Hi Everyone :) i would like your opionons

[Gary DuBois]

Im 31 with mild autism and im a truck type of guy i love my 2002 ford ranger fx4 off road 4.0 v6.

My question is should i keep my 1993 ford f-150 5.8 v8 4x4 or sale it and buy another ranger 4.0 v6 4wd or a newer f-150 5.4 v8 4x4 supercrew or a midsize dodge dakota quad cab 4.7 v8 4wd ??

I have owned my 93 f-150 coming up on 10 years and i have put close to 10,000 miles on in that time, my dad bought my f-150 for me and it has sentimental meaning to me but i would like to maybe get another newer 4wd truck.

Thank You,
Gary DuBois

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I would keep the '93.

Later 4.0's had issues
Later 5.4's had more issues
4.7's had issues

 

[Gary DuBois]

I would keep the '93.

Later 4.0's had issues
Later 5.4's had more issues
4.7's had issues

if i got another ranger 4.0 v6 4wd i would get in the 2000-2003 year range
if i got my first supercrew 5.4 v8 4wd i would get a 2001-2003
if i got my first quad cab 4.7 v8 4wd i would get a 2000-2004

My 93 f-150 has
140,200 miles
32 inch tires
super cab short bed
2 gas tanks
4 speed automatic with overdrive

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I had an 02 with a 5.4. I loved that truck.

Be prepared for 20 years of prior owners type surprises though...

 

[Gary DuBois]

I had an 02 with a 5.4. I loved that truck.

Be prepared for 20 years of prior owners type surprises though...

What did you love about your 02 with the 5.4 v8 330 did your f-150 have 4wd with the supercrew cab
Like what kind of suprises would i be recieving and be finding out about
I have owned 3 f-150's so far a 95 with the 5.0 v8 and 4wd, two 93's with the 5.8 v8 and 4wd

 

[Gary DuBois]

I had an 02 with a 5.4. I loved that truck.

Be prepared for 20 years of prior owners type surprises though...

Why don't you have your 02 with the 5.4 anymore and i have another question for you is do you think the ranger fx4 off road is a stronger and tougher truck than the f-150 fx4 off road ??

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

In her prime.

Good power, decent mileage, decent ride/handling and not horrible to DIY work on. All around a great truck. I had it for 17 years and 175k miles. If I could buy a new one like it I would.

The spark plugs are finicky. Aluminum cylinder head with three threads to hold the plugs in, if not torqued correctly (either too loose or too tight) they can blow out. I never had an issue. And general wear and tear stuff. Trans service, cooling system maintenance, suspension maintenance etc. It can add up fast especially if you are paying someone to do it.

Why don't you have your 02 with the 5.4 anymore and i have another question for you is do you think the ranger fx4 off road is a stronger and tougher truck than the f-150 fx4 off road ??

It was 20 years old and had over 200k miles. The body was starting to not look so hot. And since it was a supercab a child car seat didn't fit in the back once we got past the infant carrier stage. So it had to go in the front which while not the safest it did work. But that put mama in the back with my lab and her dog which she really didn't care for. I just sold it last spring and got a crew cab F-150 in it is place (2016 with a 5.0)

The truck was great until the end though. Here it is in 2020 flying from Omaha NE to almost Chicago IL and back to bring home a slide in camper. Set the cruise to 73mph and let 'er eat. She didn't miss a beat.



FX4 F-150 to FX4 Ranger, pretty even. Shocks (which are old and and probably shot by now), skidplates, stickers etc. Now the FX4 Level II Ranger is different. Not sure about stronger (pound for pound would be the only metric that would be logical because everything in the '150 is bigger) but the Ranger would have a better limited slip and is more nimble.

F-150's 4R70W transmission is better than any automatic Ford graced the 83-11 Ranger with hands down though.

 

[Gary DuBois]

In her prime.

View attachment 90241

Good power, decent mileage, decent ride/handling and not horrible to DIY work on. All around a great truck. I had it for 17 years and 175k miles. If I could buy a new one like it I would.

The spark plugs are finicky. Aluminum cylinder head with three threads to hold the plugs in, if not torqued correctly (either too loose or too tight) they can blow out. I never had an issue. And general wear and tear stuff. Trans service, cooling system maintenance, suspension maintenance etc. It can add up fast especially if you are paying someone to do it.



It was 20 years old and had over 200k miles. The body was starting to not look so hot. And since it was a supercab a child car seat didn't fit in the back once we got past the infant carrier stage. So it had to go in the front which while not the safest it did work. But that put mama in the back with my lab and her dog which she really didn't care for. I just sold it last spring and got a crew cab F-150 in it is place (2016 with a 5.0)

The truck was great until the end though. Here it is in 2020 flying from Omaha NE to almost Chicago IL and back to bring home a slide in camper. Set the cruise to 73mph and let 'er eat. She didn't miss a beat.



FX4 F-150 to FX4 Ranger, pretty even. Shocks (which are old and and probably shot by now), skidplates, stickers etc. Now the FX4 Level II Ranger is different. Not sure about stronger (pound for pound would be the only metric that would be logical because everything in the '150 is bigger) but the Ranger would have a better limited slip and is more nimble.

F-150's 4R70W transmission is better than any automatic Ford graced the 83-11 Ranger with hands down though.

Your truck looked clean and nice in your f-150s prime but im not a black exterior truck type of guy.

what did you like about your 5.4 v8's power - mileage - ride and handling ? i like how its easy and simple to diy do it yourself on my ford ranger and ford f-150, did your buy your 02 f-150 new ? You should of got a supercrew 02 f-150 i don't care for the 2016 f-150's body style and look. how did you like driving at 73mph and to go along with your never missed a beat statement i have one its ford the best never rest.

Im thinking of getting a midsize 2000 to 2004 dodge dakota quad cab 4.7 v8 4wd because i have never owned a dodge truck and i like the smaller look and feel than the f-150 and i have owned 3 f-150's. What are your thoughts on the dodge dakota ? and the dodge dakotas 4.7 v8 ? i don't want to get the 3.9 v6 because i think its to small for that midsize dakota and the 5.9 v8 should of been left in the full size ram 1500. I don't need a full size f-150 but it would be fun to own a supercrew 5.4 v8 4wd 02-03.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Your truck looked clean and nice in your f-150s prime but im not a black exterior truck type of guy.

what did you like about your 5.4 v8's power - mileage - ride and handling ? i like how its easy and simple to diy do it yourself on my ford ranger and ford f-150, did your buy your 02 f-150 new ? You should of got a supercrew 02 f-150 i don't care for the 2016 f-150's body style and look. how did you like driving at 73mph and to go along with your never missed a beat statement i have one its ford the best never rest.

Im thinking of getting a midsize 2000 to 2004 dodge dakota quad cab 4.7 v8 4wd because i have never owned a dodge truck and i like the smaller look and feel than the f-150 and i have owned 3 f-150's. What are your thoughts on the dodge dakota ? and the dodge dakotas 4.7 v8 ? i don't want to get the 3.9 v6 because i think its to small for that midsize dakota and the 5.9 v8 should of been left in the full size ram 1500. I don't need a full size f-150 but it would be fun to own a supercrew 5.4 v8 4wd 02-03.

Id keep the 93 personally. Or sell it and buy a 92-96 F150 4wd.

The 4.7L dakota isnt the worst truck ever built. But they do have trans issuea like most mopars of that era, if you live in a rustbelt state they rot...and rot badly.

The 4.7 seems to be a decently reliable motor though. Not as good as the 318/360 but ok.

The 97-03 F150s were good trucks mostly except for spark plug shooting and rust. I still wouldnt choose one over a 92-96 though.

Espicially one like you got with a 351.

 

[Gary DuBois]

Id keep the 93 personally. Or sell it and buy a 92-96 F150 4wd.

The 4.7L dakota isnt the worst truck ever built. But they do have trans issuea like most mopars of that era, if you live in a rustbelt state they rot...and rot badly.

The 4.7 seems to be a decently reliable motor though. Not as good as the 318/360 but ok.

The 97-03 F150s were good trucks mostly except for spark plug shooting and rust. I still wouldnt choose one over a 92-96 though.

Espicially one like you got with a 351.

Why would you keep the 93 personally ? my favorite year for the f-150 in those years is the 95.

Why do you say they have trans issues ? i don't live in a rustbelt state thankfuly.

I think the 4.7 v8 287 is the perfect size engine for the midsize dakota. why do you think the 318/360 was better and i don't know why dodge had the 3.9 v6 as a engine choice its not small for the midsize dakota.

What do you like about my 351

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Why would you keep the 93 personally ? my favorite year for the f-150 in those years is the 95.

Why do you say they have trans issues ? i don't live in a rustbelt state thankfuly.

I think the 4.7 v8 287 is the perfect size engine for the midsize dakota. why do you think the 318/360 was better and i don't know why dodge had the 3.9 v6 as a engine choice its not small for the midsize dakota.

What do you like about my 351

A 95 is going to be exactly the same as a 93. Except for having a 3rd brakelight and a door beam for safety.

The 92-96's IMO were probably the best mix of old school toughness/serviceability with the somewhat modern feeling of comfort.

They also look better then the 97-03's.

The 351 was the most power you could get in an F150 in those years. Plus the 351 is a damn good engine. Personally i like the 300 I6 trucks. But a 351 is a close second in my eyes atleast.

Dodges had trans issues in their trucks across the board in late 90s early 00's. If you found one with a manual trans i wouldnt be nearly as hesitant with it espicially if you live in a non rusty state.

The 4.7L had oil burning issues and also valvetrain issues that just wernt there with the older V8's.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Around here in eastern Virginia rust isn't a huge issue, but Dodge/Ram Dakotas are fairly scarce. (The 2010 and 2011 models were Rams, not Dodges.) They just didn't seem to hold up, and that's a typical Chrysler trait, unfortunately. By comparison, I can't walk down the street without tripping over Rangers and 20+–year-old F-150s.

I'd avoid Dakotas unless you can pick up a well-maintained, clean, low-mileage one for a good price. Look for a unicorn while you're at it.

 

[Blmpkn]

My opinion is biased by emotion, but...


Keep the truck dad bought you.


I lost my father just after turning 16, and I absolutely cherish everything that's still kicking around that he put his hands on.

 

[Josh B]

I'm still trying to sort the first question
It's my opinion you'll save time and money keeping the one you know
Some people get bored and think they can buy their way out but it doesn't work that way from my observance of that trait

 

[Gary DuBois]

A 95 is going to be exactly the same as a 93. Except for having a 3rd brakelight and a door beam for safety.

The 92-96's IMO were probably the best mix of old school toughness/serviceability with the somewhat modern feeling of comfort.

They also look better then the 97-03's.

The 351 was the most power you could get in an F150 in those years. Plus the 351 is a damn good engine. Personally i like the 300 I6 trucks. But a 351 is a close second in my eyes atleast.

Dodges had trans issues in their trucks across the board in late 90s early 00's. If you found one with a manual trans i wouldnt be nearly as hesitant with it espicially if you live in a non rusty state.

The 4.7L had oil burning issues and also valvetrain issues that just wernt there with the older V8's.

So not exactly the same because the 3rd brakelight came out in 94, what do you mean by door beam ?

I like the rounder body style of the 97-03's more than the 92-96's.

It was also kinda rare for the 92-96 f-150's to have the 351 most had the smaller 302. I heard that the 351 windsor is the best engine that was ever put in the f-150. My dad had a 88-89 f-150 with the 300 I6 2wd 5 speed manual for over 12 years.

The older i get though the more i think to myself i don't need a full size f-150 anymore sometimes because its bigger than i want and my dad said i seemed uncomfortable driving my big f-150 sometimes, I have never owned a midsize dodge dakota but they look like fun and good trucks and dodge is my 2nd favorite.