" and rolled with it.

I'm doing the Geiser on bottom perch and middle setting Icon leafs early next year.

 

[John M BUNMAN]

Now that we have run Blues thread off the rails, but thankfully not into the GOAT BARN
That is one Great looking Gen 1 Sir!