94 SR5 with only 88k.... Need help

B

buddydog

New member
I am going to look at a 94 SR5 with 86k, has 3.0 v6. What i know already, some rust in usual spots, needs new muffler/ tailpipe. its been driven by an older adult and has had 1 owner.

The owner is from my same town so i do trust what has been told to me so far. assuming this is all true and the truck checks out.......

The truck is 20 years old. Am i really benefiting on the low mileage?

I am new to 4runners, have always wanted one and am going to buy a used one sometime soon. my budget is 10-12 thousand very tops.

From all your experience would I be better off buying somthing like the 94 with 88k and having money for repairs/upgrades or

spend 8k and have some money and a slightly newer version with higher miles.

or try to find the best newest/lowest miles 4runner with the money i can buy and that way have more time until repairs and will be hitting me.

I know these are broad questions and any situation is different but any general advice would help.

also any years or different models i should or shouldn't be looking for?


ive done research but nothing beats the advice of real people with real experiences..


thank you so much

Andrew
 
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If you can look at service records. Many will tell you the mileage at the service date just to make sure it's not rolled back. And see if head gaskets have been replaced if they haven't your in luck. If you buy it and it goes you can take it to the dealership and they will warranty the recall still. Good luck. How much are they asking if its any of my business
 
541joseph said:
If you can look at service records. Many will tell you the mileage at the service date just to make sure it's not rolled back. And see if head gaskets have been replaced if they haven't your in luck. If you buy it and it goes you can take it to the dealership and they will warranty the recall still. Good luck. How much are they asking if its any of my business
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[MENTION=105296]buddydog[/MENTION] what is written here about the head gasket may not be the case. If you are concerned about the 3.0 head gasket recall, you would want to check with Toyota prior to buying it to see if it is even eligible. They check it with the VIN and not all 3.0s are eligible for the head gasket recall. There is a web site and a 1-800 that you can call. Just Google Toyota head gasket recall and so some homework here.

I would take a look at the cooling and vacuum hoses and other items that tend to wear out with time. These items are not worn out by miles but more by time. Being that it is 20 years old these may still be needing attention. It would not be a deal breaker for me, as they are easily replaced, but I wouldn't pay crazy money for a 20 year old truck just because the miles where low. Especially since you mentioned rust in the usual places. How bad is the rust? It would have to be the one I wanted and have been properly maintained.

With the budget you mentioned, there are a lot of options. You could get anything from a nicely built 1st or 2nd Gen, a nice low mile stock 3rd Gen or a 4th Gen with a little higher mileage. What are you going to be using the 4Runner for? Daily driving? Light Trails/Camping? Are you going to build it up as a rock crawler?

Post up some pictures and let's see what the group thinks.
 
buddydog said:
The truck is 20 years old. Am i really benefiting on the low mileage?
Click to expand...

Nope. A twenty year old truck is a twenty year old truck. You're not going to get away with just a couple oil changes a year if you drive it regular, whether is it's 500 miles or 500,000.
 
For me, I've kept with an older 4runner partly so I don't feel so bad if I head down a trail with brush scratching on both sides, or it gets bumped up in the snow. That said, mine is in good to great condition, and really looks good after a wash.

The timing belt is the thing that will set you back a bit. Having someone replace it (and water pump, tensioners, and other belts) will be $600-$800.

If they haven't been replaced, just due to time it's probably time for at least some of the suspension. And the starter is pretty common to need replacement, though I don't know if it's an age based thing or number of starts.

All that said, if it's been garaged and mostly taken care of, it's a good vehicle. It's not perfect, but just on a cost basis you can spend a little on parts or labor and still be ahead.

OTOH, if this is a daily driver, there are advantages of newer rigs, namely airbags and traction control. Either can save your life. I haven't had a major head on accident, and don't plan to. But I did fishtail 5 times before recovering, on a turn just before the top of our mountain pass, on a day when it was 4wd going in to work but clear (until this icy patch in the shade) coming home. AWD/full time 4wd, or traction control, likely would have avoided it.

Good luck
 
"Rust in the usual spots" will mean welding and body work if you want a mint ride. Rust doesn't fix itself and will continue to corrode the car. You'll want to make sure it's not rusty underneath, and that the undercarriage elements are basically sound. Have a mechanic look at it, but pictures would sure help.

Good luck with it.
 
I bought the truck this morning. Had my mechanic look it over and he was impressed at the shape it was in and updated belts, hoses , tires... As of now it will be used as a part time daily driver assuming the old pontiac gtp keeps running. I paid 3k, from all the comparisons i have seen over the last month this truck is up there in terms of how well it has been maintained, miles, price ect... The seller owns 3 other trucks which all looked to be very well maintained and cared for.

After thinking it over I wasnt ready or really in the position to spend 9-10-11-12 thousand.. That left me right where I didnt want to be. The 6-8 range. there are def some great trucks out there in that range but as someone who is not as familiar and not looking for anything more then what i got today, i felt it was better risk/reward going with this truck. Time will tell..

Thank you all for your comments/suggestions and will be looking forward to pickin your brains some more. Will post pics soon.
 
I'm jealous. My neighbor has an '87 sitting there taunting me. Wifey is not onboard, thinks it's a hunk of junk and will be a money pit. I want it to bring up north where I work, I think it would be a great vehicle for messing around and making grocery runs.

Look forward to seeing some pics.
 
Congrats. A 94 4Runner is far superior to a newer generation. Best IFS setup they have done (starting in 86 and continuing to your 94).

Mid 80s to the mid 90s = Golden Age of Toyota.

A 94 is worth putting money into.
 
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