Was There a Time When…

[Nesc204]

Was there a time when this fine forum, one of my home away from homes, had only a Gen 1 section, before the Gen 2 was even announced? And now with the reordering, or rejiggering of the sub forums, we find the once and still great Gen 1 at the bottom of the page, with a vaporware Raptor R sitting at the top, as if it’s king, when no one even knows if it will ever see the light of day.

As a 3x Gen 2 owner (17, 19, 20) and now proud owner of a Gen3, I still look up with reverence and smile when a Gen 1 goes by.

Has the number of Gen 1 owner/members shrunk on the forum? Or have more who purchased them used joined over the years?

The Gen 1 is what turned me on to the Raptor but back then I didn’t consider owning a truck. Now a truck is my primary vehicle and I wouldn’t be without one.

Long live the Gen 1.

I still have mine and not selling. Just Love the truck. And it still grabs alot of attention where ever its parked

 

[banzai]

Original Gen 1 owner, a 2013 w/only 29K miles on the clock. Guess I don't spend enough time anymore reading the forums to see the bickering between generations. I like all 3, but am not really a big fan of the ever-growing use of technology in vehicles. I prefer to concentrate on the driving experience when driving. I do miss the "Champagne Room" section on these forums. Probably explains why I spend less time here now.

 

[Nesc204]

Long ago I had a 2011 Gen I but life got in the way and I had a 40 mile commute to work one way so I switched to a 13 King Ranch, then a 2015 KR with the TT V6. I loved it but always missed the Raptor. Then swapped for a 17 Platinum with all the goodies and a V8. I was happy, but still missed the Gen I until the dealer where my Son is the finance manager took a loaded 13 Roush on trade with only 24K on the clock. Previous owner had done some major upgrades with stereo, lighting etc. The price was right (family) and the deal was done and I haven't missed the technology while still making it mine with more upgrades and tweaks such as Bed Rug, JDM tune, Sony head unit, new steering wheel etc. I'm old school (because I'm OLD) and I guess I'd compare the difference is like a Honda vs. a Harley. Nothing is going to sound like a Harley or a Roush SC 6.2. This is not a debate about Gen I or Gen 3 as I could have new if I wanted it's about the one that makes me smile when I get in!

Agree completely man. I can also get a brand new one but just know I would miss my Gen 1 if I did, just like when I sold my 1st Mustang GT, I still have dreams about it, it was a 86 GT back when I was a kid. Lesson learned my Gen 1 is a keeper and now its a weekend toy and occasional work commutes cause I love driving it. I just bought a brand new Dodge Challenger GT AWD as a daily driver yesterday. My Gen 1 will be going through some restorations later this yr and make new again or as close as possible and some day I be throwing the keys to my Son

 

[AZ Surfer]

Long live the Gen1. Drooling over the first ads and raptors I would see in the parking lots for 7 years, I finally decided to step up and drop the $ to get one. Love it. Prefer the V8 way over the V6s. I do see the luster of owning a newer model but, and 8 cylinder just sounds way cooler in a full size body. Got my Gen1 currently in the shop out here in PHX getting some awesome goodies put on it to do some desert runs with the club. So looking forward to this and looking forward to the future as I will not part with her.

 

[lkmcfee]

The Gen 1 Raptor is already a classic, no mistaking the look when driving. The Gen 2 has a nice look, but there are too many clones out there that make you have to look twice to see if it’s actually a Raptor, no way of making a regular 09-14 F-150 look like the Raptor. A truck like the Raptor needs a V8 in my opinion, that sound is part of the trucks look, and it’s an SVT , I might be a little biased about that, but I have an 02 Lightning so having the 2 trucks that SVT put out means something to me.

 

[Raptor 2014]

Been a member since 2013 - When I ordered my 2014, which I still have. 90,000 miles so far. Regular maintenance, mods keep running like a Swiss watch - Comfortable, goes most places I want to go if it fits and the motor sounds great. Most other Raptors here in Kalifornia are Starbuck Queens that rarely ever see any dirt. Oh well to each their own.
Current mods - Boxed and reinforced aftermarket front bumper and frame with 12,000 winch, Fox 3.0 w/ DSC, Dever springs, (6) 37s w/ bead locks, Thule Shell, with A Go fast Camper Shell super light ( no longer availible) that is easily removeable from the top - 90 LBS with sleeping bags and foam pad, ARB twin air compressor, 3 gallon under-mount aluminum tank, 2000 watt inverter, 2 group 31 Lithium Ion batteries bed mounted , various Baja design lights front and back, core bed mounting rails to secure 700+ Lbs of sht when I go out, bed-mounted custom aluminum spare tire carrier for (1) tire, the other sits in the stock location, too muck more Sht. - Getting tired of typing. Let's just say I'm happy with my First Gen and will be keeping it for a while longer but most First Gen owners are dedicated die hards who actually use thier trucks for what they were designed for.

 

[TDBrown]

Yep, I'm one of those die hard Gen 1 owners that uses it off-road. Joined the forum in 2016 after buying a 2014. I joined just as the Gen 2's were coming out. IMHO, the Gen 2's are better in every objective way. But I don't buy just on objective. I think we all buy based on what we value. FordTechOne, whose opinions I have come to value, likes the Gen 2's and 3's because they are purpose built, while the Gen 1 was more just a modified version of an F-150. But to me, the experience in the Gen 1 is better. Probably because I was born in the 60's and can't get over the nostalgia of the V-8 sound. The TT V-6 is a better motor in every objective metric. Just not my preferred experience. If the Raptor R ever comes out, and I can get one, I probably will. Until then, I'm happy with the Gen 1. It's pushing 110,000 miles. It squeaks and groans a bit more now. But it's reliable and fun.

As for the forum, the first question I ever asked was, I think, about towing. Someone posted a response of everything I needed to know about towing with a raptor--a link to a pic of a stretched out ****. I'm sure he thought that was funny. But in the string of responses, there was also some genuinely good information. The forum today is still like that, I believe. A few less stretched anuses, a few more duplicate questions, but even in the duplicates, there is often a new take or new information. So I still read it almost every day and I still appreciate all the posts from all the generations.

 

[ezndo]

Antone remember the Wiz? Dunno what happened to him, but that guy did alot of stuff to his Gen 1, which gave me and many others great ideas. I miss the old forum even though I visit here almost every day.

 

[Braaaaptor]

I visit here everyday, it's so much better than other social media. The newness of my Gen2 still hasn't worn off on me after 2 years thanks in large part to this place. There's so much knowledge and experience with different mods it keeps it fresh and I'm always learning something new. I especially like checking in the Gen1 forums because you guys are doing some REAL maintenance and mods unlike half of Gen2 and Gen3 guys more concerned with what ceramic coat to put on.

 

[Chiefapple]

The Gen 1 Raptor is already a classic, no mistaking the look when driving. The Gen 2 has a nice look, but there are too many clones out there that make you have to look twice to see if it’s actually a Raptor, no way of making a regular 09-14 F-150 look like the Raptor. A truck like the Raptor needs a V8 in my opinion, that sound is part of the trucks look, and it’s an SVT , I might be a little biased about that, but I have an 02 Lightning so having the 2 trucks that SVT put out means something to me.

You haven’t been on the raptor swap pages if you think you can’t make an 09-14 f150 look exactly like a gen 1.