Considering buying a 1998 2.0 2WD, is it worth $300?
Needs head gasket, has oil consumption/low compression.
No title, been stored past 15 years, starts but runs rough
Input appreciated
It's worth about 300 in scrap metal.... so why not. Worst case scenario you give up, scrap it and get your money back. Or part it out and maybe make a profit.
Dont know how hard it is to get a title in your state. If you plan on buying it to restore and drive that would be the first thing to check on.
I guess it depends what you want to do with it. If it was here and the body was in good shape, I'd try to pick it up for a lot less than that... the missing title is the killer. They are impossible to deal with in South Dakota - virtually impossible to ever transfer it again once it's gone and very hard to dispose of a vehicle with no title. Dunno how it is down there.
A junk engine is a bummer too. I had my 2.3 (same block) rebuilt by what I was told was reputable shop and it cost me around $1500. Ended up having a bunch of issues with it but that's besides the point, the other three machine shops I called wanted $2500 up for a basic rebuild. They are spendy to go through.
That's the problem with first gens, especially 4 cylinder first gens. They are very hard to find parts for. Good engines don't exist in junkyards, our best junkyard out here for older vehicles only has a couple RBVs. First gen Explorers are even harder to find parts for... they are all getting crushed.
I looked HARD when I needed a 2.3 for mine and couldn't find one anywhere. Unfortunately "they don't make these anymore" works both ways... good parts become unobtainable.
NJ title work sucks. Impossible to get a title for a vehicle without one. I bought my mustan with no title and restored it. Then bought a junker for a couple hundred bucks with a title and swapped vin tags. Lol I have a firebox with 4 titles and vin tags to mustang's if I ever find another one I want to build.
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