might get 87 ranger

sn95gtvert · Apr 23, 2011

gonna try to look at one this weekend. anyone have any tips about these older angers? i want to know as much as i can before diggin into it.

info i know is that it doesnt run needs a battery and has a fuel line problem?? guessing needs replaced. its a 2wd 4 cylinder 5 speed with 85k miles.
I could use a pickup.

questions i have are, is an 87 a 8 plug motor, or is it a N/A 2.3 like fox's have? are they torsion bar front ends or spring? and finally what kind of problems do are common for them?

thanks

CC'S95GT · Apr 23, 2011

My son had an 89. His had the 8 plug motor. And they do have the torsion bar front. His also had low miles.
The only prob in the short time he owned it was the tranny. It uses a internal slave which is mounted over the input shaft to push on the TOB and the removal/install of the hydraulic line to the slave is an pita.
He had no problems passing emissions at all.

ttocs · Apr 23, 2011

I had a 91 with the 4 banger with 8 plugs, THAT THING WAS A DOG.... You can forget going 55 uphill unless you get a run at the hill, god forbid you have the AC on. All the while you can expect a cool 16-19 mpg too!

Don't get less then a 6 cylinder....

ivan12 · Apr 23, 2011

I'd look for a 93-up with the 4.0 V6, maybe even the 2.3 but DO NOT get a 3.0 even if it's too good to be true. If you want more info on rangers look through the Rangerstation forums, you'll find every answer there

sn95gtvert · Apr 23, 2011

i signed up on a ranger forum and trolled around a bit. thought some stang guys might know a thing or two about them. i dont care if its a dog or not as long as it runs and a can load shit in the bed and or destruction derby it. lookin at investing only $300 into it total.

Slykin · Apr 23, 2011

I grew up with my dad's 91 Ranger. 4cyl 2wd. Sure it didn't get great gas mileage(didn't matter at the time) but my dad beat the heck out of it and it we sold it with over 240k on it. Used it to haul materials for the house we built and regularly pulled thousands of pounds of cinderblock with it, enough to overpower the brakes many a time. I can't say enough about the thing, it was just a great little pickup. Didn't ever have any major problems with it.

ttocs · Apr 23, 2011

I ended up trading the 91 for a 97 with a 3L V6 that has held up super nice for me. The 3.0 gets better milage then my 2.3 did and has just enough power that hills with ac is not really an option. Like I said if I saw a big hill commin up on the highway I would try everything I could to get it up to 75 or 80 on the downhill to be able to maintain the speed limit on the way up. I am not talking mountains now either this was the hills of KY/

sn95gtvert · Apr 24, 2011

i live in a 300 mile valley, portland to medford is flat it'll be my around town/work vehicle. carfax came back clean, im gonna look at it tomorrow at noon. the owner told me it runs on starting fluid and they know nothing about cars. if its a clogged fuel filter i'll be so happy.

ttocs · Apr 24, 2011

runs on starting fluid? yea this sounds like the people I would want to buy a car from....

sn95gtvert · Apr 24, 2011

its got a fuel line problem but the engine will turn over and fire on starting fluid, you know the stuff cold blooded chevys use every morning.

CC'S95GT · Apr 24, 2011

might be a fuel pump too. maybe even just a fuse

BladeX10 · Apr 24, 2011

My mom had an 87 4 banger ranger for a bit, that thing was a pos. It topped out at 70 mph and had problem after problem then the transmission blew after a month of owning it.

ttocs · Apr 24, 2011

you got yours going 70? ya sure you didn't have it filled up with a load of fatties, going downhill with a tailwind? I think I had a guy on a jazzy take a whole-shot on me at a light.... I was able to catch her right at the end, but I think it ended up as more a rice-by.

ivan12 · Apr 24, 2011

sn95gtvert said:
its got a fuel line problem but the engine will turn over and fire on starting fluid, you know the stuff cold blooded chevys use every morning.

Lol, my old vette's hatch was littered with empty starting fluid cans, I just to buy them in bulk

sn95gtvert · Apr 25, 2011

^^lol

its the fuel pump, i talked to the guy for a good amount of time. he said his property management told the city it was an abandoned vehicle so he got a bunch of bs letters about it so he's sellin it. he's owned it for 8 years, i carfaxed it. only has 87k miles. im gonna see if i can get it wensday or saturday.

looks like a good around town beater to play bumper cars with