Ford Built This Insane Ranger Years Before the Raptor—and Almost Nobody Remembers It
The rare Ford Ranger FX4 Level II packed serious off-road hardware, a 4.0-liter V6, and capability years before the Raptor arrived.
Cheap body-on-frame pickups that could tow a trailer, haul a load, crawl through mud and keep running for decades are becoming harder to find.
The Ford Ranger remains one of the classic examples of that formula. Its reputation was built on trucks that could take abuse, climb hills, get stuck in mud and somehow keep going.
But one version of the Ranger stands apart from the rest: the FX4 Level II.
The FX4 Level II was offered for just five model years, from 2003 through 2007, making it one of the rarest and most heavily equipped off-road versions of the Ranger.
It was part of the third-generation Ranger, which was sold in the U.S. from 1998 through 2011.
Ford introduced the FX4 package for the 2002 model year as a four-wheel-drive version of its midsize pickup with serious off-road hardware. For 2003, the lineup was split into the FX4 Off-Road and the more heavily equipped FX4 Level II.
The FX4 Level II came with Bilstein shocks, skid plates and tow hooks, but Ford went considerably further with the package.
It received smaller-diameter wheels wrapped in tires with aggressive off-road tread and taller sidewalls, upgraded suspension components and the Power Equipment Group, which added power windows, power door locks and keyless entry.
The result was a Ranger that looked relatively familiar but had considerably more serious hardware underneath.
The third-generation Ranger was available with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and offered several engines depending on the model year and configuration.
Those included a 2.3-liter inline-four, a 3.0-liter V6 and a 4.0-liter V6.
The FX4 Level II, however, was paired with four-wheel drive and the 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V6.
That engine produced 207 horsepower and 238 lb-ft of torque.
The truck had a 28.7-degree approach angle, a 25.4-degree departure angle and about 10.1 inches of ground clearance. Its curb weight was roughly 3,706 pounds.
The differences between a regular FX4 and the Level II could be easy to miss at first glance, but the equipment list told a different story.
Buyers could also add a Torsen limited-slip differential, 15-inch forged Alcoa aluminum wheels with 31-inch tires, additional steel protection for the transfer case and transmission, Bilstein shocks and other equipment.
The standard FX4 used 16-inch wheels and 30-inch tires, making the Level II's 31-inch rubber another clear distinction.
For the first couple of years, buyers could order the truck with a five-speed manual transmission and a manual transfer-case shifter.
That setup was available for the 2003 and 2004 model years. Later trucks used an electronic switch on the dashboard to control the transfer case.
The Level II also received a stronger rear axle with 31-spline shafts instead of the 28-spline setup used by the standard FX4 Off-Road.
Other upgrades included stainless-steel front tow hooks and a black grille.
Buyers could also order equipment such as a tonneau cover, bedliner and trailer hitch receiver.
The combination made the FX4 Level II much more than an appearance package. It was a factory-built off-road Ranger with hardware designed to take serious punishment.
Exact production numbers are difficult to establish because Ford did not publish a complete breakdown of every FX4 Level II built.
Some sources have cited roughly 60,000 FX4 and FX4 Level II trucks produced from 2002 through 2007, with the Level II representing the rarer version. Other historical production information points to 17,971 Level II trucks built from 2002 through 2007 when the 2002 FX4 is included in the figure.
Whatever number you use, finding a genuine Level II today isn't particularly easy.
Recent auction results show that these trucks can still command attention. A 2003 Ranger FX4 Level II with about 94,000 miles recently sold for $14,650.
That puts the Level II in an interesting position among older American pickups: it remains relatively affordable compared with many collectible off-road trucks, while offering factory equipment that enthusiasts still seek out.
Ford wasn't the first automaker to build a midsize pickup aimed at off-road buyers, but the Ranger FX4 formula worked.
The standard FX4 was already a tough, functional truck with all-terrain tires, skid plates and four-wheel drive.
The Level II took that formula several steps further.
Long before the Ford Raptor turned factory-built off-road performance into a major part of the Blue Oval's truck lineup, the Ranger FX4 Level II was already combining a compact pickup body with serious off-road hardware.
It may not have the size, power or technology of today's performance pickups, but that's part of its appeal.
The FX4 Level II was a relatively simple factory off-roader with a naturally aspirated V6, four-wheel drive and the kind of hardware that could take a Ranger well beyond the pavement.
And because Ford only built it for a short period, finding a clean, original example has become a hunt in itself.