Hey guys, after quite a bit of time lurking and searching, I have a few questions related to the 1st gen 4Runner. I'm looking for a reliable cheap truck ($3-4k), and have been unable to find a decent 4x4 Toyota in my price range. However, I have stumbled upon a very nice '89 4Runner. With some thought, I've realized that is may be my best option. I will have back seats so I can haul my kids, but can also pull the top to haul anything tall. Hauling stuff is occasional, but I still want to have that ability.

It's on it's second owner, and until last year was in south Texas. NO RUST! Or so he claims, but the pictures reflect it. Exterior looks very straight, he says there are a few small hail dents on the hood that don't show up in pictures. White paint looks good, no obvious dents or scratches. New black steel wheels and brand new tires. Top in good shape.

220k on the chassis, but the 22RE has been freshly rebuilt. Full rebuild, and now it has "the biggest cam I could fit without cutting reliefs in the pistons", or so the owner claims. Brand new 2" exhaust, and small stuff like the starter, alternator, battery, etc. Transmission (5 speed), transfer case, driveline are all in perfect working shape. Clutch plate had plenty of material on it, but the TO bearing and pressure plate were replaced.

Interior looks ok, seats have some tears, but have seat covers. Otherwise looks to be ok, there's a few stains I could see in the pictures.

To get to the point, he's asking $3800. What's a fair price? I'll be looking at it on Sunday, what should I look for? Thanks!

 

That's all I have of it. I should add, he's selling this because he bought a Tacoma that will better haul his welder, and serve as a work truck. He's owned it one year.

 

That's a nice looking truck. I don't know about the market there but here it'd probably be worth about $3K in that condition. They are hard to come by in nice shape so that's worth something. I think a first gen will serve you well.. I have a lot of fun with mine.

 

That doesn't seem to be a bad deal,it sounds like he has replaced the nickel and dimers. Get it!

 

Some will say that is too much to pay, I say if you like it buy it. Price depends on location and availability. It looks like a nice truck!

Good luck!
Robb

 

Looks repainted. (Where's the stripes?) Check around the windshield trim carefully for rust or blisters along the roof line and a-pillars. It's a common rust area. Also check around the fuel door, wheel wells, and rocker panels for blisters or rust stains. You can also look at the frame to see if it's heavily rusted.

If everything passes, then $3800 might be as fair price. It looks surprisingly complete for a 20yo truck.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far. I forgot to mention, the only thing that does not work is the A/C. The owner isn't sure if it needs a charge, or if more work is required. Any common weak point for the A/C system on these?

I wondered about the paint, I figured maybe the stripes had been removed at some point. Also possible the owner is lying, or just isn't aware it's been repainted. I've ran into both over the years.

Any reason I should be worried about using it as a daily driver? My usage is probably 80% city, 20% highway. The owner claims that with the cam and 2" exhaust it has more pep than a normal 22RE, and that it will easily cruise at 75-80 MPH on the highway. Of course, there's no big hills in KS. Other options in this price range are 150k mile Rangers and S-10s, which don't have 1/10 of the character. Sadly, I'd trust an 18 year old Toyota over a 8 year old domestic truck. My experience with my '03 4Runner (recently sold), along with trucks that friends have had, has sold me on Toyota trucks.

 

You don't just remove the stripes. They are a challenge to get off and will leave marks. Look inside the door jams and behind the rocker panels for overspray or a paint seam. You can also look carefully at the edges of the weather stripping and trim pieces to see if there is paint on their edges that would reveal that they've been masked and sprayed.

Being repainted is not necessarily a bad thing. The question is why it was repainted. This is when you get to be a vehicle detective.

 

Did they ever sell them without the stripes? My truck came from TX also.

 

Looks like a nice rust free truck, adn if it runs good, i'd go for it. You can always put a carpet and tach in it if you want it to be an sr5.

 

I think it's a fair deal. How much searching have you been doing? It may also be worth it to drive out of state if you find a better deal. Now I realize how great a deal I got on my '89.

 

The lack of carpet doesn't bother me. I put rubber all-weather floor mats in everything I own anyway. When you have kids, it's almost required.

I would consider traveling, I've done it in the past. I flew out to Denver last summer to pick up a Cadillac SRX for my wife. Unfortunately, I just don't have the spare time right now.

Any feedback on using a 22RE 1st gen as a daily driver?

 

From the pictures it looks like a DLX, not an SR5. My DLX never came with stripes.

 

I paid 3500 for my '88 that has had alot of the same work done, decent paint, etc. Although these trucks aren't rare, they are getting harder and harder to find in decent mechanical/ cosmetic shape. I didn't want to spend over 3000, but I think the extra 500 was worth it. I can trust mine to drive just about anywhere.

 

LOL... I drove to Wichita for the 1st ever car I bought online, back in '01. A BMW 525i. My family thought I was crazy hahaha.

Feedback on using a 22RE as a DD??? That is one of the best things you can have for a DD. My truck is an '89 4Runner Dlx 22RE/5spd. It has over 220k. I really enjoy this truck!

 

The common point of failure in the A/C system is simply age . The O-rings are ancient and eventually fail to fully seal with age; releasing refrigerant and a bit of oil over time. To properly restore the A/C, it's best to replace most if not all of the O-rings, including those on the expansion valve and pressure switch, replace the receiver/dryer, vacuum for an hour and charge it. The materials aren't all that expensive- maybe $20 worth of O-rings and $75 for the receiver/dryer. The R12 will cost you dearly or you can retrofit to R134A at the same time on the cheap. I've found the O-rings in the evaporator on the expansion valve and pressure switch are typically bad on the 80's Japanese cars and trucks. Replacing them gives you an opportunity to clean all the filth from the evaporator- leaves and hair mucked up with lint and compressor oil from the leaking seals.

 

On the DD thing.. I put about 12-15K a year on mine about the same mix as you do. It's got 280K and I'd trust it to go anywhere. Do remember that you will have more maintenance than a newer vehicle but I've had very few major failures on mine (granted, I beat the crap out of mine wheeling and have a rear locker that adds to wear).

 

Family thought you were crazy, man I've been there. I can't think of the last time I bought a car locally, KS is like a black hole for good vehicles.

$100 for A/C repair sounds good to me, I even have access to a vacuum system. How does the 4Runner A/C respond to R134a? I know some vehicles lose a lot of their cooling ability when you convert.

A 20 year old vehicle will inevitably need things, but for some reason I feel better about this 4Runner than a 150k+ Ranger or S10.

 

Check things really well with the A/C. I paid $2700 for my 88 Runner, paint is good except the hood is faded, no rust anywhere, great interior except I am missing a door panel. Guy knocked the price down a lot because the A/C didn't work and he had thrown a good bit of money into trying to fix it himself. I got the truck, hit the A/C button and the compressor didn't even kick on. I pulled the glove box out, pulled out the nicely hidden ac control fuse and popped a new one in, bam... Ice cold A/C. So it could be a .25 cent fix or something more. Mine was luckily a .25 cent fix.

 

I DD mine. And it's my weekend warrior. It's very versatile vehicle. I pull the top when I need to haul and sometimes I leave it off for the summer. It takes a lot of abuse and keeps running strong as long as you keep your oil fresh and top off your fluids.

I'd take it to an inspection center and spend the $100 and have them look over it. For its age, wheel bearings, ball joints, u-joints, etc should probably be looked at. And they will nickel and dime you to death. The local stealership wants about $700 to do just the front wheel bearings.