Now That's High Mileage

[JohnnyO]

Had breakfast with my dad and a friend of ours as I do most Saturdays. Our friend has a 96 Ranger SC, 4x4, 3.0, stick, and informed us that he hit 500,000 miles this week. Truck actually looks pretty good. Been repainted once and the bed replaced later and painted to match. He had a Jasper engine put in at 300,000 miles and replaced the transfer case when he somehow knocked a hole in it. Otherwise it's largely original although the ignition switch is worn enough that using the key to start it is optional. Best part is he bought it 15 years ago for only $500 because it needed a clutch so this may be a world record for getting your money's worth out of a vehicle.

 

[Blmpkn]

Buddy of mine has a 98 3.0 stick 4x4 he bought Mabey 6-7 years ago for 300$. Right now it's got 340k on it, everything original except obvious wear parts and the bed. He's hoping for 500k.

 

[Blmpkn]

My 94 3.0 ranger is at 602,000 miles. Bought new in 94 with zero miles.

That's impressive, how original?

 

[Dirtman]

Pretty sure my truck has more hours on it than miles...

 

[saxtech]

My 98 Ranger lasted me 403,444 Miles before I had to have it towed to the junk yard. It had the 2.5 with Auto trans. Never had any major work done on the engine or trans or diff. I was the original owner since 98 for 20 years. Lots of memories in that truck raising my only son from a baby till he was 18 years old. Probably the best vehicle I have ever owned and ever will own. The truck finally died when water got into the oil on my way home from work. Could be a gasket or could be a cracked block or head. With that many miles, I knew it would have been a money pit to fix the engine, then the AC, then the trans, ect...... After about a year of not having a Ranger (although I have a 2013 Frontier also) I finally found a 2003 XLT King Cab Ranger with only 43,000 miles on it with a 3.0 Flex Fuel and Auto trans to replace her. I'm happy again after being without a Ranger for about a year. Hopefully this 3.0 Flex Fuel will last as long as that faithful 2.5 did for 20 years with hardly no problems. Here's the picture of her being towed to the grave yard and the odometer reading at that time.

 

[cbxer55]

While not up there in mileage, my 98 that I've owned since January 2000 will hit 170,000 soon. It's knocking on 169,800 tonight. Has 10,000 miles when I bought it. It's not purty anymore, but still gets me to work and back every day.

 

[sgtsandman]

The 3.0 will serve you well. It may not be the fastest V6 Ranger but it does have a very good reliability reputation. Since you are used to the 2.5 Lima before this one, the way it drives should be very similar and familiar.

 

[cbxer55]

The 3.0 will serve you well. It may not be the fastest V6 Ranger but it does have a very good reliability reputation. Since you are used to the 2.5 Lima before this one, the way it drives should be very similar and familiar.

Despite what people say to the contrary on this site, a good CAI and a modified exhaust do make a difference. Biggest thing is getting rid of that pinched down intake tube. I took the open filter off one time, replaced it with the airbox, but left the big three inch tube between the MAF and the TB. I also tried using the pinched down tube with the open cone filter. One time. Never again. Drove it once, got home, took the stock airbox off and threw it in the round-open-top-file, along with the pinched down stock tube. Put the cone filter and the three inch tube back on. It's never coming off. The 3.0 likes to rev. The pinched down tube hinders it. The stock airbox hinders it. I love the way my 3.0 runs. I have a 4.0 in a Mustang, it also has a top quality CAI, WeaponR, and yeah it's better. But I still drive the Ranger almost every day.

 

[sgtsandman]

I’m sure you are right. None of the original Rangers are power houses or speed machines for sure. They were not intended to be. Most of them can be tweaked to give a bit more. Heck, depending on your point of reference, the current Ranger might not be looked at as one either.

If the OP was happy with is old Ranger, he will be happy with the new one. Everything I’ve read about the 3.0 points to a reliable power plant even if it isn’t the fastest of what was put in a Ranger. Heck, the 2.5 Lima wasn’t either, though there have been more anemic engines used before it. The guy who bought my 1998 with that engine is still driving it, though I have no idea how many miles he’s put on it since he bought it. Having a handyman business, I imagine it has been quite a bit. That was about 7-8 years ago.