Hey guys. I just bought this 98 Ranger from Facebook Marketplace for $2,800 last week. When I looked at the truck in person and gave it a test drive, everything seemed fine for a truck this age being in New England. It wasn’t until yesterday I started to notice the transmission heavily clunking when put in reverse, the highway gears are inaccessible, and “Drive” seems to start in 2nd from 0mph. It’s looking like the guy who sold it to me somehow managed to cover up these tracks and I’m in the pit for repairs now. I’ve been quoted anywhere from $2,000+ for a transmission rebuild/replace from local shops but not sure if it’s even worth my money at this point. The head gaskets will probably be an issue soon as the truck is currently at 184,000 miles. For a bit more context, this was my first car purchase and my total budget for a vehicle was, at most, $4,000 including taxes/insurance/registration. I’m now sitting on $500-600 for whatever I can afford to keep it on the road while I get a job and (hopefully) another vehicle. What do you think? Is it worth investing time and money into this old gal?
If your budget is $4k, sell the truck for what you paid for it and go spend the full amount on something nicer.