Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Black Frog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2008
- Messages
- 49
- Transmission
- Automatic
"Old Blue" was my first (and only) new vehicle I ever bought.
1992 Ford Ranger XLT 2wd Supercab 4.0L 5-speed
I made it to 395k before needing to replace the trans, I was still on the original clutch. I bought used trans off ebay, and while I had it apart I put in a new clutch. Still had plenty left on the old one too.
I had never done ANYTHING to the engine itself outside of plugs and wires.
Outside of the normal wear/tear stuff like tires/brakes/exhaust/hoses, I can only think of changing out this list in 20yrs of ownership:
Transmission, alternator, starter, power steering pump, pas-side suspension mount, fuel tank sending unit, radius arm bracket, heater fan, and ECU.
The last few years there were oil leaks a plenty around the oil pan, but didn't burn any oil.
Old Blue had never left me stranded, ever. Never in 20yrs did I have to call a tow truck. I may have limped home, but I made it there.
Once I replaced the trans myself thanks to THIS FORUM, I thought I just might make it to half a million miles with the old girl. She wasn't pretty, the hard Wisconsin winters made the cancer of rust an ugly fact the last few years. I never had her in a garage in her life. She was tough as nails. 500k miles was in sight though, and that was my goal.
And this week it all came to an end. Going to work one morning as usual and I believe a head gasket blew. Within seconds of wondering what was going on and trying to get to the side of the highway with smoke billowing out, nasty sounds started coming from the engine. Horrible sounds. Like grinding marbles.... :-( Don't know if a rod disintegrated or what, but I knew then and there this was most likely the end.
She went until she couldn't go no more. But she crossed the finish line and made it past half a million miles. Rather than dig that deep into a potential fix at this point, it is time to let her rest in the big junkyard in the sky. The things she has done with me, and the stories she could tell over the years make me shake my head and smile.
I'll never have a truck as dependable and long-lasting as this one. This truck has outlasted everything. Outlasted every girlfriend I've had, every dog I've owned, every place I've lived... Only my parents have been around my life longer than Old Blue.
Very sad.
Goodbye old friend.
1992 Ford Ranger XLT 2wd Supercab 4.0L 5-speed
I made it to 395k before needing to replace the trans, I was still on the original clutch. I bought used trans off ebay, and while I had it apart I put in a new clutch. Still had plenty left on the old one too.
I had never done ANYTHING to the engine itself outside of plugs and wires.
Outside of the normal wear/tear stuff like tires/brakes/exhaust/hoses, I can only think of changing out this list in 20yrs of ownership:
Transmission, alternator, starter, power steering pump, pas-side suspension mount, fuel tank sending unit, radius arm bracket, heater fan, and ECU.
The last few years there were oil leaks a plenty around the oil pan, but didn't burn any oil.
Old Blue had never left me stranded, ever. Never in 20yrs did I have to call a tow truck. I may have limped home, but I made it there.
Once I replaced the trans myself thanks to THIS FORUM, I thought I just might make it to half a million miles with the old girl. She wasn't pretty, the hard Wisconsin winters made the cancer of rust an ugly fact the last few years. I never had her in a garage in her life. She was tough as nails. 500k miles was in sight though, and that was my goal.
And this week it all came to an end. Going to work one morning as usual and I believe a head gasket blew. Within seconds of wondering what was going on and trying to get to the side of the highway with smoke billowing out, nasty sounds started coming from the engine. Horrible sounds. Like grinding marbles.... :-( Don't know if a rod disintegrated or what, but I knew then and there this was most likely the end.
She went until she couldn't go no more. But she crossed the finish line and made it past half a million miles. Rather than dig that deep into a potential fix at this point, it is time to let her rest in the big junkyard in the sky. The things she has done with me, and the stories she could tell over the years make me shake my head and smile.
I'll never have a truck as dependable and long-lasting as this one. This truck has outlasted everything. Outlasted every girlfriend I've had, every dog I've owned, every place I've lived... Only my parents have been around my life longer than Old Blue.
Very sad.
Goodbye old friend.
awesome dude
