Truck got wrecked

[chvlfrk]

>>>>>

She hit a Rav4 with a custom bumper (read: no crumple zone).

More pics:

The sides of the engine compartment were also badly bent. Also, the hit from the airbag was enough to cause the back of the seat to break the rear window. Yeah for a lot of you it's a weekend job, but body work has never been my cup of tea. If it can't be fixed properly with a hammer and harbor freight welder, I can't right now. Not to mention the cost of body parts, rear glass replacement, and busted things in the engine compartment add up. Not to mention the engine didn't turn over when I tried to start it... uh oh?

more possibilities:

https://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/5927520380.html

kinda fuzzy but it is a long bed at least.

https://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/5948680429.html

Now if I could only find one with factory power doors, a long bed, and preferably an automatic for under $3000... Yeah good luck. My '95 was a rare bird it seems.

====================
All sheet metal and pieces to fix front clip shouldn't cost more than $500 and you don't need a welder to do it, just regular hand tools. I didn't weld mine, used self-tapping sheet metal screws.

And if your gonna just buy another Ranger, you need to look up around Indy as there are quite a few for less than $3K.

Indy Rangers

 

[Captain Ledd]

I dunno. The 2nd pic from the bottom tells a lot. There's a LOT of room behind that front tire in the fender well.

 

[ratdude747]

====================
All sheet metal and pieces to fix front clip shouldn't cost more than $500 and you don't need a welder to do it, just regular hand tools. I didn't weld mine, used self-tapping sheet metal screws.

And if your gonna just buy another Ranger, you need to look up around Indy as there are quite a few for less than $3K.

Indy Rangers

Weld or no weld, I'd still have to replace the following for sure:

-Grille
-Front clip
-Hood
-Both fenders
-Radiator support
-Both inner fenders
-Headlights and turn signals
-Air intake/MAF housing
-Fan shroud
-Radiator/condenser
-AC compressor clutch (compressor already shot though).
-Serpentine belt
-Air bag (not a biggie, $10 or 20 at pull a part)
-Rear window glass
-Driver's seat
-Engine (depending one why it's not turning over, could be a jammed serp. belt?)
-Whatever else is busted that I haven't touched yet

Since I need something driveable very soon (as my spare vehicle is also dead right now), this is more than I feel good trying to fix. Long term project , sure. But I don't have a garage locally (hence why it's at my parents' house, where my jacks/jackstands live and also my tools (which are in the back of the truck).

If it wasn't for the inner fenders and radiator support, I'd be looking to fix it.

---

I've scoured autotrader and craigslist in Indy. A few hits, but for various reasons none of them struck my fancy. FYI, here's what I'm looking for:

Musts have:

1995+
Long Bed (no shorties or stepsides)
Automatic Tranny

Strong wants:
XLT (or equivelent trim, I'm not keen on vinyl seats and rubber floors)
Power locks/windows/mirrors (or at least one so I can retrofit the other two from my 1995's remains)
No topper/cover (one less thing for me to remove and have to re-sell since I'm Installing my own.

 

[ratdude747]

Today was a bit of a bust. Found out the green one in Dayton won't work for me as the doors are 100% manual. For many of you that isn't a problem, but for me it would drive me nuts and also I'd likely lock my keys in my truck a lot more.

The purple one with the 4.0 I can't get to answer thier phone, so that's dead.

I took a look at this one from a distance:

https://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/5948680429.html

Lot was locked and fully fenced (gate too), so no way to look close. At least it was at the front of the lot.

From what I saw then and what I can make out in the pictures (and what's in the listing), here's everything I know

• It's either a 2002 or 2003. CL says 2002, window sticker says 2003.
• Has a late model 3.0 (better than the mid-age 3.0 in the '95?)
• Has a 5 speed automatic (5r44e, those are good, right?)
• The body looks rust free, but the driver's fender has some dings
• It has power locks, windows, and cruise control (all from one of the pictures)
• Likely has power mirrors, although I could probably add that later from the 95's remains since the doors already have power)
• Has a long bed with bedliner, and a bedliner that appears to be camper shell friendly
• Has okish tires, similar to the Cooper cobra's I used to run. If I bough it, I'd likely swap for my rims/tires on my '95 (late 90's alloys, Continental Control Contact Touring tires)
• Sliding rear window (also camper shell friendly)

The price would need to come down for me to afford it, but being a dealer that isn't carmax, I figure I can haggle it down some. This will be the truck I target next, as it seems to be my best bet.

Thoughts?

 

[Mark_88]

Looks clean...low miles...if it spent its life in IN it might be worth a crawl under to have a good look at the frame and leaf spring hangers...and if that's clean and you can talk them down a bit it might be a good deal...

 

[ratdude747]

Looks clean...low miles...if it spent its life in IN it might be worth a crawl under to have a good look at the frame and leaf spring hangers...and if that's clean and you can talk them down a bit it might be a good deal...

It's in KY but yeah the hangers are always an issue it seems.

 

[ratdude747]

What a bust.

Issues:

Exposed bondo on bed
Leaking fluids
Messed up shift lever and cruise control pods
Claimed 99% of their cars were one's new car dealers didn't want to sell due to age (BS?!)
Smoker's car, heavy on the air freshener
Wouldn't give a test drive unless I agreed to buy it; cars blocked it in lot
Would not negotiate (WTF?)

I got the f*** out of there... No way I'm paying $4200 for a reheated truck.

 

[ratdude747]

I may have found one:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/5943623561.html

Too bad it's 5 hours away. In rust country.

But, it's the best I'm finding...

 

[ratdude747]

I may have found one:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/5943623561.html

Too bad it's 5 hours away. In rust country.

But, it's the best I'm finding...

F**k it. Emailed the guy (or gal), if it's available I'm going to take a look at it. And barring a major issue, probably buy it.

The seats and steering wheel are toast, but guess what? I have those. Upon further inspection, my steering wheel survived the airbag blast (cruise control pods intact) and my wife did NOT adjust my seat that day, which means the drivers seat did not buckle. The padding might have torn, but that's a cheap pull a part fix (not the first time I've had those seats apart).

The rest of my stuff should transfer 100% (minus engine and tranny), especially if it has premium sound (given how many features it has, that's a decent chance). Not sure how I feel about the running boards, but given the rarity of this configuration, I don't care.

 

[don4331]

Going forward, air bags are hard to pry out of pick n pulls. With all the issues, they don't want to be liable, so stopped selling them locally.

Dang I wish you were closer, I'd sell you my '01...

 

[ratdude747]

Going forward, air bags are hard to pry out of pick n pulls. With all the issues, they don't want to be liable, so stopped selling them locally.

Dang I wish you were closer, I'd sell you my '01...

Not here. $10 at pull a part... or was $20. I dunno, they're cheap and plentiful between rangers and explorers.

Where do you live? Does it have a long bed? (just curious).

 

[don4331]

They're plentiful here too; just not for sale...

Calgary, AB. '01 3.0 Auto, long bed with liner, white XL, I believe just over 220 Mm (135k miles). Tires under it at moment are not road worthy (2 of my kids came to me asking for winter tires and dad's pockets were only so deep).

 

[ratdude747]

They're plentiful here too; just not for sale...

Calgary, AB. '01 3.0 Auto, long bed with liner, white XL, I believe just over 220 Mm (135k miles). Tires under it at moment are not road worthy (2 of my kids came to me asking for winter tires and dad's pockets were only so deep).

Pass, nothing personal but I'm looking for an XLT with power doors of some sort (enough to have the harness for power options). Most like that seem to be supercab or stepside, not long bed. Hence a rare combo.

 

[ratdude747]

The seller has the truck still, so I plan to head up on Sunday Afternoon to take a look (and possibly/likely buy).

How does it look to you?

---

I've been discussing this on another forum I frequent, Badcaps.net forums (moreso than here; forum wise it's my home for the most part). It's a private thread, so no link. But, there have been a few people seem to think that these things grow on trees (and if you're talking bare bones ones with 4 bangers and 5 speeds, they have a point), so in response, I posted a challange, which I am extending to you:

...that said, if you can find a Ranger that meets the follwing, I owe you a cookie (or the like):

Ratdude's Ranger Challange:
1995 Or Later (to accecpt a 2 DIN head unit and also be OBDII)
Have a long bed (not short or stepside, no stock ranger had an extended cab and bed at the same time)
Have an automatic tranny (wife compatibility)
Have power something in the doors (mirrors, windows and/or locks)
Have a sliding rear window (camper shell access)
If 2001+, no 4.0L motors (see above, crappy motor design)
BONUS- Also be 1995-1997 (even more compatibility)
BONUS- Same body colors as mine (gold and or green)
BONUS- Tan interior (to make things match)
BONUS- Factory Premium Audio (to allow the use of my existing radio harness adapter, premium audio uses a hard to find (different) adapter than normal audio and my truck just happened to have one tied to the worlds worst head unit. Platinum in a McDonalds wrapper...)

One extra cookie per bonus.

Goal: Find a CL, Autotrader, eBay, Dashub, local dealer/auction, etc. listing for a Ranger that meets those specs that I haven't posted about already. Anybody can play. Note that finding one doesn't guarantee me seeking it, but it does guarantee cookies (or whatever you want within reason).

I was going to make all three power options a bonus but it seems most rangers that have one have all three, so that's a gimme. I was also going to make an engine option one but it's a wash (2.3/2.5 has better fuel economy, 3.0 matches what I have for parts, 4.0 has more scoot).

The one in IL (the one I'm going to look at) meets those plus the first three bonuses (heck it's even another 1995, no way!) and might even meet the last one given the options (it even has factory looking dual tone paint... ).

I've posted the same links here as I did there (at least I think I did), so same rules.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

http://iowacity.craigslist.org/cto/5958760711.html

I will take oatmeal raisin.

And another one:

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/ctd/5950653384.html