starting to shop...suggestions?

[john112deere]

Well, as discussed here, my beloved '97 Ranger may be nearing the road, at least as my only vehicle and DD, so I'm starting to think seriously about what I might wind up with next.

It's a little tricky because I don't know where I'll be living or what I'll be doing, nor do I know how much money I might be making....but I'm thinking a budget of maybe around $3000-$3500 would be reasonable, and it'll need to be something that can get me where I'm going in the snow.

About the only thing I'm dead set on, whatever I do, is that it must be a manual transmission.

Some of the vehicles that I'm thinking about (and I'm not really sure how well they'd fit into that price range, but I'm also not sure that will be my price range) are:
-Another Ranger, 4x4 this time around. Not sure quite how old I'd be talking, but I know a lot about these little rigs and I really like 'em.

-Explorer- similar to the Ranger; sometimes a back seat would be nice, and I don't mind hauling a trailer, so no bed wouldn't be a big issue. Hard to find one with a 5-speed, though.

-Mustang- more of a crazy dream, though I could probably get an older V6 coupe for that money. Same deal with a Camaro...t-tops might just make up for it not being a Ford.

-Focus/Cobalt/Escort- boring, but economical. Dad's on his second Focus, and his wife had one, so I know what I'd be getting into with one of them. Grandma's got a "newer" Escort...and they're a big step down, IMO, from the Focus. But they're also cheaper. Don't know nothing about the Cobalt, but from what I hear, they're decent cars, so I'd look at them, too.

-Gen 8/9 F-series- I like 'em...but I don't really need something that big (read: thirsty), and they're all old enough now to be pretty rusty around here. (A Bronco would be in the same category, maybe even preferrable...but it's a lot harder to find a nice, rust-free Bronco with a 5-speed than a pickup.)

Anything else I should start looking at? I'm not quite ready to buy at the moment, but I think I'm close enough that I need to start doing some close research...

*Also, I'm considering the possibility of trying to find a vehicle in a less-rust-inclined area. Shipping or flying/driving costs would cut down on what I could afford to pay, of course. Thoughts on that?

 

[tomtoc]

seems like a ranger would be a pretty logical choice. maybe a supercab for a little more room. based on your previous experience, can't beat the reliability.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Shopping outside the NE woulda been my first suggestion, but you covered it.

It's not much better in missouri, but they do last a *little* longer than how they do up there.

You might have someone like Ben keep their eyes out down south. Then I'd start thinking Gen 9 pickups.

Ryan

 

[john112deere]

seems like a ranger would be a pretty logical choice. maybe a supercab for a little more room.

I have a supercab now, and having borrowed a single cab on a few occasions...that's close to a requirement. (Not absolute...but I really don't want a single cab.)

*On the Ranger/Gen 9 thing...4x4 Rangers are actually pretty thirsty, too, so a half-ton with either a 300 or 302 and fairly tall gears might not really be much worse on gas. You've had both, Tom- thoughts? (I've driven both, but I've probably got less than 1000 miles at the wheel of the full-size trucks.)

 

[lil_dq]

Granted its nowhere near you, but I found this....
Very nice lookin' ranger.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/img_popup.jsp?car_id=260700122&photoIndex=0

 

[89frankenford]

hey Ian your ideas are actually good. i would stick with a 4x4 ranger in your case. you know a lot about them and im sure you wouldnt be able to afford a new learning experience on a different vehicle. a focus would be a more economical choice though(but like you said...winter and 4x4) i think with a budget like that you would be able tofind a decent ranger around here and an even better deal farther south.

 

[tomtoc]

ually pretty thirsty, too, so a half-ton with either a 300 or 302 and fairly tall gears might not really be much worse on gas. You've had both, Tom- thoughts? (I've driven both, but I've probably got less than 1000 miles at the wheel of the full-size trucks.)

good point
02 4x4 ranger with a 4.0 v6 got about 12/18 mpg

93 4x4 f150 with a 300-6 is getting about 13/17

seems very mixed. sometimes i can pull 19 on the highway, other times it's 10 in town.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

I'll just tell you from experience, Ian... The Gen 9's are fairly simple to fix and the part is ALWAYS available at the parts store.

Ryan

 

[john112deere]

a focus would be a more economical choice though(but like you said...winter and 4x4)

Dad's Focus does pretty good with snow tires on all four corners. Not gonna go out snow-wheeling with it, but it'd still be a HUGE step up from my 2wd Ranger.

I'll just tell you from experience, Ian... The Gen 9's are fairly simple to fix and the part is ALWAYS available at the parts store.

This is true for Rangers, too.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

I get scared past OBD-II is what I'm sayin. You already have that... First gen EFI isn't too complicated and the mechanics are just real straight forward.

Ryan

 

[LEB Ben]

I would be inclined to the Gen 9's truck or Bronco first...then explorer then ranger. I won't discount finding a rig in your area, but I'm sure a good rig will bring a premium, so I would highly suggest looking outside your area to find a good solid rig...a last minute plane ticket would run you 4-500...and shipping from just about the furthest point in the country will be right around 1000. That said...finding a good solid rig with the previous expenses taken out of your budget, will put you in the 2500-3000 range...which in my area would still be a pretty easy find for any of the rigs I was inclined to. However, you're talking about vehicles that are about 10 years old (ranger) to 17 years old (oldest gen 9). That being said, I've always found that it typically takes 1000 in the first 6-12 months of ownership to repair/replace things that rear their ugly head...regardless of how good of a buy you think you got. So I dunno if that is factored into your budget, or factored into your yearly maintenance bill, but also something to think about.

 

[F 150Cobra]

build this

 

[Skandocious]

Gen 9 Gen 9

I think a small gen 9 with a 300 would suit you perfectly. A healthy 300 can pull 20mpg if she's in good shape.

 

[john112deere]

I would be inclined to the Gen 9's truck or Bronco first...then explorer then ranger.

One of the problems is finding the different models equipped the way I like. I like the XLT trim, gotta have the manual trans...it's a lot easier to find a "loaded" pickup with the manual than the SUVs. I really like Broncos, but it's rare to see what I want at any price/condition, and manual-trans Explorers aren't much more common.

That being said, I've always found that it typically takes 1000 in the first 6-12 months of ownership to repair/replace things that rear their ugly head...regardless of how good of a buy you think you got. So I dunno if that is factored into your budget, or factored into your yearly maintenance bill, but also something to think about.

I'll need to do some more figuring on budget (hopefully I'll find a job...), but yeah, I know that. Figure I'm guaranteed to drop a few hundred into it the first weekend on fluid changes and the like, plus taxes and tags...and then more stuff will come up once I start driving it.

 

[polarbear]

I'm just here for the reality check. $3,000- $3500 is a pretty limited budget, so the overall condition and miles should have a lot more bearing on the decision than the model/equipment. Let's face it- $10,000+ buys your pick of the litter, chop that amount in a third, and you'll be looking pretty hard to find something decent, by my definition (which may be a bit pickier than most).

I'd eliminate the Mustang/Camaro's from the conversation. Older, affordable examples have been snapped up by the kids and thrashed to within inches of their lives. A 4X4 Ranger in that price range generally gets you on the wrong side of the useful life expectancy curve.

+1 for a Gen 9. They're affordable, readily available, just about bombproof, and lots of 'em had manuals. I wouldn't shy away from a 5.0L either. Something else not mentioned was a pre-Ford square Volvo. that would include the 740/940, and possibly even a 240 if you can find one with any life left in it. They were solid, safe, required few repairs (and were inexpensive when they did), and lasted seemingly forever.

 

[Skandocious]

My mom drove a Volva 740 turbo for YEARS! Looked kind of like this one:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Volvo_740_GL.jpg

Very reliable car-- I can't recall how many miles it had but it was a lot, and I don't recall her ever performing big repairs on it. Pretty bullet proof cars are safe as hell too.

Did they ever make Volvo's in AWD? I seem to remember that they did...

 

[john112deere]

I'd eliminate the Mustang/Camaro's from the conversation. Older, affordable examples have been snapped up by the kids and thrashed to within inches of their lives. A 4X4 Ranger in that price range generally gets you on the wrong side of the useful life expectancy curve.

Yeah...it's hard to make sense of a Mustang/Camaro....it's just that time of year when they sound like a lot more fun than a pickup.

+1 for a Gen 9. They're affordable, readily available, just about bombproof, and lots of 'em had manuals. I wouldn't shy away from a 5.0L either. Something else not mentioned was a pre-Ford square Volvo. that would include the 740/940, and possibly even a 240 if you can find one with any life left in it. They were solid, safe, required few repairs (and were inexpensive when they did), and lasted seemingly forever.

Yeah...I'd be looking for either a 300 or 302 in a halfton...hard to find a 351 with the 5-gear anyway.

My friend had a 740 in HS...think his brother's still driving the thing, come to think of it. They're RWD, but heavy enough I wouldn't have any issue driving one in the snow on decent tires. (I know where there's one for sale with a Camaro V8/6-speed in it...and I could get in touch with the guy who built it, too...THAT might be kind of fun.)

 

[polarbear]

My mom drove a Volva 740 turbo for YEARS! Looked kind of like this one:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Volvo_740_GL.jpg

Very reliable car-- I can't recall how many miles it had but it was a lot, and I don't recall her ever performing big repairs on it. Pretty bullet proof cars are safe as hell too.

Did they ever make Volvo's in AWD? I seem to remember that they did...

They do now, but not back then. I had a '71 142 bought new. Damned thing is still running around Olympia, Washington with god-only-knows how many miles on it. My dad had a 164, bought because of the experience with the first one. Barb's had two (240 wagons). I honestly think those Volvo's are about the perfect car for a young driver. Fold 'em up in a wreck, and people still seem to walk away from them. Parts are readily available and relatively cheap because the only thing in-house on those cars is the body and the motor. Everything else came from outside suppliers. Just match up the components in the aftermarket. With front engine/RWD, there's ton's of room under the hood if you do have to work on one. They were mechanically simple, high quality RWD cars- and roomy enough that even Ben could fit in one no problemo.

My friend had a 740 in HS...think his brother's still driving the thing, come to think of it. They're RWD, but heavy enough I wouldn't have any issue driving one in the snow on decent tires. (I know where there's one for sale with a Camaro V8/6-speed in it...and I could get in touch with the guy who built it, too...THAT might be kind of fun.)

Google the "Volvette." Guy had a 6.0L Corvette motor lying around, a couple of turbos, a Tremec 6-spd tranny, and his wife's Volvo 740 turbo Wagon. Here's the kicker- thing peels out with the stock rear end/u-joint. ("overbuilt" was not in the Volvo engineer's dictionary).

Edit: Why Volvo's are what they are.

1. Sweden has a high road tax, and it's based yearly on the value of the car. Ergo, Swedes keep their cars as long as they possibly can.

2. The Average Swedish male is something like 6'1". A little econobox won't fit the family, much less the driver.

3. The weather in Sweden sux for most of the year. Even though Volvo's are RWD, there's almost 50/50 weight distribution- they work great on snow.

4. Swedes drink like fish.

Soooo... Sven leaves the bar to go home in the middle of a blizzard. A Corolla is out of the question, an armored personel carrier would be good if it didn't get such crappy gas mileage. He climbs into his Volvo to face the elements.

 

[1970Custom]

I like Volvo, Lisa's mom has a '95 850 with around 230k and still going, as per the older 240/242s; those were like Honda civics are now, you can build GODLY amounts of power with those 4cylinders....

RE: Volvette, there is one video of it flat running from an R1 or one of the superbike class bikes, the bike is going 185 and climbing and the Volvette is running like the bike is standing still..

 

[tomtoc]

any update on your shopping thoughts?