1989 as a tow vehicle?

S

stix217

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Hey guys...as you can tell this is my first post here and I look forward to learning a lot on this forum. I'm looking at buying a 1989 SR5 w/ V6 and automatic tranny...it has about 150k miles on it...I'm curious if you guys think it would make a decent tow vehicle for my 18' boat. All together the boat weighs about 2800 lbs plus the trailer.

Also, do you have some tips as to what I should look out for when I go to inspect the vehicle, and questions to ask?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
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ive towed a jet ski with my 87 and it did just fine. 2800lbs isnt much even for an old truck, and with it bein a 6cyl, you should be able to tow it locally just fine. i wouldnt recommend any sort of long distance towing
 
Thanks for the info guys...the good thing is that i only plan on towing locally so it sound like that shouldnt be a problem...

I sort of need the automatic so my gf can drive it if need be...plus that's my only choice right now. Is it common to swap transmissions on these? Id prefer to keep it as stock as possible and maybe make minor improvements for driveabiltiy and ease of towing around town.

Also, any advise on what to ask the seller before I buy, or things I need to keep an eye out for? I haven't been able to find a thread about the common problem areas on the late 80's 4runners.


Thanks again!
 
Just make sure you can get electric brakes on your trailer and use a brake controller on your 4runner. These 4runners don't weigh much and I would hate to pull something that weights almost as much as what I'm driving without electric brakes.

If anything, you can re-gear the front and rear of your 4runner to make towing a little easier too :)
 
Problem areas for the 3.0. HEADGASKETS. Toyota did a recall for them. Dont let the motor over heat and take care of your cooling system and youll be all set. They are also known to leak a little oil from the valve covers.
For the truck it self, just watch out for frame rust and make sure the rear window goes down.

The reason I said skip on the auto, is it makes the truck a dog. The auto soaks up a lot of the horse power before it gets to the wheels. Most who hate the 3.0 have one with an auto.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out!
 
thanks for the info guys...I'm trying to get a pre-purchase inspection done on it next week...i'd be interested to hear comments on what you guys think of this hog...I posted pictures here...

https://picasaweb.google.com/116142066565329570415/4runner?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHpuNeansCd-gE#


the guy wants $3500 for it...I dind't capture the rust over the fender well...same fur undercarriage/frame...looks like there are a couple leaks but I'm not sure where from...hoping the mechanic will be able to diagnose for me before I buy.
 
just wanted to see if you guys had any input on the pictures...getting the inspection tomorrow and will probably make the guy an offer in if all checks out.
 
Take note of the VIN and call a Toyota dealership. Ask the service department if the head gasket recall has been performed.

Good luck!

Joel
 
so if the head gasket repair has been done...i'm assuming that's a good thing...if it hasn't, would that be a deal breaker for you? I feel like if it hasn't been done I'd be flirting with potential disaster.
 
If the head gasket recall hasn't been performed you should ask if it's still eligible. I don't know the details but maybe someone will chime in.

If the head gasket has been performed by Toyota then ask at what mileage and determine how many miles ago it was performed.

And yeah, if the head gasket hasn't been performed by anybody then I'd be "concerned" :)

good luck.

Joel
 
Thanks again for all the responses guys...for better or for worse, I ended up not getting the truck...I'm still going to keep my eyes open for a 1st gen, so maybe I'll be able to pick one up from a member here before too long...this is a great site, that I've already learned so much from...so now it's time to search around the classifieds
 
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