1981 Ford Ranger: trims, real prices & how to pick yours
17 builds left the factory as a 1981 Ranger, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 2 main configurations sell for $4,950–$16,927 today.
- 2 main configurations
- 2,346 vehicles built
- 37 for sale right now
- $4,950–$16,927 typical price range
Which Ranger is yours?
Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.
Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.
Pick your Ranger
-
Base configuration 1FTYR10E-94L 6-cyl, 207 hp. 96 built.
Full specs, prices & VINs → 1 for sale now -
Most common — 95% of 1981 Rangers
Base configuration 1FTKR1ED-B4.2L 8-cyl. 2,235 built.
$4,950 great deal $11,190 typical $16,927 top of marketFull specs, prices & VINs → 36 for sale now
What actually differs
| Base configuration 1FTKR1ED-B | Base configuration 1FTYR10E-9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 4.2L 8-cyl | 4L 6-cyl |
| For sale right now | 36 | 1 |
| Vehicles built | 2,235 | 96 |
Same on every 1981 Ranger
- Power 207 hp
- Fuel Gasoline
- Body Pickup
- Typical price today $11,190
What people actually pay
33 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
Base configuration
$11,190
$4,801
$7,960
$11,118
$14,277
$17,435
Safety, in plain English
What 1FTYR10E-9 means
1FT
YR10E
·
9
- 1FT
- the World Manufacturer Identifier Ford registered — assembled in the United States
- YR10E
- together encode the Ranger line — Pickup, 4L 6cyl — as Ford filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
- 9
- in position 10 — model year 1981
- 9, 11–17
- differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
15 rare configurations — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.
- Base configuration F10YRU70-3 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F10YKP47-2 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F25HHR22-7 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration VNPLATEU-R Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration 0000X15J-F Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration X26ZKHD1-3 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F10YNV64-7 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F25HRM64-4 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- XLT 8AFDT50D-5 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration 8AFDT50D-8 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration 8AFDT50D-9 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F10GRS08-6 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F25GRGD3-6 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F155LAK5-8 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
- Base configuration F10YLW24-5 Fewer than 20 known vehicles
Already looking at a specific Ranger?
Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.