My Ranger after Twenty Years

[Lefty]

My first pickup was an Isuzu. My friend was an auto mechanic. He picked it up for me at an auction. It wasn't much nor was it meant to be. I lived in Boston then. Traffic was always bad. It was meant to be a sacrificial vehicle especially during winter when they salted the roads like there was no tomorrow. My job required me to run short errands and also drive it from meeting to meeting.

Parking in Boston was always problematic. A half hour cost $20.00. A pickup helped. I simply drove it up onto the sidewalk and left it. No one ever gave me a ticket. The police assumed assumed I was an independent subcontractor, possibly a plumber or a carpenter, working on site. My boss paid me 50 cents a mile for my efforts. Those regular reimbursements paid for it in less than two years.

It was ugly but cheap. Like so many older cars, i suffered my share of breakdowns especially in that cantankerous age between 120,000 and 150,000 miles. After that it was just fine. I drove it for 23 years. The frame was badly compromised from rust.

I had to junk it out two years ago. That's when I bought the Ranger. It was 19 years old and rusty but sure to be a solid investment. The prospect of driving ugly for another 20 years was depressing. So I had it repainted. Still not happy I repainted the underside too.

Now at twenty I'm driving something old but very new. I've learned mechanical components may wear out, but that doesn't really matter. They can always be replaced. Suppose I blow an engine or even a transmission. So what? New trucks cost $30-40-50,000 or more. For that price, I can always upgrade.

My wife thought I crazy to do all this at first. But bow she gets it. She really does. That old Isuzu was an eye sore. She felt embarrassed to ride in it. She feels better inside the Ranger. She's noticed that we have our share of admirers. Every once in a while, people even stop and ask us about it. Not long ago, she mentioned it would be even better if it had leather seats.

I just bought two bucket seats for $200.00. I will be putting them in as soon as the weather warms.

 

[RobbieD]

Nice Ranger, especially with the new seats. And, it's a worthy replacement for your old war horse.

 

[Lefty]

Nice Ranger, especially with the new seats. And, it's a worthy replacement for your old war horse.

I am most impressed with those who contribute to this forum. They get it. They really do. Many drive 20 year olds.Many are driving even older. They do the maintenance and the repairs and even the upgrades. And yet the rest of America keeps cars for maybe 2-3-4 years before they trade in the old for the new.

 

[Lefty]

My first pickup was an Isuzu. My friend was an auto mechanic. He picked it up for me at an auction. It wasn't much nor was it meant to be. I lived in Boston then. Traffic was always bad. It was meant to be a sacrificial vehicle especially during winter when they salted the roads like there was no tomorrow. My job required me to run short errands and also drive it from meeting to meeting.

Parking in Boston was always problematic. A half hour cost $20.00. A pickup helped. I simply drove it up onto the sidewalk and left it. No one ever gave me a ticket. The police assumed assumed I was an independent subcontractor, possibly a plumber or a carpenter, working on site. My boss paid me 50 cents a mile for my efforts. Those regular reimbursements paid for it in less than two years.

It was ugly but cheap. Like so many older cars, i suffered my share of breakdowns especially in that cantankerous age between 120,000 and 150,000 miles. After that it was just fine. I drove it for 23 years. The frame was badly compromised from rust.

I had to junk it out two years ago. That's when I bought the Ranger. It was 19 years old and rusty but sure to be a solid investment. The prospect of driving ugly for another 20 years was depressing. So I had it repainted. Still not happy I repainted the underside too.

Now at twenty I'm driving something old but very new. I've learned mechanical components may wear out, but that doesn't really matter. They can always be replaced. Suppose I blow an engine or even a transmission. So what? New trucks cost $30-40-50,000 or more. For that price, I can always upgrade.

My wife thought I crazy to do all this at first. But bow she gets it. She really does. That old Isuzu was an eye sore. She felt embarrassed to ride in it. She feels better inside the Ranger. She's noticed that we have our share of admirers. Every once in a while, people even stop and ask us about it. Not long ago, she mentioned it would be even better if it had leather seats.

I just bought two bucket seats for $200.00. I will be putting them in as soon as the weather warms.


View attachment 90727

And by the way, I've had some success with POR 15, and Rustoleum High Heat paint for the exhaust system. Rustoleum was quite a surprise actually. Most high temp paints just rub off.

 

[superj]

thats another reason why i like this little ranger. for 19 years old, its a great looking truck that people will come talk about at the gas pump. lots of people offer to buy it but it would be to expensive to find another this clean


i hope my nissan titan stays as good a truck as this ranger, at 19 years old. i don't think so because the paint they use now is horrible. a fly hits it and it pops a little bit off. its like tis water color type paint just poured on the truck

 

[Lefty]

thats another reason why i like this little ranger. for 19 years old, its a great looking truck that people will come talk about at the gas pump. lots of people offer to buy it but it would be to expensive to find another this clean


i hope my nissan titan stays as good a truck as this ranger, at 19 years old. i don't think so because the paint they use now is horrible. a fly hits it and it pops a little bit off. its like tis water color type paint just poured on the truck

I'm not sure exactly why that is. Paints today are catalyzed (2 part epoxy). They should seal tight and stay hard for at least 11 years. The clear coat, however, seems to be softer. I also find that swirl marks seem to re appear, even if the truck is watched with a touchless spray and even if dried using those new microfiber towels. Those same swirl marks make the clear coat porous and susceptible to dirt and stains.

Perhaps the the real culprit is brake dust. Every spring I use a liquid clay bar to remove it from the paint and/or a real clay bar too. Then I buff and then "wax." in order to keep the paint looking new.

Stubborn stains like bug guts can sometimes washed away with a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. OR (don't tell) straight rubbing alcohol.
If so, I will need to rewax. I just spay a little bit of Turtle Wax Ceramic on.

There are other better methods and systems, but TW is cheap, fast, and simple.

 

[sgtsandman]

Yeah, the clear coat on my windshield visor looks like it went through a hail storm. The next time it gets painted will be when the whole truck gets painted. Probably flat, deep forest green. I’m sick to death of red and want nothing more to do with metallic flake paint.

 

[Lefty]

Yeah, the clear coat on my windshield visor looks like it went through a hail storm. The next time it gets painted will be when the whole truck gets painted. Probably flat, deep forest green. I’m sick to death of red and want nothing more to do with metallic flake paint.

My favorite color

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I am most impressed with those who contribute to this forum. They get it. They really do. Many drive 20 year olds.Many are driving even older. They do the maintenance and the repairs and even the upgrades. And yet the rest of America keeps cars for maybe 2-3-4 years before they trade in the old for the new.

My truck was 15 years old when I got it... 23 years ago.

 

[Blmpkn]

Average ownership length of a vehicle in the states is actually anywhere from 8 to 11 years depending on who's writing the article.

I've never kept one for more than 3 or 4 though.. my needs from a vehicle and desires change.. and life is short.. too short. A new vehicle Is almost a new life, a new love.. new experiences and new memories.. a new vehicle is food for the soul.


Keeping up on one vehicle for longer than the average may just become a fools errand, especially if repairs/maintenance need to be outsourced to a garage or a dealership... double especially if you live in the Salt belt. Depends on the vehicle/situation.

Lefty.. While I do very much admire your extreme appreciation and dedication to your truck.. iirc your total financial investment by this point could reasonably be considered pretty darn close to what I spent on my truck.. that's nearly 2 decades newer, more capable, more efficient, more comfortable, more everything.. and will always.. regardless of all the hard work and money you've put into your truck.. hold a much better resale value. Hell.. my rip-off trade-in value is 4k more than I owe on the thing

Sometimes it makes sense to keep up on a vehicle until it turns to dust, like it does in your case.. but a good portion of the time it makes much more financial sense to just chuck the thing and start over.

 

[Lefty]

Average ownership length of a vehicle in the states is actually anywhere from 8 to 11 years depending on who's writing the article.

I've never kept one for more than 3 or 4 though.. my needs from a vehicle and desires change.. and life is short.. too short. A new vehicle Is almost a new life, a new love.. new experiences and new memories.. a new vehicle is food for the soul.


Keeping up on one vehicle for longer than the average may just become a fools errand, especially if repairs/maintenance need to be outsourced to a garage or a dealership... double especially if you live in the Salt belt. Depends on the vehicle/situation.

Lefty.. While I do very much admire your extreme appreciation and dedication to your truck.. iirc your total financial investment by this point could reasonably be considered pretty darn close to what I spent on my truck.. that's nearly 2 decades newer, more capable, more efficient, more comfortable, more everything.. and will always.. regardless of all the hard work and money you've put into your truck.. hold a much better resale value. Hell.. my rip-off trade-in value is 4k more than I owe on the thing

Sometimes it makes sense to keep up on a vehicle until it turns to dust, like it does in your case.. but a good portion of the time it makes much more financial sense to just chuck the thing and start over.

Yes, indeed. That was the problem with my very first truck. It was just an old beater. It did its job and did it well, but it was never was any fun, never food for the soul. It never would have mattered to wash it or wax it. It would have certainly not have paid to paint it. Upgrades would have been a waste of time and money.

The one thing it did was provide for cheap transportation. They say that if you always buy new, you will spend about a quarter million more than if you buy used. All those years of driving something paid for had saved me a lot of money, but little else.

Fixing up cars has always been a passion of mine. I drove an MGB which was totally thrashed out. Then I restored it, even shoe horned a 2.8 liter Ford inside the engine bay. I drove it for 17 years.

Passion is really the only thing for me. It's not just a passing whimsey either. I work with those who have been recently released from prison. They lead a joyless life. i have found that fixing up old cars and trucks can sometimes be a joy for them, that solving car troubles sometimes is the very best therapy for solving deeper troubles.

And so, I come here with oddball stories like the Rattle Can Ranger. fixing the broken, the FUBAR, especially the things that seem to be beyond all repair. It is not for everyone, but at least for me, it is food for the soul.

We don't do too much in the winter time. But now that spring has finally come, The Boyz and I are busy making plans: more work on our Rangers, a few body and fender and paint repairs on an old Chevy, a new set of shocks for somebody else. The Boyz don't have garages, so they come by often just to wash and wax. And sometimes we make a trip to the Upull yard, a wonderful time to talk.

Many of these guys know a thing or two about turning wrenches. They know more than me. Helping me helps them too. One guy even got his first job in mechanics. It's win-win all around. Mine is not a life for everyone, but it is most certainly fun.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Average ownership length of a vehicle in the states is actually anywhere from 8 to 11 years depending on who's writing the article.

I've never kept one for more than 3 or 4 though.. my needs from a vehicle and desires change.. and life is short.. too short. A new vehicle Is almost a new life, a new love.. new experiences and new memories.. a new vehicle is food for the soul.

Keeping up on one vehicle for longer than the average may just become a fools errand, especially if repairs/maintenance need to be outsourced to a garage or a dealership... double especially if you live in the Salt belt. Depends on the vehicle/situation.

Lefty.. While I do very much admire your extreme appreciation and dedication to your truck.. iirc your total financial investment by this point could reasonably be considered pretty darn close to what I spent on my truck.. that's nearly 2 decades newer, more capable, more efficient, more comfortable, more everything.. and will always.. regardless of all the hard work and money you've put into your truck.. hold a much better resale value. Hell.. my rip-off trade-in value is 4k more than I owe on the thing

Sometimes it makes sense to keep up on a vehicle until it turns to dust, like it does in your case.. but a good portion of the time it makes much more financial sense to just chuck the thing and start over.

I never spent as much in a month on my 200k 2002 F-150 in 17 years of ownership as I do on payments for my '16... And it was less than half the cost of a comparable new F-150. And that isn't considering the vastly different registration and insurance expenses.

If not for rust and needing a crew cab I would be happily still driving my 02.

 

[Lefty]

I never spent as much in a month on my 200k 2002 F-150 in 17 years of ownership as I do on payments for my '16... And it was less than half the cost of a comparable new F-150. And that isn't considering the vastly different registration and insurance expenses.

If not for rust and needing a crew cab I would be happily still driving my 02.

I've spent less than $20,000.00 on my truck. It is, more or less, like brand new, maybe even better with the upgrades. I have no payments, no depreciation. It's cheaper to insure. It's got 150, 000 miles on it, but there's still plenty of life left.

"If not for rust:" therein hangs the tale. The body is the biggest investment and the biggest single expense in restoration.

Of course the day will surely come years from now when the engine fails. I will look forward to a new one, another upgrade.

 

[Josh B]

I worked with a fella in the mid 80's who, soon as he got his truck payed off began looking for a new one.
I tried convincing him to enjoy his current one and save the money. No dice, he came in a few days later in a new truck. Less than 3 months later he got layed off

 

[superj]

alot of people where i work trade them in at 4-5 years of ownership. i normally never own something longer than 2-3 years because i would buy them super cheap and fix the little things and when i was bored, sell it and get something else that looked fun.

doesn;t work that way when you pay a crap load for it from a dealership