Lynn,

I owned a Ranger for about six years. It was a fine little truck, and I wish I still had it.

I don't know if they're 'made to self-destruct at a certain age,' but my advice is to be wary of the four-cylinder models from the late 80's. Mine very inconveniently swallowed its camshaft at right around 100,000 miles, due to a known defect with that engine--deteriorating valve guide bushings. As the guides broke up, the pieces found their way into the oil reservoir. From there, they progressively interfered with the oil pump, till the whole thing froze.

If you're looking at one with that engine, try to find out if the valve guides have been replaced. My mechanic told me it was a known problem and had been the subject of a recall. Apparently the previous owner didn't hear of it, or didn't respond.

After an overhaul, it ran great, and as far as I know, still is.

What's involved in the 'towing package?' These light trucks have a bumper hitch as standard equipment, seemingly; at least all the Rangers and S-10's I've seen do. The bumper hitch is fine for towing a small, light trailer, but these little trucks aren't large enough to drag around anything that's very heavy.

Mine had air as well as the hitch; there was no tradeoff there. If I lived in your climate, I'd definitely go with the air.

Also, if you go with an extended cab, you'll be getting a short bed. If you need a long bed, you have to go with a short cab. From this, I gather that there's no big difference between the chassis types.

And so, finally: what were they growing in 13th century England, then?

JtT