A rescent offer has landed in my lap, I have the opportunity to buy a'87 ranger from a guy i work with, he wants $675.00. The truck is equipped with a 2.3efi 5 speed, 2x4 w/ 135,000 miles. Myself am not familiar with the Ranger breed as I've driven the big brother to the ranger all my life, the F-150. What I'm wondering is, is there any major problems with the 2.3, or what should I pay close attention to when looking at this truck, this truck is in pretty good shape, it has your oil leaks and what not (but what vehicle doesnt when its this old) I've driven this truck and everything seems to be smooth running condition. Just dont wanna pay for a truck just to have it bust on me 3 miles down the road ( I've had my fare share of that) Thanx guys

 

gee, give me his number, cause thats a steal. I wouldnt be afraid to get it, especially if its for work or around town, almost 23 mpg. Now keep in mind, THIS TRUCK IS NOT A SPEED DEMON, SO LEAVE EARLY TO WORK! HAHA, im having trouble just even getting mine to stay at 75 on the turnpike. But i would certainly recomend it, atleast for that price, infact, i would expect for a truck like this to go for about 1500, does he just not know what he has? Or is it pretty rough? Anyways, good luck! But i say go for it, especially if you have a kid thats about to turn 16, talk about a perfect vehicle for that age, CANT SPEED!

 

I have had better luck with the Rangers than many other vehicles. Sure, they have their quirks however you will find threads in this forum that address those quirks and resolutions.
Familiarize yourself with the various sensors (MAF, MAP, ECT et.al. and how to test they with a Digital Multimeter when you have performance issues. You WILL find the problem.

Traxxis is correct - a fairly steady 22 - 23 mpg around town with a 5-speed. My Ranger does not leak. You may need just a valve cover gasket or the like. They are solid.

Russ