I am looking at a 96 (not 97) SR5 today, but it has 145,000 miles.

orig owner, no accidents or paint
head gasket was done, no other major maintenance
cloth, moonroof, 5-spd, 3.4 4wd
body looks great, only a little rust on the hitch
sounds like it has minimal maint records

Assuming that it has no leaks and runs good, should the mileage scare me away? Also what would you guys deem a fair price for this truck from only this info?

thanks all

 

Those kinda miles would make me want to wait and pay a little more for a rig with fewer miles. While fewer miles don't always guarantee fewer headaches the odds are high that you'll wind up paying more in the long run by goin cheap early on. That rig probably isn't worth more than $9500 in excellent shape. I'd be checkin around and lookin for a 3rd gen with a factory E-locker. Oh ya, and I'd really want a leather interior, ....but that's just me.

 

You didn't mention what he's asking for it. None-the-less, assuming it was maintained properly, it should be good for at least another 100-150k miles without anything major failing. Kelly Blue Book is a good starting place plus whatever other sellers are asking.

 

well, I mistakenly posted 97, it is a 96. kbb says book value is right at his asking price of 7k

 

I'd say go for it. I got my 97 Back in September of 03 with 153k on the clock. At a dealer, I paid $9600 (sticker was $12998, BB retail was $10900). Excellent condiion, not a scratch, smelled perfect, ran perfect, new tires, new brakes, new shocks.
I have 179k on the clock now, and it's still running great! I have this little exhaust noise that I'm trying to pinpoint, but nothing serious. Oh, and a wheel cylinder was leaking. Go for it, it'll treat you well for many years!

 

Ask about the timing belt, that's a fairly big ticket item that should have been replaced around 90k. The other thing to check while test driving is the clutch. If you like it and are willing to do some maint. work and can get it for less than the asking price, it might be a good deal.