Hey guys, new to the forum and 4runners in general. I have been searching craigslist for awhile for a 1st gen runner because I like the way the top comes off. 1st gens seem to be getting rarer and finding one at a good price seems harder.

I recently came across an 89 sr5, v6 model, with low miles. The body and paint look excellent. The interior looks excellent. The seller says there are no mechanical issues. Tires have plenty of life on them.

The only issue is the passenger side rear wheel well has some rust on it. If I can get this for around $3k is it worth it? Should I keep looking for a runner that is completely rust free? I attached a picture, but it is hard to tell how bad the rust is, although you can see the light bubbling right above the chrome wheel well trim. The seller describes it as minor rust.

thanks in advance

 

looks good and the price sounds good too.
1st gens are worth good money in good shape.

 

You didn't say what area you are in. Prices for 4Rs can vary all over the place depending on your location. In my area, 3K would be considered high unless the vehicle was in very good condition.

You need to check the body and frame carefully for more rust. The thing with rust is that it's like an iceberg. You only see part of it. If you can see rust, there's more lurking in places you're not seeing. I can see the rust bubbling the paint on the wheel well. That's not a very good sign. Check around the windshield trim, wheel wells, bottom of the doors, and the rocker panels.

Also, check to see if it's been repainted. The paint looks awfully good for as old as it is. It makes me wonder if it's been repainted which could hide a world of sins.

Finally, if you do get it, ditch the running boards.

 

That looks like less rust than my 87 has in the same spot. I paid 2900 for mine and I may have overpaid for it. I have worked most of the issues out. What are your plans for the truck? Wheel it? Daily driver till it dies? Restoration? If you keep it in the garage and wash it often during the winter, it will be a few years before it starts getting really ugly. It's at the point now where you can probably fix it without buying patch panels if you take it to a shop.

Other than that, if the V6 doesn't have head gasket issues or use coolant, then I'd say it's a sweet looking truck. Buy it, ditch the running boards, ZUK mod the rear end, and call it a day. Keep us posted.

 

Thanks guys. Sorry forgot to mention, I am in Florida. The seller says it was garage kept most of it's life so that may account for the condition of the paint. According to the Carfax it was in Peoria Illinois most of it's life until recently. 2 owners.

My plans for the truck would be a small lift (2" I'm thinking), light wheeling / weekend driving / weekend projects / camping / etc. It would probably only get driven a few thousand miles a year as it would not be my daily driver. I can wrench, but have no body skills, so the rust scares me.

 

That looked like typical salt damage. Check the frame for rust and corrosion.

 

figures... a nice one like that leaves just about the time i start looking for one.

 

Yeah, definitely crawl underneath that truck and look at the rear axle/differential, leaf springs, engine and tranny mounts and very most importantly the frame. Tap it and make sure that it's all solid. A bit of surface rust is fine and can be cleaned/sanded and painted fairly easily. If it's past the surface and corroding then I'd steer clear of it.

An Illinois truck draws red flags.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I am driving an hour to check it out. I really hope the rust isn't too bad when I get underneath it.

 

You can see it is sagging pretty bad, will need a lift to bring the suspension back to life. Use that as a bargaining point to get the price down.

 

Here is an underneath picture, but it doesn't really show a whole lot.

 

I checked it out today. There's rust around both rear wheel wells. There is rust underneath the badge on the tailgate. Both rear windows have some rust along the frame. Underneath the car actually looks really good for the most part. The subframe around the spare tire is starting to crumble a little bit. There is also a little bit of rust on the passenger a pillar both external and internal. It runs and shifts well and the AC works. The interior is in excellent condition. They are asking 3500 and I offered 2500 because there was more rust then what I was expecting. They are going to think it over and get back to me.

 

Hood looking ride. $2500 is fair for the amount of repair you are looking at. If the mileage on the motor is not too bad I would come up to maybe 2900 but that would be all. Keep us posted on the purchase.

 

I think it's a pretty good deal, only think I'm not a fan of is the auto trans