1985 Ranger worth?

[RudyRanger]

Hello to all,

I am new to this forum but I thought this would be a good place to post this.

I have a 1985 Ford ranger that is built into a mild offroad rig. It has a 302 swap w/ holley sniper efi, 33 in Cooper mud tires, 3 in body lift as well as 3 in suspension lift, axles out of a 1994 explorer, m5odr2 transmission and np205 transfer case with offroad designs magnum doubler. I was wondering what you seasoned ranger experts would think my truck is worth. Obviously I can't get all my money out of it. Thanks in advance.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

In virgina?

Probably 3500-4k

 

[RudyRanger]

In virgina?

Probably 3500-4k

Yeah in north western Virginia.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Priceless

It is basically a carbon copy of my truck with a suspension lift lol.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Priceless

It is basically a carbon copy of my truck with a suspension lift lol.

But yours is green

 

[Blmpkn]

But yours is green

He said BASICALLY... pfft.

 

[4x4prepper]

What it is worth and what you can sell it for are two different things.

> m5odr2 transmission

Maybe $2500 with a long wait. Very few people know how to drive a standard transmission and even less want an off road truck in primer and everything you listed will just be gibberish to most people, if not scary. II you are going to sell it, E-Bay would be the best way to go and only accept cash while doing the transfer at your bank to check the (counterfeit) notes.

Put an automatic into it, then it will be a $5000 truck that will sell on Craigslist in a month or so.

To me it is well worth $5000 and I would WANT the manual transmission, but, I would not turn my nose up at a C-4 or C-6.

Myself, when I buy a manual transmission vehicle, I plan on keeping it forever, because to deal with the idiots that show up to drive it are not worth dealing with for the money. I rather scrap it and I did that with my last manual I tried to sell after a person showed up with crutches and a cast on his foot to drive a manual transmission 1976 Alfa Romeo. I ended up selling most of the car as parts to a guy from Kenya visiting the USA. Took the Ford 2.8L out of it I built, cut the car in 1/2 with a sawzall, and took it to the scrap yard.

 

[Blmpkn]

What it is worth and what you can sell it for are two different things.

> m5odr2 transmission

Maybe $2500 with a long wait. Very few people know how to drive a standard transmission and even less want an off road truck in primer and everything you listed will just be gibberish to most people, if not scary. II you are going to sell it, E-Bay would be the best way to go and only accept cash while doing the transfer at your bank to check the (counterfeit) notes.

Put an automatic into it, then it will be a $5000 truck that will sell on Craigslist in a month or so.

To me it is well worth $5000 and I would WANT the manual transmission, but, I would not turn my nose up at a C-4 or C-6.

Myself, when I buy a manual transmission vehicle, I plan on keeping it forever, because to deal with the idiots that show up to drive it are not worth dealing with for the money. I rather scrap it and I did that with my last manual I tried to sell after a person showed up with crutches and a cast on his foot to drive a manual transmission 1976 Alfa Romeo. I ended up selling most of the car as parts to a guy from Kenya visiting the USA. Took the Ford 2.8L out of it I built, cut the car in 1/2 with a sawzall, and took it to the scrap yard.

I've had no problem selling any manual vehicle ever and that's been quite a few vehicles. The idea that a manual vehicle is worth less than its autotragic counterpart is a fallacy.

Christ.. nearly any sort of 'fun' vehicle is infinitely more desirable as a manual. Miatas, turbo subarus, any of the hot hatches, m3's, corvettes.. on and on. Factory manual swap parts for vintage vehicles are huge money.

Even off road.. a manual is super desirable. The MAJORITY of wranglers are sold as manual.

people who know how to drive one, and would PREFER to drive one are more numerous than you seem to believe.

15% of 'murcans know how to drive a stick. 15% of our 228 million licensed drivers is a shit ton of people.

 

[arse_sidewards]

The people who want something that's 302 swapped with a doubler actively don't want stuff with a body lift, cheesy light bars and JC Whitney garbage and the people who want to buy stuff with a body lift, cheesy light bars and JC Whitney garbage are going to be confused and concerned by the 302 swap and doublers.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Aw dang, I missed you had a doubler. I really wanted one because of the NP205's kinda meh low range, if I had the coin I would have done that when I did my 5 speed swap to my bodylifted V8 swapped Ranger.

Just noticed you have a winch behind the bumper, how did you pull that off? (parden the pun lol)

 

[Ranger850]

I'll give you . . . tree fiddy

 

[Shran]

If I was looking at buying it... my first question would be what all does it NEED to be a reliable driver. Anything?

I would not post that pic on your sale ad, it looks like a derelict truck that has been sitting for years with all the junk around and under it. Get it cleaned up, detailed to the best of your ability, fix any small issues. I would nit pick that stuff as a buyer to get a better deal. I guarantee you will get hundreds, maybe thousands more for it if you just spend a little bit of time time making it look good.

As for a price that really depends on the quality of parts that are in it. Are we looking at a cheap Rough Country lift and junkyard engine swap stuff that's cobbled together or are you a good fabricator that did everything right? That will make a huge difference. I have seen a couple V8 swapped trucks that looked good from a distance but they were a mess under the hood. If you have done a good job with the engine swap and everything is neat and clean... no grease, oil, leaking junk that will also make a big difference.

I did a 4.0/M5OD/8.8/D35 swap on an '89 a few years ago, I bought the truck for a hundred bucks and sold it for $3500. It looked very presentable when I was done with it and that made a big difference to the buyer.

 

[4x4prepper]

> The idea that a manual vehicle is worth less than its autotragic counterpart is a fallacy.

Not true, I know from experience from selling cars, new and used, even back in the 1980s and 1990s while a salesperson and sales manager, manual transmission vehicles sold slowly and for way less money. It is even worse today, I have sold wrecks of vehicles quicker then fair to nice manual transmission vehicles. Your expereince may vary. I worked at a Corvette shop about the 1990s, back then most Corvette owners and buyers wanted automatic transmissions.

> people who know how to drive one, and would PREFER to drive one are more numerous than you seem to believe.

Report: Only 18 Percent Of Americans Can Drive Manual

Report: Only 18 Percent Of Americans Can Drive Manual

A new report shows fewer Americans own a car with manual transmission let alone know how to operate one. And there appear to be a number of reasons for it.

www.cbsnews.com

"The third pedal is also bad for re-sale value, on average selling for $2,000 less than cars with automatic transmissions."

Ranger with an automatic 4.0L XT

https://www.kbb.com/ford/ranger-super-cab/2011/xl-pickup-2d-6-ft/?vehicleid=352889&mileage=160000&offeroptions=true&modalview=false&intent=trade-in-sell&pricetype=trade-in&condition=good&options=6509404%7ctrue

$4505 private party
$5592 trade in

Ranger with a manual 4.0L XT

https://www.kbb.com/ford/ranger-super-cab/2011/xl-pickup-2d-6-ft/?vehicleid=352889&mileage=160000&offeroptions=true&modalview=false&intent=trade-in-sell&pricetype=trade-in&condition=good&options=4313418%7ctrue%7c6509404%7ctrue

$3928
$5015 trade in

Feel free to run it for any model Ford that offers both a manual and automatic transmission and post any result that shows the manual selling for more. Try running it for a car such as a Ford Taurus and see what it come out to.

The amount of people that know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle is much larger then those that WANT one. My wife knows how to drive a manual transmission, she would literally not buy one unless it was the absolute last choice, and that was before her knee surgery. My neighbor grew up driving heavy equipment and tractors, he is 66 years old, with knee replacements, uses a walker, and he literally can not drive a manual transmission, as one of his knees would likely pop.

Many of the people that have actually driven a manual transmission are from the 1970s and before. Many are now hobbling around on walkers and they last thing they would look forward to is driving a manual transmission in rush hour stop and go traffic. They might fancy a v-8 Ranger, if they knew it existed and understood it, but, the ones thirsting after a manual with $5k or more to spend are few and far between.

If I thought I could fix up my manual transmission 4x4 Bronco 2 so the body was in at least good shape and sell it for $2000-$2500, I would. But, I can not, so, I am unlikely to fix the body for a long time and more likely to put the drive train into a Ranger or just swap in an automatic. $0.02

 

[rusty ol ranger]

> The idea that a manual vehicle is worth less than its autotragic counterpart is a fallacy.

Not true, I know from experience from selling cars, new and used, even back in the 1980s and 1990s while a salesperson and sales manager, manual transmission vehicles sold slowly and for way less money. It is even worse today, I have sold wrecks of vehicles quicker then fair to nice manual transmission vehicles. Your expereince may vary. I worked at a Corvette shop about the 1990s, back then most Corvette owners and buyers wanted automatic transmissions.

> people who know how to drive one, and would PREFER to drive one are more numerous than you seem to believe.

Report: Only 18 Percent Of Americans Can Drive Manual

Report: Only 18 Percent Of Americans Can Drive Manual

A new report shows fewer Americans own a car with manual transmission let alone know how to operate one. And there appear to be a number of reasons for it.

www.cbsnews.com

"The third pedal is also bad for re-sale value, on average selling for $2,000 less than cars with automatic transmissions."

Ranger with an automatic 4.0L XT

https://www.kbb.com/ford/ranger-super-cab/2011/xl-pickup-2d-6-ft/?vehicleid=352889&mileage=160000&offeroptions=true&modalview=false&intent=trade-in-sell&pricetype=trade-in&condition=good&options=6509404%7ctrue

$4505 private party
$5592 trade in

Ranger with a manual 4.0L XT

https://www.kbb.com/ford/ranger-super-cab/2011/xl-pickup-2d-6-ft/?vehicleid=352889&mileage=160000&offeroptions=true&modalview=false&intent=trade-in-sell&pricetype=trade-in&condition=good&options=4313418%7ctrue%7c6509404%7ctrue

$3928
$5015 trade in

Feel free to run it for any model Ford that offers both a manual and automatic transmission and post any result that shows the manual selling for more. Try running it for a car such as a Ford Taurus and see what it come out to.

The amount of people that know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle is much larger then those that WANT one. My wife knows how to drive a manual transmission, she would literally not buy one unless it was the absolute last choice, and that was before her knee surgery. My neighbor grew up driving heavy equipment and tractors, he is 66 years old, with knee replacements, uses a walker, and he literally can not drive a manual transmission, as one of his knees would likely pop.

Many of the people that have actually driven a manual transmission are from the 1970s and before. Many are now hobbling around on walkers and they last thing they would look forward to is driving a manual transmission in rush hour stop and go traffic. They might fancy a v-8 Ranger, if they knew it existed and understood it, but, the ones thirsting after a manual with $5k or more to spend are few and far between.

If I thought I could fix up my manual transmission 4x4 Bronco 2 so the body was in at least good shape and sell it for $2000-$2500, I would. But, I can not, so, I am unlikely to fix the body for a long time and more likely to put the drive train into a Ranger or just swap in an automatic. $0.02

Why is trade in higher then private party? That never happens

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

> The idea that a manual vehicle is worth less than its autotragic counterpart is a fallacy.

Not true, I know from experience from selling cars, new and used, even back in the 1980s and 1990s while a salesperson and sales manager, manual transmission vehicles sold slowly and for way less money. It is even worse today, I have sold wrecks of vehicles quicker then fair to nice manual transmission vehicles. Your expereince may vary. I worked at a Corvette shop about the 1990s, back then most Corvette owners and buyers wanted automatic transmissions.

> people who know how to drive one, and would PREFER to drive one are more numerous than you seem to believe.

Report: Only 18 Percent Of Americans Can Drive Manual

Report: Only 18 Percent Of Americans Can Drive Manual

A new report shows fewer Americans own a car with manual transmission let alone know how to operate one. And there appear to be a number of reasons for it.

www.cbsnews.com

"The third pedal is also bad for re-sale value, on average selling for $2,000 less than cars with automatic transmissions."

Ranger with an automatic 4.0L XT

https://www.kbb.com/ford/ranger-super-cab/2011/xl-pickup-2d-6-ft/?vehicleid=352889&mileage=160000&offeroptions=true&modalview=false&intent=trade-in-sell&pricetype=trade-in&condition=good&options=6509404%7ctrue

$4505 private party
$5592 trade in

Ranger with a manual 4.0L XT

https://www.kbb.com/ford/ranger-super-cab/2011/xl-pickup-2d-6-ft/?vehicleid=352889&mileage=160000&offeroptions=true&modalview=false&intent=trade-in-sell&pricetype=trade-in&condition=good&options=4313418%7ctrue%7c6509404%7ctrue

$3928
$5015 trade in

Feel free to run it for any model Ford that offers both a manual and automatic transmission and post any result that shows the manual selling for more. Try running it for a car such as a Ford Taurus and see what it come out to.

The amount of people that know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle is much larger then those that WANT one. My wife knows how to drive a manual transmission, she would literally not buy one unless it was the absolute last choice, and that was before her knee surgery. My neighbor grew up driving heavy equipment and tractors, he is 66 years old, with knee replacements, uses a walker, and he literally can not drive a manual transmission, as one of his knees would likely pop.

Many of the people that have actually driven a manual transmission are from the 1970s and before. Many are now hobbling around on walkers and they last thing they would look forward to is driving a manual transmission in rush hour stop and go traffic. They might fancy a v-8 Ranger, if they knew it existed and understood it, but, the ones thirsting after a manual with $5k or more to spend are few and far between.

If I thought I could fix up my manual transmission 4x4 Bronco 2 so the body was in at least good shape and sell it for $2000-$2500, I would. But, I can not, so, I am unlikely to fix the body for a long time and more likely to put the drive train into a Ranger or just swap in an automatic. $0.02

And yet Ford has people beating their door down wanting manual Broncos...

I went with a manual so I didn't have a clunky old school automatic and didn't have to worry about burning it up offroad.