Scotty I'm looking to buy a cheap pickup, i found a 97 Ford Ranger on Craigslist for 1200$. It has 184,000 miles, manual transmission, a 2.3L I4, and the owner just replaced a few of the critical engine components like the timing belt, water pump, says it runs great.
I haven't gone to look at it yet but do you have any thoughts on this truck? If i picked it up how many miles could i expect to get out of it?
Walk away.
The vehicle might make a good project truck, but if you are seeking a safe, dependable vehicle without spending any more money, walk away !
This model was the lowest-cost basic underpowered work truck, sold for about $9,800.00 new in short cab. It was also the last year of the Twin I-Beam front suspension. In 1998, they went with a conventional double-wishbone system.
For me, and besides what you spoke of, it's hard to say without knowing the condition of anything else. Certainly a lot of the supporting rubber material and important suspension/steering components could easily need replacement. Same thing goes for the rear suspension and driveline components.
Checking and servicing front and rear brakes would be highly recommended before I would ever consider driving the vehicle ! Plus, this model used 14" wheels and tires, and tires are now very difficult to find (a 15" was optional for XLT's, but you'll need a magician to find some).
One thing those old Rangers were known for was leaking fuel tank inlet tubes. A fuel leak at that inlet can be dangerous and should be checked frequently ! Another recurring issue was in not keeping wheel alignment.
But otherwise, the engine is at or near the end of it's service life, the transmission could possibly last another 50,000 miles, but the clutch/pressure plate/throw-out bearing area requires maintenance/component replace every 30K-60K, mostly depending upon how the operator uses the clutch system.
And I have no idea of what, if any, regular maintenance has the vehicle has seen, the condition of the frame and supporting structures, body condition, interior issues, smog/registration/title issues.
However, I could spend about $2,000.00 - $6,000.00 on it (maybe more), and make it a safe, basic small pickup. But even in very good shape with much lower mileage, I doubt if it would be sellable for more than $1,000.00.
If you buy it, get ready to spend money and fix a lot of issues, or drive a potentially unsafe vehicle.
I know what I'm talking about here, and again, I say walk away.
