351CJ

<dc.nc@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:1137895634.700395.76820@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Looking to buy a used Ranger for my son. Already had 3 taken in for
> used car inspections and all had misc problems. I found one today that
> is a 2002 v6 auto with 90k miles, almost all highway commute miles.
> Original owner. When I asked if he has done all the factory
> recommended services, he said no, just an oil change every 3k miles.
> Said he recently changed the differential fluid. Truck is clean and
> drives very well. The regular oil change is good, but is the other
> lack of service a major issue if the truck is running good? I will
> have this checked by my wrench also, but thought I would ask this group
> first.
>

Your first question should be, which services have been missed by 90,000
miles. I don't think you will find "the other lack of service" actually
amounts to much. The most critical issue, the oil has been taken care of.
Not changing air and fuel filters (unless they have had a structural
failure) does no damage per se, other than possibly temporarily effecting
performance. Since I only drive manual transmissions, I can speak to the
automatic transmission maintenance issues.

My wife drives a '99 V-6 5-speed manual Camry, (Thank you, Ford for pissing
me off, or I never would have bought it) with over 120,000 miles. This car
has only had oil and filters changed since new (I bought it new with 7 miles
on it). At 105,000 I changed the timing belt (recommended at 60,000-90,000)
it was in great shape when I took it out of service. It is on it's second
set of tires, the first some horrible factory supplied Dunlop's, the second
Goodyear aqua treads (drove like a new car with better tires). The brakes
are still original and not in need of service yet (I check them every 3000
miles while changing the oil and rotating the tires). Needless to say, this
car is NOT driven hard. Other than the usual squeaks and noises, this car
runs drives handles and stops exceptionally well, and is in perfect working
order. If I were shopping used trucks, I would much rather the truck be
unmolested than worked on by incompetents.

Good Luck