My thoughts more or less echo what Kanoe has said.


-Rusty chassis (the plus is, this seller didn't spray paint the rust like other dishonest sellers)
-Front bumper does not appear original and does not fit correctly. Uneven gaps.
-Front bumper tow cap missing
-Roof rack missing (seriously?)
-Rust starting on rockers
-Flares are missing
-driver side lug stud missing


It's pretty obvious this truck was rushed in the 'resto.'

The standard for BaT vehicles keeps going lower and lower, and this truck is no exception.

Agree with everything you said, but just wanted to chime in on how the bolded part above makes me a little nervous as a 3rd Gen owner. I've seen this many times with folks expressing disdain for painted chassis and frames.

I've painted my frame (properly), even though it didnt really need it. I am hoping folks dont see me as dishonest when I go to sell one day because of it. It didnt even need painting. 98% rust free, with the only rust specks showing up on a weld here and there. Not nearly as much rust as this BaT 4runner.

Hope I didnt screw up selling potential by painting it! haha

This one does have some signs of being a bit, uh, prepped by the seller (a pro reseller). As was pointed out above it has some issues. An astute commenter on the BaT site pointed out an ECT PWR button - LOL. The seller then replied - 'the console may have been swapped out at some point......' Not one of the 1-owner babied survivors you often see on BaT. Not so confident in my $19.5 guess now, but will see what happens in the final hours of the auction.

Just a note here for you...
I am BIG into rust prevention. You can't really effectively paint INSIDE the frame where rust *really* starts.

I know some "black" products work well, but specifically choose "amber" as to not hide anything. (That is why most places that spray for a living use black).

Did you use POR 15?

With gas shooting up, and the uncertainty of this Covid stuff...
Well, you know.

Ill say less than $10k

I simply degreased, scuffed the frame up, cleaned it, used an inhibitor, and spray painted it. Looks factory. No BS overspray or runs. I mainly did it for aesthetic reasons, not to cover any issues. Prior to these steps I used a "snake" tool inside the framerails attached to a pressure washer to blast out any old road debris.

Lastly coated the inside of the frame with fluid film (coated the inside only, as I dont live in a Salt state).

Oh, there's absolutely nothing wrong painting the frame, especially to keep any rust at bay. I apologize if my comment came off in a way that discourages rust prevention.

My comment is in reference to sellers painting literally over the rust flakes and rust holes (no prep work), with black overspray everywhere on the body. It's very obvious that it was rattle canned to make it look prettier.
They also take the most vague underbody shots just to show you enough, but not too much. It's very misleading. And for people who are not aware of how prone these frames are to rust (80% of Bat community), they wouldn't be able to tell between a painted frame vs factory frame, and would bid away.

I've seen it more times than I can count, even from higher end dealerships who I won't name.

I checked the VIN on the Toyota site( Vehicle Specification | Toyota Owners ) and it's not a factory locker. And in one of the pics you can still see the junkyard paint on the rear lower control arms. Explains why the rear axle is noticeably rustier than the rest of the underside. Dunno if that will deter the big money or not.

I'm thinking $12,500

PS: Tailpipe's not on the hanger! lol

That 4runner sure looks like a hack job to me. I wouldn't touch it sight unseen. I hope someone doesn't pay good money for it, I think there will be some buyers remorse.

Always tough buying without an actual on-site inspection. Been down this road many times, burned only once on an older BMW out of Texas.
BaT is a quality auction site and the comments from viewers is a major advantage as it attracts many with experience pertaining to the specific vehicle up for auction. I’ve learned a lot about various vehicles I liked but didn’t have direct experience with.
Hopefully the winning bidder will have done their due diligence so they know what to expect.

$14,500

@96RedRunner now that you've posted a link to BaT on this forum the price is sure to rocket.

Looking at the condition: it's pretty mint.

I'll place my bet at $16,250

Not to hijack this thread, but if you bring your car/truck to one of those places that spray against rust, do they actually clean the frame first, or do they just lay it on whatever crap is on there?

I don't know why every time I check out the engine compartment
of 4runners for sale the master cylinder with black brake fluid jumps out as a truck with poor maintenance...