How much to fix rocker rust, e-brake cable, valve cover gasket? Help ASAP

[PrecisionX]

I called about a 2000 Ford Ranger XLT Ext Cab 4.0L 5 Speed with 130,000 miles on it last week and was waiting for the guy to send me pictures of it to see if I wanted to go further. It needs work and he said the price is where it is at because of it, the truck has been sitting because he does not use it.

I would upload the pictures but they are HUGE! So I will just make a list of things he mentioned and if someone could give me a NO BS assessment of what I'd be getting into as far as realistic costs that'd be great. I am a mechanical inclination novice especially with Rangers, I have the knowledge just not the know how.

Known Problems List:
-He said there is oil leaking from the valve cover so I am thinking it needs a new valve cover gasket

-The rocker panels have rust and he said that they will probably last a year before needing to be replaced

-The e-brake cable needs to be replaced (this is a 5 speed so it's a big deal otherwise I wouldn't care if it were an auto)

-There is a pretty good sized dent on the front passenger side fender, it IS on the body line so I'm not sure how well it will come out. Not a priority but the truck looks nice besides that

-Battery, it has been sitting for 3 months, not sure what else it might need but he SEEMED pretty up front about the issues.

-Clutch is ORIGINAL still at 130k but he SAYS it's in good shape.

-Tires are decent tread wise but are (BFG Long Trails)

The bed of the truck says "4X4 OFF-ROAD" I'm not sure if that is a special off road package or just meaningless decal from Ford.

How much is it going to be to fix this stuff? I plan on DD'ing this truck and eventually lifting it with some bigger tires to play with.

 

[straycat]

Look for another truck, Bro. Lots of great trucks out there priced for what you will have to pay and then have to put out more money for that POS. Shop around!! Don't buy the first thing you look at......

 

[PrecisionX]

Look for another truck, Bro. Lots of great trucks out there priced for what you will have to pay and then have to put out more money for that POS. Shop around!! Don't buy the first thing you look at......

So I'm guessing this stuff isn't cheap and I should walk away.

 

[straycat]

So I'm guessing this stuff isn't cheap and I should walk away.

You only saw pictures and not seen it in person...things look different in person. That rust might be in the frame as well. I am being honest...the truck is not what I would buy. It seems to have been neglected and that I would stay away from. It is a 4x4 that means other service needs to be done that a 2wd will not not need and this guy most likley did not do the service. Look for something without rust and no leaking motor or any other leaks. Lets see, 130,000 mles and I wonder if the timing belt was ever changed...I dought it since the guy might not take care of it. My 99 Ranger has no leaks and still looks new. If I sold it today the only thing the buyer would have to do is take it home and register it in their name and get their tag.

 

[06RangerXLT]

if you do it yourself, thats easy.

the number ill give you are a little over what id pay, but better to plan for more then come up short.
gasket - $10

rockers - about 300 to 400 for a body shop.

E brake cable is around $40

battery is $100

Clutch and slave, about $400.

not sure what your paying for it, but for about 550 you can put it on the road. but like said above shop around. a truck like that would be about $1300 - $1500 for an as is condition like you listed if sold around here. so for around 2000 to 2300 you can drive it on the road.

 

[gribly]

Don't listen to straycat, I think he ate some spoiled cat food today. There is no timing belt on a 4.0. The mileage isn't bad at 130,000, you are getting this fairly cheap, right? Now, the rockers are easy.. Tape off the fender flares and decide on a paint height for a two tone paint job, I went even with the top of the bumpers and painted my bumpers black to match. Sand it down, if there are holes, use fiberglass reinforced bondo if they are quarter sized or smaller, and keep sanding. Then prime it with rustoleum primer, the kind that prevents rust. After that, spray it with that bedliner in a can stuff. It'll come out looking really nice, the most important part to making it look nice is masking off areas you don't want to paint black. Click on the picture of my Mazda to see what my truck looks like 2 winters later.

Now, the e-brake cable probably isn't the cable. Usually it's out of adjustment or you need rear brakes, unless it just got so rusty it broke, which can happen. Either situation wouldn't scare me away from a truck, first brake job I ever did was on a '90 Ranger when I was 15 replacing the rear brakes. As far as the clutch goes, if it's doing what it's supposed to be doing, let it be.

 

[kevinsranger]

valve cover on a 4.0 ohv requires upper and lower intake manifold removal, so add those gaskets in, and if you're not doing it yourself, the added labor. i would say a shop would charge you 3 hours or so

clutch, flywheel, and slave cylinder, probably between 4-6 hund, without labor, so again if you're not doing it yourself, i'd guess add another 250-400 on top of that for labor


i would sand and paint the cab parts, and as for the fender, just replace it, should be able to get a fender for around 100 and bolt it on

ebrake cable's? junk yard or rock auto or something, never checked pricing, but def not hard to change, or do what i do, and just park it in first gear

 

[djk]

i thought it was best to park it in Reverse?

 

[gribly]

You put in whichever gear makes the most sense for the way you are parked. For example, if you are nose down on a hill, park in first. If you are nose up on a hill, park in reverse. This is so that if somebody crashes into your truck and moves it down the hill a little bit, the engine will not try to spin backwards. I don't think it'll really hurt a Ranger much, but some engines can be damaged this way, so just make it a habit.

I forgot to mention the valve cover gaskets, but that has been explained. They are not terribly hard, but on that year of truck there is stuff in the way which you may or may not feel comfortable with removing and re-installing. If you're handy with tools, go right ahead. I also don't think it's absolutely necessary to replace the flywheel when doing a clutch, I generally just sand them down with a high grit sandpaper and then clean it with brake cleaner - without even unbolting it from the crank. Just one less thing to put back on.

 

[PrecisionX]

He wants $2300 for it

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My 99 Ranger has no leaks and still looks new. If I sold it today the only thing the buyer would have to do is take it home and register it in their name and get their tag.

Your '99 is a southern truck, bring it up here and watch the rockers fall off.

The valve cover leaks... big deal.

It has a dent... big deal.

The cables are stuck... big deal, some people don't use the parking brake anyway and they stick from lack of use.

Battery isn't a big thing either $50-100 would fix that if it was a problem.

 

[straycat]

I would not give more than $800. The truck has not been taken care of. And yes...I was wrong...I thought it was a 3.0....no timing belt on that...lol

 

[gribly]

And yes...I was wrong...I thought it was a 3.0....no timing belt on that...lol

Glad you took that the right way buddy!

And yeah, you're truck doesn't count. You should see some of the trucks up here in Maine, I've seen a 5 year old chevy van where the frame snapped in two from rust. I'm planning on flying to Florida to buy a nice 1st gen with a good frame and body sometime, and cannibalizing my Navajo and putting my drivetrain in it when my truck gets too rusty to keep. My truck is on it's 3rd set of rocker panels, and it's only been driven for what, 7 winters in the snow? 3 of those I owned it, so it's not my fault. Click my picture, I think my truck looks good for rusting from the inside out. At least the frame still looks almost perfect, it's the body that's got cancer. I cut all the cancer out this year and fixed it up, but there was so little sheet metal left when I was done that I realized it's not going to last forever. I had spots where it was just a little bubble so I started grinding and cutting, and before I knew it, a 1/4" blemish turned into a 2" hole that I had to fill. There was so many spots like that, I lost count. One of my rockers is temporarily partially made out of sprayfoam that I shaped to fit in since I had to cut out so much metal, I'm going to bend up and weld in some new home made rockers in the spring. I think it'll make it another few years before I need strip it out, though. When I get a non-rusty truck I am going to spend a lot of time sealing it up and protecting it. My dad's 2005 looks brand new from all the elbow grease we put into it, I should post pictures. It's the sweetest looking stock Ranger ever. White level II with a black STX grille, the shiny Alcoas, black mirrors, black window visors, you get the idea. I love that truck, and both of us want it to be kicking around for a long time, it had a $40k sticker price with all the options when it was new according to our friend who works at the dealership where it was originally bought, dad got it second hand. It literally has every option.

 

[PrecisionX]

I got him down to $1900 but he is 300 miles away also

 

[Will]

No timing belt on a 3.0 either.

Buy it. Who cares about rockers and dents and leaks. That clutch probably holds okay, but the disk is getting hard and I imagine chatters a bit when it's cold.

300 miles? What's that? A couple of hours at 150 mph. Bring a book-on-tape. That's what I do.