Sold: Ford Ranger. Now I Need a new Gambler Rig! (Malort Inside)

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
10/09/2019 at 17:58 • Filed to: gambler 500

You read that right! My long term Gambler only ended up being a single run Gambler.

I originally bought this Ranger to be both a daily and a Gambler. It fulfilled the daily request just fine. It turned heads everywhere it went and I enjoyed the utility a truck offers. Buuuuut, the Gambler part wasn’t so hot.

The decision came during the October Illinois Gambler 500. With the truck only averaging 13 or less to the gallon it was sucking me dry and I wasn’t even leaving Illinois. Per my calculations, the money I’d have to spend to get the Ranger to something like the OG would be astronomical, let alone getting it back home. It cost me $200 in fuel to do what the smart could do with just $50 . I can see why most Gambler vehicles aren’t trucks..

I want to do as many Gamblers as possible, but such isn’t financially responsible with a rig like this.

Okay, fine, so make it a rig just for midwest gamblers? Well, I made the truck too OP for offroading Illinois’ terrain. 99% of the time I left the truck in 2WD and put it into first gear. This allowed me to just point and click the truck around everything and honestly that really wasn’t all that fun. I like being forced to choose a line, I like having to yeet my way out of trouble. My Ranger teammates were right, with good rubber, 4.0 4x4 Rangers are practically unstoppable on this terrain.

Offroading this truck in Tennessee’s Redemption run would be absolutely insane...but so would the fuel getting it to there and back. Oof.

So, I sold it to a fellow Gambler for $500. I could have sold it for more with those new tires but I love to adhere to the original “500 miles in a $500 car” spirit of the Gambler.

If it weren’t for the $350 I spent in tires, I would have only lost $200 on this $700 truck. Still, a $550 loss after I spray painted it, bound it on dry ground, drilled holes in the roof, and beat it up on two offroad trips isn’t too bad. The idea was that I was going to drive this truck until I would ultimately have to scrap it, so any money back is more than I expected out of it. lol

My Ranger story isn’t over yet. I DO want another Ranger, however my criteria has changed. I want the new truck to be:

- 2nd gen that’s no newer than 1994 (exempt from emissions testing).
- Manual
- 4x4
- 4 cylinder
- Purple or sky blue
That new truck would also NOT be a Gambler, so I would presumably look for one that’s less crusty and with fewer miles. It’ll probably make appearances like the smart, but I wouldn’t consider it my Gambler car.

In the meantime, I need a new long term Gambler. Buying vehicles that only last for a single event is also financially irresponsible, so I want the next one to be right.

I’m taking suggestions on what to build! The next Gambler is in three weeks!

Currently, I want to get a manual Ford Festiva (the one I have in mind can be had for less than I sold the Ranger for), rip off the doors, remove the hatch, remove the rear seats, strip down the interior, remove all windows but the windscreen, then send it as an offroad street legal go kart. I drove one like this during the weekend and it was an absolute holler. Decently capable offroad (no worse than the smart) and lost enough weight to rip awesome burnouts on the skidpad. Oh...in fact, here’s my drunk butt (on Malort) driving it!

Speaking of Malort...

DISCUSSION (21)

NKato > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 18:05

Buy a junk Crown Vic, lift it, and its 19 gallon tank capacity will ensure you finish the Gambler. And best of all, mechanical parts are readily available.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 18:15

What about an S-10 or Dakota of similar vintage?

Mercedes Streeter > NKato
10/09/2019 at 18:19

Nah, Crown Vics are the only Gambler vehicles that are more common out here than beat up F-150s and Rangers. xD

THAT SAID...I do want to own an offroad Panther one day, just maybe not as a Gambler. lol

Mercedes Streeter > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/09/2019 at 18:20

Neither of which are particularly good on fuel, especially when kitted for offroading. Fuel econ being a drag is the primary reason I’m dumping the Ranger.

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > NKato
10/09/2019 at 18:22

I like this idea but I can’t imagine that it would be much better on gas costs.

NKato > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
10/09/2019 at 18:26

Obviously, but you can always get in touch with Marty Ochs for an engine tune to improve efficiency by a bit.

Either way, it's still a fun car.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 18:31

I thought you wanted another truck........

Mercedes Streeter > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/09/2019 at 18:36

Not as a Gambler lol. I want another Ranger one day, but not specifically for gambling. :)

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 18:37

Volvo 850

SiennaMan > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 19:05

I like the stripped out Festiva idea. It sounds like a hoot, s imple and like something that’d provide an adequate challenge offroad.

My only concern with the idea is that in the midwest most have likely either been recycled into beer cans or converted themselves into iron oxide...

Khalbali > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 19:48

I’m probably wrong but I didn’t think rangers came 4x4 with the 4 cyl. Also festivas are awesome, I wish I could find another one so bad but I had to settle for an escort.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 23:15

I’m not surprised it went quick at that price.

Don’t overlook the Metro/Swift. I could not believe how tough that thing was, and it did great off-road bone stock on snow tires. I still have the wheels and snow tires next to my garage. You can have them if you buy one (or anything that has a 4x100 bolt pattern) . I certainly got my $50 worth out of them already.

RGP > Mercedes Streeter
10/09/2019 at 23:29

But a Ford Escape they get good gas mileage. Also what kind of tires are those I have an 04 ranger and I like those tire

Mercedes Streeter > Khalbali
10/10/2019 at 09:30

Apparently 4 cylinder 4x4 second gens do exist, but they're hilariously rare.

Mercedes Streeter > SiennaMan
10/10/2019 at 09:34

I find that Festivas are a bit like the Geo Metro out here. Either they’re like cockroaches and are still driving around with relatively little rust, or they’re a speedbump away from splitting in half.

The only rust on the stripped out one I drove was on the pinch welds from scrapes earned offroad and where the spare tire would normally reside.

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher
10/10/2019 at 09:37

Regular people aren’t very interested in it (likely because of the paint) but Gamblers are still all over it. I have like ten guys lined up should the new owner not pay me the other $250. lol

There’s another 4.0 Ranger Gambler being sold in non running shape and with a patched frame and straps holding the bed on for $600. I think it’s still up.

The Metro is on my list too! I primarily want the Festiva more because I adore the more blocky shape it has compared to the Geo.

Mercedes Streeter > NKato
10/10/2019 at 09:41

The Panthers are routinely the best at converting rubber into smoke. We even see a few Town Cars do these runs!

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter
10/10/2019 at 11:39

The first ge n Metro/Swift is nic e and blocky too. Just make sure when you find 3-cylinders of goodness, it HAS to be a manual. The auto versions of all of them are pathetic.

SiennaMan > Mercedes Streeter
10/10/2019 at 11:43

Thats cool. Maybe I've just not paid close enough attention lately. It seemed like Metro class cars were getting rarer in SW Ohio as even the hardcore frugal folks who've maintained the rust free ones for all these years move on/pass away..

Khalbali > Mercedes Streeter
10/10/2019 at 13:15

Ah most of my research was on the later models, I like the 2001+ with the Mazda 4 cyl but those I believe were rwd only. One of those is always in the back of my mind as a project, though I can't decide between turbo it for a SpeedB or renesis swap for a nu-repu.

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher
10/10/2019 at 14:55

Oh yes, no matter what gambler I buy next it’ll be a manual. That little car was just too fun and I doubt it would be the same with an auto. :D