1991 XLT from South Carolina

[Spencer2896]

Hey everyone, my names Spencer just bought this 1991 ranger xlt. It’s a 5 speed 3.0 extended cab, two toned black and silver with the sticker stripe, and red interior. The guy I bought it from put a 5 inch lift, electric fan, the lights on the front, new fuel lines and a new stereo in it. It came with the original build sheet, owner card and owner guide.

I’ve got a lot of things in mind that I want to do, but for now I would love to get some input on some of the more common things that should be looked at and replaced first. It’s got 186,000 miles and has in my opinion very minimal rust compared to the others I’ve seen with this much mileage.

Right now the tailgate is not coming down, back right tail light bulb is very dim, and speedometer and techometer aren’t reading accurately. So these will be some things I’ll be trying to work on. Look forward to hearing from the TRS community!

 

[dvdswan]

Welcome to the site. Nice truck and good year.

 

[Curious Hound]

Looks Great!

 

[19Walt93]

In NH that wouldn't be minimal rust, that would be rust free. The electric fan is a good idea because it frees up a little power and moves more air when the truck is stationary. I'd personally remove the lift kit and install smaller diameter tires for 3 reasons: The front tires have excessive positive camber and will wear on the outside edges, the too tall tires have the same effect as higher(lower numerical) gears- they kill power, and I hate lifted trucks unless they're going to be used for serious off roading and that's unlikely with a 2wd. You can lower any vehicle an inch and it will improve handling enough for the numbest driver to notice, raising the center of gravity by lifting it degrades handling. I'm going to get hammered because there are a lot of guys here with lifted trucks.
As with any new to me vehicle, I'd change all the fluids- oil transmission, rear axle, power steering ,brake- and filters, thoroughly inspect the steering ,brakes, and suspension, and generally look everything over. If you don't know how old the brake hoses are, I'd replace them and flush out the brake fluid. If you're not going to do the work yourself find an independent garage you like and avoid places like Jiffy Lube and Midas like the plague. You should check for outstanding recalls, either at a dealer or find a website. Some recalls are for serious safety concerns. Being a 91, it might have been affected by the ignition switch recall and could present a fire hazard if it hasn't been done. One car I wrote up had 8 outstanding recalls going back 10 years that the customer had ignored, seat belt buckles, brake rotors, and fuel lines among them.
One last thing, your truck is a Supercab, if it was an extended cab it would be a Toyota and you'd be prohibited from wearing men's clothing.
Welcome to the circus.

 

[Curious Hound]

Everything Walt said makes sense. I won’t even hammer him for hating lifted trucks. From your pictures, I don’t see a good enough view to really determine if your camber is off. With those drop brackets, that lift is at least half way decent. I like the way it looks. All that about center of gravity, big tires, gearing and handling is all good stuff to think about in relation to how you want to use the truck. And that is all your decision and not ours. A lifted vehicle also has worse aerodynamics negatively affecting mpg. Mine is like driving a barn at highway speeds, especially when I trailer it behind my F150.

 

[Shadowrider6661]

Nice find. Welcome to the club.