Truck Forums - Hi Everybody! I'm new too!

I am a lover of American made trucks. I have owned a Dodge Dakota. I was in love with that truck. I just bought a '90 Ford Ranger ext cab SXT yesterday. I paid 2600 for it. I have a whole bunch of questions & hope I don't become annoying. I just want to make sure I take really good care of it. The guy I bought the truck from seemed nice enough, but he was dishonest about a few of the details. The truck's odometer reads 154,000 miles. He told me that it actually has 75,000 miles on it. He said the previous owner towed it behind his RV for a year. The truck has evidence of being towed. I never would have purchased it otherwise. Is there a way I can prove this guy told me the truth? Should I take it to a mechanic for inspection? I used to date a mechanic and he told me about some terrible things his boss had done to his customers. For example, a nurse brought in her car because it wouldn't run. A timing belt had to be replaced. His boss replaced it, steam cleaned the engine, then charged the poor lady for a complete rebuild. After hearing this story and others like it, I am scared to take it to a mechanic. I worry I will get screwed over too. Can anyone recommend an honest mechanic? I live in Seattle.

It's a 4.0L V6 automatic. I've driven it 50 miles today and so far so good! The paint is in very good condition considering the truck's age. It came with a canopy that looks like it probably sat in the rain for a long time. There is green mildew on the windows. How do I remove it without damaging the paint? Also, the tailgate won't open. Is this something I can repair myself? Also, the canopy door doesn't stay open. Is this something I can fix on my own or am I better off taking it to a Ford Dealership?

It has power locks and windows. I can roll down the window from the driver's side, but the passenger's side doesn't work. I think this is something that I would have to take to Ford to have fixed, but I'm unsure if it's worth the expense. The last thing wrong is my driver's seat won't adjust. It did when I first hopped in, but now it doesn't. It's halfway back and I am using a king sized pillow as a booster seat so my foot can reach the pedals. Is this something I can fix too?

It's such an old truck, but it looks great. He has a straight body, no rust, and has some extras like step bars and fog lights. It also has naked mudflap cowgirls on each side of the canopy. They are rusted over and look terrible. Is there a product I can use on them to make them shiny again or should I just replace them? I really like them.

Thank you to all who take the time to answer my questions. It's greatly appreciated!