Small pickups (Ford Ranger)

My '90 has 350,000+ on it. The heater fan has issues, but since I paid $150 for it 3 years ago and had someone offer me $400 today, I think a good deal

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Roger

The 90s fuel injected 8 spark plug LIMA 2.3 and 2.5 4 cyl were good engines and could go 300k if you took care of them. I dont know anything about their current 4cyl like you have. its an entirely different engine.

To Woodenfires, to get 200k out of one of the early 80s 2.0L LIMA engines is amazing, they had very poor reputation and used a really screwed up 1bbl carburetor. Most got replaced with a 2.3L with a 2bbl carb from 70s era car (Pinto/Mustang/Fairmont). Ford only sold the 2.0L in Ranger for couple years. Early 2.8 and 2.9 V6s had lot problems also and got poor mileage. The 3.0L and 4.0L V6 had much better track record.

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"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" -Dorothy

"Well, then ignore what I have to say and go with what works for you." -Eliot Coleman

I have a 2000 Ranger extended cab 4x4 XLT w/ the offroad package (whew! Is THAT a mouthful!) and I LOVE it!

Had 76,0000 miles on it when I bought it in April 2007 ... I've put 50K miles on it in less than 2 years. Pulled a UHaul halfway across the country with it ... use it to haul feed, hay, manure, mulch, furniture, you name it! Oh, it came with the bigger 6 cyl engine ... has an automatic transmission, too.

I love the way it handles. Even in 2WD, it really hugs the road. I had a 1998 4x2 Ranger previously and did *not* like the way it handled at all! I don't know if the different suspension with the offroad package makes the difference.

I've had to have a bit of work done to it. New ball joints, intake manifold gasket, front brake job, replaced the thermostat. Oh, and new tires! I change the oil every 3,000 miles. Had the radiator flushed and refilled. I think that's about it.

All in all, I've been really pleased with this truck. It's done everything I've asked of it. Oh, and it still looks good, too! When I first got it, people thought it was brand NEW! It's got a few scratches now (farm work, ya know!) but with a fresh coat of wax, she's still purdy.

I love my little red truck!

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"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.

We have a 2005 Ranger and I love it. It is the first 4 wheel drive we have ever had and that does come in handy in the snow here in Maine. We only have about 23,500 miles on it and we bought it new but we don't drive all that much since we are both retired. We have those two little jump seats and the dog likes it back there. Hope you like yours as much as we do ours.

RenieB

I drove a used 1993 Ranger for a few years. Great trucks. It had almost 200,000 miles on it when I sold it.

We have an old 1988 Ford Ranger, the speedometer has turned over once already, and it now has 140.000 miles on it...get about 25 MPG....DH loves this old truck, the gears stick at times, but it just takes a licking and keeps on ticking...LOL.We have had it forever, bought it used for $3000. Has really been a good truck.

I've got a 2000 Ford Ranger XLT, full power package, auto. It's a great truck, I bought it wih about 110k miles and I'm at 160k after almost 2 years. Never been disappointed with it. The only trouble I had was with a loose drive belt and replacing the brakes, I need to replace the front brakes soon.

Great truck, definitely a good bet.

-fin
Thales

I feel like mine's nearly new compared to some of these reports. I have an '03 extended cab rwd with the 3.0/ five speed. Before I put a knarly set of mud tires and a ladder rack on, it got nearly 27 on the highway and 22 in town. Put over fifty thousand miles on it in the last two years and haven't spent a dime on repairs. Can't complain too much. Didn't pay much for it, it never lets me down, and it only needs normal maintanence to keep it happy. I need a bigger truck, but I may just keep this one too. No good reason to let it go.

actually ford uses mazda designed engines and transmissions. The
B series trucks are built by ford motor company but the motors and trannys are Mazda. this applies for both the lima motor which was run from beginning of the rangers to mid 2001 and the new duratec motor which is in the trucks from 2001.5 and up

I have 1 1994 ford explorer(ranger chassis) with a 4.0 V6 and a 5 speed. i have over 303,000 miles and it burns a little oil and averages 24 mpg mixed driving i paid 5 dollars for the truck, 300 for some work done on it, and lke 400 for a car dolly to tow it from Virginia to Alabama

The clutch went out of it right befor vaction, as in on the way home from work the day vac stared, was gonna cost more to fix then the poor old thing is worth. I gace $125.00 for it four years ago. no idea how may miles I put on it but when the odemonter quit last year it was over 310,000. now I am driving a Toyota with a diesel . still cost bout the same to get to work.
Sure did love my little ranger though.
Jim

Actually the LIMA engine first sold in '74 in the Pinto and the Pinto derived Mustang II. All cast iron overhead cam. It was American design loosely based on the German Ford 2.0L which was used in early Mercury Capri that was imported from Germany and used in the first American Pintos. In early 70s Ford also started selling the Courier pickup made in Japan by Mazda with a very different 1.6L/1.8L engine with aluminum head, overhead cam. Other than being 4cyl and overhead cam, it had nothing in common with the 2.3L LIMA engine. In late 70s, Courier was offered with either 2L version of the earlier Mazda 1.8 or with the 2.3L LIMA engine using a front sump oil pan and a Japanese 2bbl carburetor rather than the usual Holley-Weber. I assume Ford shipped the bare LIMA long blocks to Mazda factory in Japan where they were fitted out with Japanese accessories and put in Courier and shipped back. 2.3L Courier were popular as they had more power and engines much cheaper to repair, rebuild, or replace.

Oh and the early manual Ranger transmissions were either Mazda or Mitsubishi. Ford used both. My '84 had a Mitsubishi. Automatics were American. Early Ranger also offered both rare 2L version of LIMA gas engine and the 2.3L, both with 1bbl carb and both Mazda and Mitsubishi diesel 4cyl and the German Ford 2.8L V6. Later 2.9L and OHV 4L were American design based on the 2.8 but parts not interchangable. The 3L was same as offered in the front drive Taurus and was totally an American design.They offered the 3L for few years as a stop gap after head and oiling problems with the 2.9L gave it a bad reputation.

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"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" -Dorothy

"Well, then ignore what I have to say and go with what works for you." -Eliot Coleman