[ltlredscape]

a lifted 88 ford ranger 4x4 with the 2.9l with standard tranny...
...with 52k on it.

I was at my elderly next door neighbors house the other day shewing his cows back in to his pasture when i noticed the little truck behind the barn covered in fencing stuff, it was his wood truck and i asked him if he was still using it and he said no because of his severe knee problems (he can barely walk) and i asked him if he was willing to sell it...he said he really didnt care what would happen to it since it was given to him by somebody and he was going to take it to the scrap yard. i told him i would like it and then he said that i could have it for putting up a new fence for him, so we agreed.
it hasnt been driven in several years and has a good bit of rust on it (it used to be black, now black with red spots). the engine still runs though. with a good bit of TLC from me it will be a very nice little offroad rig.

 

[Airmapper]

Nice! Good luck with it, sounds like fun.

ics:

 

[jonas1022]

Way to go!

A truck in exchange for a fence job. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[stone]

Best of luck, with restoring the ' Ranger '. :thumb:

 

[ltlredscape]

UPDATE....
and a sad one...

long story short, i finally got the ranger out of the field, and looked at the oil, which looked quite milky. i tried to start it and it would crank but not turn over. tried again and it ran like crap with white, sweet-smelling smoke coming out of the pipe and around the engine bay. could only mean one thing...head gasket blew.


a real long project.

on second thought i could have gotten some old guys mazda b pickup with all the bells and whistles thats only 10 years old and less than 100k on it and knowing the guy who has it for sale, he took care of it like one of his kids, and not left it sitting out in a field for 10 years.

 

[stone]

Sorry to hear about that.
My sympathy for your dilemma.

 

[jonas1022]

Head gaskets aren't too terribly expensive. It will take some hours to swap out the heads and have them worked over. If the cylinders don't have a lip on them :worry: , it shouldn't be an expensive job. I'd do the thing in my younger years :thumb: , but then again, that was then, this is now .

 

[ltlredscape]

now since i have it out and looking at it, apparently a blown head gasket isnt its only problem:
:rant:
needs replacement fenders (due to rust that has eaten thru the metal) and AC compressor (seized up)
pretty much all hoses need to be replaced
drivebelts lasted thru a few cranks
clutch needs some work
needs some seats
large cracks in the frame, needs to be welded
rear diff dosent operate well, and is leaking badly
T-case is shot
driveshaft broke
i found out what is holding the front of the truck together, is the grille guard
it also has no radio to speak of (a big problem for me LOL j/k)
new spark plugs and wires
most gages dont operate
breaks are useless
the TB is filthy
needs drivers side door
needs a windshield
and among other things...
the wife of the guy who gave it to me wants the truck back "now".

...wht i get myself into. :shrug:

that little mazda b is looking better every day!

 

[stone]

Now she wants it back!.
That must be awkward. :shrug:

 

[Airmapper]

\
the wife of the guy who gave it to me wants the truck back "now".

...wht i get myself into. :shrug:

that little mazda b is looking better every day!

Hey, if your wanting out sounds like you may have a way. Time is money and you should get something for your work, but if you don't want that big a project, tell her she can have it back for the cost of your work.

 

[ltlredscape]

good idea airmapper, ill check into that. i havent really put any money into it except some gas but i honestly didnt realize it weas in such bad shape, in total and not using top-of-the-line parts it will end up costing me around 1k-2k to fix everything wrong with it when i could get that mazda for 3k and it has nothing wrong with it.
it needs a new clutch also.

 

[ltlredscape]

UPDATE:

sorry i didnt get back to this post sooner but i gave it back to its owners, it had too much wrong with it basically. I am now on the search for either a good or a fixer-upper Nissan Frontier pre-1999 pickup to mod it out and use it as my personal light offroading/utility truck (i dont wanna mess up 'ltlred). There seem to be lots around here its just that people tend to keep them a LONG time and so i havent found one for sale yet..

 

[megascape]

I know what you mean about people keeping exactly what one wants for a LONG time!!!! :wall: :wall: :rockon:

 

[ltlredscape]

yeah people are so stubborn here, the last time one of those trucks was for sale it was gone in a matter of hours, no kidding. I told the guy to hold it for me until i got off of work and he didnt.

what has your experience been with other people keeping stuff for a long time megascape?