OK, I have a very basic 1993 Ford Ranger XLT extended cab with the 3.0 V6 and automatic transmission, 2 wheel drive... Bought it from some guy off craigslist for $500 and he "said" the transmission was burnt out and not shifting... Interior was in immaculate condition, the bed still had the original factory bedliner and even underneath was free of rust or chipping paint. Body was extremely straight with only one fist sized dent on the passenger fender... Sounded like a good deal, so I drove 2.5 hours to check the truck out, met the guy up, looked over the truck, started the engine and it has not ran in the last 5 months, so it definitely needed a "tune up", tried to shift the truck into gear but the lever was loose, as if it wasnt linked to the transmission... So naturally, I crawled under and saw the kick shift linkage was not attached and the bearing/grommets have worn out.. I put it back on, crawled out and pulled out $500 to wave in front of the owner (he wanted $1800 originally, yeah right...) Like a fat kid at fat camp craving cake, he snatched the cash out of my hand and signed me the title. He then asked if I needed help loading it onto my trailer, told him "NOPE, FIGURE ILL DRIVE THIS PUPPY HOME". He looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears , and I shifted the truck into reverse and drove off into the sunset...

Ok basically, the guy was a LITTLE bit right about the tranny going out... The front pump seal in the transmission wore out and my reverse slowly but steadily became stubborn to drive in... Ordered a newer/rebuilt 4ALD tranny, new flywheel, and torque converter and stuck it into the truck. Drives wonderfully and even better than it did when I first bought the truck...

Did a basic tune up, new distributor cap, wires, spark plugs, full engine flush, advanced fuel injector cleaning, drained the gas tank and topped it off with new fluids, new brakes all around, radiator flush, rear axle drained and new gear oil added, etc...

I plan to pack up a small 4x8 trailer and move all my belongings from Seattle, WA. to Jupiter, FL by the first week of December. I would also appreciate any input on some engine modifications for better gas mpg and extra ponies under the hood, as well as travel tips.

Oh yeah, title came into the mail not too long ago, it was branded with a "Exceeds Mechanical Limits" tag, anyone know what this means???

 

How many miles are on it? sounds like you did good on your maintence! maybe buy a higher flowing (K&N, etc..) air filter and change the fuel filter (might have already done). I dont see you getting great mileage towing a trailer across the country LOL but it shouldn't be to bad.

On another note... why are you moving from Seattle to Jupiter? Just wondering because I live in Jupiter LOL

Goodluck on the trip

 

not to sound like an ***, but what does you moving to FL have to do with your question ?

from the sounds of it, you got a good deal on the truck, and it should make it to FL with no problems at all, even towing a 4x8 trailer. but as mentioned, mpg is gonna be teh suk. until you get to more level ground. you might even want to look into a route that is going to take you through mostly level terrain, as long as it doesnt add any miles/time to your route overall, you might just save yourself a couple hundred dollars.

 

idk man your gas mileage shouldnt be all to bad.. i mean. i go to school in pen. and on my way home empty. cruise set at 75 i get about 18 mpg. now when my dad drove down this august when i moved back into school. after the truck was tuned i got like 21 mpg.. with a 4wd 4.0l v6 not to bad. but he doesnt drive as fast as me. when i towed a 5x8 or something uhaul home last year through the mountains of pa and ny i got about 16.5 mpg with overdrive locked out. pretty good if i say so myself. but i was babying it the whole way. idk about performance mods or anythign to gain mpg but you wont see a huge gain over whatt you would get.

 

I was told the truck had 165k on it, but after some car-fax checking, its more like 265k, but it doesnt look or run like it has that many mileage.

Moving to Jupiter for schooling and job opportunities, WA has nothing here for me (except family) and I just need a change in scenery.

Just realized my question had nothing to do with Florida, ha... But was wondering on what to do to improve its run-ability for such a cross country drive with a loaded trailer.

 

That's a heck of a drive man. I live in Ocala, Fl and Woodland, WA. If I don't take the scenic route, it's 3016 miles from driveway to driveway.

Enjoy your drive and take it easy driving thru the Rockies!

Your title stating 'exceeds mechanical limits' was most likely added because the stated mileage couldn't be proven. My 00 Ranger that I bought in WA had that as well but once I registered it in FL it was removed.

 

Im not driving directly across the country, this year is supposed to have a heckuvalot of a snow... My Ranger is a 2-wheel drive and Im hauling a 4x8 trailer behind me loaded with stuff. Playing it safe, driving south I5 to SoCal, then easy thoughout the southern states where its dry and less snow.