should i buy an '85 ranger

[1979]

So a pretty simple question. I have a trailblazer i owe money on. I want to get out of my payment. A dealer close to me has an '85 ranger, interior is immaculate, some body rust mostly small around the wheel wells, haven't checked out the frame yet. Price is $1500 and would be a straight up swap. 4cyl auto with 312000 miles. Inspected until 5/12 wou. I wouldd need to get at least a yeat out of it relatively trouble tree before overhauling it. Is it concieveable. Does it sound like a good deal?

 

[FritzTKatt]

Ford dealer or a private used auto dealer? It might be worth it if you can get your finances straight by losing the blazer. I wouldnt really worry about the ranger. If they kept the interior clean they probably took care of it. Get the vehicle history and check every little tbing before you leave the lot

 

[adsm08]

My only concern with this is the financial aspect. How tight are your finances right now that owing $1500 on a car is squeezing you?

I won't say don't do it, I'm just saying, if owing $1500 is causing problems maybe there are other places you can look to cut fat from the budget as well. If you owe more and you are just trying to get that knocked off your payment you will probably find that it will only be a minor relief and that you are better trying to find somewhere that you can sell them your car for closer to what you owe and then go out and buy the Ranger with that money before putting the rest of it on your loan.

 

[97RangerXLT]

My only concern with this is the financial aspect. How tight are your finances right now that owing $1500 on a car is squeezing you?

I won't say don't do it, I'm just saying, if owing $1500 is causing problems maybe there are other places you can look to cut fat from the budget as well. If you owe more and you are just trying to get that knocked off your payment you will probably find that it will only be a minor relief and that you are better trying to find somewhere that you can sell them your car for closer to what you owe and then go out and buy the Ranger with that money before putting the rest of it on your loan.

This.

and a truck with over 300k and the still want 1500?? You can do craigslist and get a car/ truck with half the mileage and still pass inspection for 1000 or less. and remember, if you see a "little" rust on teh outside, there is a lot of rust on the inside. Granted you only want/ need this to get you by for a year, so that probably won't be an issue. but like Adsm said, see if you can find a way to pay down the trailblazer if it is only 1500 that you owe. you might even contact the bank that is holding the note and see if they can or will accept lower payments or defer them. may or may not work, but if they think you are trying to work with them, they might give you some more time to get your finances in order to pay it off, plus you will have a newer vehicle to drive, even if it is a chevy (I would only do this step as a last resort, but keep it as an option)

AJ

 

[merace19]

For a dealer that is willing to trade you out even,
1. He is getting something that sells better than what he has.
2. What you have is worth way more than what he is giving you TOTAL.
(If your blazer is worth 5k and you only owe 3k example, he pays off the 3k and gives you a 1500 ranger. Still not 5k)
3 The ranger is just a throw away for them and any money in is just bonus.
Your best bet is to try and sale the blazer yourself 1st and take what is left after the sale and buy the ranger for about 1/2 what the dealer wants.

 

[1979]

Some responses to your questions. The ranger is being sold by a Ford dealer. My loan is a buy here pay here loan through the dealer I bought it from not a bank, so no chance for renegotiation. Terms are make my payment every two weeks or the device they installed when I got it will disable my ignition until I pay. As for finances go. I pay rent, 700, phone bill 50, insurance 55, then the car payments total 267, which leaves just enough usually to eat and put gas in the monster ,12 Mpg = a lot of gas per month approximately $120+. My take home is approximately 1300 per month. So I look at like this, I'd get a ranger from the era I like most 80-90's, no payments, I would actually have the money to take care of my vehicle (which I can't do now, vibration and steering issue with trailblazer I can't afford to fix, can't even drop $35 do perform an oil change). As long as the rust isn't too bad on the outside and the frame is in rust free i can spend the next year putting the money together to overhaul it to like new condition. Just the savings in gas, insurance, payment will put an extra $300 a month in my pocket. One year if i don't spend too much of it would put 3600 in my pocket + the 1000 I get refunded by the government should give me enough I would think.

 

[merace19]

With it being a pay here deal, you more than likely got ass raped by the dealer. Those deals are last resort deals. I am sure the blazer is not worth what you have in a loan and if the dealer is willing to clear you and give you something to get by with, TAKE IT>.
I have a few buddies that bought cars thru a dealer pay deal, they paid way too much for car and the payments where way too high. Shitty credit or no credit will do that.

 

[hoosier1104]

I have a quick question for you, did you see them install said ignition kill switch or is it hear-say? I ask because this could cause all kind of safety issues and could cause a fatality. Have you asked them to verify that 'your' kill switch is active?

 

[1979]

Yes. It has engaged before and in order to start my tb I have to turn the key all the way then wait for two beeps before I can crank it. I recieve a code every two weeks when they recieve my payment. I enter the code and I can drive for another two weeks.

 

[hoosier1104]

That is funking retarded. Just saying.

 

[84bluebronco2]

Remove the switch, problem solved!

Not really, but I would recommend not putting all of your eggs in the basket of 312k ranger. They run forever, but if it's going to be your DD it might be a little rough. Find a newer vehicle of some sort, or maybe check out a cheaper smaller vehicle?

 

[adsm08]

I have a quick question for you, did you see them install said ignition kill switch or is it hear-say? I ask because this could cause all kind of safety issues and could cause a fatality. Have you asked them to verify that 'your' kill switch is active?

I deal with the boxes because we use them where I work. They cannot pose a safety hazard. All they do is interrupt the starter's trigger signal, so they cannot shut the engine down once it is running.

They are really retarded if you know how to get around them.

I agree, if you can get completely out from under your loan and get by on the Ranger for at least a year and free up $300 a month, it is probably worth it. But it has to be in good running condition, and you need to understand how finiky the 2.8L can be.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I deal with the boxes because we use them where I work. They cannot pose a safety hazard. All they do is interrupt the starter's trigger signal, so they cannot shut the engine down once it is running.

They are really retarded if you know how to get around them.

I agree, if you can get completely out from under your loan and get by on the Ranger for at least a year and free up $300 a month, it is probably worth it. But it has to be in good running condition, and you need to understand how finiky the 2.8L can be.

My brother has had a couple vehicles towed in for no starts with that switch to blame. They won't touch them aside from diag out of fear the bank will come back on them.

The insurance spybox was a head scratcher when they first came out too, thanks to his summer off in front of the tv last year with leukemia he was the only one in the shop that knew what they were.

The base 2.8 engine itself ain't bad at all... I wouldn't have one if I couldn't duraspark it though.

 

[Psychopete]

the OP said it was a 4cyl auto

 

[adsm08]

My brother has had a couple vehicles towed in for no starts with that switch to blame. They won't touch them aside from diag out of fear the bank will come back on them.

From what I can tell they will know if the box is unhooked or removed, but it won't tattle if bypassed properly.

We occasionally have to do it at work when the customer doesn't keep paying while we have the car. I have had a few where the car is left for more than a week (ours get a new code every week) and we call them to get the new code so we can start it and get told "well I don't have it, I wasn't paying while I didn't have the car".

the OP said it was a 4cyl auto

So he did. Those are a little less fussy with their control system.