I'm looking at an 85 4 Runner that's for sale on Craigslist. My first question is what do you think it's worth?

Here's the run down



Originally a Canadian Truck
Almost no rust, Original Paint. Good, fully functioning top and rear window.
110,000 Original Miles, 5 speed,4x4,22RE EFI motor
- ARB bumper
- Hella lights
- OME Complete Suspension 2.5 lift with Heavy springs front and rear
- Marlin Rear tube bumper
- Interior is in great condition, no dash cracks
- Wet O'kole seat covers
- Very nice cd/ radio with 4 speakers
- 33x10.5 BFG Mud Terrain Tires
- All pro Off road Cross member, better ground clearance than stock
- LC engineering Header and complete exhaust, sounds great and adds + HP
- Cold air intake complete, adds + HP
- Truck runs perfect and makes great power for a lightly modified 22RE
- Spare rear axle with ARB locker

He's never had a chance to wheel it, so it's pretty chery.

What do ya think?

 

Dude thats the shiznit. Its like a classic with a balls to the wall touch. Its pretty sweet to see one that is two toned also. But yeah man I think it would be worth about 3 or 4 grand max. A good reasonable price would be about 2 grand. But I would buy it.

 

That is one nice 4runner, what are they asking on it?

Like stated above 3-4 would be my limit.

 

$6,500

I offered 5,300 and justified my offer with price research. I got this in response...

I don't really feel like giving up on this. I think 5,500 is one kick ass deal for this guy, not me. Who doesn't have time for 5.5K??

 

last year it was worth 5500 this year not so much. you can buy a 3rd gen 4runner for 6k or less. 3500 would be as high as i went.

 

Well, if thats the attitude in the response you got, let him keep his truck. Search around, there are other trucks that you can find. Look through the lower states. Try him again in a month or so.. if it doesnt sell, maybe he is willing to come down a bit.

 

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one thinking $5,300 was a kick ass offer...pretty much unbeatable.

I feel the same way, let him sit on the "golden egg." Until he realizes he missed the boat entirely with me. The thing thats actually buggin me is, if it is still around. Geography is enough for this guy to blow me off. Whats that all about I'm not asking anything more than pictures of this guy? I'm a 22 year old full time Carpenter, part time student, husband and father of a 5 month old. If this guy feels HE"S too busy....I don't want his life.

 

snappy responses aside, the truck is worth what he is asking (or more), to someone. the real question is, is that someone you?

Based on the value of the truck if it were bone stock (~$2k), the depreciated value of all the components (header, armor, lift, rubber, locker, etc, (~$2k+) and the time to install all the goodies (what is your time worth?), I would say that he is asking a very fair price. his problem is that his market is somewhat limited, but someone will eventually gladly grab it up.

For reference, I am close to $10k into my 85 4runner, built to about the same degree. If I were to do it all over again, I would save a lot of money buying someone else's finished project if it was spec'd the way I had planned to build mine anyway.

so, if it is built the way you want your finished project, or close to it, I would hop on a plane this weekend and drive it home. you can do alot of things with the $4k and time that you will save. thats my 2c.

 

bktaco - I have to agree about the worth. I would only buy it, if I was never going to do anything to the truck and plan on parking it in a garage and not driving it. Then again, who buys something and doesn't want to put their own mods on it? I think I would rather spend $10k in the long run, doing something right the first time, the way I want it and knowing where every wire and bug exists.

 

That was not the plan...haha. The plan was dual cases, 35's, interior update, full interior cage etc etc.

That's an interesting point bktaco. The most I can imagine it being worth however is 5.5K. I'd buy it yesterday for that price, Especially with the spanking new rear axle and ARB. I've built two Jeeps, this however is going to be a DD rig. (I don't drive far ) So I'm looking for something nice, for a good price, that I wont be afraid to hit the rocks with. Anyway, hopefully he and I can work something out. I sent him another email, hope I don't scare him off.

Thanks for the replies guys. Really appreciate it being a complete rookie to 4x4 Toyota's.

 

For a truck that nice the price is reasonable.

 

Not an answer to your question but I wouldn't sell my 85 for $6500. Mine is built similar to the one that you are looking at except I just rebuilt both axles front and rear and installed TRD 4.56 ratio elockers, front and rear, with an FZJ80 Land Cruiser elocker ECU and swtich. I have the ARB front bumper with Warn 8000, OME 2.5" full suspension lift, DOM sliders and Kennesaw mountain rear bumper. It also has a DOA Racing engine and full LC Engineering stainless exhaust and header. It has zero rust and the body is absolutely straight.

Of course if I needed the money and had to sell it then I might have to climb down off my high horse!

 

It's all good, your on topic and I appreciate another opinion. I've taken what you've all said into account and I sent him a quick email. He's working on a trade today, if that doesn't work out he seems willing to entertain my offer.

 

I keep coming back to this thread to check out that truck. The more I look at it, the more I love it. So tasteful. If I had the money I would swoop it up quick style.

 

I live in TX, but I bought my 84 SR5 4runner back from the guy that had owned it for the past 10 + years in Minneapolis. Here's the link:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f115...rs-ago-119933/

Here's a pic of it that he posted on craigslist:

and



and here it is now:


It was in great shape since it had been his project truck and after he "finished" it, and wheeled it a few times, decided that he didn't want to destroy it and then built another. New 22r with DOA Cam, headers, Weber 38, TJM front bumper and custom sliders and rear bumper, 4.88's, detroit in the rear and a locrite up front,Marlin 4.7 low range, Kayline top, original SR5 interior with power options...it was nice, and I used to own it when it was bone stock!
My point, is that he wanted around $6500 for it, and people on here were very interested. It was a bad time for me, so all I could offer was $5K, and I could tell he wasn't happy with the offer. I wanted the truck, he had a reason to sell, so we compromised and met halfway. It was more than I would have spent on an 84 here in town, but I paid it because that was my old truck, and I WANTED it. I had to incur all of my travel to MN, and the gas back, so my end result was much higher, but it was a vacation for me, so it was worth it.
As someone said, the truck is worth $6500 to the right buyer, but that is top dollar. $5900 would be a better deal for him and a fair deal to you. Your top price of $5500 seems right on the money.

 

I just read your story. Amazing. That was the original color of my 84 before someone painted her pearl white. Inspiration.

OP I hope you get that truck.

 

What an awesome story! That is a great looking Runner. Here I am, looking at Runners in TX, AZ, CO, TN etc. And you picked up a beauty right here in my back yard!!

The guy sold the Runner. He is a pretty cool guy, he has around 15 vintage Yotas. Basically he has every car he has every owned, and they are 80% 4WD Toyotas!! He has another 85 that he wasn't going to sell, but he's sending me pics and info. Supposedly it is nicer than the one at the top of the page!

We'll see. I've got the time and the parts to build my own, I've found a few down south that are pretty nice. If I go the "DIY" route again, 1.5 to 1.7K is all the more I'm willing to spend. So rust free, it has to be. Meaning I've gotta take a drive. I agree, picking up a new rig is a vacation...a very tiring, gas guzzling vacation. It would have been a nice rig though, absolutely love that Two tone.

 

I saw that 4runner on Craigslist a while back.
Thought it was in good shape, but more then I would ever pay for it!
A vehicle is ALWAYS worth more to the owner then someone else.

If I had money to spend and wanted something to wheel...
I'd pony up $7500 and buy this...
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/914930561.html

I think it is for sale by Mike, the owner of ORS.

 

I looked at that rig a few times. Can't see my 5 month old in the back though! haha.

 

A couple things to consider here.

I disagree with the whole "85 is the Holy Grail" approach. As someone else posted, only if you're going to park it. 85 owners in my book often overvalue their vehicle. For pure wheeling you can do just as well elsewhere.

If you're going to wheel it:
1) who cares how clean it is? Something is going to happen to it sooner or later
2) it doesn't say but is there any armor? lockers? crossover steering? (admittedly if you get the extra axle with ARB that is a big plus) but it's work to you to install.

You would still have to lock, dual case, crossover steer, regear?, sliders, skids? (not sure what the AP crossmember encompasses)

Get an IFS truck 86-95 and swap. You get the wider rear axle, better brakes and already have the right calipers to make the upgrade on the SA, have the right steering box for the crossover steering, and probably get one for $800 to $2800. Drop a couple grand on it to SAS and you're still ahead of the game.

I'm making a lot of assumptions here regarding what is/is not on the rig you are looking at, but if it is exactly as you have listed there is still a lot of dough needed to make the build complete.