A relative asked me to look at this for them.....
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4296703788.html
Cliff notes: -- 1996 v6 4runner -- 428k on the clock( orig engine and tranny ) -- "has an oil leak" -- needs rear brakes
$800 obo
Is this worth considering for a 20-something guy w/ little money and less mechanical skills? Should the mileage be an issue for around town driving? Anything to consider in particular while checking the car over?
428k original miles? I know its a Toyota, but that is pretty impressive! Still, with those miles I cant help but think that he will be buying a money pit, even if its a cheap money pit...
agreed. And money pits are no fun, but I was kinda hoping that it was atleast well maintained to make it that far anyway. Maybe he could get a year out of it and flip it. He lives in another part of the start and is just starting out. He'll also have no help from his parents, so its all on his shoulders.
Could go either way. 428 k is nasty high, and I doubt it will handle any sort of abuse very well.
The leaks will be the everything with fluid in it, I'd imagine.
Even down south, I have to think one with that kind of miles has a lot of hidden rust, if it has the original panels.
IDK, 428k is a ton but it all really depends on how well it was maintained. Check compression obviously....those rings have to be pretty worn by now! That said, 300k 4Runners that still off-road regularly are pretty common on the 4runner forums...
@irish44j - Im not sure that I'll actually be able to personally lay eyes on the car. And Im not confident that he will be able to get a compression test done.
@everyone -- Ive never personally seen a passenger vehicle w/ that kind of mileage, so it scares me as well but I was trying to remain hopeful. Unless I get a strong arguement to the contrary, Im going to suggest that he pass.
So, keep the info coming.....
The really good news is that if the body is solid, the motors are readily available and cheap. For $1000, he should be able to do a motor swap. I bought '96 4runner with unknown mileage and knock in the motor for $600. The motor lasted for over a year before it exploded and in the meantime, I had replaced the interior, tires and brakes. Rather than fixing the paint, I sanded down the flat surfaces and sprayed flat black with rattle cans. Even with the "new" motor, I have less than $2500 in the whole deal and I drive it weekly for trash, recycling, large projects and in bad weather, the designated wrecker. They are tough vehicles and if not abused, it can be salvaged for further use. YMMV
I had a 97 sport, 3.4, 5 speed, e-locker. It was a good truck, not very dynamically pleasing to drive, but relatively bullet proof, in 140k miles it needed a rear heater coolant pipe and a cv axle (they turn all the time stock, but IIRC theres a kit to make them manual locking hubs). That's it, and I wheeled the e36m3 out of it weekly on 33" tires.
My idiot friend totaled it.
I bet there's Taliban guys in Afghanistan driving around 4Runners with 600k on the clock that have never seen a paved road, lol....
I had my eye on a 2nd Gen when I was in my twenties. Kinda hated that I didnt get it.
Thanks for the info. I know that its a crap shoot and Im still not really convinced that this is the right car for him. I'll forward on the info and see what he says.
So my 1st gen Tacoma 3.4 with 189,xxx miles is just getting broke in right? And then there is this guy:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/new-members/96662-1999-limited-4-runner.html
Hard to say though. If he has little money, it may take more than he has to keep it on the road. Then again, who knows. (Shoulder shrug).
Yeah. Its hard to say. I would try it if it were me. Its a nice looking truck, and I could def. see myself in one.
I dont know how much he'll be able to stay on top of the maint. That is the deciding factor, in my opinion. Everything else is pretty much what it is.
Thanks for the info.
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