Scramble
New member
I'll take pics of my 3RZ the next time I bring it to work. 3" in the front, 5" in the back plus a 1" body lift. I'll make him look tiny. :becky:
3rd Gen vs 5th Gen Silver too.
- Thread starter Scramble
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I'll take pics of my 3RZ the next time I bring it to work. 3" in the front, 5" in the back plus a 1" body lift. I'll make him look tiny. :becky:
Road Bull
Senior Member
I was thinking about the different silver paint Toyota has used over the years. I have millennium silver. I have noticed that both silver 4th gens and silver 5th gens seem to look a bit more flat and washed out. I am a big fan of dirt hiding silver, but it might be hard for me to continue my theme if I were to pick up a newer 4Runner. I might have to go with a black or dark color. I like Toyota's dark blue colors they use, maybe even their dark grey... I dunno. Value wise, I think I would need to wait about ten years or so to consider picking up a 5th gen. I wouldn't mind a V8 4th gen I suppose.
But I am happy where I am at for the moment. The 3rd gens are a great mix of looks and capability.
But I am happy where I am at for the moment. The 3rd gens are a great mix of looks and capability.
Scramble
New member
Yea, Silver & Desert Dune are great at hiding dirt. Millennium Silver has a lot more flake than the Classic Silver they're using now. I like the Galactic Grey, that color is hot! I've never owned a White vehicle but I like the 5th Gen in that color.
infantry503
New member
Another legit color on the 5th gens is the concrete grey color. I think that color looks rad
Road Bull
Senior Member
Yeah, that's a good one. And they have an actual red that isn't maroon, that is a great looking red. Even the Orange isn't that bad. Maybe that orange is discontinued though... I don't seem to see it. We need to see that new cement color on a third gen.
At this point, I doubt that I would spend a lot of money on a new paint job, but I think doing a silver monstaliner would be bad ass. If I could get it to match millennium silver, I would strongly consider it.
MN4runnerman
Senior Member
At my work we tried tinting raptor liner(same thing) to see how close we could get to matching a GM Pewter color. If your doing the whole car it’d be ok but the metallic flake just doesn’t show up well in the texture. I think only solid colors work well when tinting that stuff. I’ll have to try it out though since I haven’t done it that way yet.
Scramble
New member
Cement looks good sometimes, it depends on lighting. Sometimes it looks baby blue. Inferno I think was only available on TRD Pro's for a year or two. That's another color I dont think I could live with for a long time. The should make a 5th gen in the FJ Army Green. The Taco's & 5th Gens look good in Sand.
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Horsethief
New member
It's funny, I came to the 3rd gen board from the 5th gen board, and got to the 5th gen board after spending some time on Tacoma World.
Thought I wanted a new Taco TRD OR, but reading about all the complaints about them turned me off. Plus, I don't really need a pickup, I don't do truck stuff other than haul mountainbikes and a hitch rack is aces for that.
Previously was strongly considering a Wrangler JKU, till the JL came out. JL is much nicer, but even more $$. And I'm not crazy, no way would I purchase a 1st year FCA product. (Was going back and forth between JKU and Taco, my practical side was edging toward the Taco)
A few of the Taco guys had suggested the 4R, but I really wasn't into the looks of the 5th gen. That thing has a face only a mother could love. At the time I wanted to purchase a vehicle within a few years old, so that meant 5th gen.
A friend of mine has been dreaming of a 4th gen 4R for years, after her going on and on about them, I started to look into them. Turns out they check pretty much all the boxes I was looking for, and that roll down hatch window is awesome! I started looking at reviews and videos of the 5th gen and grew to like them. I actually now think they look pretty good from the side and 3/4 rear view, especially with a mild lift and a slightly larger tire. Still not a fan of the front, but whatever.
I have my eye on one at a dealer semi-locally, but over the past week have started to think about older ones. I don't like the 4th gen, AT ALL, other than the V8 option was cool. A coworker of mine has a really nice looking '00, that looks damn near new. She still has less than 100k on it, too. Unfortunately it's got some frame rot, and she's not sure what to do with it.
Anyway, since I always liked the looks of them, and would rather not have a 4-500 car payment, I've decided to try to find a clean 3rd gen. Recently learning that they could be had with a factory rear locker sweetened the deal (but will make finding one harder, I'm sure).
Plans would be to have it share DD duties with my '07 XC70 with 200k miles, and also a mild trail/overlanding style rig for my mountainbike trips. I know the 5th gen would excel at that too, but would I want to risk denting or scratching it offroad? Prob not.
Also, while I haven't driven one yet, we had a '01 Tacoma rental in Moab last year and I really liked driving it. It actually drove better than the 2.5" lifted 2door JK Rubicon with 4k miles on it that I had rented for a day. That Rubi was KILLER on the trails though.
Everything I read about the 3rd gen points to it being bulletproof, while I'm reading a lot of grumblings about more recent Toyota vehicles being not as solid.
Seems like the 3rd gen might be a good fit.
Thought I wanted a new Taco TRD OR, but reading about all the complaints about them turned me off. Plus, I don't really need a pickup, I don't do truck stuff other than haul mountainbikes and a hitch rack is aces for that.
Previously was strongly considering a Wrangler JKU, till the JL came out. JL is much nicer, but even more $$. And I'm not crazy, no way would I purchase a 1st year FCA product. (Was going back and forth between JKU and Taco, my practical side was edging toward the Taco)
A few of the Taco guys had suggested the 4R, but I really wasn't into the looks of the 5th gen. That thing has a face only a mother could love. At the time I wanted to purchase a vehicle within a few years old, so that meant 5th gen.
A friend of mine has been dreaming of a 4th gen 4R for years, after her going on and on about them, I started to look into them. Turns out they check pretty much all the boxes I was looking for, and that roll down hatch window is awesome! I started looking at reviews and videos of the 5th gen and grew to like them. I actually now think they look pretty good from the side and 3/4 rear view, especially with a mild lift and a slightly larger tire. Still not a fan of the front, but whatever.
I have my eye on one at a dealer semi-locally, but over the past week have started to think about older ones. I don't like the 4th gen, AT ALL, other than the V8 option was cool. A coworker of mine has a really nice looking '00, that looks damn near new. She still has less than 100k on it, too. Unfortunately it's got some frame rot, and she's not sure what to do with it.
Anyway, since I always liked the looks of them, and would rather not have a 4-500 car payment, I've decided to try to find a clean 3rd gen. Recently learning that they could be had with a factory rear locker sweetened the deal (but will make finding one harder, I'm sure).
Plans would be to have it share DD duties with my '07 XC70 with 200k miles, and also a mild trail/overlanding style rig for my mountainbike trips. I know the 5th gen would excel at that too, but would I want to risk denting or scratching it offroad? Prob not.
Also, while I haven't driven one yet, we had a '01 Tacoma rental in Moab last year and I really liked driving it. It actually drove better than the 2.5" lifted 2door JK Rubicon with 4k miles on it that I had rented for a day. That Rubi was KILLER on the trails though.
Everything I read about the 3rd gen points to it being bulletproof, while I'm reading a lot of grumblings about more recent Toyota vehicles being not as solid.
Seems like the 3rd gen might be a good fit.
2ndhandyotaman
Member
I'm enjoying this thread. I was looking at 4th gens after I sold the '01 SR5, I wanted a bit more room inside. After driving a few I realized that the only way I'd comfortably fit inside of a 4th Gen was to find one w/o a sunroof. I never did find one and I ran across the '99 Limited that I now have.
I liked the power from the 4.0 V6 and I did test drive one with the V8, that put a smile on my face! I never liked the dial activated t-case and the placement of the window controls on the drivers door was awkward to me. Also the height of the window opening didn't allow me to have my arm out of the window while driving (maybe it's silly to most, but I enjoy having my arm out of the window/resting on top of the door when driving with the windows down)
All of that being said, if I ran across a non-sunroof SR5 that was in good shape and the right deal, I'd be over it in a heartbeat. I like my 3rd gen but I could never see me using it as a DD, I could see me having a 4th gen as a DD.
I liked the power from the 4.0 V6 and I did test drive one with the V8, that put a smile on my face! I never liked the dial activated t-case and the placement of the window controls on the drivers door was awkward to me. Also the height of the window opening didn't allow me to have my arm out of the window while driving (maybe it's silly to most, but I enjoy having my arm out of the window/resting on top of the door when driving with the windows down)
All of that being said, if I ran across a non-sunroof SR5 that was in good shape and the right deal, I'd be over it in a heartbeat. I like my 3rd gen but I could never see me using it as a DD, I could see me having a 4th gen as a DD.
Scramble
New member
It's not silly, I love my 09 Accord Coupe DD but I cant rest my arm out the window either!
It's going to take you some time to find a nice 3rd gen in the NE thats not rusted out. I just got this one from a lot in CT but it lived it's live in TN. They're out there but it will take time & luck. You would probably be better off looking South or West for one & driving or shipping it back.
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Horsethief
New member
Yeah, my work is cut out for me. I got rid of my '97 Grand Cherokee 5 years ago because it was rusting out. I must be crazy wanting to find another vehicle the same year 5 years later, haha.
You didn't get that LTD from GoMotorsUSA (or something like that). I've found some listings by them on the CT Craigslist, and they look NICE. It seems like they get the good ones from around the country.
Unless I get lucky on my own, I figure I'll have the best luck getting one through them. The ones listed on their site seemed to have gone QUICK, so I'll have to keep an eye out and be ready to jump.
Scramble
New member
No, it was on Cars.com. Massimero Motors or similar. They get nice cars from auctions. Great people, no stupid fee's. Middletown, CT.
Horsethief
New member
Oh great, I'll have to look them up. It's funny, I LIVED on cars dot com when I was looking at Jeeps and 5th gens, but didn't even think of looking there for 3rd gens. I figured CL was more the place to go for something this old.
Just did a quick search, and I found two within 300 miles that have the rear locker. A '98 with 199k for 3,999, and a '00 with 130k for 6,999. 7k is a little steep;, and I was thinking somewhere between the 2 mileage-wise. Like a 150ishk for 4500ish.
Scramble
New member
130K on E-bay goes for 10K LOL I'd def look at it if it has a locker. Get the Carfax & see where it lived. Offer 6 & get it for 6.5.
Scramble
New member
My neighbor was selling a Black 98 SR5 w/218K for $3800 last May. I drove past it a few times but I'm really a fan of 99-00's. Then he dropped the price to $2800 & I had to stop. First thing I looked at was the frame & it had no rust! I said dude? Where's the rust? LOL He was the second owner & only had it for 7k miles. The old man he bought it from never took it out in the winter so it was in great condition. I passed on it because I needed the money to fix up my garage. Plus it wasn't a manual, locked or S/C. I was kicking myself in the ass for the past 6 months. I should have flipped it. But I'm happy with my 99 locked Limited, much better truck, even at double the price.
Starting off saying hello my name is Von and I have a 4Runner problem Currently have a 97 SR5, 05 SE V8 and 2017 TRD OR. My daily is the 05. Having the luck to instantly experience all three I hands down recommend the 4th gen. Stock they look pretty meh, however a minor lift, nice black offset wheels and it really changes the meh to badass. I'm in the 5th gen love the look camp but the 4th is just more comfortable. Plus there is no comparison on the V6-V8. Down low torque is what makes that V8 great. I honestly would be happy with only having a choice of only one them but......prefer the 4th. Anyways that's my opinion...
With that said my opinion doesn't count cause I even love the rusty ones!
Oh and you can never go wrong with silver haha
With that said my opinion doesn't count cause I even love the rusty ones!
Oh and you can never go wrong with silver haha
marcus clarkus
New member
We have at least six 4runners at my office, plus a ton of Tacomas and a Pick-up. This parking job was not planned haha
My coworker's 2nd gen looks the best imo... and now that he has a 5VZ in it I'm getting a little jealous...
My coworker's 2nd gen looks the best imo... and now that he has a 5VZ in it I'm getting a little jealous...
1985taylor1925
Senior Member
Agreed. 4th gens can look really nice if they’re set up right. And that 4.7 is just amazing. The first time I drove my brothers 03 after he bought it with 161k miles I was speechless at how smooth that engine is. AND it can be supercharged!
I was never really a fan of red until I started noticing red 4runners (all generations look good red), and red tacos. And now my dream truck is a red 97 fzj80. with a 4.7 transplant of course
AntleredRuin
New member
Is it just me, or does the cargo area on the 3rd gen look larger?
It looks a bit longer (not just the window) and more squared off at the top (=more square footage to pack stuff in).
I know 4Runners aren't designed around being haulers, but that's just weird. They make the 5th gen overall bigger, and add 3rd row seating, but make the actual storage area smaller?
I don't doubt the internal panels are larger too, which just eats into the internal area as well.
It looks a bit longer (not just the window) and more squared off at the top (=more square footage to pack stuff in).
I know 4Runners aren't designed around being haulers, but that's just weird. They make the 5th gen overall bigger, and add 3rd row seating, but make the actual storage area smaller?
I don't doubt the internal panels are larger too, which just eats into the internal area as well.
