But it just happened. Did I make a mistake? Its a 2003 XLT 4x2 3.0 Manual with 222km (138k miles), pictures to come. I saw it on Kijiji and took the afternoon off to buy it, been needing a truck for a while to work on my house/landscaping and it seemed like the right price.


The frame seems solid, and the motor doesn't make any bad noises; its surprisingly quiet considering the age(owner had exhaust work done last year along with all new brake lines to the back + cylinders). A/C still blows cold and most of the bells and whistles still work(power windows, locks etc) except the speakers didn't want to work but I haven't really played with it much yet, its at my mechanic for a pre safety inspection to get the list of things I need to fix. Here's the list of issues I have found so far:


- It had a coolant leak(dripping) after I first drove it but it went away by the time I got it home so not sure if that was just a dry seal on the pump or something else, seemed to be coming from the pump area. The rad was full but I haven't looked into how the cooling system is plumbed, could the block have emptied through the pump without draining the rad? It wasn't overheating when I drove it so I'm a little puzzled.


- The driver side floor needs to be patched, not surprising with the amount of salt used around these parts. I did almost the same patch in an 85 f150 a few years ago. I see they make the full replacement panels for the floor and I just fixed my MIG, but was wondering if that is the best way to do it or if it should be riveted in then bondo?


- It seems harder than normal to get it into first, but I haven't driven stick before so it could be normal and I just need to find the sweet spot. It had the clutch done at 187km so it should be good for a while. I'm going to do all the fluids including trans oil in case the previous owner wasn't maintaining it.


- The front passenger fender has completely lost its clear coat and the paint has faded but the rest of the clear coat on the truck is fine, there are some rust spots creeping up in spots around but you'll understand why I was ok with that when I tell you the price.


- The tailgate latch handle is broken off, I assume I can access it from the back to get it apart and replace it? otherwise the box is almost new(was replaced recently), all the exposed metal edges in the wheel well are solid and with only surface rust starting. I have a 5 gallon pale of undercoat that has been waiting for a vehicle that is worth using it on. There is a soft spot under the bed in the corner behind the drivers seat but I need to investigate more, may take the bed off to see whats going on. Is there anything under there I should fix/replace/service while its off? I don't think its a hole in the bed since its new, seems like the mount in that corner is missing or rusted away? has anyone else had that problem?


- looks like the bed is sitting lower on the passenger side, would that be a broken leaf or just a worn shock? I didn't look close at the pack and only noticed it sagging on the way home (lol, didn't notice the hole in the driver floor either until I got it home). I was planning on replacing the shocks anyway but was hoping to get away with existing springs, I guess I'll keep you posted on that.


So I'm new to Rangers other than my buddy had one in high school and he liked it. I'm wondering if anyone can give me tips on what I should watch out for or replace/repair right away. Other than fixing all of the above to pass safety, I am also planning on doing as much preventative maintenance as possible to keep it reliable for a long time. If you have any suggestions, let me know; I'd highly appreciate it! I can do basically everything short of pulling the engine, trans or cab(I don't have a lift or engine crane, maybe in the future after I build my garage :D)


and for the price.... $950 CAD(he was asking $1200), around $700 US today. So was it a deal or will I regret it?

 

Not a bad deal, it has less miles than my 2003 3.0, but also more rust. Speaking of that, you'll want to check the spring hangers, they're susceptible to rust like any other pickup truck. Check the whole frame as well, they're not known to fall apart like Toyotas, but it's good practice anyway. You should probably replace the Camshaft Synchronizer, there's a ton of info on them all over the webs. They like to chirp like a bird, but that's a bad thing. Motorcraft parts are your friend, trust me these trucks don't like anything else. Haha. And that definitely goes for the Cam Sync, the Dorman ones tend to fail in short order, and those are why you see reports of engines failing . So spend a little extra on Motorcraft when you can and you'll have the truck around for years to come.

 

So I was under the truck today and came to find the shackle on the right rear spring had been deleted by rust... that was likely the source of the loud clunk every time it goes over a curb, and also why the bed was sagging on that side; just ordered parts for it along with filters and parts to fix the leaking axle seals(gotta love rockauto). Is there any easy way to tell if its the cam sync or just a pulley making the chirp? Its intermittent and I haven't had the truck running enough to track it down. As promised, pictures below: