Howdy all,

I'm looking at purchasing a 1998 4runner limiter with the 3.4 v6 and 2 wheel drive. It's owned by my boss, a friend of mine, and he is moving and wants to sell his extra car before leaving. The price we're down to, right now, is $3000.

About the car:

It's been meticulously maintained. Oil changes every 5000 miles. Timing belt changed at recommended intervals. New radiator (something went wrong so they replaced it). New shocks and struts 2 years ago. Brake pads are fairly new. It's been kept under a carport it's whole life, looks good on the outside as well as in the inside.

My questions for you guys are as follows:

1) Can I trust the car to make it another 40k miles? I have 2 years left at college and need a ride for at least 2 more years until I can buy something newer. I've read that the 3.4 is a good engine and can go for a while.

2) is the price we're at now fair? If not, what would y'all pay for such a car?

Thanks in advance,

Sean

 

to answer...

1) my crystal ball isnt working today But... those engines generally have no problem reaching 300k. If it was maintained well, it should make it. Id be more concerned about front end components like ball joints tie rods, etc..
Depending where youre located, brake/fuel lines may be ready to be replaced as well. Up here in the salt belt, you can plan on replacing them every 5-8 years.

2) For a 2wd... that seems a lil steep to me, but... I cant see it. So... it really depends on the condition & options. Go to nada.com to find bluebook for it. Just remember, it will NOT be the retail price. Clean trade in is more on par with private party value.

 

Good to know about the price. I looked it up, 3000 is a little high. I'll use that as a tool for my negotiations.

 

Price seems high for a 2WD.


Andreas

 

It should have no problem lasting many many more reliable miles if taken care of. I know of a few locally with well over 300k miles, one was 350k miles last I heard 5 years ago.

The price could be negated some but that will really depend on the overall condition of the truck.

 

The radiator being replaced means it probably made a strawberry milkshake. Google it. As long as it was fixed immediately (and properly) it's not the end of the world. Our old 2000 did it. Depending on the condition the price may be about right. We sold our 2000 for $4500 with 221k on it. But it was a sport model 4WD completely loaded and with an elocker. And it was absolutely mint. I should have just kept it.... Would have for sure if it been a manual. As for it going another 40k miles I wouldn't worry about that at all. My tacoma has 260k on it and you would never know it. Runs better than my father's 02 Tacoma with 145k on it. Looks better too. Sadly it's an automatic and I can't justify the cost of a swap on a truck this old.

 

I agree with the others here, the reliability isn't going to be the problem. It's a high price for the 2wd tho.

 

We settled on $2600. Not too high and but not not too low either. I've put 1200 miles on it, in the last 3 weeks, and it runs beautifully.

I greatly appreciate the feedback.