89 ranger?

[00t444e]

I am looking at an 89 Ford Ranger, it is an extended cab, electronic 4x4, automatic, with the 2.9 v6, 93,000 miles but the engine was rebuilt recently and runs great. The truck body has a some rust holes above the rear fenders and the frame has some surface rust but no holes, it needs a few things like the passenger side door handle, part of the back window is shattered, fuel gauge doesn't work, AC needs work and the auto hubs don't stay engaged, I can fix all of that myself exept for maybe the window. He is asking $800 for it but I may be able to talk him down.

*My main concern is the 4x4 system and the auto transmission, I never was a fan of the push button 4x4, are these easy to convert to manual shift? I would also replace the hubs with manual hubs. How good is the auto transmission? Also the axle code is 86 which would be a ford 7.5 with 3.73 gears, what axle is the front Dana 28 or Dana 35? The truck has 31x10.50.X15 tires on it now and I don't want any larger (I have a Jeep that will soon be sitting on 35s that I use for offroading). I will mainly use it as a runner to go back and forth to work, but still may do some mudding in it. If it had manual shift 4x4 and was a 5 speed I would have bought it already.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Its not hard to swap to a manual t case, just get a manual from a junkyard and swap it on. The hubs can be converted to lockouts pretty easy as well. Warn has a kit.

The A4LD is generally regarded as garbage, but then again, a 5 sp swap isnt super hard.

The front end will be a D28, Rear 7.5. The 7.5 youll never break with a 2.9, the D28, keep the tire size sane and remember "if the motors revvin and the tires arnt spinnin, somethins gonna break"...

But that being said a D35 from an 4.0L truck/Exploder is a bolt in.

The 2.9 is a good stout little engine, keep it cool itll never quit.

800 bucks sounds fair.