Is it worth the money? 1999 SR5 with locker

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OFFTOSLEEP

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So I finally found the 4Runner that I think I'd like to buy. It is a 1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5. It has and automatic transmission and the e-locker. Not sure what it means, but all the badging is gold. It has 56,000 original miles and I am absolutely immaculate condition...literally looks like a drove off the showroom floor. The car fax shows it as a one owner and everything checks out. The sucker doesn't have any rust whatsoever. When I originally started looking, $10K was my max and I wanted as few miles as possible. I stumbled upon this beauty and happen to be the first person to call the dealer who was offering it for sale. The dealer is asking $10,400.

Here are some pics:












 
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I bought my '01 limited with 99k on the odo for $9500... Putting myself in your shoes and needing another 4Runner I'd make an offer on that in a heartbeat. There's something attractive about a low mileage clean older Toyota that puts you at ease for the next 15 years. Kind of nice knowing that someone else paid $20k in depreciation to drive it for 25% of its life... At a minimum!
 
Too high, IMO.

You should edit your post and hit the return or enter key between each picture so we don't have to scroll right and left to see the photos.
 
Sounds like an amazing deal to me. i paid 10k for my 2002 with 150k miles. perfect condition also. 50k is brand new.

If you can find better deals do that but for me I love the 3rd gen design so just because it old doesnt really matter to me since I know they last 300k miles.

I could not find a deal like that around LA and I look for like a year.


Just look in your area this is another option, no locker but its a stick :)

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/4817834365.html
 
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I looked at that one. It's a year older and figures I'd have to spend the money on the locker to get to the same price as this one...plus my knee can't handle a manual.
 
Given its in amazing shape, 5 speed, has a locker, has had one owner, has insanely low miles, and hasnt been modified at all (running boards may look stupid but they keep all the road crap off the sides of the vehicle) I think it is worth it. Yeah its a bit much for a 3rd gen but like you said its practically like going back to '99 and buying a new 4runner.... given that a brand new 4runner is like 40-45 grand, and that a 3rd gen 4runner is waaaay sweeter than a 5th gen, I think thats about as good as you are going to find. I say do it. If thats really what you want then its worth paying more than the book value.
 
foskco87 said:
Given its in amazing shape, 5 speed, has a locker, has had one owner, has insanely low miles, and hasnt been modified at all (running boards may look stupid but they keep all the road crap off the sides of the vehicle) I think it is worth it. Yeah its a bit much for a 3rd gen but like you said its practically like going back to '99 and buying a new 4runner.... given that a brand new 4runner is like 40-45 grand, and that a 3rd gen 4runner is waaaay sweeter than a 5th gen, I think thats about as good as you are going to find. I say do it. If thats really what you want then its worth paying more than the book value.
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That's how I feel! I wanted to stay under $10k. And this is so damn close, who cares. I think I'm gonna take the plunge. More than likely I'll drop a supercharger in it :)
 
If you could get it for $10500 out the door then I would go for it. Some people might think the price is high but it's a vehicle that has low mileage and will last you a long time. If it was a double cab tacoma with the same amount of miles the price would be double that. I see 5 speeds with more than double the mileage for about the same price. Good luck!
 
PhdNPrerunners said:
If you could get it for $10500 out the door then I would go for it. Some people might think the price is high but it's a vehicle that has low mileage and will last you a long time. If it was a double cab tacoma with the same amount of miles the price would be double that. I see 5 speeds with more than double the mileage for about the same price. Good luck!
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With the life expectancy/longevity that the 3.4L is known for, this could easily last me 15 years. I always take great care of my stuff, so I can see this one lasting me a long time. Plus, since I'm not dropping a ton of dough, I can accessorize the heck out of it!
 
OFFTOSLEEP said:
Will the life expectancy/longevity that the 3.4L is known for, this could easily last me 15 years. I always take great care of my stuff, so I can see this one lasting me a long time. Plus, since I'm not dropping a ton of dough, I can accessorize the heck out of it!
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Don't expect all OEM parts to be available in 15 years. Very nice rig. Clean and no rust. I'd offer $9300.

Got a pic of the radiator?

Make sure to change the water pump/TB soon after you get it as well as that brake fluid, which IMHO looks quite dirty for just 56k on the odometer but if the Car Fax reports no irregularities, then go for it.:clap2:
 
I really hope this is not the case, but really pay attention to the engine. The miles are so low it's a candidate for rolling back the odometer, in which case it probably has more like 156k miles. The tell-tall signs will be wear on the driver's seat (getting in and out will rub the fabric) and dirty parts/fluids in the engine bay. Just be sure, if it looks immaculate then I'd be all over that.

P.S. the rubber hoses and boots will still break on you, it's 15 year old rubber. So it won't exactly be maintenance free, since all those parts will fail on you soon.
 
56k on a 3rd gen is just like buying a new car. But a well maintained 3rd gen with 300k would run and drive the same. Run your own Carfax 9-10k seems like a pretty good deal if everything checks out.
 
I paid 10500 for my 2001 SR5 in December of 2011. At the time it had 68k miles. It had about 2k in suspension mods done to it. Icon Coilovers and TotalChaos UCAs
 
Original poster: 5 speed? Am I not seeing the shift lights of an automatic in the shot of the instrument cluster? Why 3 cables to the throttle body? Also, the center console appears to be that of an automatic. Correct me if I'm wrong...
 
If everything checks out and it is as clean as it looks in the pictures then I would say go for it. The price seems very good compared to what I see people asking for their 3rd gen around here. The market here seems to be over inflated or something. The 3rd gen holds it's value very well, and you are nearing the bottom of it's depreciation curve anyway. You could probably drive this for even just few years if you wanted, put a few 10,000 miles on it and sell it again for not much less than you paid for it.
 
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