87 Ranger - thanks
1987 Ranger XLT V-6 5 speed 4WD
High miles and driven hard but the asking is less than $1K
Opinions on the engine/tranny in a 4 wheeler?
(I've never owned a 4WD)
High miles and driven hard but the asking is less than $1K
Opinions on the engine/tranny in a 4 wheeler?
(I've never owned a 4WD)
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Drive it - put in every gear - if it works without too much noise, Buy it! BUUUT - plan on spending some for Oil changes to the trans, the transfer case, and both diffs, and make sure you go through all the hubs/CV joints in the first couple of years.
Lotsa folks buy 4X4s and then don't use them - this is good and bad - the gears may not be worn, but the seals and the oils may not be at their best. They may fail quickly if you use the truck hard.
If it is your first, remember, "4X4 just means it is twice as far back to the road, and you are probably twice as stuck."
Also: 4X4 might have twice the traction to Go, but it is the same contact patches and tires and brakes to stop as a regular truck, with more parts/weight.
4X4s have lotsa more parts and whirling parts = more maintenace.
Good Luck!0 -
Thanks for the input. I took it for a test drive. It appears that it's one of those deals where you fill the oil and check the gas; smoke was coming out of the hood after 3 blocks.
He said the mileage was 200,000 but the odometer shows 50,000 so he's off by at least that much one way or the other.0 -
Like the man said, if you get it remember that it may go faster in snow, but IT WILL NOT STOP FASTER! 0 -
If it has the 2.9L V6, it's probably worth it. Those old push-rod 4.0Ls were kinda junky and unreliable.
Pay close attention to the power steering system and the differentials for leaks. Not hard to fix, but they will definitely take some energy.
They're great trucks. I've got a 90 with 160K miles, and it's still running pretty strong.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Zulu7
If it has the 2.9L V6, it's probably worth it. Those old push-rod 4.0Ls were kinda junky and unreliable.
Pay close attention to the power steering system and the differentials for leaks. Not hard to fix, but they will definitely take some energy.
They're great trucks. I've got a 90 with 160K miles, and it's still running pretty strong.
The 2.9 and the 4.0 are the same engine, the 4.0 id just bored out a little. They're all acceptable engines. If the truck was smoking after 3 blocks, run away from it. A low price 4x4 is ton of head aches on wheels.0 -
87...Check to see if it has the electronic fuel injection. I think 87 was the 1st year for the fuel injected engine and they had terrible problems. I sold mine for $500 and felt bad for the guy who bought it. 0 -
Yes, run away from it. Sounds like the engine has problems. Transmission is probably the only good part in the car.
HOWEVER......if you're going to buy a 4WD, don't under any circumstances buy a V-6 anything.
Even if the vehicle is in good condition, which this one isn't, I believe the V-6 basic design lacks the torque necessary for a 4WD vehicle to perform in anything but a mediocre fashion with a differential that is designed for the highway. If the differential is altered for off-road, then you'll have gas mileage so bad (how bad was it?) you'll be getting 7-9 miles per gallon.
My opinion.0 -
quote:if you're going to buy a 4WD, don't under any circumstances buy a V-6 anything.
Absolutely correct, IMHO! Buy a Jeep with a straight 6. [:D]0 -
I got one trading even up for an old laptop around 2002. I drove it home knocking away.
It had 3.5 pistons in it. Half a piston was gone. The 2.3L was what it had.
Went to the local junkyard and all they had was a 2.3L TURBO from a ThunderTurd TurboCoupe that got T-Boned at 50,000 miles.
Bolted right in. Used the stock Ranger fuel injection. Only had to modify the exhaust pipe.
You got a good project. Don't limit yourself to 4wd. You can always remove that 4wd junk and run it 2wd.
My '88 Chevy was 4wd......has been 2wd since I owned it. I paid $1200.[^]0 -
If you have 1K to spend on a 4x4. I would keep on looking. Sounds like this one's has some issue.
You could maybe find a good used motor for it, but that's more money you'll have in it.
I would look for a good used old Chevy or Ford. You can find some great truckes for about the same price. They may not look like much, but you can find some that run great.
And face it the best 4x4's are the one's that come with the scatches and dents already installed.
You can have alot more fun with a 4x4 if your not worried about paint.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Cutiegirlracing
If you have 1K to spend on a 4x4. I would keep on looking. Sounds like this one's has some issue.
You could maybe find a good used motor for it, but that's more money you'll have in it.
I would look for a good used old Chevy or Ford. You can find some great truckes for about the same price. They may not look like much, but you can find some that run great.
And face it the best 4x4's are the one's that come with the scatches and dents already installed.
You can have alot more fun with a 4x4 if your not worried about paint.
I forgot you're right here in Indiana. The ideal truck I want is an extended cab Ranger 4 cyl 5 spd. The budget is a little more than $1k but not a lot. I didn't really want a 4x4 all that bad.
I looked at an 85 S10 4cyl 4 spd with only 35,000 miles but the lady wanted too much for it.
Manual tanny is not negotiable.
If you happen to know of something shoot me an email.0
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