Out of curiousity, why would you deduct value if it has been repainted? I myself would prefer younger paint. Looks better, protects against rust longer. I guess if they did a less than professional job I would deduct, but is there something else i don't know?

 

Yeah, I was thinking that too. If it was some vintage car then I would understand, but..

 

Repaint is never as durable (chip/scratch resistant) as factory paint and depending on how much grinding someone did, they can remove corrosion protection (removal of galvanized coating).

 

Both are pretty hard to determine from the picture, Arin.

Your best bet is to simply ask the seller.
If he claims he "doesn't know", then take your time & look for some paint overspray on the weatherstriping and rubber bumpers on the front fender lips where the hood rides, or inside the wheelwheel lips.... Use a flashlight so you can see up & under it very throughly, don't be in a hurry looking and you'll usually be able to spot some overspray somewhere if it was re-painted. Use a bright flashlight so you can look up and under it very well - also look for any bent or missing braces, hanging E-brake cables, etc.

Regarding the fog lights, take a good look at them then go look at one or two other trucks (used car lots, the Wal-Mart parking lot, etc.) to see if they're the same or not. You should be able to tell if they've been replaced.

Good Luck!
BarnieTrk

 

EXACTLY! That's why you have to be careful when buying a vehicle that has been repainted. There are too many folks out there that would take a bashed-up truck, do a bad repair job, gob some bondo over a less than adequately prepped repair, barely sand the rest, spray some cheapo paint over the whole thing and then want to sell it "as is" for twice the $$ it's worth..... I know a fella that unknowingly bought a Ranger with that type of hidden "repair", then the following weekend he drove it off the pavement (beach), the body flexed, the bondo cracked & fell off the patched area, and when he noticed it - he was saying, "HEY!!!???"

Good Luck!
BarnieTrk

 

I know this is a Ford forum, but what about the 4.3L of the S10s? I'm looking for the best deal I can find, so I hope I can get a semi-unbiased point of view on here about taht.. Is there much difference between the 4.3 and 4.0?

 

Why - are you considering putting a GM 4.3 into a Ranger?
If not, then WHO CARES how the 4.3 performs?

Wait - Don't tell me.
You're NOT actually thinking about buying one of those BUTT-UGLY S10s INSTEAD of buying a Ranger?
Oh, I see. You're not buying it for yourself.
You're asking for the DORK that lives down the street, huh? Fine.

(that was a semi-unbiased point of view, wasn't it?)

Good Luck, Dude!
BarnieTrk

 

Yeah, i was gonna buy someone down the street one.. I'm just looking at all compacts right now, but I'm sure I'll go with a ranger. Found probably 4x as many rangers that I like on autotrader than any other trucks, so rangers seem to be popular among everyone else too. Only reason I was really looking at the chevys was because I liked that interior better than the pre-95 rangers. I guess I can't be too picky on my first car, though! Maybe if I'm (un)lucky I'll have to replace engine on the one I get and be able to put a 302 in there..

EDIT: Just saw you're in Stanton.. I'm in Holly(next door to Fenton).

 

I recall being in Holly.... as I recall Holly has a nice "Christmas village" there, and a "Renaissance village" in the early Fall? It's a NICE town.

 

Yeah, that's the VILLAGE. I don't think it's officially considered a city/town yet...
I have another question I thought I could just stick in here; Is there a major power difference between the 2.3L 4x4/Supercab/Auto and 4.0? In a review of a 3.0L, 2WD, Reg cab they said it had bad acceleration, so I'm wondering if a how the acceleration of a 4x4 & Supercab would be? Would there even be enough power to use the 4x4 properly if you were to get stuck/offroad?

 

Ohh, I just did some reading to enhance my knowledge of engines(minimal) and read up on turbocharged engines.. I found a website that explained how to put in a 2.3L engine from(from ’79-’81 Mustangs, ’85-’89 Merkur XR4Ti’s, ’83-’88 Thunderbird TurboCoupes and some ’83-’86 Cougar XR-7’s) into a ranger. It sounded fairly easy, but how much would all of this cost? How much more would it cost than putting a regular engine in?

 

Arin,

From what I've heard, the 2.3L doesn't provide adequate power for a 4X4 truck, so I wouldn't recommend one. The 3.0 V-6 is the minimum powerplant for a 4X4 and a 4.0 V-6 is the recommended powerplant with a 4X4 Ranger or BroncoII.

Again, from what I've read and heard,,,, the turbo'd 2.3L CAN be installed into a Ranger and provide more than enough power for a 4X4 rig, however, finding a good turbo'd 2.3L engine with all the necessary computerized wiring harness and supports isn't that easy any longer. Even if you CAN locate a complete turbo'd 2.3L setup cheap and in good shape, for most folks, it isn't a "snap" to install with all the necessary electronics understanding and turbo support gear required, and that's if YOU do all the work! Don't even WONDER what it would cost to pay someone to do the engine swap!

Since we're talking about your first vehicle & eventhough I don't know what your NEEDS are (we're NOT talking about your WANTS) -- I'd recommend you find yourself an unwrecked, non-air, automatic, 2.3L, fairly solid (it doesn't need to have a perfect body or paint), 2WD, standard cab Ranger. These little trucks are very plentiful - thus, lots of them around and can be had for not too much $$, making them a great 1st vehicle. If you find a nice Ranger with a 5-speed, I'm sure you could learn to drive it without too much problem; so don't be dead-set on having to get only an automatic trans truck.

Rangers as I've described above are much easier & cheaper to work on than a 4x4 model and would provide you with better gas mileage as well. Super cabs provide more cab room, but cost more $$$ than a standard cab truck, even used ones. Insurance is also cheaper on a 4cylinder than a V6 unit.

Once you've gotten a year or two or three of driving & maintaining your fun Ranger, then you can decide if you want to drop your gas mileage from 25 to 18 miles per gallon by stepping into a 4X4 or if you want to tackle the major work of a turbo'd engine swap.....

Good Luck!
BarnieTrk

 

truck looks good but its up to you to determine if its been painted or not. look under the frame for overspray and under the hood or in the jams. tell tale sign its been repainted and why. was in accident? things you have to look for and be concerned about. the guy maybe looking for some dumb punk to pay to much for a repainted piece of crap. i know i've been on both sides of that one. lol! i love stx's. their really cool looking especially when they put those light bars in the bed. i've got a 3.0 with an auto and its been great. its true the 3.0 is underpowered but i can count on it. i like autos instead of sticks, just ask ranger-pilot, we've been through that one! lol! in my neck of the woods, rangers hold a good resale and tend to plateau at around $2500-$4000 depending on the options and condition. some of us ford guys are touched on the prices mainly because we really deep down don't want to get rid of them! lol! good luck!

 

So did you get the Ranger or what?

 

Sold.. Oh well, I got some others in mind.