Best years for the older ranges?

[kawana]

what years were best equiped from the factory, and what years should I avoid? Nothing too new, I can only afford up to like a 97 or so..

 

[scotts90ranger]

for what? what are your uses or plans?

 

[Grey_04]

i'd stay as late a year as i could ..'94-'97 so if you wanted to you could change the header pannel to a newer style up to ( if my brain is still turned on this morning) 2003 before a hood change is required? if I'm wrong feel free to add someone..

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

i'd stay as late a year as i could ..'94-'97 so if you wanted to you could change the header pannel to a newer style up to ( if my brain is still turned on this morning) 2003 before a hood change is required? if I'm wrong feel free to add someone..

going for any 98+ will require new hood, fenders and header panels.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I would find either a 90-92 with the 4.0L/D35/8.8/M5OD or a 93-97 with the same drive line combo if you are looking to build a capable wheeler. It all comes down to which body style you like better.

 

[kawana]

im just looking for a light offroader, something I can take camping etc. Not planning on doing any crazy offroading. I really like the body style of this ranger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twU0kJznqM8, what other years had that front end style?

edit: also, is there anything wrong with the 2.9L's?

 

[Peregrine]

what years were best equiped from the factory, and what years should I avoid? Nothing too new, I can only afford up to like a 97 or so..

Really... there are no "best years" except for look preference. The best thing to do is (imho) to get the year that you like the style of, and then to make sure you get the cab style you want and 4wd if you want, and then pretty much everything else can be changed down the road. If you want a different style dash, you can change it out. Want different seating, change it out. The hardest changes tho are the cab and 4wd setup. If you get a single cab and want more room, then that isn't so easy to change... 2wd can be changed to 4wd, but it's a greater effort to deal with. Engines can be changed, but from what you said further down the thread, any ranger engine should do what you want.

 

[Ryanbr6]

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[strvger]

i really like the looks of the 1st gen trucks which is why mines an '83. like you, i don't off road much with this truck, mostly easy forest trails. but i do travel a fair amount and my tent camper weighs about 700# loaded. i also carry an extra 27 gallons of gas in the bed. this truck is perfect for that. i did change out the gears for better pulling power from my 2.8 and gave it a 2" body lift for the taller tires. all in all, i really think i got it right with one exception maybe... occasionally i wish i had gotten the extended cab. but that's it. good luck finding your truck!

 

[kawana]

Ok lets put it this way. Since so many years have been suggested, is it safe to say that almost any year can fairly easily be made to be capable offroad (again, nothing hardcore, just forest trails, taking camping, stuff like that). Are there certain years/options I should stay clear from?

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Yep you really can't go wrong with any year ranger, As long as its in good condition and maintained right it will do what you want it to do.

A stock ranger of any year is probably more then capable of what you want it for. I have 2 nearly stock rangers and they get me literally everywhere i want to go. Beach in deep sand or up a rocky muddy hill they will do it.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Any Ranger from 86-97 is your best bet. That way from 86 and on you can a fuel injected engine instead of the carb. Just stay away from the 98+ Rangers those have the a-arm suspension is a pain in the ass to get a good lift for. The 97 and older Rangers have the i-beam, in my opinion that is a great setup for offroading and daily driver on the road. The lifts are less expensive and you have more choices in lift kits.

I don't think he is looking for a lifted off roader... And an A arm 98+ ranger would actually be just fine. you can get 2" out of the T bars easily and fit 33's.

Actually if you want the most upgradable truck you should get a 93-97 Ranger with a 4.0L/5spd/Manual t case and 4.10's or upgrade to 4.56's with 33's

 

[Hopman]

Are there certain years/options I should stay clear from?

Yes. The automatic transmissions in Rangers are notoriously weak. On the other hand, the M5OD is pretty damn near bulletproof.

 

[kawana]

what is considered alot of km's for these engines (2.9's and 4.0's)? Im seeing alot of the 2.9's with 260,000-300,000kms (161,556 - 186,411 miles), should these (provided they've been properly maintained) have a fair bit of life left in them?

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Yeah if properly maintained thats probably about half the engines life. Alot ofpeople claim 300,000 miles on their trucks.