Hello everyone:
I have been lurking around here for about a year and a half, and I finally decided to register.

My dad had an 1989 4Runner (which he got in 1996 and sold in 2008)

I have always wanted one and I am turning 16 soon. I hope to have a nice 1st gen within the next year or two.

Well, here is a short build list and pics of his truck.

1989 4Runner Utility Wagon – 5 speed – 22RE
Blue Metallic paint / Black rear top

Garage kept for 10.5+ years
Approx 2 in suspension lift
Owner maintained

List of upgrades:
Front Suspension / Drivetrain
Randy’s R&P / Yukon front differential (open) – 4.56 gears
Standard Bilstein shocks
Sway-A-Way torsion bars
Front half-shafts rebuilt and converted to “quick change” (i.e. no studs / grade 8 bolts)

Rear Suspension / Drivetrain
Randy’s R&P / Yukon rear differential w/ Detroit Locker– 4.56 gears
Bilstein 5150 shocks
Old Man Emu Dakar springs

Transmission – rebuilt by Marlin Crawler w/ HD bearing upgrade
Transfer Case – rebuilt by Marlin Crawler (stock gearing)
Marlin HD Clutch (1600 lbs – same as V-6 version)
Budbuilt crossmember / skidplate (high clearance)
Poly body bushings

Engine – original – no rebuild 486,000 miles
No smoke (no joke – unless you let it idle for 10 minutes or more – will cruise at 70 – 75 all day long – loaded)

No oil leaks
Downey / K&N Intake
Downey Header
Flex-a-lite electric fan
Downey / Denso HD Alternator
Duralast battery

15x7 in. black steel wheels by AR
BFG 31x10.5 AT’s – lots of tread left

Body good condition to excellent – all original panels – never wrecked
Paint is mostly in real good condition – 4 small (1 in.) rust spots on fenders
Two small (smaller than palm of hand) dents in rear side (backed into trashcan and jack-knifed my trailer)
Poly body bushings
Trailer hitch receiver (2 in.) with light hook-ups
30x10.5 BFG AT spare
Yakama Roof Rack
Interior
Corbeau seats
Rear seat belts upgraded to shoulder from lap belts
Black rubber floor mats / vinyl carpet
Awesome stereo – Sony CD / Infinity front speakers / Boston rear / JL Sub / 40 watt rms stereo Kenwood amp / Sony 100 watt rms mono sub amp
CB antenna

Exterior:






Engine:


Interior:


Only pics I can find of the undercarriage, which show his budbilt skit plate

Love the avatar pic, that's pure Toyota right there.

wow that's one clean 1st gen!

welcome!!!

Nice Runner! Reminds me of my 89.

GH

so very true! and still good for probably another 100,000+ miles!

Yours looks very nice too- like everything I can see except the older style side mirrors

Thanks KidV and Slowpoke

If i can find the highest mileage thread, i think this one wins with 490000 as of 2008. It probably has around 550000 now.

Thanks for noticing. On my dad's the gas tank door hinge was rusted off, so he fixed it with some JB Weld He ordered a new gas door, but he didn't put it on because it was painted black

I had a very similar story to you. My parents (my moms rig, my dad did all the work) had a 1988 4runner when I was growing up. It was lifted 4in, had 33in tires, and was a beauty. I loved it. They sold it when I was 13.

I was looking for a 4runner from the time I got my permit and would not settle for anything else. Then, a week before my 16th birthday, I found my black 89 for $1000 on CL. My birthday present that year was a loan. I wanted to make mine just like my parents old one. I ended up going a bit bigger.

It was nearly 5 years ago since I bought it. Since then, I have bought a FJ60 land cruiser, 3 toyota p/u's, and an 86 4runner. Nothing beats my 1st 4runner though. Hopefully you can share the same success and love for your future rig. Good luck!

Good story
I hope I can find a 4runner or 4x4 pickup
But, I do have a fun car to drive for a while- 2000 celica gts 6speed

Another car I would like is a early 90s Celica All Trac turbo or Mr2

My '88 4Runner - I purchased in '88- was nearly identical to your dad's. It was medium blue metallic (code 8D47) with the DLX vinyl floor and seats. I really need to scan some pictures of it on the beach. The blue was very rare around here and I always got compliments on it.

Stupidly I sold it at 100,000 miles in 1996 to buy a 1997 4Runner to haul my first child and his stuff. I was hoping he would inherit it -- I have a few pix of him as a baby "driving" it. It got wrecked through no fault of mine so I got the 2000 I have now. We also have a white '89 DLX and he wishes it was blue.

So you have a Celica and are hoping to also get a 4Runner?

My dad has a white 2000 Celica that he is letting me drive for a couple years until I go to college. I want a 4runner or 4x4 Xtra Cab

The alltrac's are nice cars but, you HAVE TO MAKE SURE it has been well maintained.

I have 89 and 99 4runners, 89 is in the middle of a full resto... i had a 90' celica alltrac a few years ago, and i loved it, but it was a money and time hog. If i had space and time to fix it up i would, but they're not cheap like the trucks to fix, much more difficult to find parts, and are generally abused.

Good luck finding a truck!

Thanks for the advice

I know how hard it is to find even a decent ST or GT Celica in Middle Tennessee- I have only found around five or six reasonably priced ones in the past year or two

1st gen 4runners that aren't trashed are hard to find here too.

I did find one on cl today that needs a transmission rebuild.
1988 Toyota 4 runner 4x4

Best place to look is probably www.all-trac.net in the classified section, and take a plane out to get one and drive it home...

Oh my oh my oh my oh my..... All I can say. It looks soooooooooo fine!