Beautiful 99 but...

[mbcdef]

So there's a good amount of discussion regarding how many miles is too many for your comfort to purchase vs racking them under your own watch and want to add this one i saw today into the mix.

99 SR5 with approximately 220k on it. It's the 2nd owner who's had it since 80k. It seems he has most of the service records or at least has them organized in some varying spreadsheets. It had the timing belt and water pump replaced at 170k. Still verifying a few other of the "major" items but seem to have been done, just validating when.

Here's what it looked like today:

Some of the cons I know of:

Antenna broken
Rear windshield wiper broken
Gas gauge doesn't work
One of the running board caps missing

I still need to pop the hood and look at a few things and drive it. He's asking $5000 OBO but am guessing he'd take something more in line with KBB based on a few conversations with him.

KBB shows around $3100 if you choose Very Good as the condition.

Initial thoughts from the group? Is 220k just too much to be comfortable with? It will be my daughters daily driver for her senior year of HS, dance classes, part time job, etc... with each of these no more than 5 miles from our home via non highway routes.

As always, thanks in advance.

Chris

 

[Hepar]

Based on the pics, it looks to be in really good shape with little to no rust. I'd say it would be a great car for a HS student. I would love to have it if I were in her shoes! Swap out the LBJ's for a little extra reassurance and you should be good to go!

Not having 4wd will save you maintenance. Just make sure the tranny is in good shape. That would probably be the most major cost outside of your engine.

 

[BrianSD_42]

He's asking $5000 OBO but am guessing he'd take something more in line with KBB based on a few conversations with him.

KBB shows around $3100 if you choose Very Good as the condition.

This is the problem.


If you pay < than KBB say $2800 or even $3000 then it is a fair deal. If you pay $5000 then you are getting ripped off.

I always say buy as low miles as possible, especially since most people on this forum, especially those scoping the forum before they even have a truck are more than willing to pay over KBB (get ripped off) .... BUT if you pay the fair value and set aside a couple of grand for repairs or even a new engine then it is worth it.

If you can pick that up for $3k then I say drive it till it dies and then do an engine swap with a lower mileage engine. You can find V6 engine for $1500 across America.

So down the road expect to spend:
$750-$1000 for a full suspension
$600 for a steering rack
$400 for Tundra brakes upgrade or just complete new OEM brake system
$300+ for LBJs
$750 for new tires
$1500 + for an engine when that one goes.

I think it is a great truck for the cash if you can buy it cheap. But I wouldn't count on going to 300k miles without doing the parts swaps / maintenance listed above. Those are only the big ticket items of course. I didn't list things like plugs or IAC or muffler or sway bar links etc etc.

 

[GSPRunner]

Looks well taken care of, but yeah 5 grand is way too much for 2wd and 220k though. I wouldn't be afraid of the 220k though if he has a good amount of records on the rig. Mine has 210k now and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it anywhere.

 

[mbcdef]

Agreed, have no intentions of purchasing for $5k. Would hope for 2500 - 3000 and set aside 2k for maintenance.

Now to go drive it and look under the hood.

Chris

 

[Doc2012]

This is the problem.


If you pay < than KBB say $2800 or even $3000 then it is a fair deal. If you pay $5000 then you are getting ripped off.

I always say buy as low miles as possible, especially since most people on this forum, especially those scoping the forum before they even have a truck are more than willing to pay over KBB (get ripped off) .... BUT if you pay the fair value and set aside a couple of grand for repairs or even a new engine then it is worth it.

If you can pick that up for $3k then I say drive it till it dies and then do an engine swap with a lower mileage engine. You can find V6 engine for $1500 across America.

So down the road expect to spend:
$750-$1000 for a full suspension
$600 for a steering rack
$400 for Tundra brakes upgrade or just complete new OEM brake system
$300+ for LBJs
$750 for new tires
$1500 + for an engine when that one goes.

I think it is a great truck for the cash if you can buy it cheap. But I wouldn't count on going to 300k miles without doing the parts swaps / maintenance listed above. Those are only the big ticket items of course. I didn't list things like plugs or IAC or muffler or sway bar links etc etc.

When the engine dies? WTF man?!?!?!

IT'S A FREAKING TOYOTA! That engine, as long as properly maintained, will last another 300k.

 

[Hepar]

When the engine dies? WTF man?!?!?!

IT'S A FREAKING TOYOTA! That engine, as long as properly maintained, will last another 300k.

You're definitely right that it can when properly maintained, but since he's potentially buying one with 200k already on it, I'd say it's a good idea to assume the worst considering you don't know exactly how well it was maintained.

 

[mbcdef]

Put the VIN into the Toyota owners site and found some of the records from a local Toyota shop that match what the owner has sent me thus far for repairs for the past 3 years.

Biggest items on there serviced by a Toyota dealer are rear drive shaft replaced at 206k and at 177k had timing belt, water pump, all other drive belts, spark plugs, cables replaced. Everything else since 2010 on the history is oil/filter and 21 point services kind of stuff.

Looks like it hasn't been back to a Toyota dealer since May of 2012.

This also has a K&N air filter which I know nothing about but from some reading sounds like a good move.

A mechanic I like that has done some money saving work on my 98 Subaru loves working on 4Runners and said he'd be glad to do an engine inspection for me very reasonably.

Thanks for the input so far.

Chris

 

[txbonds]

For comparison I paid $2500 recently for a similar nice quality 97 limited 4x4 with elocker and 187k miles. Kbb on mine was 3200. I think you can do better on price as mentioned above.

 

[BlackCat914]

Agreed, have no intentions of purchasing for $5k. Would hope for 2500 - 3000 and set aside 2k for maintenance.

Now to go drive it and look under the hood.

Chris

That sounds perfect.

 

[Ol'Blue]

I agree with Brian,

I think if you can get it for 3k or less and then you will have some money set aside for anything that comes up you will be doing well. I love this color also and you do not see to many of them and it being an SR% with leather is nice too. You might put some money in this truck down the road but it will last your daughter through college and then some if she take care of it. There are guys with 500k on there 4runners on here and still going strong. It is all in the maint, like anything else, you take care of it, it takes care of you.

As far as end caps and what not this is a great place to find parts also. I know I have helped guys find stuff and shipped stuff all over the place for people here.

Blue

 

[4Runner4TW]

If you do buy it, my advice would be do a Taco Whip Mod or something similar to fix the broken antenna. I had 2 problems with my electric antenna on mine and decided just to replace it with the fixed mast type. Other than that it looks really clean!

 

[mbcdef]

So finally got to drive it around today and take to mechanic. It checked out really well and drove excellent. Only mechanical item for now is it needs new valve cover gaskets.

Other items though: broken antenna, broken rear windshield wiper, non functioning gas gauge, non functioning power driver seat, and the rear passenger door at lower bottom has been damaged and repaired at some point in . Looks to have been backed into in a parking lot. Good repair job, but repaired none the less.

There were a few cosmetic items inside but really overall in good interior shape.

Unfortunately he says he won't take less than $4200 but i know he's tried to sell this off and on for a year now so I had to walk away.

KBB for this one shows $3183. Further thoughts from the more seasoned crowd here?

thanks,
chris

 

[JWaldz]

Despite the fact that it looks to be amazingly clean (my fav. color btw) and you said it runs great.. He is never going to get that price for it. If they do, then the buyer is getting ripped off big time.

 

[mbcdef]

Agreed. He says he had someone offer the $4200 last night but who knows really. I just shot him a note with mechanics quote to fix some of the items plus the list of smaller concerns and the current blue book value and told him if he had an offer for $4200 he should call them back and take it. No hard feelings on my part.

We'll see. I really did like it though and love the color too.

 

[BlackCat914]

Agreed. He says he had someone offer the $4200 last night but who knows really. I just shot him a note with mechanics quote to fix some of the items plus the list of smaller concerns and the current blue book value and told him if he had an offer for $4200 he should call them back and take it. No hard feelings on my part.

We'll see. I really did like it though and love the color too.

good on your part. I know it's hard to walk away from a car you like.

 

[mbcdef]

good on your part. I know it's hard to walk away from a car you like.

Yeah, sucks. The market here in Birmingham is a tough one for a $5k and under budget. These things are a hot commodity around here and quite frankly most folks simply pay too much for them without even really checking them out. Generally the ones that go up for sale have 250k mile and up on them without decent service records.

Will keep hunting but an wearing down a bit.

 

[BlackCat914]

Yeah, sucks. The market here in Birmingham is a tough one for a $5k and under budget. These things are a hot commodity around here and quite frankly most folks simply pay too much for them without even really checking them out. Generally the ones that go up for sale have 250k mile and up on them without decent service records.

Will keep hunting but an wearing down a bit.

They're a hot commodity everywhere, and sellers seem to know that. Unfortunately, a 5k budget isn't much for a nice 3rd gen.

 

[tek9]

damn. that would probably sell for almost double the price here in PNW.

 

[mbcdef]

damn. that would probably sell for almost double the price here in PNW.

So does real estate and about everything else in comparison to Alabama.