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3/30/2008 | Long-Term Tests
This shouldn't come as any kind of a surprise, but we automotive journalists are somewhat spoiled when it comes to cars. We get new rides all the time, factory-fresh wheels that in many cases we couldn't afford the payments on if we really had to live with them.
We spend all of our time with the automotive elite, the fully loaded best of the best, and it's easy to lose sight of what real folks are driving.
Even our long-term test cars are a shadow of real ownership. The car is in our hands, but really, if there's a significant problem with it all we have to do is get on the phone to a media rep and get things taken care of. Long-term tests tell us what it's like to live with a car beyond a short test-drive, but it's far removed from the average owner's experience.
This year we're going to go beyond that, however. In conjunction with our new, factory-fresh long-term cars, we've gone to the bottom of the heap as well. We purchased a long-term "fourth-tier" car, and we're going to live with it for a year just like you'd have to if you only had a three-digit budget for your wheels. No media reps to call for help. No roadside assistance, no warranty and no guarantees. This will be our chance to offer our expertise to all of you out there who gotta live with the rides that haven't made the pages of Car and Driver since they were new…fifteen years ago.
Just because it's out of date and out of style, doesn't mean that it's out of the game, however. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, it's possible to find a good, reliable set of wheels that will get you to that job every day while you work your way toward that Lexus or Benz you know you deserve.
For our test, we went just about as low as we could. Times are tough. Not everyone has several thousand dollars to put down on a new car, or even enough financial flexibility to swing a monthly car payment.
When buying a fourth-tier used car (don't call it a "beater" or a "hoopty," because this ride is going to get you around town when you need it--you gotta show it some love for that), we recommend setting aside a portion of your budget to fix the thing, right from the start. That is, if you've got $1000 to spend, you may be better off buying a $500 car and putting $500 worth of repairs into it. Five benjamins will put a tune-up, a set of fresh used tires, an alignment and new brake pads on a car, and that kind of preventative maintenance can make all the difference. With this in mind, we went out with $500 in our pocket and every intention of coming home with a set of wheels.
So how do you shop for an inexpensive whip? When you're looking for basic transportation and hoping to spend less than $1000, your options are, obviously, limited. You're looking for wheels that will get you where you need to go without complaining, and not much more. You're looking at wheels that are going to have 100,000 miles or more, and they're not going to be pretty. You will encounter overflowing ashtrays, cracked windshields, sagging seats and petrified French fries. You will meet enthusiastic sellers who will swear up and down that the car is good for another hundred thou, while trying to mask that desperate light in their eyes begging you to take this heap off of their hands so they don't have to donate it.
To get us through all of these distractions to the metal underneath, we armed ourselves with a basic automotive triage checklist: first, engine and transmission; second, suspension and brakes; third, pretty much everything else.
Look at it this way; at this price point, something is going to be wrong with whatever car you are looking at. Period. What you're looking for is a ride whose flaws are not going to leave you stranded before you can get them fixed. For that reason, we always checked the engine and transmission first. You don't have to be a mechanic, either. If it won't start, don't buy it, even if the salesman insists that it "just needs the battery charged." If it doesn't want to shift gears when you test-drive it, don't buy it. If it leaves big puddles of black oil or red transmission fluid on the ground, don't buy it. If it blows white, brown or black smoke, don't buy it. Without getting technical, any of these items is basically a symptom of something you don't want to get involved in fixing, unless you're a serious mechanic. We'd even advise against having your dad/uncle/brother-in-law/cousin/tomboy niece repair it. In our experience, this only results in a reliable car about thirty percent of the time, no matter how good the mechanic who's working for free is.
After running away from any rides that don't have the powertrain to go the distance, it's time to check out the chassis itself. Again, the best basic guidelines for the non-mechanically inclined center around the test-drive. For the most part, if it goes without anything dragging on the ground, and stops when you hit the brake pedal, it'll do.
A week or two of searching turned up a lot of lemons, and we finally unearthed a rusty 1990 Ford Ranger regular cab pickup for $400. It's equipped with the top-of-the-line 4.0 liter V6, a four-speed automatic transmission, the optional 7-foot cargo box and two-wheel drive. If your kids were born after the turn of the century, you may have to explain to them what the cassette player in the dash does.
It's not much to look at, but it started up with a roar and ran relatively smoothly, apart from a badly rotted exhaust pipe. The transmission shifted without trouble, and the Ranger will even do freeway speeds if you don't mind the noise. Ford's 4.0 liter V6 is a tough engine, and this Ranger's 144,000 miles are a testament to that. There are no significant oil leaks, and the only sign of wear is some harmless lifter chatter at idle. The brakes are discs in the front and drums at the rear, and they're worn but strong enough to stop the truck without drama. The dirt-simple radius-arm front suspension and leaf-sprung rear suspension are in sorry shape, of course. Fifteen years of Midwestern road salt and rough roads have taken their toll, and our Ranger's shocks keep it off of the ground, but not much more than that.
The body rot is also thanks to the truck's Midwestern upbringing. The bed, fenders, doors, hood and cab are all sporting layers of iron oxide garnish--although some patches of the dark green paint still shine. Californians may recoil in horror, but seasoned Rust Belt veterans know that the cancerous spots are ugly but relatively harmless. The floors haven't rotted through, and the Ranger is still structurally sound. Inside, our truck smells of cigarette smoke and the heater is weak, but with summer on the way, driving with the windows down should negate those deficits.
Underneath, our Ranger sports a few "ghetto" repairs, most notably the heavy-gauge electrical cord that's holding up the back of the gas tank where one of the straps has rotted away, and the length of swing-set chain that was apparently used to reattach the rear bumper after a slight mishap.
Our first step was to spend the rest of our budget fixing the most immediate problems. The sturdy engine needed nothing more than an oil change to be road-ready. Replacing the exhaust at a discount muffler shop cost slightly more than the truck did--$402--but resulted in a drastic improvement in the Ranger's starting and running. We were surprised to find that our fuel economy still matches the 17/21 that the Ranger was rated at when it was new, and suspect that it's still capable of putting 140 horsepower to the ground too, even this far down the road.
At this point we had spent $840 for a vehicle that would get us to work and back without complaining. (For the record, a '91 Ranger 2wd in "average" condition is worth $1100-1300, about a tenth of its price new, and ours runs well enough to be considered better than average.) Apart from the crashing suspension, the only evidence of something mechanically amiss was a pulsing brake pedal. The truck stopped just fine, but the brakes surged ominously when stopping from high speeds. We still had a bit of cash left in our $1000 cutoff, so we took the Ranger to Avis Ford in Southfield, Michigan, for an expert diagnosis.
Having a sympathetic and skilled mechanic is crucial to keeping a fourth-tier vehicle running on the cheap. Many mechanics, especially in dealer service departments, would rather send you to the showroom to buy a new car than work on your crusty old faithful. Resist the pressure, and if you're not happy with the attitude of a service department, don't be afraid to take your car and go elsewhere.
It's also important to ask the right questions. Our service advisor, Keely, came back with some hair-straightening news about our little truck--it needed new brake hardware front and rear, drums, rotors, wheel cylinders and a front end alignment, to the tune of $1444.
This will happen a lot when you're driving a fourth-tier car. Don't panic. Breathe. It's the shop's job to try and fix every little thing they see wrong, but that doesn't mean it all has to be fixed right away. Let the service person know that you're extremely tight on finances, but would like to return and have the work done when you can afford it. Then ask what needs to be done to keep the car on the road safely. Many of the noises and groans that an old car makes are less severe than they sound, and many of those shakes and quivers can be fixed without spending a thousand dollars on suspension work. We'll talk more about what should and shouldn't be ignored in future updates.
Keely and Dustin, the technician, were kind enough to show us that a set of front brake pads would get our Ranger on the road safely and keep us rolling until the rest of the work could be done. And just like that, for less than the cost of a plasma TV, we had reliable wheels, which we promptly put to work. He ain't pretty, but he does the job.
In our next update, we'll talk about simple preventative maintenance for fourth-tier cars, to help you avoid getting stranded because of simple stuff. You don't have to be an expert mechanic to keep your ride on the road--you just gotta show it a little bit of love.
Mileage: 146,550
As we head into a year of keeping our fourth-tier vehicle on the road, it's clear that the best defense against unexpected mechanical trouble is a good offense. We've gotten the truck checked out and it's road-worthy; the next step is the proverbial ounce of protection. Most potential problems on older cars and trucks can be avoided with proper maintenance, and it's always better to make a cheap repair now than an expensive one later.
Our 1990 Ford Ranger is running smoothly, at just over 146,000 miles. It may be old, but it's still a truck, so we've been working the little pickup hard. In addition to having to deal with Detroit's potholed and frost-heaved streets, we've hauled a garden's worth of dirt, lumber, recyclables and even carted a scrapped V8 engine to the junkyard. The engine and drivetrain haven't complained about the various burdens, though a toll has been taken on the Ranger's already-tired suspension. At our last checkup, the mechanics found severely worn shocks and springs and some rusted-out body mounts underneath the cab. Apart from making unpleasant noises and showing a tendency to sag under heavy loads, our little scrapper is rollin' strong, however.
When everything is going well with an older car, though, that doesn't mean you can ignore it. That's the first step toward running your wheels into the ground, and that's what we're trying to avoid. There's an old proverb about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure, and that holds true when it comes to keeping a cheap car running.
Andy Cella, senior coordinator for Technical Education at Firestone Complete Auto Care, laid down the basics for us, in a handy checklist format:
• Perform preventive maintenance regularly. Check your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. This will provide you information on what to check/change and when to do it. If your intervals only go up to a certain mileage (most only go up to about 120,000 miles), start back at zero and begin the schedule from the beginning.
• Have the vehicle inspected every six months by a trusted, ASE certified, and professional technician.
• Don’t ignore anything that doesn’t seem right – new noises, leaks, vibrations, changes in how the vehicle starts or stops, how the heater or A/C is working, etc. When something doesn’t seem right take it to a certified technician who can look into the problem.
• It is less expensive to maintain the parts than it is to repair or replace them down the road. Don’t wait until it breaks and you are stranded. Perform the preventative maintenance as recommended.
• Perform basic visual checks on your own. Inspect the following on a regular basis.
o Battery cables and terminals (make sure they’re not loose or corroded)
o Levels of anti-freeze, oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, automatic transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid
o All belts and hoses (make sure they are free of cracks and defects)
o Air filter
o Condition of windshield wipers
o Lights and turn signals
o Tires
• Check your tire air pressure with an accurate tire gauge at least once a month. You can’t tell if a tire needs air just by looking. It could be six to 10 pounds under-inflated and still look fine. Driving on under-inflated or overloaded tires at high speeds over long distances — for instance, driving on the highway — can lead to tire failure and accidents.
• Take a good look at your tires. Any signs of uneven tread wear? That could mean a number of different problems: under-inflation, tires out of balance or wheels out of alignment. If your tread appears to be wearing unevenly, ask your technician to take a look. He or she can correct a problem before it causes trouble.
• Don’t neglect the signals your tires are sending you. Tires have “wear bars” built into them. These indicators appear when you have worn your tread down to the limit (1/16 inch), and you need to replace your tires.
• Rotate your tires every 5,000 - 6,000 miles or so. The forces exerted on tires differ, depending on the tire’s position on the vehicle, and wear patterns may differ. Front wheels work harder because they do the turning and most of the braking. And rear wheels can be unevenly loaded.
All of that may sound intimidating, but you don't need ASE certification to check this stuff yourself. Keely at Avis Ford helped us to implement Cella's suggestions on our Ranger. She showed us that our battery cables were corroded, and cleaned everything up for us. Our fluid levels, belts and hoses were in great condition; the Ranger wanted a new pair of windshield wipers and a taillight bulb replaced, which cost us about $15 all told.
Tires were another story. Our Ranger came to us with three decent tires, one worn one, and no spare. We rectified the situation with a couple of used tires and an extra wheel from a junkyard, at a total cost of about $55. Buyer beware: used tires can be something of a gamble, and aren't always the best bet. A used tire is not likely to last as long as a new one, and most don't come with much of a warranty; if a weak sidewall blows out or a nail puts a hole in your used tire, you've got to shell out for a new one. When possible, inspect used tires before purchasing them, using Firestone's tips.
So how do you decide? If all four of your car's tires are worn, it's generally more economical to replace them all with new ones. When it comes to singles, we find that it depends on your car's tire size and the cost of used tires in your area. In various parts of the country we've seen them as cheap as $15 and as expensive as $40 each. It goes without saying that all four of your tires should be the same size (unless you're driving a Porsche or a Plymouth Prowler, but if you picked one of those up for $400, you don't need our help in finding automotive bargains.), and your spare should be in good shape. Hoping to dress your low-bucks ride up with new wheels and tires? We'll talk about aftermarket wheels and other modifications later; let's make sure that the basics are under control and reliable first.
The AAOW Ranger is rolling into its third month with us, and we've spent less than $200 to keep it on the road. If it keeps behaving itself, we'll have some money in the budget to start improving things a little.
Mileage: 147,084
One of the keys to keeping a geriatric ride alive is to develop a sense of mechanical empathy. Anyone who's owned the same car for a long time knows that this happens without even thinking about it; the more you drive a car, the more in tune you become to its various squeaks, rattles and quirks. Older cars may even seem to have moods, as they become more temperamental with age.
Knowing how to read these "moods" can help keep your low-cost wheels on the road. As our old Ranger passed 147,000 miles, we began to notice a hesitation under acceleration. Since the engine had previously been pulling strong and true, that was our first hint that something wasn't right. Not long after that, it forgot how to idle, alternately surging and trying to stall whenever we stopped for a traffic light. None of this stopped us from getting where we were going, of course, but little symptoms like this should never be ignored. The car's not trying to stress you out, it's just telling you that something ain't right.
Of course, with a rusty, high-mileage vehicle like our Ranger, going to the shop is about as much fun as going to the dentist with a toothache--you know something's wrong, and it's probably going to be painful to make it right again. We took some solace in the fact that we've spent less than $200 a month on the Ranger since March (including the purchase price), whereas taking a similarly-equipped new truck the same distance would've cost us about $283 a month in car payments according to online payment calculators. With that in mind, we gave ourselves a $300 budget for repairs, found ourselves a reputable shop to check the truck out, and crossed our fingers that the diagnosis wouldn't be terminal.
We took the advice of Firestone's Andy Cella and found an ASE-certified mechanic and a trustworthy shop to look at the old truck.
Good news! The idling problem was caused by a split vacuum hose, which was replaced for only $39. While the truck was in the shop, we chose to spend the rest of our repair cash on getting the warped rear brake drums taken care of; this took the harmless but annoying surge out of the Ranger's braking.
The shop also pointed out that our right headlight was blown out. We replaced the bulb, and it almost immediately blew out again. The culprit; a cracked headlight unit that was allowing water to come in. Modern halogen headlight bulbs are sensitive to changes in moisture; even a smear of oil from your skin on the bulb can cause the hot element to flare up and burn out prematurely. The only solution was a new headlamp unit--at a cost of $147 from the dealer.
Luckily, body work on an old car doesn't have to be all about new parts. When it comes to replacing headlights, taillights, grilles and other expensive trim pieces, it's time to head to the junkyard. It's never a bad idea to make some friends at the local boneyards when you're rollin' fourth-tier, for that matter. Let them know what you've got and that you might be scoping parts, and many yards will make sure to keep a couple of matching junkers around just for you. We hit up our friends at Bishop's Auto Wrecking, a wonderful, grimy, old-school junkyard sandwiched between some no-tell motels and a concrete recycling facility, and found ourselves a replacement headlamp unit for $10. Problem solved. Junkyards are also a good source for replacing the broken knobs and switches, missing trim pieces, and cracked mirrors that are common afflictions among cars that are old enough to vote. Most places shouldn't charge more than a couple of bucks for a knob or a switch. When picking up electrical parts like window switches, be sure to know the junkyard's return policy, so you don't throw away cash on a part that was broken when you purchased it. If you're nice, some junkyards will even install replacement parts for you.
Thus revitalized, our Ranger headed back to the business of commuting in a much better "mood." It survived the heat of summer without a hitch, thanks to its late-spring checkup, and it's running reliably. As the fall holidays approach, do we dare take it on a road trip? Stay tuned.
Mileage: 149,600
Nope, it ain't dead yet. Our long-term Ranger continues to work faithfully, as the rust holes in the doors and flanks grow visibly larger. We've used it to haul broken cement to the recycling center, to help friends move and to pick up a load of lumber for a backyard shed, and it hasn't shirked from any task so far. We even drove it to a recent Honda test-drive event, just so the rest of our colleagues could see how glamorous life is down at OnWheels.
We kid, of course. It may have been ridden hard and put away wet, and it's the only test car in our fleet that could spend a night at curbside on the East Side of Detroit without anyone trying to jack the wheels or radio, but we still like driving it. The Ranger's simple, sturdy nature appeals to the gearhead in us. It's like a familiar, broken-in work boot. Sure, a new pair of shoes looks better, but you gotta respect the lived-in ones as well, because they've earned their patina.
It's hard not to feel serene and proud, cruising along in this tough little truck. It keeps up with freeway traffic without struggle, even though it looks like it's falling apart. Well, actually in some respects it IS falling apart, but the working parts are all in good enough order to get you to work and back, or wherever you need to go. It hasn't asked for any significant repairs in two months, so we used some of our surplus repair budget to replace the worn-out fan clutch and fan. The engine's plastic fan has been rubbing against its shroud thanks to the rusted-out body mounts that are allowing the cab to sit about an inch lower than it should. The engine is also rubbing against the insulation under the hood. That's an expensive repair though, so for the moment we'll ignore it. A trip down south to collect new body panels may be in the offing, however.
Fall has arrived in Michigan, and that means it's time for the annual winterization of the car. Next update, we'll talk about how to keep your old-faithful alive through the winter months.
Mileage: 152,500
Unless you're in the Southwest or Hawaii, winter takes a toll on your car. This is especially true in the northern half of the country, where a combination of rising and falling temperatures, road salt and already-poor road surfaces conspire to put a defensive linebacker-esque hit on your ride's well-being.
A new car's minor annoyance is an old car's trip to the junkyard, so when you're rollin' with an, ahem, experienced vehicle like our '90 Ranger, it's a good idea to make sure everything is in good shape before the winter winds begin to blow.
The first things to look at are your fluid levels, as always. Engine coolant should be flushed and refilled whether the level is low or not. Coolant degrades over time, and it does more than just keep your engine cool--in the winter, coolant is what makes your heater work. Worn-out coolant will result in a poor heater. We learned this lesson quickly with our Ranger--the heater was blowin' sorry lukewarm air on the first below-freezing days of the year, and we assumed the heater was shot. After a $59.95 flush and fill, however, the heat is back, much to the joy of our fingertips.
Your car's battery will also be quick to let you know if it's not ready for winter. Make sure that all battery and starter contacts are clean and tightly attached. Winter is the worst time to ignore a weak electrical system, as the cold winter winds will suck the life right out of a weak battery. Has yours given up the ghost? If you don't have the budget for a new battery, look in your local Yellow Pages to see if there's a recycled battery seller near you. We have run our Ranger on both its old DieHard and on a $25 no-name recycled battery with equally positive results.
If your battery is weak and you want to know if it's worth charging, it's better to go to your mechanic to have it tested, than to an auto parts store that offers free battery checks. We find it interesting that we always get the same advice: "You need to buy a new battery." We also tested the testers, by walking into a few different stores with two batteries. Both were dead; one was worn out, the other merely discharged. At every store we went to, we were told that we needed two new batteries. The mechanics we visited both identified the good and bad batteries honestly, and were happy to recharge our flat battery for much less than the cost of a new one.
When the temperature drops, so does air pressure in your tires. It may not be noticeable, but it's a good idea to check your tire pressures after the first cold snap of the year. Too cold and nasty to go outside and fumble with the tire gauge? Many quick oil-change places will check your tire pressures and fill them to the proper level while you wait. It takes about as much time as getting a Happy Meal from the drive-through.
The winter's going to do a number on your car's belts, hoses and windshield wipers, too. As rubber components under the hood age, they become more brittle. Oil seals dry up, and hoses crack. It's not uncommon to find new fluid leaks when the winter winds start to blow, as marginal rubber parts give up the ghost. The windshield wipers may lose their edge as well, and in Snow Belt states they're just as important for keeping snow off of the windshield as rain.
In extremely cold climates, some mechanics will advise going to a lighter-weight oil for high-mileage cars. Here in Detroit, we haven't seen that it makes much of a difference, and generally stick with the standard, non-synthetic 5W30 that our Ranger seems to be happy with.
What about snow tires? The first freeze of the year made it clear that our Ranger is a textbook example of a ride that needs all the help it can get in the snow. The combination of an unweighted rear end plus an open rear differential means that our little truck is prone to losing traction when it gets icy. We'll be investing in sandbags to keep the rear end nice and heavy this winter. Snow tires are a good investment if they fit in your budget (though if you're rollin' on a budget, they may cost more than your whole car did), and if moderate to heavy snow is common in your area. Dry pavement makes snow tires wear out more quickly, so if you only get one or two snowfalls a year, a second set of tires may not be worth it. Do check your tires carefully, however. A decent all-season tire will pull your car through an average snowfall, as long as the tread isn't too worn.
Lastly, put together an emergency kit. Many auto clubs advise them for new cars--for an older car, it should be considered mandatory. Remember, the fact that your Old Faithful has clocked up almost 200,000 miles means that it's more likely than a new car to leave you stranded. An emergency kit can help stop a minor winter inconvenience from turning into a snowbound nightmare.
Assuming you're not in Southern California, Arizona or Florida, your winter emergency kit should contain:
Jumper cables
Tow strap
Small bag of salt or kitty litter
Compact shovel
Working flashlight and extra batteries
Exterior windshield cleaner, like Windex
Ice scraper and snow brush
Matches
Scissors and string
Non-perishable foods--unsalted canned nuts, dried fruit, hard candy, granola bars
Emergency blanket and other items to help keep warm
Got a cell phone? Be sure you carry it with you this winter. A working cell phone can mean the difference between waiting for help and walking through a snowstorm.
Luckily, we haven't run into any emergencies of this kind. Thus far, our Ranger has been a picture-perfect example of a well-selected cheap car. It starts every day and drives without major complaint. We've driven it for almost a year with minimal maintenance, and could probably continue to drive it just the same way for another twelve months or so, if we had to. But where's the fun in that? It's been such a faithful ride that we just might dump a bunch of money into it and fix it up fo' real. Stay tuned.
Long-term Ranger - Update 5
Well, we did it. We bought a car for less than $500, just like plenty of income-challenged folks do, and we drove it for a year. Our 1990 Ranger ran more or less like a top, and it never left us stranded or forced us to hitch a ride to work.
There was some skepticism when the little pickup truck joined the OnWheels fleet. With significant rust, over 140,000 miles, and a suspension as busted up as a retired power forward's knees, there was some doubt about our ability to get another thousand miles out of the little heap.
We chose our truck carefully though, and took good care of it. The odometer rolled past 154,000 miles, and as of this writing the Ranger is still soldiering along. Over 12 months, we spent a total of $1,320 maintaining it and doing the repairs we've chronicled here. That averages out to $110 per month. By comparison, Ford's website estimated a $267 monthly payment for a similarly-equipped regular-cab, two-wheel drive 2006 Ranger with a V6 engine and automatic transmission. When the budget is tight, driving an inexpensive whip doesn't seem such a bad idea. The very broken-in but still torquey V6 engine averaged a respectable 17.9 mpg as well.
Of course, a car bought off the back lot of a seedy used-car dealer lacks any semblance of a warranty, and with any vehicle over a 100,000 miles, reliability is going to be an issue. We had to keep a close eye on our Ranger's vitals to avoid a catastrophic failure. We voluntarily kept our repair budget limited, as well, so some of the truck's flaws -- a gas tank support strap that had been replaced by an electrical cord, a cracked windshield, and a passenger door that didn't open from the inside -- we just had to learn to live with. If you can afford it, the additional reliability and safety provided by a new car are very much worth the extra cash.
If we had to, we could probably keep driving the Ranger for another year or more. With some significant mechanical work, it just might run forever. It's been such a faithful, pleasantly scruffy ride that we considered doing a rebuild on it. Unfortunately, the Ranger has to go. A life spent in the Rust Belt of the Midwest has taken its toll, and the tinworm has done significant damage to our truck. All of the body panels are significantly rusted, and there are small holes in the floor and roof of the cab as well. Additionally, the body mounts attaching the cab to the frame have rusted away, and the resulting sag allows the 4.0 liter V6 engine to rub against the insulation on the underside of the hood. Rust repair is possible, but in this case it's not feasible. After replacing the truck's entire body, we'd have spent far more money than a much newer, rust-free Ranger would cost. If our ride were a '56 Packard or a Hemi 'Cuda, we wouldn't hesitate to have the work done. Unfortunately for the Ranger, it's a dirt-common ride. We admit to having developed a degree of attachment to the little truck, and we considered doing the work anyway.
Financial considerations won out in the end, however, and it just wouldn't be in the spirit of our long-term, low-end project to finish up by spending $10,000 to rebuild a truck that's only worth about $3,000 at best. Car guys, avert your eyes; our Ranger is too far gone to be worth fixing, and the best thing to do with this one is to drive it into the ground.
The terminal-rust verdict is disappointing, because we were looking forward to hopping our low-cost ride up. The first step before upgrading your car, however, is to make sure that the basics are solid. Seriously, you don't want to be that driver -- you know, the one with $2,000 rims on a beat-up car that won't start. Always make sure the basics -- engine, transmission, suspension, brakes and body -- are in good condition before you start pumping money into a sound system, wheels or other modifications. It takes patience, but the end result's going to be much more satisfying. Unfortunately, for all of its faithful service, our Ranger didn't meet that bottom-line criterion.
Keeping an older car on the road can be more than just an economical decision; it's easy to get attached to your old faithful after you've spent so much time together. Take good care of it, and an older car can serve just as reliably as a newer one.
For its final trick, our Ranger did something that a new pickup truck can't: We sold it for $400, exactly the same price we paid for it just over a year ago. Life is good down here at the bottom of the depreciation curve!
It's been an enjoyable experiment, and one that could be repeated. What do you think?
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