watchesnboats

Hey guys. Thanks for letting me post in the forum. I am considering a purchase of a 2nd generation 4Runner as an extra car for snow, fishing, and some hunting. I had a 95 4Runner in college and loved it, sold it for better mileage and learned it sometime soon after blew the engine. Since then I have heard frequent talk of this being a common problem with the head gaskets. So, my question to all the knowledgeable folks in here.

Is there any preventative things I can do so this head gasket problem is not something to worry about?
How can I tell if a car I am looking at already has some issues with this?
Are there any other known common problems I need to look for?
Several people have told me that the 3rd generation engine (3.4L?) is far more reliable and it might be worth spending the extra money for the piece of mind of getting a 96 or newer, but I really love the 2nd generation body style, thoughts?

I know lots of this has been covered, and I am reading through the responses, but I appreciate anyone who will take the time to reply here or shoot me a pm with your thoughts on these matters.

Thanks

thedude42

treat it like its a baby! i love the 2nd gen bodys too! i had a 94 sr5 before my taco it was great!
my dad has a 95 limited sr5!
both ran strong untill my wreck now its just his we havent experienced any problems with the headgaskets

Matt16

Why not get a 22RE 4Runner. Works great for all my fishing, camping and other outdoor pursuits. There are some precautions that you can take with the 3VZ, but you can't under the wear and tear that the previous owners have done thus I would avoid it personally.

watchesnboats

Someone else suggested this to me as well. I have to find a 4 cyl and drive it and see how it feels. I never really felt like the 95 I had though (with the 6 cyl) had much power to spare, so am curious if the 22RE feels way underpowered.