Can a car run without a power steering pump?

I'm looking at buying a cheap car i desperately need but he says the old power steering pump was taken completely off The car, it's a 91 ford probe and I know it can drive without power steering but will having the old one completely disconnected stop the car from running and driving?

It will just be Really hard to steer.
I would avoid the car completely. The owner removed it for one of two reasons.

1. He raced the s*** out of it, and it's a toast.
2. He was too cheap to replace it, and if he didn't do that, then you can guarantee he missed a whole bunch of other stuff.

In the UK that will be an MOT failure. The car will still steer ok but at parking speeds it will be hard to turn the wheel.

You know you can drive that car without power steering? Yeah, good luck with that. It won't prevent the car form running. GO for it. On a side note, that car isn't worth 500 bucks in good working order.

If the pump is missing the drive belts will not have all the pulleys so the car will not run properly. It is very hard to drive a car designed for power steering with it not working. What else is broken in the steering. A second hand pump will not be hard to find.
It may be an inspection failure in your location.
Your insurance would have to be told and provably will refuse cover due to the steering issues. It may also be liable for a ticket in your location.

No, the defective steering pump will lock the steering wheel and the car will be inacapable of manovering or at least the steering will be to heavy to be secure enough for traffic. You can try to take of the pump and build a powerless steering but the car is not made for that and possibly that will lead to further problems.

a new power steering pump in an old car isn't worth it, a new pump cost as much as an old car like that is worth. A used part would do too, there are refurbished pumps and when they are rebuild well, they don't make problems, here a link, a used refurbished pump for about $100 http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/shop_years/ford-probe-power-steering-pump-1991.html for example. I think the used part will be cheaper than building special parts to convert the steering to powerless steering.

look for one that is close to your residence, then you can simply buy it personaly without paying extra for delivery and when the sparepart breaks, there are then not far distances to travel for the warranty, on a used part there should be at least a week warranty to know it really is what it was bought for and not scrap.

No it won't stop it driving but it will be a real pig to turn the wheel at low speeds.

Sure but it won't pass the state's mandated safety test so you won't be able to get tags.

Yes it can. I drove a car without a power steering pump for a long time. It was a bit rough at times, but it's possible.

Though I would avoid it.

It will only be able to turn if you're moving.

This Ford car did well without one only because it was designed without one. Why are you asking us here when you can test drive the car yourself? Most cars built since 1900 did not have powered anything. I once owned a 1992 Mazda GLC that drove perfectly well without power anything. Great Little Car. It earned that moniker for a reason. Try it since you are "desperate."