Seriously considering a Ranger
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Shawnee , KS
Seriously considering a Ranger
I'm excited because I'm about to go back into the world of owning a Ford Truck!
My first truck was an '88 F-150 that got an average of 10MPG. For a 17 y/o it was hard to stomach that type of gas mileage.
Now I need something as a 2nd car. The primary is a 1997 BMW 328i that is a blast to drive, yes requires a lot of maintenance, but pretty reliable. The wife has learned to drive the 5 speed and would rather drive that car every day, so now we're looking at a second vehicle.
My budget is roughly $2000. The purpose of the ranger would be to drive back and fourth to work (about 15 minutes each way) and to haul the very occasional plywood, 2x4, couch, washer dryer etc. I will probably do no towing with the vehicle, but wouldn't mind the option of pulling a little u-haul trailer if needed.
I don't care if it's a regular or super cab. I hear the motors are all dead reliable. I think I would prefer a manual since they tend to be more reliable and from what I've gathered, Ford hasn't exactly made the best auto trannies known to mankind.
What would you be looking for? I've seen the specs for a mid 90's 4 cylinder, and not making even 100HP concerns me. What years got the "vulcan" 3.0L motor? Anything in particular I should aim for? Living in the midwest it would be really nice to have a 4x4, but with my budget, it looks like a 4x4 would be a pretty worn vehicle, so I'd rather have something fairly nice looking with lower miles. I don't mind manual windows, door locks etc... It's a truck, I don't want it to break down, and I'd rather eliminate most things that could break if possible.
I appreciate everyone's suggestions a lot!
My first truck was an '88 F-150 that got an average of 10MPG. For a 17 y/o it was hard to stomach that type of gas mileage.
Now I need something as a 2nd car. The primary is a 1997 BMW 328i that is a blast to drive, yes requires a lot of maintenance, but pretty reliable. The wife has learned to drive the 5 speed and would rather drive that car every day, so now we're looking at a second vehicle.
My budget is roughly $2000. The purpose of the ranger would be to drive back and fourth to work (about 15 minutes each way) and to haul the very occasional plywood, 2x4, couch, washer dryer etc. I will probably do no towing with the vehicle, but wouldn't mind the option of pulling a little u-haul trailer if needed.
I don't care if it's a regular or super cab. I hear the motors are all dead reliable. I think I would prefer a manual since they tend to be more reliable and from what I've gathered, Ford hasn't exactly made the best auto trannies known to mankind.
What would you be looking for? I've seen the specs for a mid 90's 4 cylinder, and not making even 100HP concerns me. What years got the "vulcan" 3.0L motor? Anything in particular I should aim for? Living in the midwest it would be really nice to have a 4x4, but with my budget, it looks like a 4x4 would be a pretty worn vehicle, so I'd rather have something fairly nice looking with lower miles. I don't mind manual windows, door locks etc... It's a truck, I don't want it to break down, and I'd rather eliminate most things that could break if possible.
I appreciate everyone's suggestions a lot!
