Trade or not

[rockin86ranger]

I have a 1997 Ford escort 4 door with a 2.0l SPI and 5 speed. It has 265000 miles but im not sure if its original engine or not. I have bad knees and a messed up ankle so a 5speed isnt exactly nice at times. with the kind of mileage it has im worried about something letting go, it runs fine right now but it wasnt treated nice by the previous owners. The good thing is i get about 30 mpg out of it if i do the speed limit.

Im looking at a 1984 Ranger reg cab 4x4 with a 2.8l auto. I dont know how many miles it has but im sure its less than the escort. Living out in the country 4x4 is very nice to have, but im not sure its worth the bad mileage since i dont work right now. but an automatic is very nice to have with bad knees and a bad left ankle. The truck has some rust and was used as a work truck and the paint sucks on it but im fixing to start an auto body class so the truck would get painted yellow after awhile anyways. The draw back is id be driving a carbed vehicle for a daily driver instead of efi, but im pretty mechanically inclined. I would also be getting not great mileage, but the escort is the only thing ive owned thats gotten over 21mpg so its not a big deal.

Should i go ahead and make a deal, how many trade offers can be available with a high mileage 4 door escort.

 

[strvger]

so this would be an even trade? my '83, 2.8 is getting 21mpg hwy, but it's a 5 speed. i would think careful driving should get you close to that even with an auto.
i would think you'd be getting the better end of the trade, but look the truck over carefully and do a good test drive. just my $.02.

 

[rockin86ranger]

well just got back from checking out some sweet fishing holes, there are two i can get to with my beater corsica but there is one in the back that needs a truck to get to.

I love having a truck and i dont like cars near as much as i do trucks, the main thing that is worrying me is the efi vs carb i guess. i know everybody says carbs are a pain compared to efi. how bad is a carbed vehicle for a daily driver. my first truck was carbed but i only drove it for few months before i got my f150, and that was summer time so i didnt deal with the cold weather. If i get it should i leave it stock or get the 4barrel intake for it.


Is there anything i should look for on this truck and whats a good way to know if the 4x4 is working. Being an 84 is the 4wheel drive manual or electronic

 

[countryboy]

carbs aren't that bad if you have a little knowledge of them. can be a little hicky in winter but normally not that bad. go check it out and if it is cold and has been sittin and starts right up i would say that the carb is in good mechanical condition. as for the4 4wd test drive and try it out and it being a 84 i would say it is a manual t-case.

 

[JohnnyO]

An Escort with 265k is on borrowed time no matter what. Rangers, barring severe rust, will pretty much run forever and the mechanical bits are easier to replace. For a 4x4, a 2.8/auto will be one of the better ones on gas since you need an automatic.

 

[Will]

That carb is a pain in the ass. I wouldn't put a 4bbl on it. I would find the smallest carb that has a chance to fit. Try a 34ICH Weber or something. A small carb runs better than a large one because the fuel metering signals are so much stronger. You aren't going to make much power anyway, and a little carb is smoother offroad.

And you will want to Dura Spark it as well once you have thrown that bastardized computerized carb crap in the garbage.

That will be the C5 which is a lot more reliable than the A4LD. I won't say better, because the over-drive, lockup A4LD should be better. But it's not. So you won't get the mileage or have the highway speed an A4LD or manual would have.

I believe the t-case will be a manual shift as I don't thing the electric shift was out before '87. But I'm not the TRS historian, AllanD is.

 

[Ranger Kip]

Good choice in year! The 84's rocked a solid 2.8L engine with a hell-of a lot of beating to just make it backfire =P.

Beware of one thing in those though RUST, check the frame and cab THOROUGHLY

 

[rockin86ranger]

one more thing to consider is in arkansas at 5 cars a year you have to buy a dealership tag which is $350 this truck would be 4 and if i can get a job my old ranger would be 5. Even if i dont get the old ranger if anything happens to this ranger i would need a dealer tag. Which doesnt bother me any but its an expense that i gotta consider, even though i have never wrecked a vehicle or damaged anything that couldnt be fixed easily, so it shouldnt really matter

 

[Ranger Kip]

Cody would take one off you land for a while when he moves, haha

 

[rockin86ranger]

Cody would take one off you land for a while when he moves, haha

lol well ive only got one right now but i have sold 3 and am looking at getting the 4x4 my old 86 and my crewcab chevy, plus if i can get a good job a 2001 f250 crewcab with 7.3l. so if i get a job im gonna need a dealer tag anyways

how good would an atv fit in a ranger of this body style, i believe its a long bed, but width wise how much room would i have.

 

[strvger]

depending on the 4 wheeler, it will be a tight fit for sure.

 

[rockin86ranger]

went and checked it out and it wasnt 4x4 just looked like it was :-( right stance and 4x4 style rims but only 2wd. So now im on the hunt again.