Well this sucks...

[sooperxtool]

Smacked a curb in the snow and threw off the alignment so I went to get it done. 1st shop didn't do alignments but said they would look at it. Well I had loose wheel bearings so I had them tightened. They inform me they believe I have a coolant leak from my head gasket and also from some of my freeze plugs. This is probably pretty accurate since I've been smelling a bit of coolant for a while now.

So I say thanks and make my way to the alignment shop. Here they inform me I should be thinking of doing ball joints etc etc and he estimates around $900 for it.

I feel pretty confident in both shops' honesty, they are both small and privately owned and have been around forever and both made efforts to at least get things as good as they could be.

So now comes the dilemma, do I polish a turd with a bunch of costly repairs in the near future? Or do I trade 'er in and deal with payments and insurance on a shiny new(er) truck?

If I sell the truck now I'm pretty sure I could at least get what I paid for it a year ago... Or I can trade it and probably take a bit of a beating. There's a sweet looking 06 Fx2 sport that seems to be priced right with 90k for 11,900. (Similar year trucks are around 10-11k with quite a few more miles than this one) I would probably say give me 3k on trade and we have a deal.

My truck is a 93 4.0 4x4 with 153k btw.

Any ideas or thoughts?? I'm having a hard time with this.

 

[Dune Runner]

A dealer will never give you what you can get selling private.

 

[sooperxtool]

True. But either way, sell it and have a bill for a new truck? Or wait until the inevitable and pay that bill?

 

[adsm08]

Do you really think a dealer will give you 3k for a 93?

Postin' from teh Galaxy

 

[Road Angels]

cheap truck pl and pd insurance, expensive truck full coverage 3x the amount depending on state yearly tags can be ???? plus when you licenese and transfer title you better have $800 in your pocket, the ball jounts can wait unless you have shimmy, and it wont take align, engine could be just gaskets heads may have crackes very common, so pick your poison, or shop and find a early truck that is a cherry with low miles, and well cared for, also with 100k on the later 06 it may be getting ready for a clutch, brakes, hoses so it needs to be really checked out first

 

[wildbill23c]

^^No but they'll sure want $4-5k from some unsuspecting buyer though LOL.

Its paid for, why sell it and get stuck in another car payment for several years. Unless you have cash on hand I'd not want stuck in a car payment at this time in the economy. You just never know.

 

[ab_slack]

Dealer doesn't give crap on trades.

Trades at best are part of a negotiating ploy. I've been successful using junque cars to get multi thousands off a new, but it never was in what they claimed was related to the trade.

And you certainly ain't trading in for a Ranger, so you get some new POS. OPPOS, but unless you can get a stated trade pretty high as a negotiating ploy you might as well pass on the trade for the $200 or $500 they will give and but the new thing and then find a private party for the older vehicle.

 

[Chris_North]

What shape does the rest of the truck seem to be? Is the frame rotted, does the trans shift smooth, does the engine otherwise seem in good shape? There's always a chance something's about to let loose without any signs before hand, but if the truck seems to be in otherwise good shape, it might be worth fixing.

The other thing is how bad is the leak? How often do you have to add coolant? Are there any apparent signs of coolant in the oil? I'd honestly just throw in a bottle of stop leak and see what comes of it if it's not a bad leak.

Ball joints if I were you would check myself or get another opinion. $900 is the price of uppers and lowers installed right?


If your truck seems like it doesn't have much left to her then I would think about replacing it, especially if you don't plan on doing any work yourself. I try to make things last as long as I can because I can't afford payments (read: don't want to) and buying something in an affordable price bracket will have the same risk of something major going wrong.

 

[sooperxtool]

Good suggestions fellas. I guess I really don't need or want payments/full coverage... the rest of the truck is really in pretty damn good condition. Its got a good frame and the interior is cherry for what one would expect from a 93. I don't really add too much coolant so maybe some stop-leak would do me pretty well.

I do have issues with the clutch being good sometimes and then not wanting to go into gear. That ought to be sorted out with a new m/c from what I have seen right?

I dunno... I have just been wanting something newer for a while but its not a very economical option. I have my dads S-10 I need to sell so I guess that would cover quite a bit of the work I need done.

 

[Andy D]

If you are willing to DIY the stuff the truck needs , then maybe it is worth it. How is the frame and general condition? Looked at it from that angle, the Rat should have been sent to the crusher as another used up old truck,

 

[sooperxtool]

And yea, I believe the guy quoted 900 for the what the front end needs. Upper and lower ball joints and I think a couple other issues he mentioned.

 

[sooperxtool]

I wish I was good at working on vehicles... I'm sure I can tackle some things myself but if I get too far in I have no idea. I am used to working on motorcycles with a quarter of the accessories and hoses and suspension parts etc etc.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Do you know someone that can put the front end parts in for you and then just get it aligned? By law the estimate has to be accurate any good backyard mechanic can install ball joints and tie rod ends in a afternoon then it just needs dialed in. As long as the coolant leak is not too bad save that for another day I dont recommend stop leak your just asking for other issues down the road. polish that turd and start saving for a replacement you will get a better price for a good running truck when you decide to sell.

 

[sooperxtool]

The thing I keep thinking is that I would most likely get the same amount for it as is than if I fixed everything. Its a catch 22. So if I went ahead and did the repairs I would then just be in it til it turns to dust.

If I sell both trucks that would net me a healthy amount for a down payment or just a newer truck outright probably. Cant sell at the moment without a replacement tho because my car is torn apart for some new go fast bits. And yes, I am working on that myself but I am taking my time and I'm not 100% competent. The ranger is my daily and I really don't want to daily the car until I found a new rig. I need it to be summer and I could ride my bike to work...

 

[bmerr98]

They're generally cheaper to repair than to replace. You're looking at a ballpark of $1000 for the front end work and alignment, right? Let's say your payment on the '06 is $250/month (I don't remember if you had a monthly $ amount yet). For four months of payments on a debt of (round figure) $9000, you'll have your front end rehabbed and $8000 to NOT send to the bank.

I'm guessing you're what would be to me a young fellow. Take some advice that has cost me plenty, but is given for free. Stay out of debt. The borrower is slave to the lender.

I recommend fixing the Ranger and run it till the wheels fall off, then put them back on and go some more!