71 Ranchero.. is it worth it?

Fords seem to rot out from the bottom. Bet there's alotta stuff under there that need replacing, including the brake lines.

Had a 70 Lincoln that had rear frame sections rotted out before 1980. Nice car.

Mustangs weren't nicknamed Rustangs for nothing.

Ford = rot. Check it carefully so that it stays within your budget plan.

I found a similar Ranchero for sale around $6000 ot $7000. So the price is fine. Besides, it will be only a small cost of ownership if you wish to keep it a long time.

So I would haggle, but if the seller won't sell for less, I would still buy it.

Jeff

If the Ranchero is based on the Torino, Fairlane, Falcon unibody before offering anything for it check the following areas for significant rust out:

firewall floorpan torque boxes (behind front wheels, behind plastic shields) rear wheel wells if it uses a hydralic ram for steering assist, check for rust out and body integrity issues where the power ram bolts to the frame bracket. If you have two people start engine and turn wheel with a person watching the ram frame mount point for twist. Steve

FYI: 1971 Rancheros shared the Torino's platform and powertrain options.

Yet another $.02 worth from a proud owner of a 1970 Mach 1 351C @

You don't say where you are located. If its a dry-country southern car, rot is not likely a problem. If it's a '71 and still on the road, I stronly suspect it is a southern dry-state car. The rest have long since returned to the earth from which they sprung.

I'm in New York City. I had taken a quick look under the car and didn't see anything alarming (though the floor panels have been replaced). I have to think about this a little (and convince the wife ;) But I REALLY do want it.

If I were serious about this type of vehicle, I'd shoot for an El Camino.

I would suggest getting someone who is familiar with restorations of this type of vehicle. He or she should be able to tell you what kind of repairs you would need to make to keep this in good condition and what you would need to do to restore this kind of car. A good estimate of how much this is going to cost for repairs down the road should help you make your decision.

Then you should figure out if the repair bills and other costs fit within your budget. And, if you are in NYC, do you have the money to store the car? Personally, I wouldn't have a car in NYC. I get around the city just fine on the subway. Having a second car that is quite old can get quite expensive fast.

Jeff

Well, I'm only technically in NYC (just enough to pay the F#$ing city income taxes - bloodsucking vermin). I live in Queens. I already have two "modern" cars plus a 1965 Scout 80. I would dump one of the "modern" cars; I'd want this Ranchero to be my daily driver. I don't like modern vehicles; I've been looking for a pre-1974 car or pickup for a while.

I work in Long Island; I couldn't survive without a car. My wife works in Washington Heights and also drives to work; it saves her an hour or more of train transfers and futzing about. It's the difference between getting up at 5:30am and getting up at 4:30 for her.

That's some good advice right there. Unless you plan on leaving it basically as the near-junker clunker it is right now, your best guess might be conservatively about 50-large, which would include a body-off restoration. Locating the proper original replacement pieces will also prove to be quite problematic, expensive, and time-consuming. Not to mention donor vehicles it might require. And not to mention finding the shops to handle the project's stages.

The car basically will never amount to anything except a black hole, unless you go all the way to restore it properly. You'll likely never get your investment back out of it unless you make a full financial commitment to the project.

From bushings to Bondo, that thing's likely gonna need a lot of TLC = $$,$$$.

It only took me an hour or so to get to Washington Heights from New Jersey. I used to work in a school there. The kids were great (although they do have their problems, to say the least). The adults, on the other hand, were far more problematic.

Jeff

Oddly enough my wife is a middle school teacher :)

Did the school have a principal who was indicted on charges of fraud last year?

LOL. Ermm... actually, I don't know - she wasn't working there last year. But I don't think so.