should I buy this Ranger? (Option 4)

[YT-1300]

As a few of you know, I'm looking for a Ranger. Here's another one from the same flipper who's shown me 3 other trucks:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...place_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks

Note the dent in the right rear bed and the misaligned tailgate.
Everything else looks good, but I need to test drive it.
It has quite a few electric options, which seem like the perfect components to go bad and be expensive and a PITA to fix.
Seller is asking $7500, which is what he's asked for trucks with fewer options, so I'm suspicious about the dent-it may be more than just a dent.

He's got asking or close to it every time, according to him. It seems that the going price is around $4,000-$7500 here in SoCal. The lowest price I saw was $3800 and he sold it for $3600.

Please let me know if I'm over-posting. Your comments are very helpful and I'm getting an education into these trucks, but I don't want to overdo it.

Thanks!

 

[dvdswan]

Don't think there is a thing as over posting, unless you want to be a post whore. LOL

Stop and think about it. He's a flipper, a typical salesperson who wants to make money. Say anything that is in his favor.

I'm not saying not to buy from him. You have to use your best judgement. Used vehicle buying can be tricky because there are honest folks and not so honest folks. Some folks won't budge on their price, "I know what I've got" attitude.

To me it's way too much, but I'm a scrooge with my money. It's better in my pocket than yours. Don't be hungry, take your time and look the vehicle over. Bring a flashlight to look in the dark areas. Undercarriage, low in the engine compartment, under the dash. This is your hard-earned money, and you want to spend it cautiously.

Most of my vehicles I took my time and waited, I looked at over a dozen each time. In the end, I felt that I got a really good or screaming deal on them. Yes, there were a couple I wish I didn't pass on, but I look at it as a "it wasn't meant to be".

Sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield. You can't win every time.

 

[JohnnyO]

Looks clean but a 19 year old non-collector vehicle with 150k just ain't worth that much. $4500 tops.

 

[YT-1300]

Thanks for the comments, I really appreciate them.
The cheaper trucks all seem to have over 250,000 miles on them. And they are not even that much cheaper; maybe $1000 or so.
I need to figure out how to get them before Flipper does.
How long do these trucks last? In other words, what's the max mileage for a given year? Is there a chart somewhere? I couldn't easily find one.
I've been searching for trucks with about 150,000 miles on them. I'm starting to look at higher mileage ones, though. And also ones that need mechanical work. For example, there's one for sale that has a steering rack leak. I think the seller wants $3000.
The search continues...

 

[Sloryd66]

It's certainly pretty clean. The used car market is on fire right now. I recently sold my wifes Ford Edge to webuyanycar which are fllippers. I got $8500 for it and I'm sure it'll end up on a lot for 3K or more higher than what I sold it to them for. Any car flipper should go through the vehicle and get it in it's best shape to sell to get top dollar. Unfortunately not all of them do. But looking at this one, either he took the time to clean it and put new tires on it, or you missed on a deal at his purchase price if he found it in that exact condition. See where i'm going with this?? That truck was more than likely found for a couple grand less than he's asking. Maybe he put a few hundred into it, maybe not. So, keep your eyes peeled for that same deal....or show up with $5500-6000 cash in hand and make him an offer on the spot if you really want it. If he doesn't take it...walk away. If he's turning a large profit he may take your offer because he flipped it quick and made some profit, although not what he intended on the high end. Every seller is motivated regardless of what they tell you. You have to try to meet that tipping point where it makes it hard for them to refuse your offer and sit on the vehicle for who knows how much longer. I know i've refused offers on things that I was selling only to later realize I should've taken the fair offer...not a lowball one, but a fair one. Look it over well and If that's the truck you like and want...give it a shot $1500-2000 less than asking. Heck, turn the tables on him and say you've flipped cars in the past and "know" he didn't pay anywhere near what he's asking. What's the worst that can happen? He'll either take your cash offer or he'll keep the truck hoping he can eventually get more than you offered him.

 

[RumPunch]

Don't rule out shipping something in either. I'm sure there is a member in every state probably willing to check on out and give you an opinion. Can probably have one shipped cross country for 1
$1500+ so maybe find a deal elsewhere.

 

[55trucker]

Be patient, do not give into a fleeting moment, good deals come & go all the time.
My personal opinion where any sort of dealer is concerned is......walk away, I won't get involved with one, all they are trying to do is line their pocket.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and *assume* that he's getting these trucks from a wholesale dealer auction.

 

[4x4prepper]

Well, for the zip code 90210 (only one I know in CA) according to KBB with 152,000 on the Ranger it is worth $4500-$7416. If I was buying a Ranger for $7500 I would want it to be a 4x4. My first step would be a carfax before I drove it, he did have plates on it.

I would avoid a truck with pulse hubs, all things being equal. Unfortunately, now is a horrible time to buy any truck, running or not. Though the craigslist posters are coming down to earth in the Atlanta listings when they realize no one really wants a non-running rusty FSB for $5000.

 

[superj]

What's pulse hubs?

That's a clean looking truck though and it has all the options. It would be priced close to that here because of the miles and fully loaded, unfortunately

 

[97RangerXLT]

How long do these trucks last? In other words, what's the max mileage for a given year?

in my Junkyard forays, I commonly see Rangers with just about any Engine/ transmission combination with over 300k on them. most of those high mileage trucks were wrecked and even though the damage is minor, my guess is the owner said the hell with it and let it go. I have seen a few with over 400k on them, but not much. Mid 300s is reasonable, and if you are willing to drop a couple grand to replace an engine or transmission, you can easily go way higher. I think the biggest threat to these trucks is rust.

My 97 has 195k on it, and I would drive it anywhere without thinking twice.

AJ

 

[superj]

i have driven mine from the bottom of texas to more than halfway up, and back in a weekend which was somewhere around 700 miles to look at vehicles. its got over 200k on it.

i would say the engines and the design of the truck are why they were the number 1 selling midsized truck for almost their entire production runs. and they were competing against chevy, dodge, nissan, and toyota yet still sold the best.

this is the route we did in the ranger when searching for a focus st or a mazda speed3 for my son. zero problems and most of hte highway speeds were 80-85mph

Austin, TX to Brownsville, TX - Google Maps