My truck is wearing out, what's my options??
 

My truck 3.0L 4x4 as I have said before is eating up the brass bearings in the engine and I have a nice brass glitter in my oil filter when I changed the oil. I don't know how bad it's ate up whatever it's eating but I would like to know what do ya'll think.

If it's bad, get 'er fixed with new crate engine?
Not too bad, overhaul?
Or say too hell with it and just get a new one cuz later on other things like tranny will wear out?

Or what do ya'll think?

I really want to keep my truck. It's the perfect color and stepside and 4x4. I like the 98-00 Rangers. I figured over this next semester, going to college full time and working to buy new parts to replace the worn, like the shocks.

There's not a lot of info. to go on. How many miles do you have?? If you have over 100,000 I'd say buy a newer vehicle and get rid of this one as fast as possible before you have a lot of monetary expenses. Find a newer vehicle with less mileage, but a 2000would now be 8 yrs old -- nothing lasts forever. There is nothing wrong with the newer Rangers.

It has 177k miles on it. It's a 99 so it's about to be 10 years old. 3.0L V6 Auto

I had this problem sometime ago, so look at it like I did. Figure out what the cost of a newer vehicle, assuming your paying monthly, and the higher insurance that comes with them. Could you keep your truck running good for less than that a month? I can, and I know most other ranger owners out there probably can too. IMO, I'd rather shell out $150-400 or so on parts every once in while, than a guaranteed $500 a month payment. My 2000 3.0 still runs great with and barely costs $1200 a year to insure WITH full coverage. BTW, I was looking really hard at a new Nissan frontier. I love everything these trucks have to offer: 6 speed, 4x4, crew cab, long bed. EXCEPT THE PRICE!!! I'm sorry, but $30,000 for a midsize is highway robbery.

Very true

I'm working on a rebuilt engine and trans now, so that when my engine pukes (which I expect will be this winter) I can swap in the new gear and away we go.

Amanda :

Seeing as your truck is a 99, I'm going to assume its paid off?

If so, sinking money into it beats having a new car payment of any kind. A crate motor isn't TOO bad ( compared to a whole new car with years of payments ). Theres bound to be someone in your area that can put an engine in or know of someone whom can do it/assist you with it.

I've gotten the diagnosis and come to find out the motor does need replacing sometime soon, not right now, but sometime in the near future. I've considered the option of a new truck, but this one is paid off already, the insurance that I have is wonerful on it, and I've decided to just replace the motor and keep the truck. I love this truck and I know it's little quirks that it has and have never had a major problem from it. I'm keeping the truck.

There for a while, from what was being said, I needed to get rid of it cuz the whole truck was done for. But now I know it's just an engine. I'm gonna keep it, the body is in great shape, just some of the mechanical parts are wearing out.

I'm keeping my Amazon green baby!