NGC Ford ranger opinions wanted NOW Xterra ?

[fotoguzzi]

Looking at this tomorrow,
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/cto/4940161163.html

here's the deal.. my Insurance will go up by $227. when I cancel the Miata which is sold.. ( I have my 25 yo son and wife on policy) we have 3 cars.. when we go down to two cars/3 drivers it goes up.. goofy I know..

so looking to replace the Miata for that reason and more.. he says it's reliable and can do multiple trips to Duluth and back (to get with my other son in college) it would be great to haul camping/canoe and other junk (if it is reliable)
at least one other buyer didn't when it was listed at 1200.

is this a money pit as large as the houseboat I once owned?

what do ya'll know about an 89 Ranger AT, V6 4x4 ?  problems I should look for?
ps, I'm all good with the paint on the exterior, the inside is pretty very red.

[canuck750]

I have owned two Rangers, 96 2 X 4 extended cab, gave it my oldest son 5 years ago, he ran it up to 280,000Km and traded it in on a 2012 Ranger 4 X4 extended cab this summer. The old 96 probably has another 100,00O good Km left in her, not one major issue ever and even the body has held to together with very little rust.

I have been driving a 2011 Ranger 4 X 4 extended cab for the past 4 years, not one issue. Parts are very cheap and readily available. The V6 is bullet proof. My two teenage sons learnt to drive on the 96, went through a couple clutches in 8 years but that's kids!

I would recommend a Ranger to anyone.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I don't know. I only put 250K miles on a 200K runout I picked up at a junkyard. Put a new junkyard front end and engine on it. Seems like I put a timing belt on it and maybe an idler bearing in the 250K that I drove it. Maybe a starter.. Gave it to the Kid, who drove it for a couple of years, then he gave it to a friend..
So...last I knew for sure it was pushing a half a million. Too early to tell if it would be reliable or not.  ;D

[Lannis]

I got my Mom's '92 Ranger 2WD, four cylinder, 5 speed when she passed away, then my son got it.

Nice truck, great on the highway (the gearing was phenomenally high!), and never had rust issues despite the bed staying half full of pine needles and water in the 15 years my Mom had it.

I'd get another.

Lannis

[bratman2]

I have owned three Rangers over the years. They have all been pretty reliable. With that said I have never seen a really low mileage older vehicle that was reliable when you start racking miles up on them.

[Frulk]

I owned that exact same truck..same year/same color scheme. One of my all time favorite vehicles. Only thing I didn't like were the frequent fill ups due to the smallish tank (I didn't get the dual tank option) and somewhat poor MPG.  Sold it with 45K on it and babied it for the 2.5 years I had it. Guy that bought it was a good friend I worked with. At 50K the tranny went out and he had to have it rebuilt.

[Doppelgaenger]

I had a 95 4 cylinder XT ranger with the single cab. Aside from the fact that it had no power steering (probably a plus on a 90s Ford) and was heavy as a brick to park, there were no real issues with it.  My family sold it at around 160k miles and I know that it's still going strong to this day because it was sold to a mechanic my dad knows well. The only problem it ever had was that the U joint went out on the rear of the drive shaft. The engine, while never a tower of power by any means, was bulletproof.

One thing about it tho, it was extremely unstable on dirt roads with no load in the rear. It would start to fishtail badly on dirt roads at around 40 mph for no reason whatsoever. My old roommate had an XLT with the extended cab, she ended up rolling it and it was totaled for the same reason.

For cheap, reliable wheels, you couldn't do much better.

Funny to think back now to how I hated that thing at the time... probably because of no power steering, but I'll be damned if it ever broke down.

[bratman2]

My second Ranger was a 88 STX 4 wheel drive with the 2.9l. I bought from my wife's Uncle with just under 50k miles and sold it with just over a 100k. At 90 something k the fuel pressure regulator, or something similar, went out dumping fuel like crazy. Only thing ever repaired on that truck while I owned it.

[fotoguzzi]

Not goofy.  Your son is now listed as a primary driver of a vehicle with comprehensive insurance.  You need to get him on a vehicle with just liability insurance.  Welcome to my world.

that won't happen, He has a thing for a nice car.. VW CC right now.. but I make him pay his share ($635. presently for 6 mo). I pay $345 for my wifes 03 Tribute and $23 for the stored (sold) Miata..
I don't get how my agent can tell me to keep it on a plan after I told him it was sold.. what if the new owner has progressive and makes a claim? the vin # is sure to come up in 2 policies?  I have the email saved where the agent gave that advice so I'll be clear?

[John Ulrich]

Buy a title for a crushed car at a junk yard ....

[charlie b]

We had a 99 Ranger 4x4 ext cab.  Mechanically it was excellent.  Very comfortable and the 4WD worked great out in the mountains.  A little high CG so had to watch it running along hills.  Great in deep snow.  Electronic transfer case but it never gave any problems.

The computer that ran the interior stuff was horrid.  Interior lights would come on for no reason.  Windows wouldn't work at times.  Changed out the computer twice.  Problems would go away for about a week then start back again.

A used one that everything still works, I'd go for it.

[GearheadGrrrl]

Check the frame for rust through.

[fotoguzzi]

Buy a title for a crushed car at a junk yard ....

scandalous! great idea.. but I don't think I'll be able to visit Joey in Duluth that way.. I need to try out my beater canoe up there and it will look so cool on top of the faded/bleached red rat Ranger.. I'll need a Rat Fink sticker on the door..

[yogidozer]

my 89 was still running good at 300,000 when I sold it. never needed anything other than regular maintenance. 5 sp, extra cab, v-6 2.9

[Semper-guzzi]

I had an 89 Bronco II 2.9l 5spd. Miss that thing. Very reliable. Blew a head gasket doing things to it that it had no business doing.

[leafman60]

Way back in the day, I had a 1984 Ford Ranger 4X4 long bed, automatic with the 2.9 V6.

It was somewhat underpowered and not very fuel efficient. On top of that, it had a small gas tank, 12 gallons?

 

[Dilliw]

Kim picked out a a 4cyl manual extended cab for my brother and he's been driving it for a few months.  The alternator went out (every Ford does this I think) but otherwise it has been bullet proof.   We've noticed is the extended cab area is hard to access with boxes and totes and he had a time finding the right setup for his kayaks.  A tonneau cover is something that he's going to add.

He's fine with the 4 banger but it's a little weak towing the trailer.

[Dharma Bum]

I drove a company issued Ranger for 8 years at my last job.  Reliable as a rock.  The rear end tended to slide out in 2wheel drive at the first hint of slippery roads and the mileage sucked compared to the Dodge Ram I am now driving. All that being said, I'd buy one in a second if I were in the market for a pickup.

[Demar]

I bought a '94 Ranger V6 extended cab new in '94. It was a good truck except for the fact that it ate front brakes. It had 14" wheels and a few years later I heard they changed to 15" wheels and improved the braking. Every 20k miles I needed new front brakes. I mostly drove it empty and didn't tow anything. I know it wasn't me because my 2001 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 now has 216,000 miles and I am still on my original front rotors and pads.

[fotoguzzi]

needed tires and one wheel didn't match. I low balled him at $500. and he said he had a higher offer.. I said sell it to him. thanks everyone it was very informative.. I think I'll keep looking casually.

[Rough Edge racing]

 I know a few people who had Rangers....They won't buy another one

[Perazzimx14]

I bought a brand new 1992 single cab ranger paid $9,456. Loved the truck. It was stolen by six 13/14 year olds at 40K in 1993. I got the truck back and traded it on a new 1994 extra cab ranger w/ a 4.0 and 4x4. Got $9,556 on a trade + a bunch of insurance money for damages as the kids who stole my 92 were in at least 3 different accidents. Drove the 1994 for 120,000 trouble free miles and traded it in 1999. Loved both of the rangers more than any other truck I have had since save for my 2000 Tacoma. I would most certainly buy another ranger to bad they don't make them anymore.

[fotoguzzi]

I bought a brand new 1992 single cab ranger paid $9,456. Loved the truck. It was stolen by six 13/14 year olds at 40K in 1993. I got the truck back and traded it on a new 1994 extra cab ranger w/ a 4.0 and 4x4. Got $9,556 on a trade + a bunch of insurance money for damages as the kids who stole my 92 were in at least 3 different accidents. Drove the 1994 for 120,000 trouble free miles and traded it in 1999. Loved both of the rangers more than any other truck I have had since save for my 2000 Tacoma. I would most certainly buy another ranger to bad they don't make them anymore.

Yeah, some if not all Rangers were built at the Ford in my old home town, St Paul Mn.. the plant has recently been bulldozed..

[rboe]

A buddy has the Mazda version. Can to replace the dome light in the cab without major assistance from a mechanic (goes to star parties so he'd like to be able to pull it so it does not ruin his dark adapted vision). Something wonky about the wiring for that dome light affect a ton of crap. Otherwise no issues and he drives like a mad man.

My dad had one, made many trips from Duluth to eastern Montana (I tagged along once, not the best touring pickup.....  ::) ). Don't recall any issues that he had other than the typical rust for that era (early 80's). I think he traded it in for an extended can F150 (warning, topic drift) that my wife and I borrowed some reason and ever since I wanted to own a F150. Took about 25 years to do so!  ;D

My brother in law likes them in his company fleet (Mosquito Squad, Ugly, etc.). Reliable and cheap to run.

[Gliderjohn]

I guess that Rangers are a bit like Guzzis, the luck of the draw and possibly dealer setup. Most of the Ranger owners I have known would not buy another. Back in the 90s in the town I worked at there was a Ranger with a topper and the owner had the rear window full of all the repairs he had had done on it. Don't know why he still had it unless he couldn't afford anything else.
A testament to Toyota small pickups was a friend of mine that bought a bare bones one new in the 90s. He crashed the engine at 90+ thousand miles when the timing belt let loose. I asked him if he knew he should have replaced the belt at 80K miles and his response was "hell, I still was running it with the factory oil". He had never had an oil change.
GliderJohn