Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and VJZ
Member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2009
- Messages
- 5
- Vehicle Year
- 2000
- Transmission
- Automatic
Hi all,
So, I have a Focus that I am growing tired of and uncomfortable in. It's a stick shift, and it's bugging my knee to drive a stick these days. Even my doctor said it would be a good idea to find an automatic vehicle
I stumbled across a 2004 Ranger Edge. It's 2WD, 3.0L, short bed. Not many options (Crank windows, manual locks, and non-tilt steering). The only thing that bothered me was the non tilt steering wheel. It has 163,000 miles
I went to test drive the truck. No rust, but has dents on the bed rails, so it's been used to some extent for what a truck is made for. The A/C was ice cold, but only worked on high. I figured it's the blow motor resistor or some switch. It rode like it was brand new and was very quiet in operation. Tires and brakes were brand new, along with the serpentine belt, rear diff fluid, and coil pack(s)? and plugs. Wires look to be older, but serviceable.
Anyway, I have a friend that owns and engine rebuild shop. That's all they do. From small engines, to big diesel engines, he's seen everything. He has a 2000 Ranger 3.0L, and he has said many great things about them with the 3.0L. His has 229k on it, and all he's had to do was replace the head gaskets at 200k.
The owner of the Ranger I looked at is firm at $2,300. According to KBB, he's fair on his price.
He received it as part of a trade for guns, and it has a Michigan title, signed over by the previous owner, but dated from a month or so ago. I would have to eat the late fee plus have a $5 police VIN check. I told him I would be interested in looking at it again if he registered the truck in his name, which, if he didn't buy the registration for it here in Indiana would cost him $15 and $5 for the VIN check at the police department (That check is required here in IN for out of state vehicles). He told me he would do that if I were going to buy it, and all I'd have to is let him know to do it. While it bugged me that he didn't just go ahead and do it, I can understand him not wanting to spend any money. On the other hand, it's only $20.
As odd as it sounds, the Ranger just popped up as a potential replacement for my Focus. The other two options are a late 90s Lexus ES300, or a Toyota Solara V6. I only buy Ford or Toyota, primarily Toyota, but it seems like the Ranger is your best bang for the buck when it comes to a small truck.
Plans if I got the truck: All I would want to do is make it more of "luxury" truck. Explorer leather seats, power windows, power locks, power mirrors. Wiring isn't an issue as I have a friend that is phenomenal at doing those things.
I'm looking at driving whatever vehicle I choose for at least two years, or whenever it completely blows up.
Now, Rangers that are clean do not pop up in my area very often, especially newer Rangers. If they do, they are 90's 4-cyl stick shifts, which I don't want. Auto 4-cyl Rangers are like unicorns in my area.
Any guidance into this truck? There really aren't any other Rangers around here to look at in that price range.
So, I have a Focus that I am growing tired of and uncomfortable in. It's a stick shift, and it's bugging my knee to drive a stick these days. Even my doctor said it would be a good idea to find an automatic vehicle
I stumbled across a 2004 Ranger Edge. It's 2WD, 3.0L, short bed. Not many options (Crank windows, manual locks, and non-tilt steering). The only thing that bothered me was the non tilt steering wheel. It has 163,000 miles
I went to test drive the truck. No rust, but has dents on the bed rails, so it's been used to some extent for what a truck is made for. The A/C was ice cold, but only worked on high. I figured it's the blow motor resistor or some switch. It rode like it was brand new and was very quiet in operation. Tires and brakes were brand new, along with the serpentine belt, rear diff fluid, and coil pack(s)? and plugs. Wires look to be older, but serviceable.
Anyway, I have a friend that owns and engine rebuild shop. That's all they do. From small engines, to big diesel engines, he's seen everything. He has a 2000 Ranger 3.0L, and he has said many great things about them with the 3.0L. His has 229k on it, and all he's had to do was replace the head gaskets at 200k.
The owner of the Ranger I looked at is firm at $2,300. According to KBB, he's fair on his price.
He received it as part of a trade for guns, and it has a Michigan title, signed over by the previous owner, but dated from a month or so ago. I would have to eat the late fee plus have a $5 police VIN check. I told him I would be interested in looking at it again if he registered the truck in his name, which, if he didn't buy the registration for it here in Indiana would cost him $15 and $5 for the VIN check at the police department (That check is required here in IN for out of state vehicles). He told me he would do that if I were going to buy it, and all I'd have to is let him know to do it. While it bugged me that he didn't just go ahead and do it, I can understand him not wanting to spend any money. On the other hand, it's only $20.
As odd as it sounds, the Ranger just popped up as a potential replacement for my Focus. The other two options are a late 90s Lexus ES300, or a Toyota Solara V6. I only buy Ford or Toyota, primarily Toyota, but it seems like the Ranger is your best bang for the buck when it comes to a small truck.
Plans if I got the truck: All I would want to do is make it more of "luxury" truck. Explorer leather seats, power windows, power locks, power mirrors. Wiring isn't an issue as I have a friend that is phenomenal at doing those things.
I'm looking at driving whatever vehicle I choose for at least two years, or whenever it completely blows up.
Now, Rangers that are clean do not pop up in my area very often, especially newer Rangers. If they do, they are 90's 4-cyl stick shifts, which I don't want. Auto 4-cyl Rangers are like unicorns in my area.
Any guidance into this truck? There really aren't any other Rangers around here to look at in that price range.
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