UTMC

.... Cage. No, not Nicholas or John.


I need a new (used) truck and thought I'd get y'alls opinion. I'm looking at getting a small pickup, and I'm leaning
toward a Ford Ranger v6 supercab. Maybe another Toyota.... My budget is pretty small (a wee bit south of $3K), but there seems to be an abundance in that range on craigslist.


Thoughts, suggestions, experience?

How old? My Mazda B-series truck was an awesome machine. This was the pre Mazda/Ford crossover, an 87 B2200 I'm referring to.
Otherwise I don't think any of the small trucks from the early 2000's were stinkers with the exception of the GM products. I've non own several people with the S-10 variants and have ahead no end of problems with them. The Nissan Frontier never excited me with it style, for what that's worth.

Bigshankhank wrote:How old? My Mazda B-series truck was an awesome machine. This was the pre Mazda/Ford crossover, an 87 B2200 I'm referring to.
Otherwise I don't think any of the small trucks from the early 2000's were stinkers with the exception of the GM products. I've non own several people with the S-10 variants and have ahead no end of problems with them. The Nissan Frontier never excited me with it style, for what that's worth.

Thanks Hank.


Looking to get as much truck as I can get for as little possible. Would like to stick to 92 and up, the newer the better of course. Thanks for the info on the GMCs. I'll steer clear of those.

Also, I usually try to stick (pun intended) with a manual transmission, for better gas mileage. I'm a scofflaw and like to coast whenever possible. Any thoughts on automatic transmissions? Anyone?

I had an '04 Ranger XLT 4x4 Supercab, manual. It was a good vehicle. Only real problem was spots of rot in the bed, just above the frame rail. My Supercab didn't have the doors, which I would have liked. Kinda shitty on the gas mileage... don't think I got much above 19.

I think I will always miss my '87 Mazda B2000. Such a good little machine. The '94 B4000 that replaced it was, of course, a loaded Ranger, pretty much the same as Zim's. I bought it with 80k on it and it served well until I blew a tranny at about 160k. Now I have an '07 Tacoma that I anticipate keeping for some time.

I think you can do ok with Rangers if you buy carefully, there's so many of them out there. I think mine wouldn't have blown if it were a simpler 2wd model. That said, I think its a worthwhile reach to the Tacoma, they are damn good vehicles. I bet they are pretty expensive in CA.

I picked up a 99 Dakota in that price range 2 hrs ago. 4x4, extended cab, and had the Ram V8 in it. I really liked that truck. Very tough, bigger than a ranger or s10, but not as stupid big as a full size, but that motor could haul. Very nicely laid out interior too.

-Rench

Wait, weren't you just planning to replace your "fun" car with a Ural?

Bwahahaha!!!! My shorthand is losing to my autocorrect. 2 YRS. YEARS. not hours.

-Rench

I'll vouch for the Toyota Tacos. I had a baseline manual-trans '01 that I beat the shit out of and she never let me down. Durable, reliable, and economical -- could see close to 30mpg on the highway if I wasn't driving like a total asshole. I knew guys who ran them as professional courier trucks and they're about as dead reliable as you get.

Only complaint was that with the rear-wheel drive only she was a bitch in the snow, and could get a little dicey in the wet -- but that's pretty much expected from any light pickup truck.

I'd still have my Taco if it weren't for the Jägerkinder. Mustardseed said I couldn't put the carseat in the bed.

--Jaeger

Buy my truck. New motor (yeah, I dropped 4k into a 2k truck - dont ask). About 600 miles since done. May be heading your direction soon with Triumph for some work at a shop near you. Drop off bike, you buy truck, I fly home. Hmmmmm,
what say you?

Thanks youse guys.


I'd definitely be in the market for a Toyota if I could afford it. Problem is, they hold their value, which means a decent one is out of my price range.


Rangers get shitty mileage? Even a stickshift? Bummer, I had all but made my mind up to get one.


Thanks Rench, but I'll be steering clear of anything with a V8.

goose wrote:Buy my truck. New motor (yeah, I dropped 4k into a 2k truck - dont ask). About 600 miles since done. May be heading your direction soon with Triumph for some work at a shop near you. Drop off bike, you buy truck, I fly home. Hmmmmm,
what say you?

What kindama truck you gots?

He's got a Ranger. I don't remember what year though.

Hey I may be finding myself in a similar situation in the very near future. I was just offered a promotion at work, which comes with a either a company truck or vehicle allowance. Seeing as how I have a bad habit of being difficult, and I like to think of myself as iconoclastic (but then, don't we all?) I don't favor the idea of driving to meetings in yet another white F150 like all the other guys, so I am considering opting for the allowance and buying something that interests me. Since I work in construction it needs to be a truck (maybe I could get away with a Jeep 4d JK) and I don't have my panties in a bunch about buying new, so I went and test drove an '11 Taco TRD yesterday. Great mid size truck, and I personally think the Taco has the best styling of any truck on the road, if that matters to you. Of course the TRD has a supercharged V6 as opposed to the common normally aspirated one, so its a bit of a spoiler since I wouldn't necessarily spring for the top of the line package (although I would still get 4WD), but still, it was nice.
One thing that surprised me while researching Tacomas, and Jeager you can attest to this please, but they have a composite bed instead of steel. What is up with that? I assume it is just the inner bed and not the entire structure. Still, seems chincey.
Anyway, my two cents, if you can drop the coin for them, I'd get the Tacoma.

Yep, composite bed on the Taco. Light, strong, and will never rust. I am not gentle with mine (people often comment on my scratches and say 'oh, you really use your truck') and I'm sold.

Yeah, not in the budget.... but thanks.

It's a 1996 Ranger. Likely, it is in your budget . Drop me a pm or just friggin call me and we can discuss.

Friggin thing is the sex i tell ya. Panties simply drop as you drive by in your Mazda powered V6, 2wd, Extended Cab love machine. Comes complete with a headliner that droops a bit and a shift knob that doesn't quite fit. But wait, there's more. Deluxe sounds of Barry White boom through the 1 speaker Kraco stereo. No commercial interruptions due to the fact that the radio does not work but the CD player does. That's right, you make the soundtrack of your life, not Clear Channel. Stick it to the man while scooping up the ladies. Oh yeaH!

**edit** I shouldn't post when hopped up on Nyquil and Red Bull.

Fuck it, I'm in Goose, I MUST HAVE IT!!!!

-Rench

Rench wrote:Fuck it, I'm in Goose, I MUST HAVE IT!!!!

-Rench

Crank it up and just close your eyes and you too can be transported into the Extended Cabmahal that is the Ford Ranger XLT. Chica Chica!

[media]http://youtu.be/x0I6mhZ5wMw[/media]

--Jaeger

I'm on my 4th. Ranger. Great trucks in my opinion. The one I had before my current one was a 97 with 3.0 V6. I bought it new and had a little over 200,000 miles when I sold it. It still had a lot of life left.

rc26 wrote:I'm on my 4th. Ranger. Great trucks in my opinion. The one I had before my current one was a 97 with 3.0 V6. I bought it new and had a little over 200,000 miles when I sold it. It still had a lot of life left.

Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks!



Oh, anything I should look out for? Known weaknesses, problems?

Psycho, I bought my '02 Ranger, manual, 4 cyl, 105K miles two years ago, and have loved it. Reminds me of my old '94 Toyota with the 22R engine. Bulletproof--that simple. A bearing in the clutch went out a couple months ago, but otherwise, no probs. Mechs said the clutch was still good, but I replaced it anyway.

You want a 6? I'd agree. The 4 is a little underpowered, but it's a solid piece of work. Not even sure if one of my boys are gonna get it--that's how much I like it. Either way I'd buy it again. Too bad they're not made any more.

Well well well, look what the cat dragged in.....



Thought we'd lost you

motorpsycho67 wrote:Well well well, look what the cat dragged in.....

More like 'what the cat barfed up'.

Hi Zer0!

indeed, nothing more "hairball" than Zero!