1997 FORD RANGER SUPER CAB

[MasonDaniel7]

1997 FORD RANGER SUPER CAB On Ebay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175740883890?

 

[2011Supercab]

What a piece of $#%&,

Not a straight piece of metal, interior is all tore and busted up
and they want $4k

 

[James Morse]

Project truck. Really tore up. Not 4x4. Not lots of options either.
If a person wants '97, which I did, look for "low" miles (125k), look for loaded (XLT w/ options pkgs), 4x4, no rust, straight body, stuff working, or mostly working.
I had to put new rad and new tensioner and new cruise buttons and new left tailgate latch, that's it, truck was 100% (afaik) within a couple weeks. Last two items I had to do on the Mazda so were like nothing, except finding the right buttons for the '97 which are lighted and are diff than the '99.
So expect to pay maybe twice what they want for that pos, for 4x4, more options, etc etc what I described, but then you have a good working truck ready for mods if you want. And not lots of shop time or parts cost. To make that posted truck decent, really, you couldn't, and even if you did all you have is a 2wd dd or work truck, maybe.
If you have a straight good-running truck that just has a laundry list of relatively easily fixable things, that's one thing, but this aint it.
There are good trucks out there, just, if you want certain things and certain condition it takes searching every morning and looking at probably a bunch before you find one.
When I started looking I set a limit 10k and admittedly that seems really high for an old truck, but it worked out for me to do it including taxes, license, everything, including the few parts, for under that. If I want the same thing in new, start with a 4x4 Ranger, add skids, add options, add sill plates, add FX package (to make it equal to the '97 because they came with FX features) etc etc, by the time you're done it's 43k not to mention higher insurance, taxes (we have property tax besides sales tax). And you have basically the same truck, in some ways maybe not even as good. Stronger engine in the new ones, but 4.0L is very gutsy imo. So it was hard for me to make a case for a new truck when mine looks essentially new and has been mistaken for brand new by people who don't know Rangers.
For comparison my Mazda was like 3900 out-the-door (taxes license etc). It has a few cosmetic issues but no rust and dependable dd, I had to do a laundry list of stuff but all easy.
Admittedly new trucks are nice, and I might think twice about a long trip in the trucks just because they are old and stuff fails though I have no reason to think anything would fail. Old trucks some parts might be hard to find. So nothing against new trucks, just, I figure, 10k compared to 43k is a huge difference and I'd rather 'have the 30k to play with' in the sense I can do a heck of a lot of upgrades, or fixes if necessary, for 30k, of course I doubt I'd spend that much on it, I'm just saying. In some ways I feel like I lucked out on the 97 but I tell myself, maybe somewhat, but it was a lot of hours searching so it wasn't all luck. There are good trucks out there, they made so many, the issue is just persistent looking and having a list of what you want and keep looking until you find it.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

What a piece of $#%&,

Not a straight piece of metal, interior is all tore and busted up
and they want $4k

Welcome to 2023.

It's either that or driving facing cameras, self driving mode, etc.

I'll take the POS 1997.

 

[James Morse]

I suppose, even if it is a pos, if the frame is ok you can rebuild it. They were just much simpler and to me better built and easier to work on. I'm obviously biased.
Technically you could replace body panels, fix the interior and missing/broken stuff... but it's time and money. I'd rather spend a little more and get something decent. In any case, that's -way- too much for that truck if you ask me. $1000 might be ok if it runs/drives.