93 Ranger I don't need but might have to have...

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I went and test drove it at lunch...I need to sleep on it at least a couple days, but I am still interested.

The good:
- 4.0L OHV engine...and a very smooth one at that. The engine in this truck is super quiet...quieter than the 4.0 OHV in my old Explorer despite more miles. Amazingly, it has the OE muffler so no obnoxious exhaust notes or anything. I was absolutely shocked it ran as well as it did. One of the valve covers had the factory sticker and the date code was '94 (truck is confirmed a '94 by the 6 digit odo, '93 was 5 digits). Valve covers might have been swapped if the engine was replaced at some point, but it appears original. No CEL, and no leaks. It's bone dry around the valve covers, timing cover, water neck, etc. It definitely has not been detailed.
- 4WD works, t-case shifts perfectly.
- Drives incredibly straight for a TTB truck. Might be the straightest driving TTB front axle truck I have ever driven. Steering is smooth and amazingly quiet for an early 1990s Ford.
- No rust at all. Totally rust free truck front to back.
- No bad noises from the driveline, even with the mud tires it's a surprisingly quiet truck.
- Clutch and brakes felt good...good hydraulics, no noises, parking brake is able to hold the truck on a slight incline.
- Power lumbar and side bolsters on driver's seat still working. Power mirrors work (has crank windows and manual locks).
- Arm rest on console not broken.

The bad:
- Needs a transmission mount. I could feel the transmission move a little on some shifts, and could see that the rubber was a little dry looking. It did not look completely split though. Not a big deal, $10 + shipping from Rock Auto, surely less than $20 locally.
- Needs shifter bushings. I was able to find the gears well enough, but it had the sloppiest bushings of any M5OD I have driven, and I have driven some with twice the miles of this truck (it has 170K miles). Whoever owned it before must have been real ham fisted or was constantly pushing on the shifter.
- Headliner needs to be recovered, driver's seat has a couple holes that need to be fixed.
- Passenger side seat belt missing entirely.
- A/C compressor not coming on. This truck has a "push for A/C" type control panel, and the light is not coming on nor is the compressor engaging. A/C components are intact, so hopefully this is just a relay or fuse. May take a relay and fuse along with me the next time I look at it. Non functional A/C is not a total deal breaker for me, but I'd rather not have to end up completely redoing the A/C to get it working. If I throw a relay in, and it engages and starts blowing cold, I'll feel much better about that aspect.
- The truck has definitely, without a doubt, been off road a few times in its life. There is mud all over the place underneath.
- VHT Niteshade, etc. I mentioned in the OP.

It's definitely not perfect, and it definitely has some issues I'd expect on a 21 year old truck, but a lot of the really important things like the front suspension and basic condition of the engine and drivetrain check out. I was really amazed at how quiet it was and how well behaved the TTB front end was, even with old shocks. The A/C is kind of a big issue, but I don't plan to put a ton of miles on this truck, and even if it needs major A/C components replaced, it shouldn't cost a fortune.

The truck was a great driver overall...plenty of smooth power with the 4.0/manual combo and a well maintained, solid TTB front end. I like it overall and so far the problems seem to be ones that can be tackled without too much hassle. Going to think on it some more...
 
I would definitely try the fuse for the A/C. Birmingham is no place to go without A/C. Although, if it's broken, that may be a good bargaining chip based on your location.
 
The dealer would have fixed the AC if it were something easy. Any idiot can get as far as jumpering the compressor clutch to see what'll happen next.
 
If it was just low on refrigerant, the light on the dash would still light up even if the compressor doesn't engage. It's most likely the relay. Check the fuse and the relay. A bad relay can/will blow the fuse. Been there and done that on my 94 Explorer.
 
I asked them if they had done any diagnosis on the A/C, and they said no, but that they would look at it. Hopefully they don't throw a fuse or relay in, it starts working, then the price goes up $1K.
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I do have a bit of a feeling that it just can't be that simple since A/C is so important down here. People here will buy a car with a slipping, shuddering trans and great A/C over one with a perfect engine and trans, but inop A/C. But, then again, the car lot has only had this truck a few days, and before that it was probably a dealer trade that just went to auction, so it's possible nobody has looked into it. Kind of have to assume the worst though. Still, there's nothing irreplaceable in the A/C.

Finding the time to deal with it is really the biggest issue right now. The car lot keeps banker's hours, and I work a M-F day job, so that's kind of inconvenient. I have to fill in for the parts dept at another dealer next week, which is a one man show, so I can forget taking half a day to deal with this next week. Might see if they will take a deposit on it and I can come finalize things some other time.
 
I love old trucks and I see the allure of this one. However, this truck has reached the point of diminishing returns.

If this truck belonged to your Dad or had some other sentimental value to it then I would say go for it, otherwise.....

Don't do it!

That is just my opinion but please keep us posted.
 
I'm not looking for returns. I'd most likely be the last registered owner it has.

But as far as diminishing returns, this truck is actually quite original and unmolested compared to most older 4x4s around here. Not an easy flip because it's on a lot and the bulk of the value is in the drivetrain, not the body, but flipping isn't my goal anyway. I'm just interested in a roughly 5000 mile a year toy to mess with.

For comparison, a couple weeks ago our sales dept paid $4K for a '93 Bronco on trade. As soon as I heard about it, I went to take a look. Trashed front end with pretty extreme negative camber, bald mud tires, horrid Maaco burnt orange paint job, torn up leather seats, all original trim either painted or otherwise messed up, etc. I didn't know how much sales had in it when I first saw it, so I was at around $700-800 for me to take it home strictly as a run-into-the-ground-beater. I thought that's about what was in it. When they said $4K, my jaw hit the floor. They probably auctioned it at a loss, but I wasn't going to play games with them to try to get the price where it should be. That Bronco was too far gone to put any kind of value back into...to the point I probably would not have done oil changes on it.

A paint job is the most expensive thing the Ranger seems to need so far, and that's obviously optional. New lights, paint, trans mount, shifter bushings, a/c switch, and some interior touch up and this would be a pretty presentable truck and definitely a solid driver. I talked to the lot again today, and they said they got the A/C compressor running and blowing cold air by bypassing the on/off switch on the dash. Basically, nothing I have encountered yet on this Ranger really freaks me out or is raising major red flags. I have driven 10 year old trucks at work that are far more concerning.

Keep in mind I already have something with A/C, that I drive every single day, that I take on long trips, etc. The 2002 Ranger does the day in, day out stuff and would continue to. If I was in an "I just need something that drives and doesn't need anything now" situation, I can just throw a rock and hit a boring 4.3 2014 or 2015 Silverado reg cab 2WD, pay through the nose for it, and wind up with a boring, plain truck that is too new to mess up, and too plain and boring (but also too technologically complicated) to have any fun with. Oh, you want to go on a trail? Can't do that, but how about syncing your phone to your A/C or sun visor? Not interested. The whole reason this truck is even in my sights right now is because it is not just a regular, every day commuter vehicle. I have one of those, and if the one I have were to break, finding another is a matter of looking looking outside and picking one. Now a backup vehicle is nice, but that's the most I'd be expecting out of any '94 anyway.
 
If you want it, go for it. I would much rather have that old Ranger than a newer Taco with the high monthly payments, personally. Insurance should be super cheap. My 1993 Bronco I just bought costs me $24/month for liability and comprehensive with a $500 deductible.
 
By diminishing returns I meant that money spent on the truck would not increase the value of the truck, not that you were looking for returns from it.

I am really not in a position to tell anyone not to buy a toy
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and I can tell that the bug has bitten you. You only have to answer for yourself and if it makes you happy....go for it!
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Well, sig explains the rest. Decided to add this one to the stable.

Went on CL this morning to look around...decided after looking at CL that yep, $2950 OTD doesn't sound too bad for this truck. Stopped by the bank at lunch, got a cashier's check, then went and got the truck. I'm excited even though I don't have any time at all to tinker with it now.
 
I presume before long it will be lifted and rolling on 35's? Dual exhaust up through the bed? And whatever else is the rage these days? lol

Looks nice. I'm jealous that rust free decades old vehicles are available for the taking down there. Nice addition to the fleet.
 
Haha, no plans to modify it. Judging from the mud stains everywhere, it's as capable as I need it to be. I found mud on the headliner today.
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I had some time to mess with it today. Changed out the nasty old coolant, did a garden hose flush, changed the t-stat and water neck, upper and lower radiator hoses, reservoir hose, and radiator cap. Temp gauge didn't appear to be working before, but it turned out some genius gutted the t-stat and the engine just wasn't getting up to temp. Now the temp gauge is reading normal.

It just recently had an oil change, so it will be a little while before I do that. I will probably use a Wix or Napa Gold filter and MaxLife 5W30 when the time comes.
grin.gif


Shifter bushings and trans mount are definitely next on the list, along with all fluids.
 
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