i posted this in the general section but it got moved to off topic and got lost there. anyway, i thought i'd do a noob move and ask what you guys think of this. here is what i posted before:

a friend of a friend is selling his '85 4runner w/5-speed and 22re and it's pretty tight. i saw it tonight, of course has it's flaws but man i'm getting the itch to buy it. i'd like to get something for fuel economy but this thing just gets me all giddy! i have a source for some of the parts it needs, just sent an email to the guy asking about price on parts. here's the bad:

1. needs two new front fenders since they are rusted out, well, doesn't NEED them but i can't stand the way it looks.
2. says the clutch needs to be adjusted because the pedal goes down pretty far before it engages. lie?
3. tailgate window doesn't go down and wiper doesn't work, i'm thinking a relay or fuse is bad or maybe just shot, it's kinda rusty too.
4. he says it gets a little hesitation in it and dies sometimes, but starts back up no problem. thinks it might be the MAF or something.
5. something about the steering being a little loose. his mechanic told him what was wrong, he bought the part but says it's a real pain to do the work on it; to be honest i had no idea what he was talking about.
6. needs a new rear bumper.
7. a little rust here and there, not rotted through though.

the guy with the parts has an '86 and '88 4runner he's parting out, the '88 looks like the exterior is PERFECT so sourcing parts from that would be nice. i'm just worried about the mechanical stuff like the random dieing, i could probably figure out the clutch adjustment, but the steering problem i'm not sure about. the hatch stuff too.

my plans for this would be to keep it stock, fix the body parts, and sand and spray paint it flat black or maybe an OD green or something. i really want this for a summer cruiser, get some half doors or tube doors and take that top off for some fun!

the guy wants $1500 for it, actually he said $1800 but won't go less than 15, which i think is pretty steep. i'm going to get a quote on parts i need and then do some negotiating. i just think this could be a diamond in the rough, especially since it's an '85 (best year with EFI and suspension set up).

i've had my '98 4runner for about 5 years now and i love it. i know all the little quirks with it. i am unfamiliar with 1st gen 4runners and i was wondering if i could get some tips on what to look for besides what the guy showed me last night. and i am going to look at it again, since he was only able to show it last night when it was dark so there wasn't much to see. said the engine had no leaks, but had over 200k miles. i am familiar with the 22re for the most part since i've owned two '85 celicas.

any input would be much appreciated. thanks.

 

I dont think $1500 is too much. I just paid $2000 for my '85 about a year ago. It only has 85k original but it sat so long it has needed ALOT of work. There pretty cheap rigs to work on, especially if you know a bit about the 22re. Definitly check out the timing chain. The suspension is probably saggy, check if the front springs are frowning, fixing that would be easy though. Calipers are known to stick, they did on my 84 and 85. Back window issues can end up being a little expensive if the motors bad. The thing is you could probably get a 86-88 4runner for half the price, but if you want the factory SFA, price is gonna jump. Anything you buy for $1500 is gonna need some work, might as well be what you want.

 

If it runs decent and the frame isnt rotted, $1500 is a good deal.

 

Its an 85 that runs, 1500 is reasonable. The back window problem is likely the electronic controller or failsafes on the circuit they fail more than they work but can be bypassed. tube doors and top off sounds like a good low budget plan with some good wrecking yard donors. Hesitation and dieing sounds like fuel delivery problem whatever it is probably not too expensive to repair.

 

with out some pictures, I would say that $1500 is a fair price. I love my '81 Trekker, but if I could have found an '85 Runner with the issues you described I would have bought it for $1500...

Cool avatar by the way...mind if I forward it to James Dean and see if he would make a sticker out of it?

 

i just called the guy up again today and asked to drive it and inspect it in the daylight. i haven't heard back yet about the parts from the guy that has the two he's parting out yet, but i think if i piece it together over a little bit of time it wouldn't be so bad.

i'm anxious to dive into this project. i've got it all visualized in my head of what i want it to be like. best part is, i've been on unemployment since being laid off in December and i got an offer yesterday that has the potential to double or triple what i was making at my last job, and i thought i was doing pretty well back then! the old pay it forward system, i just donated to Wabbit's "Giving Back" donation drive and something good came about.

i think i'm going to check out the '85 tomorrow afternoon, and i'll take the camera with me and snap some pics so you all know what it looks like and i'll have some shots of any possible issues that i may need some advice on.

thanks again!

ps - do you all have any suggestions on where to source good parts from? where you've had good service, parts, and decent pricing? just in case something falls through with my parts source. thanks.

 

oh, and i always think it's funny after i type out 5 or 6 paragraphs worth of text and then hit the "quick reply" button. i'm pretty long winded i guess, no quickies from me!

thanks again.

 

i've got something in the works already for it, but should that fall through i'll send the original to James Dean and see what he says. it's amazing that i've had such a big response to that image. i need to make more like i said i would. i'll let you know what happens and when/where it's available.

 

sweet deal on the 4runner, I would've bought it in a heartbeat. I have an 85 that needs to be just about fully restored and paid $600 for the truck and $490 for an engine that needs to be rebuilt. I still need so many thing it's probably going to end up costing me around $3,000 once I'm done with it.

 

well, i just got back from the daylight showing of the 4runner and took it for a quick test drive. we struck a deal and i'll be the new owner on monday or tuesday! i talked to him some more, found a few more non working items and or problems and settled on $1400 for it. the problems aren't major, and it's stuff i probably won't ever use like cruise control and a stereo that doesn't fit right, and a couple other minor things.

the rust was a little worse than i thought, but it's on the body and not the frame. the frame itself looks near to what my '98 4runner looks like so i think i
scored. i guess it's been in their family for almost 20 years and they have taken really good care of it, even with the rust issues it's not what i expected
it to be.

i've got some pics for you to scan through so you can see my new future ride.
























there are some rusted through holes in the driver's side door jamb and some other rust holes on the rear quarters that i think i can repair without much problem. i'm going to get a new rear bumper after i look at what my options are, two new front fenders, look into the suspension and make sure i don't have any sagging leaf springs and maybe replace the shocks since he said they are probably still stock , and get to the interior and see what's salvageable. this will probably be my beater, but i'd like to keep what's good and either replace the bad or maybe strip the rear section of the interior and Herculine it. the doors have some rust at the bottom seams too so i might experiment with some half doors or buy some good doors and do some tube doors for the summer. engine runs nice, no leaks that i can see but does have some gunk on the front timing cover just like my celicas did. it has a sunroof too, i don't know what they looked like back in the day but it kind of looks like one of those aftermarket add ons; did they come with sunroofs from the factory? has an inclinometer/altimeter on it and the interior just needs a good cleaning from what i can tell. has decent tires on some aftermarket rims.

i'm going to get her cleaned up and then get to work on it. i guess i'm spending my stimulus check on new fenders and other 1st gen parts!

and it's funny, the guy mentioned getting parts from various vendors like YotaYard and WabFab, then i asked him if he ever got on Yotatech and he was like "hell yeah, i've been on that site, it's awesome!". so, i guess i found a local yota guy. he says he's gonna get another old 4runner down the road, but needs the money now for his Nissan 240 SX. really sweet, i'm just so pumped about this!!!!

i'm sure you'll be seeing me around more on these boards. thanks for the advice/input on this 4runner, i really appreciate it.

 

I paid 2500 for mine and it wasn't in that good of shape.

 

Nice find. All that stuff is easily fixable with some time and research. Personally, my next project rig will be a 2nd gen as you can find ones with a blown engine for dirt cheap with nearly perfect interiors/exteriors and throw in a 3.4L and mod away. I almost bought one last week but knew my wife would KILL me graveyard dead if I bought another anything right now.

And then I'll help you spend your stimulus check on some mods.

 

yes Wabbit, i'm sure i'll have you on speed dial and i already have you bookmarked up the wah-zoo! i believe you will have my next 50 stimulus checks, my first born, and one or two testicles by the time i'm moderately satisfied with this machine. man i can't wait to tear into this thing!

my new job has to do with paint touch ups, some panel painting, buffing and scratch repair too. there is also an on site detail department and a guy that does Paintless Dent Repair. just need to buy me a welder and a few other metal work tools and i'll have at it! this is going to be fun!

 

Good score at 1400.00 !

 

Great score. I am looking forward to see how this thing comes out...

 

You are my new non - favorite person...

Wicked nice deal for $1400, you should have fun in that thing. I love black 4runners, too bad mine's white! Although white's still nice though. Sweet find, get that thing built!

 

thanks, i'm sure i'll have a build thread on here once the spring weather catches up with the actual season here in iowa. it's bee nice for a couple days, then we got snow the last couple days, now it's going to be nice again next week.

i got the guy to go down $100 since he wanted the cd player. he's a real nice guy too, i felt bad talking him down even more but that just means i have $100 more to spend on fenders and other stuff it needs. but, i still have to pay tax, registration, and title fees too. but this was indeed a good score. i had dreams last night of working on it!

you'll be seeing a lot more of me on this forum for sure.

thanks for the nice welcome.

 

First off, ~ Great Avatar! I've messed with tire treads (Swamper) but didn't mask it out like that, it's sweet.

Second, I live in Iowa too and have purchased 3 diff '85 4runners and one '85 pickup over the last 3 years.

So, I'm curious where do you live? I'm in Des Moines.

Congrats on your purchase. If it runs well, the rust isn't horrible then it's a fair deal. Personally, I'm done with the midwest old rustbuckets. All the rust can be a real chore. Good luck with the rear window, they can be tough too. I find the rust on teh bottom of the tailgate where the hinges are is a bad bad spot.

If you're near me, you can come by and we can talk rust stuff.

 

yeah, there are a couple people on here i know of that are in the Des Moines/Ames area, but not me. i'm in Cedar Rapids.

yeah, the rust is terrible. both my celicas looked nice when i got them and they slowly got eaten away. i'm doing as much prevention on my '98 as possible to keep it looking nice as long as possible.

this '85 looks worse than it is i think. those fenders are coming off, that's an easy fix. i might have another tail gate in better shape to replace that one. the frame is just fine. doors have a little at the bottom, and the driver's side door jamb has a hole in it. a couple spots needing repair on the quarters too. but, since this is not going to be a full restore project, mostly a fun summer daily driver i figured it was worth it. doesn't have to be perfect, and i get to practice some of my autobody skills on this baby.

yeah, if you hear of any kind of meet ups within a reasonable distance in iowa count me in. i'd love to hang out with some of the local yotas!

 

wow 1400? you got a heck of a good deal i just picked up a 85 and an 87 neither of them run i basically bought them for the solid axle under the 85 because i want to do a sas to my 89 but ya i got the pair for $100 i was pretty pleased