About to Purchase a 95 t4r 4wd 3.0

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NeemsT4R4x2

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IM I CRAZY?! About to Purchase a 95 t4r 4wd 3.0

Hey everyone,
This is my situation
Currently I am in a 06 t4r sport 4x2 that i love but i am currently paying a monthly note on it that is starting to be too much for my pocket book.
I found a Prestine 95 4runner 4wd SR5 with the 3.0 in it with extremely low miles. (under 80k). My notes would be cut more than half and i would be trading in my 06 :( for the 95.
I know its going to be a huge change stepping almost 10 years back into a 95 from a 06 but I need to know the things to look for when i got look at this 3rd gen 4 runner. It will be my daily driver for a while.
I also need some tips of what to keep up and/or change to keep this truck in good driving order.

Thanks so much!
-NeemsT4R4x2
 
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NeemsT4R4x2 said:
Hey everyone,
This is my situation
Currently I am in a 06 t4r sport 4x2 that i love but i am currently paying a monthly note on it that is starting to be too much for my pocket book.
I found a Prestine 95 4runner 4wd SR5 with the 3.0 in it with extremely low miles. (under 80k). My notes would be cut more than half and i would be trading in my 06 :( for the 95.
I know its going to be a huge change stepping almost 10 years back into a 95 from a 06 but I need to know the things to look for when i got look at this 3rd gen 4 runner. It will be my daily driver for a while.
I also need some tips of what to keep up and/or change to keep this truck in good driving order.

Thanks so much!
-NeemsT4R4x2
Click to expand...

Check to see if it's had the head gasket redone. That's the biggest thing to look out for in the 3.0. You can check with Toyota to see if it's had the recall done for that as well - could save yourself a lot of money that way. Head gasket job will run you $1500-$3000+ depending on how much of the engine you rebuild and where you get it done. With 80k miles, it's probably getting close to needing one.

Water pump and timing belt are another thing to check on. Again, at 80k you should be due for having those done and they'll be another $500-$1500.

Go to Toyota.com and find their owners section (it should be at the bottom of hte page). You can make an account and enter the VIN number to see if there are any open recalls and what service has been done at the dealer.

I don't really know how payment stuff works, but it seems to me that you shouldn't have to be making payments on a '95, especially if you're trading in an 06 for it. I bought mine for $3500.
 
Also, I'd recommend against an automatic. The 3.0 (aka 3.slow) isn't a particularly powerful engine, and the atuomatic that Toyota used on it saps a good chunk of the power.
 
Well
The one i am looking at is an automatic....
Its just this particular one looks almost mint.
68k on the odo and the back seats dont look sat in
and it is owned by an older couple that bought a 2011 saquoia lol
the motor is dry along with both diffs
no leaks that i can see.
when at idle you cant ever hear it.
but im looking to pull a boat with it also.
what would you think is a fair price to pay for something like this.....
 
Seriously....... look for a 96 or newer.
The 3.4/5vz-fe is a WAAAAYYYYY better engine than the 3.0/3vz-e.
 
How much do you still owe on the '06? From what I've seen, you should be able to get about $15-$20k for it, but that depends on your location.

Again, location dependent, but you can get a nice 3rd gen, which is a much better vehicle than the 2nd gen, for around $5k-$8k. I only ended up with a 2nd gen because $6000 seemed like the minimum for a decent 3rd gen in my area, and that was my absolute budget ceiling. I wouldn't have been able to afford any maintenance and repairs at all. There were occasional deals, but they were snapped up faster than I could get to them, and I didn't have the time to wait around for the perfect vehicle at the perfect price.

I wouldn't pay much more than $4500 for a automatic 2nd gen, even in that condition.

And at that mileage, I'd expect you to be coming up on some major ($$$) service soon unless they've already been done as preventative maintenance. Water pump/timing belt at ~90k, headgasket at 100k or sooner. Though if it hasn't been done yet, the headgasket should be able to be done under the recall.

My advice would be to hold off on this one and look for a 3rd gen. The '96-'98 models have been dropping pretty steadily in price.
 
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I have a 95 4runner now. definatly try to find out about the head gasket. i'm about to drop like 2k to have my h/g repaired. the 3.0 automatic is definatly a dog dont expect much in speed. on steep hills with pedal mashed to the floor , it is a dog. like someone else said if you can get a 96 or newer with the 3.4 much much better.
 
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I would seriously consider a 96 or newer expecially if your going to be hauling a boat with it.. the automatic 3.0 is not very powerful at all.. your right that really low miles and I can picture it having a great interior but if you want something a little more reliable and powerful to haul anything consider getting a 3rd gen 3.4 5vz-fe and try to sell your 06 on craigslist you will get more for it than a trade in..
 
My 3.0 V6 with 5-speed manual seems plenty powerful to me.. anyway:

The head gasket job on a Toyota 3.0-liter V6 is 11 hours = about $900 at most shops but I only paid $495

Head gasket (full set) ran me $207
Head (stretch) bolts were $60
Machine Shop for the heads $178

Normal estimated cost is: $1,350

I paid: $940

I saved myself $400 by going through the cheaper shop I went through, but I did not save myself from the head-ache of them screwing up my knock sensor and wire harness in the process.
 
SUBTEGRAL said:
My 3.0 V6 with 5-speed manual seems plenty powerful to me.. anyway:

The head gasket job on a Toyota 3.0-liter V6 is 11 hours = about $900 at most shops but I only paid $495

Head gasket (full set) ran me $207
Head (stretch) bolts were $60
Machine Shop for the heads $178

Normal estimated cost is: $1,350

I paid: $940

I saved myself $400 by going through the cheaper shop I went through, but I did not save myself from the head-ache of them screwing up my knock sensor and wire harness in the process.
Click to expand...
Damn you got that cheap.. I did all my work myself and paid $500 to have heads rebuilt on my 3.0 due to bent valves.. Paid $87 for head gasket kit with all the gaskets from the cylinder block and up.. paid $70 for water pump and thermostat.. belts were already replaced.. So by having the heads rebuilt and shaved and my self doing the job I paid $657 and about 15 hrs of my own time.. btw.. what did they do to your knock sensor?
 
Most likely didn't replace the knock sensor wire.
Pretty much anytime an older knock sensor wire ISN'T replaced, you get a check engine light.
When they are disturbed during the h/g job, they seem to short out or go open due to old crusty, hardened, wires.
In the valley is a pretty harsh environment.
 
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