Where are all the rust-free 4wd 4runners?

lockedlex

lockedlex

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So this is weird. I have a 3rd gen, I'm looking at another one for a relative, so we can do overlanding trips together, camping and light offroading, etc.

It needs to be 4WD, with Locker and no rust (don't care if it's limited, SR5). The ones that are available around the Southwest are going for 8k-16k with about ~200k-250k miles!

Did prices just go up? My 00 Limited with Lockers I bought in 2011 was around 10k I think.

Even 2nd gens on ebay and Autotrader are in the 8k range now. And first gens are going for 10k+!

2nd Gens used to be 3-4k. And I could have sworn 5-6k for a 3rd Gen 4wd was about average a year or so ago. Also, there are so many fewer available!

Across the entire US, including all conditions w/ and w/o lockers there are like 40 for sale. W/ lockers are even rarer and w/o rust even more rarer.
 
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sounds about right for an initial search, it'll take a while, but they are out there. Keep searching. I took about 4 months to find one.
 
In Oregon something with a locker, rust free, and under 200k will be somewhere around $10-$15 depending on modifications. Plenty of them in the PNW for sale.

Mike
 
That's a good point, it took me about 4 months to find my stock one almost 10 years ago.

PNW and SW definitely carry the highest prices across the board. This is an interesting exercise too, in case I need to ever replace mine. I think it would be difficult at this point.

I started to look at 4th gens for my relative, but really don't like them for many reasons. I'm also looking at Tacomas and Land Cruisers, but being Toyota, they are holding their value well too.

It's an amazing thing.
 
There's 1,000's of e-locker 4Runners in CA. Come make a road trip when this whole quarantine thing blows over and come pick one out.

There's one with a bad transmission and no rust on CL right now for $1200. Buy it for parts and then swap it over to any 4WD one and presto, 4WD with e-locker.
 
LOL, I read somewhere that 4Runners might be the official COVID Pandemic SUV!

There are several on BringATrailer having been sold for 12k, 19k, and 24k in the past 2 months.
 
gamefreakgc said:
There's 1,000's of e-locker 4Runners in CA. Come make a road trip when this whole quarantine thing blows over and come pick one out.

There's one with a bad transmission and no rust on CL right now for $1200. Buy it for parts and then swap it over to any 4WD one and presto, 4WD with e-locker.
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Good point, or I guess I could also retrofit an elocker.. but ugh, was hoping for something already buttoned down and stock. I've spent too much time and money modding mine, don't want to take on another project, lol.
 
lockedlex said:
Good point, or I guess I could also retrofit an elocker.. but ugh, was hoping for something already buttoned down and stock. I've spent too much time and money modding mine, don't want to take on another project, lol.
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Ha yeah I feel ya. Gotta be in the mood for a project. A shade tree mechanic should also be able to install the rear axle without too much trouble without costing an arm and a leg.
 
lockedlex said:
There are several on BringATrailer having been sold for 12k, 19k, and 24k in the past 2 months.
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And they had 50 and 60k miles, single (family) owners, etc...

I'd put e-locker after rust personally... you can swap in a locker, harder to un-rust a vehicle though. My personal criteria was one-owner, unmodified, 4wd, rust-free and if it had a locker, great.. but it wasn't a deal breaker. 8 months of searching, I ended up driving about 400 miles one-way to buy it sight unseen (risk of walking away). Paid too much in hindisght as Way too much deferred maintenance that you can't tell without receipts, and those were essentially missing as the owner had hired mechanics for his main business. But the work that was done all seemed clean, no buggered fasteners that are a tell-tale of hack mechanics.

So, get comfortable, you'll be looking awhile (or paying a premium, possibly both). Right now is a GREAT time to be shopping though as prices are dropping like rocks. I was getting ready to offload a 2018 Mazda3 and within 1 week my quotes dropped $5k ($18k to $13k), haven't bothered to look again.
 
Just do what we do in the northeast and buy a clapped out example for $1500 and lay down some questionable looking welds on the frame
 
Oh I didn't think about CL. I'll keep an eye out. That wasn't a bad listing, but a little too much drama/history for me. But I do see where there might be some good options there. Thanks!
 
I bought a stock 2001 with 94000 miles in New Jersey and had it shipped to California for $8000. It has some rust but nothing unexpected and definitely not too much. I got a great deal


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ArmArak said:
I bought a stock 2001 with 94000 miles in New Jersey and had it shipped to California for $8000. It has some rust but nothing unexpected and definitely not too much. I got a great deal


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Click to expand...

funny....shipping from rust country to cali...used to be reversed....so funny
 
yes they are getting hard to find. Up here in alaska they are few and far between...but people that know 3rd gens are up here too. In the past 2 weeks I have seen some super nice ones, and both last a day or two on craigslist. the last one had 210k, an SR5, had a locker, cloth seats and was listed at 9k and was gone the next day.
of course like anyplace...there are ones that have been listed for weeks...and of course we know why....trashed.
I noticed that a dealer in Oregon is asking up to 16k for a 2000 sr5....getting crazy.
But I paid what many at the time thought was high...5 years ago I paid just under 10k at a dealer ( with all fees) in Oregon....that had been dealer maintained for both previous owners and traded in at 143k
now at 245k...bet I could sell it at near that...of course ..babied to a point...well maintained....not trashed even though it has seen miles of back roads exploring.
well of course the drivers leather seat could see some love :) and im gearing up for some more mild mods for more exploring this coming season
 
You're not looking in the right places. Only dealers use most of the car listing specialty sites and only specialty dealers who charge an arm and a leg will be selling 3rd gen 4runners at this point. Hit Facebook marketplace, various buy sell trade groups like toyotaholics B/S/T on Facebook, Craigslist (nationwide or larger areas can be searched via searchtempest).

There's plenty out there but we really are getting to the point where expectations will need to be dialed back and the 3rd gen 4Runner becomes more strictly a hobbyist's vehicle. You just aren't going to find many sub-175k immaculate garage kept 4runners out there without paying an arm and a leg. Luckily they were built to last, or they'd be hitting the scrappers in droves like most other mid 90s vehicles at this point.

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