Hey everyone. I'm looking around for what type of truck I want for my first one but can't figure it out so I'm looking for some pointers. Im looking for probably an f150 and ill use it for a little off roading but I also want ok gas milage. Also I want back seats and a bed large enough where I could fit in it. I wont be towing much so that's not an issue for me. I'm thinking an older truck because they're a lot cheaper and I don't have lots of money to work with.
Any help's appreciated!

 

How big of back seats? They didn't offer a crew cab F150 from the factory, but there are Centurion conversions that made them. They are hard to find. There are however extended cab F150's, with a small back seat. A 5.0 would probably be the easiest to find engine in one of these trucks, and will get better mileage than the big 5.8. Don't expect great numbers though. At BEST look in the area of 15-16 MPG highway. There is also the 4.9 strait six. Great durable engine with lots of low end power. It usually gets the best mileage of the three engines as well. Not the best for towing though as they usually came with really low gears which made them dogs. With all that said what's your budget?

 

Evan's pretty much right. The 5.8L 351w is a good motor but won't get nearly as good of mileage as the smaller motors. The 5.0L 302 and the 4.9L 300 will usually be pretty similar for mileage in identical scenarios but the 300 will make better low end power. Some guys have claimed to get 20 MPG with their trucks though with either motor.

These trucks are plenty capable of doing "a little offroading". Just know that if your plan of a little offroading, includes adding a lift and/or bigger tires, your miles per gallon will suffer.

The back seat issue will probably be difficult to solve, but Evan covered that pretty well.

One of these trucks can be had on nearly any budget. I bought a 4x4 89 F250 for $1500. My buddy just bought a 2 wheel drive 94 F150 for $600. Just keep your eye out for good deals.

 

Good gas mileage, no towing, good off roader, on a budget...

I think you just described a Ranger. Don't discount them because they're small. They're a blast to drive, super easy to get around town in, and cheap to keep up. You say this is your first truck, but if it's also your first vehicle, I don't think there'd be a better option.

 

Agreed, I miss my Ranger! 91 SuperCab longbed with the 4.0 and a 5 speed. She was only 2wd and didn't do great off-road, but that 4.0 and shift-it-yourself gearbox made up for it. I had worn out all-terrains on it, which didn't help. With good tires and some weight in the bed, I've seen them do just fine. It's like having a 4 wheeler with a bed lol. Small enough you can squeeze into all but the tightest trails, and on the road she'd get up and GO (for a 6 cylinder truck). Real metal bumpers just like our beloved OBS fullsize trucks, and good gas mileage. Good looks, too. Unfortunately mine had been owned by a Mexican who did the typical modifications to it including hacking up the wiring, but I was able to undo most of that. She had cancer on the firewall and drip rails, but for $940 I wasn't gonna complain! Sold her to a gal that was headed home to Georgia... I know that truck made it there because I've taken her up there myself. Hopefully she's having a good life still.

I think a Ranger would be a great first truck... it's a truck without the expense of a fullsize. The only thing you'll be giving up is a back seat. Well, if you get the SuperCab it has jump seats, but not a full-size seat. Works fine if you just need to haul your buddies for a beer run or whatever.

 

Yeah as far as a back seat I don't need a full size. For my budget I'd like to keep it under 2500 and yeah it's gonna be my first vehicle as well, just getting my license. So for the rangers, do you have any recommendations on the model? I'd like a manual (my brother said he hates automatics for off roading and just in general) and 4x4. Also, would the mpg on say a 1990s be much worse than like a 97?
Thanks for all the help so far.

 

Well my 91 4.0 was a pushrod engine, sometime after that the Ranger was given an overhead cam 4.0 (same as the Explorer) which my buddy had one of, never gave him any engine problems but he replaced the transmission (manual) twice and the rear axle once. But he beat the tar outta that truck too, doing clutch drops on 31x10.50 tires certainly didn't help. Engine held up, trans and axle not so much.

Guy at work has a newer one with the 3.0 engine and an auto trans... says it has no *****.

So I can say with confidence that any 4.0 is a good engine. I think the first years of the overhead cam engines had a problem with vacuum leaks and timing chain rattles, but that's to be expected for any new design. Not sure if there was a recall or TSB on those.

The bodies and frames from any year are sound in my experience, as reliable as any Ford truck. Electrical is good, if you get an older one then just beware of the 2G alternator, it's a good idea to replace this with a 3G model. Ford used the 2G in a lot of their vehicles, including my 91 Ranger. These alternators tend to melt the output connectors and eventually catch fire as the connectors corrode and age. a 3G swap is a definite upgrade, both in reliability and output capacity.

Older Rangers will have the TIB (2wd) or TTB (4wd) front end, newer ones are I think coil springs but I might be wrong... they could be torsion bars but I really don't think that's the case.

88 (I think) was the first year for multiport fuel injection. These can sometimes have issues, and there are 2 fuel pumps to be concerned with instead of just one. My 91 had just one main pump in the tank.

If I were to go looking for another Ranger I'd go for a early 90's with a 4.0 pushrod engine, manual trans, and manual 4x4. Parts are cheap, I like the body style, no major issues, newer EFI system, and not as many electronics like the newer ones.

 

$2500 might be a bit of a stretch but if at all possible find a '98 or later. They made a lot of improvements here and there. Wouldn't be anything wrong with '93-'97 though. I don't think I'd bother with '92 or earlier, the parts and aftermarket support won't be nearly as good. Ranger was basically the same truck from '93 to '08 and there's lots of aftermarket stuff out there.

4.0L is probably what you want. 3.0L is bulletproof (I've had two Vulcan 3.0Ls with 190K) but kind of a turd.

 

If you're looking into a ranger don't be afraid to look into some of the older ones too. My brother's first vehicle was an 87 Ranger with a 2.3L, 5 speed and has 4x4. It gets 30 MPG and better on the highway. It is in no way a "speed demon" or going to win any races, but it is certainly capable of going offroad and is comfortable to ride in for extended periods.

You should be able to walk away with a pretty decent ranger for 2500 or less. My brother paid $300 for his because it's pretty rusty.

 

I had a 94, 2.3 5 speed ranger and I loved it. the 4.0 is a great motor in them and they pick up well. I had a turbo conversion on my 2.3 from a t-bird, lowered it a bit with good size tires I the back, I loved that truck. and it posted 27mpg at like 9 pounds of boost.

 

If you're buying a 2500 truck, expect to put at least 500 of parts into for the first year.

I find late 80's early 90's trucks to cost $3000.

If you pay 1000 for one, it'll need 2000 in parts.

You pay 2000, it'll need 1000 in parts.

Obviously "it depends" - and "need" can be a subjective term. Everyone can debate that number, but I pick it as an average of what I've spent and friends have spent on older trucks.

I'm just saying if you buy a 2500 truck, keeping 500 in cash tucked away for repairs wouldn't be a bad idea.

Don't blow money on "upgrades" until you've got an emergency fund set aside first, that you never touch except for emergencies. Of course MORE would be better - but 500 should be a minimum.

 

Alright everyone thanks ill look into a ranger. It seems like that would probably work for what I plan on using it for. And yeah JRSutton I planed on having at least 500 set aside before I get it just for a small head start on the gas and insurence. But you are probably right about keeping at least 500 for the parts so ill probably save up some more. I don't plan on getting it for at least three months so that gives me time to make more money.

 

Just out of curiosity, I found a 93 ranger 4x4, 5speed, super cab, with xlt package for 2200, it will need a new wind shield and a new mass air flow sensor. Would a deal like that be good? Also, does anyone know what insurance on a truck like that in oregon would be?

 

Windshield and MAF sensor should be small ticket items. How's the body look?

As for insurance - call an agent. Actually, call a couple. You can give them a 'sample' vehicle and get a quote and be ready when you find the truck you're looking for.

 

I'd offer 2k IF the body (aside from paint) is solid, frame is solid, not been wrecked, etc.

Insurance rate depends on your driving record, your age, how much you drive per year, where the truck lives (by zip code), options on the truck (you get a small discount for things like antiskid and antitheft systems), and depending on how ridiculous your insurance company is, sometimes your credit score. As mentioned above, call around and get some quotes for the type of truck you have in mind.