Truck advice

There are guys with old Rangers driving around with plows. Saw one come down my road just yesterday.
I guess I'm in the minority about putting a plow on that truck for the intended use.
I use my GT to plow with and it only weighs 5-600 lbs.

 

Plow on an Ranger? How does that work...must defy the laws of physics and stuff. I had 3 Rangers and traction was ALWAYS and issue....even in the rain.

 

If it works, it works.
Maybe they keep a gorilla in the bed.......although, I didn't see one.
The idea that one can only use a mucho heavy duty truck to plow is lost on me, unless it was gonna' be used commercially......which this one is not.
I had an '01 F-150 that could barely move in snow, but it only had one wheel drive. A slight slope made it useless.

 

Come to think of it, I've seen several 1/2s and 3/4s for sale around here for less than that....with a plow.
Some don't look like much, but for a driveway queen, who the heck cares?
DaveGunter , if you become the go-to guy for plowing, and word gets around.....and you can't say no...........get a bigger truck. I guess.

 

Not a bad truck. You need to find out if the lower intake gasket has been replaced with the upgraded steel reinforced one. If it hasn't happened yet(and it will) it's a costly fix. $4-600 at most shops. Also, at some point(if it hasn't already) the crappy factory fuel injection(poppet valves/pressure controlled) will start to leak/fail and that's another costly upgrade to mpfi, but worth it.
Another 4-500 clams. Other than those two poor designs, the engine is pretty reliable and fairly easy to work on.

Good that it has the stick, they're very simple and effective but terrible for plowing snow. I would not plow with a stick unless it was just my driveway. Between toggling the plow and shifting you'd go nuts lol. But with a lightweight plow it would push snow just fine. Plows are really hard on ifs trucks, lots of strain on ball joints, tie rods, pitman arm, steering box, etc. But for very light duty, you'd be ok, just no driving around with the blade attached unless you're plowing.

Looks nice in the pics, hope I could give you a little insight. I own and have owned a few Chevy trucks, and have fixed or replaced just about everything that can go wrong on them, unfortunately.

 

I am not an expert-but for $3400? That truck is 4wd and looks nice. Around this area there is no way a person could buy anything that nice (and it appears the OP knows something of the history of the truck) for that price. I say buy it and have fun!

 

Ya,,, back before they put crapanol in the gas I would get that kinda mileage on my 03 S-10 too. Now I'm lucky to average 15.

 

The 4.3 is just a 350 with 2 cylinders cut off the block. It's an Ok motor overall. Some were good and lasted a long time, and others didn't make it much past 100k, if even that. If it uses a little oil, that's good. The 4.3s that don't use a little oil tend to burn up. Since it's got 134k on it, it's probably a good one.

 

No offense to anyone, but the rangers were a huge step above the rest of the small trucks, and more hd than the 1500 gm trucks that have been around since the late 80's on up...

Milwaukee's school dept tried all of the smaller us made trucks for plowing sidewalks and walkways including wranglers, Dakotas, s10s, Colorado's... None of those held up like the rangers to plow abuse.

I think the Tacoma would have held up well too, but they never used furrin' vehicles.

 

I had an '89 HiLux, indestructible except for that frame rot thing....

 

Price sound about right. As a former gm dealership mechanic (full disclosure it was 1985) knowing the history/former owner is gold when buying a used vehicle. As for half ton, it will do more work than you think.

 

I wouldn't put a plow on that little guy. Even if you were plowing your own 200' driveway. A plow of any size is hard on half tons. That's just the way it is.

 

Unless you're talking XJ'S fearless little trucks.

 

And.....the 4.3's are rough on gas mileage. I just recently sold and s10 that had the 4.3 vortec engine. That thing was very thirsty for its size.

 

yeah.. What do I know. I make a living installing accessories on trucks. I wouldn't have the slightest clue as to what a plow does to half ton trucks.

 

Dude, I was being serious.

I had a 96 xj 2dr. Renix 4.o with 5 spd & novak 231 xfer case w/ sye, 4" mild lift with 33s and a tom woods shaft.

Toughest little truck I've owned

 

This thread is about a reg. Cab v6, 1500 Chevy truck.

 

Friendly feller we have here.