Looking at a 2008 Ford Ranger...

[recycled sixtie]

It has a single cab, 60k miles and a little rust at the top of the tailgate. It has a tpms light on the panel and a chip in the windshield(not a crack). Private sale, seller lives on an acreage and has two gravel trucks and ten cars. He says he has too many. He says he bought the truck for his daughter but she wants a car instead. Basically he is a trucker.

The truck has no licence plate so he took a licence plate off another vehicle and put it on. Because it was not insured he would only allow me to drive with him in it around the subdivision. The truck has a 2.3 litre engine and a manual tranny and it drove very nicely. Having said that a longer test drive on the hiway would have been great but won't happen unless I own it.

I asked him if it had a timing belt or timing chain. He did not know. I believe the latter because I googled it. It has one key for the ignition and one for the door. It has no owners manual. He pointed out his daughters car and his sons car. When I rang the door bell nobody answered the door. I had to phone his cell phone number to get him to come out. There was no evidence otherwise of his kids being there. Maybe they don't answer the door. His asking price was $7600 can and I have agreed to pay him $7000(about $5500 us) by 3pm today. It is a verbal agreement. If I don't want it I will phone him up shortly.

The truck is overall solid and I like it for its simplicity, manual door handles, no leather, no a/c. Tires are winter tires 60percent tread left.

Ideally I would like to get a ppi done by a mobile mechanic if I can get hold of one at short notice but may not happen. Otherwise I will go over it with a fine tooth comb and another drive around the subdivision. The muffler has a rust spot at the bottom and I will run the engine and see if the exhaust is blowing through the rust spot.

This is not a ton of money for a nice looking and good running truck. Engine runs quietly. Perhaps this guy is a wheeler dealer. Perhaps he cannot afford to insure all ten cars? I have got the carfax for it and it comes up clean. No accidents. There is a recall due now to be done on an airbag. I would appreciate your opinions on whether this seems like a good purchase. Anything else I should look for? There seem to be no leaks on the underside. No rust on the rocker panels.

I think of you guys doing this inspection stuff for a living. Hey Fred and others please give me your advice?

Cheers, Guy

[john70t]

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Ranger/2008/

[1990C4S]

Sounds like a car flipper...I would be leery. But it might be a perfectly good truck he picked up for $5k.

[Nostril Cheese]

Id be concerned with rust up in Canada. I can say that the Duratec is a good engine.

[tabs]

Does it have ANTI LOCK brakes???? If it does not you will be in for quite an experience if you have to suddenly make a make sudden stop...on say the freeway....the truck will do a 180* spin..

Ask me how I know.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Sounds like a car flipper...I would be leery.

You don't buy a manual shift, stripped down, single cab truck for a young woman.

Ignition cylinder has been replaced for some reason in a 60k mile vehicle. They don't wear out that quickly.

That said, a flipper can be a regular guy and has found a white lie "story" helps. Not a crime. Not admirable, but not a crime.

Bummer you can't drive it at highway speeds. However, there is not too much risk with a 60k mile vehicle as to ball joint/tie rod end wear. Otherwise, tires could be less than optimal assuming he is hiding something but we are not talking high dollar tire replacement cost for a simple decent work truck.

Check the paint for indications of a respray/body repair and pull the trigger if you like it.

[recycled sixtie]

Thanks all for the opinions. I had arranged for a ppi done by a mobile mechanic for 930 am. The seller is not answering his phone and I would have liked to have a ppi done before I handed the money over.

The more I think about yesterday's conversation with him the more sceptical I am. I asked him about work done and receipts for work done. He said work was done but was done on a cash basis hence nothing in writing or print to prove it. Tax evasion or just plain lying and the work was not done?

Not being able to take a test drive on the hiway is discouraging. I had a verbal agreement to pay cash for the truck by 3pm today. If he has not replied by midday then I will leave a message the deal is off. I did not shake his hand due covid.

Cheers, Guy

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

He said work was done but was done on a cash basis hence nothing in writing or print to prove it. Tax evasion or just plain lying and the work was not done?

That's odd. Even receipts from a bone yard for used parts would have provided some credibility.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

You don't buy a manual shift, stripped down, single cab truck for a young woman.

Ignition cylinder has been replaced for some reason in a 60k mile vehicle. They don't wear out that quickly.

That said, a flipper can be a regular guy and has found a white lie "story" helps. Not a crime. Not admirable, but not a crime.

Bummer you can't drive it at highway speeds. However, there is not too much risk with a 60k mile vehicle as to ball joint/tie rod end wear. Otherwise, tires could be less than optimal assuming he is hiding something but we are not talking high dollar tire replacement cost for a simple decent work truck.

Check the paint for indications of a respray/body repair and pull the trigger if you like it.

I agree with all of this. In the end it's a $5k truck, you can't go too far wrong if it's not rusted out.

[recycled sixtie]

Well it's two hours before 3pm where I said I would bring xxx $ to close the deal. He never phoned back and I would have told him I wanted a mobile ppi done at 0930.
Zero call backs. I am thinking he is holding out for more money or I caught his lies yesterday. Probably the former.

I have found that buying a new set golf clubs recently at Golf Town was a way easier process.

Cheers, Guy. Thanks again for your input!

[stevej37]

I sold my 04 Ranger a couple years ago. It had the TSB valve seat recession problem. I'm not sure of which years that was a problem...I think 06 or 07 was the last.
Anyway...there was only one fix for it. Replace the cyl heads. (V-6) And Ford was not paying.

I sold it at a real low price, unfixed, and informed the buyer of the problem.

[1990C4S]

If he can't call you back after making a deal, it's time to move on. I bet he has another buyer lined up, and when that falls through he will call you back.

Make sure you deduct $500 from your next offer....

[recycled sixtie]

Well I made the deal yesterday and paid $7000 cdn or about $5500 us on this single cab Ford Ranger. I took a flyer and bought it without a ppi. It was too far out of town for a mobile mechanic to go.

It is manual transmission, no a/c, roll down windows and very basic but I am very happy with it as it will be a good yard work truck and going to the golf course. 2.3 litre engine so should be good on gas.

The three year old granddaughter approves!

Cheers, Guy

[porsche tech]

Looks like you got a nice one. My BIL had one that he put a gazillion miles on.

[1990C4S]

Personal note: I can live without AC, but not power windows.

You have a very simple truck, aside from rust it should last a long time and be very reliable.

[Seahawk]

Looks really nice. Great size...when I move off the farm I'm downsizing the truck!

Enjoy.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Looks really nice. Great size...when I move off the farm I'm downsizing the truck!

Enjoy.

It just fits into the condo parking spot I have. I like the simplicity of it. Manual trans. An extended cab would have been to hard to park.

[Scott Douglas]

So how does it drive on the highway?

Looks pretty good from here.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

So how does it drive on the highway?

Looks pretty good from here.

It drives really well on the hiway. Having a 2.3l it does not have much power but it is good for what I need it for. I had only driven it on the seller's subdivision so I am lucky it is not a problem truck. I will get a post purchase inspection done on it but I think it only needs a new muffler. Lucked in for the amount of money I paid.

Will last forever or my life anyway.