Golden Age of 3rd Gens Ending

[gamefreakgc]

I've been noticing in the past couple of years there's more and more 3rd Gens at the end of the road. The 5VZ-FE engine has been touted as near indestructible (much like the 22-R and 22-RE in Toyotas of old) but I'm starting to see a shift.

There's more and more 3rd Gens hitting the junkyards and pick-n-pull yards around here and at the Rancho Cordova yards (it's one of the major hubs for used parts in California and beyond) and not because they were in a wreck. Previously these were always snatched up at auctions or dismantlers who knew that even though the body was wrecked the engine & interior had a lot of value. Now I'm seeing perfectly straight bodied 4Runners with blown engines coming into the pick-n-pull yards since dismantlers aren't buying them as much. Craigslist is getting flooded with non-running 4Runners that were well maintained but have reached their end and the prices on these "repairables" has dropped as well.

Is the age of the 3rd Gen being the most reliable and longest lasting generation coming to an end? Even our own forums here are being filled more and more with engine rebuild and engine replacement threads due to major engine failures or head gaskets failing which previously had been a rare issue on a well maintained 4Runner. Personally, I've already committed to mine with an engine swap so I'm keeping mine for a long time.

 

[Jidaran]

I know when I got mine and realized how much I loved I was immediately struck with anxiety... what I am going to do when it's time to replace it? Will there still be low mileage (<200k) trucks available at reasonable prices? Likely not.

I almost want to buy my next 3rd Gen right now and just lock it in a garage or something. Plus a parts truck too while I'm at it. Like in high school when you realized the party was running out of beer so you stashed a few away for later...

I figure I'll have to make the shift to the 4th Gen eventually, but I hate the styling, especially the interior. Not to mention all the additional electronic doodads.

 

[weekendclimber]

Here's to hoping this ushers in a new era of 2JZ swaps!! :trophy: Can't wait for the Timmy the Toolman video on how to do that!!

 

[19963.4lsr5]

I’m my area only 96 and 97’s have I found in “You Pull It” yards. In every case so far it was the rear suspension had rusted off.

I told my soon to be wife that it’s time to walk the two yards again and see if anything shown up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mtbtim]

You make a good observation Jerod but we're going to see 3rd Gens on the road in big numbers for a long time to come, especially in most of California where they're not getting all rusted to hell from salting the roadways. Toyota sold over 700,000 of them so they're nowhere near in short supply quite yet.

Every freaking day I drive around the San Jose area, I'll see several 3rd Gens on the road. The type of people letting them go to the junk yards are the people who don't turn wrenches but hopefully lots of them are being saved by guys who see the value and pick them up with plans of fixing them. But, all of us love finding a 3rd Gen show up at our local PickNPulls so we can go and rape it of useful parts. So, the fact that some people are letting them go to the graveyard is actually a good thing for us that love them.

It's my theory that as time goes on and these rigs change hands for the second, third, fourth, or more times, the people that buy them are most likely going to be the ones willing to turn a wrench and they will take care of them.

Our rigs are far from classic status but they are getting there. My 85 4runner is definitely a classic and I rarely see another 1st Gen on the road in my area. They are getting rarer and rarer to find.

Anyway, that's my two cents on this conversation. Thanks for starting it Jerod. I'm interested in other people's thoughts on this topic.

 

[TonyB66]

Here's to hoping this ushers in a new era of 2JZ swaps!! :trophy: Can't wait for the Timmy the Toolman video on how to do that!!

Like your thinking...

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/2750631-post39.html

 

[T4R2014]

Maybe in California. Nothing new out east. The really ugly ones get junked and the really nice ones aren't cheap. The trail rig phase is over for these and only the nice ones will remain. A lot of the major export destinations for these have tightened age limits and now 4th gens are in demand to export.

 

[Tommy854runner]

I've also noticed the same thing. I'm on my 7th 4runner(2nd 3rd gen) and craigslist and facebook marketplace are saturated with parts trucks and junkers. I'd love to post up some questions but I'm not allowed to yet.... :nono:

 

[UnderFire]

We're quickly approaching the point where most 4Runners that have served daily driver duty since new will be getting up there in mileage. It's stated that 10k miles a year is on the low end of the spectrum for a vehicle that is a sole daily driver. That means that later this year when the first of the 3rd gens hit 25 years old (yes, that's right 25 years old this year.) it is perfectly reasonable that any given 96 4Runner should have around 250k miles if it's been on the road its whole life.

Couple that with normal wear and tear, major mechanical breakdowns, aging interior and exteriors, and rust issues in parts of the country and its obvious. We only have a matter of time around 10 years or so where the vast majority of 3rd gen 4Runners seen on the road are driven solely by people who would be considered "enthusiasts", the average population will have moved on to newer models. Think about how many 80's Toyota 4x4s you see driven on the street and who owns them, our story will be similar.

Sent from my JSN-L23 using Tapatalk

 

[brillo_76]

Around my area they are almost all gone. Most were junked because of rotted frames. I rarely see one around the area at all now.

I would say the 3rd gens peaked out about 5 years ago.

All the 80's trucks are gone too. Almost all the 90s are as well.

Except for the ones that were saved and protected.

The rust got them all here as the rust belt is extremely hard on the vehicles.

We will see the prices drop for the junkers as areas of the country will be flooded with them.

However, the maintained and rebuilt ones will hold there values now as lots of people really like the 4 runner rides.

Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk

 

[phattyduck]

Like your thinking...

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/2750631-post39.html

Thanks for linking to my post! :biggrin1:

2jz's aren't getting any more available either.

BUT, I still have an '89 Camry happily up and running, so it can be done if you keep up the maintenance and general care.

-Charlie

 

[RandyBobandy]

Ive been looking for a junk 5 speed for a swap for a while now and even with a totally destroyed frame anything under $2000 is gone within a day or 2, however the ones I look at usually still run even with 300k+ miles.

I see maybe one 3rd gen every two weeks on the road, 4th and 5th gens however are everywhere, and tons of tacomas of all gens.

 

[brillo_76]

Thanks for linking to my post! :biggrin1:



2jz's aren't getting any more available either.



BUT, I still have an '89 Camry happily up and running, so it can be done if you keep up the maintenance and general care.



-Charlie

I lost my 1991 Camry in 2015 to a car accident..

Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk

 

[TRAILBUS]

These trucks are getting pretty old at this point. Not many vehicles make it this long anymore. As reliable as the 3rd gens are, everything breaks eventually! I'm hoping i get 10 more years out of mine, but i'm sure somewhere along the way its gonna need something major. Fingers crossed!

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

I would tend to agree with the OP. I thought my truck was indestructible. I took excellent care of it. Reading all the stories of trucks hitting 300K+ (mine had 215K) Ran like a top. Finally got it the way I liked it with the cherry on top - an OEM hood scooped hood all painted - and was just enjoying it and not really spending any money on it for almost a year then that all went down the drain when I threw a rod about 2 months ago. Now it sits in my driveway with a tarp on it awaiting a motor then I'm going to sell it. Bought a 2019 Tacoma TRD Sport with 8000 miles on it the same day my truck took a shit. And although I love the Tacoma, that 4Runner holds a special place in my heart. It WILL NOT end up in a junk yard or part out. It will be a sad day when I finally sell it. Someone's going to get a GREAT truck! Sniff

 

[Pappy Jon]

Back in the day I would walk the local u-pull and they would have several Gen1 4Runners. Now, not so much, if at all. Shoot, it's getting hard to find anything with a 22RE under the hood, where before they were a dime a dozen. They have attrition out.

But, back on topic … my local u-pull has no Gen1 4Runners (they just scrapped two), two Gen2's (both V6), five Gen3, and Gen4 4Runners are starting to appear (currently one). Right now, if you were looking for a donor 5VZFE they are always available for the pickin's. Want a donor 3RZ? Good luck. In the last 3-4 years I've only seen two at the u-pull, and both were in the last two months.

 

[TheSaturnV]

My 2000 LTD has just about 160k miles and I recently started putting it through a refurbish after owning it for many years. A very well cared for rig, but it had a number of things piling up including a stuck moonroof, non-working back window and the suspension had sagged down into that 4runner station wagon look of shame.

Did a complete overhaul of the suspension including LBJ and UBJ, springs, the works. Nothing off-road crazy, just a mild 3" lift. Just the parts alone were $1200 and I did the labor myself. I can see how a typical used "car" owner would just not be able to justify the cost of having a shop fix just the items I've listed here, and so begins the spiral down towards a wrecking yard.

Glad so many of us on here are invested in these terrific trucks.

 

[rallypoint_1]

I have to agree with Tim. Here in Southern California 3rd gens are everywhere. Mostly 2wd but still has a strong ownership. I think average people know how well made these trucks are and don’t care how much gas these guzzle. Most of the trucks are non-modded. Used as a grocery, Home Depot or kid hauler. But there are a bunch.

As for Classic?? I would use the term “Neo Classic” The oldest 3rd gen is already 24 years old!!!

 

[Ed_C]

Here's to hoping this ushers in a new era of 2JZ swaps!! :trophy: Can't wait for the Timmy the Toolman video on how to do that!!

I've seen a pretty detailed thread about 2JZ swap into a 1st-gen Tacoma 4WD, and a manual trans too! Unlike a 2UZ swap there's no need for a body lift, but like the 2UZ you'll need custom mounts/move the trans crossmember back/shorten rear driveshaft/lengthen front driveshaft.

Update - found the thread 2JZGTE Swap in 1998 4x4 V6 5 Speed Tacoma | Supra Forums

 

[Bumbo]

It’s the natural progression of things…

On the plus side… More junk yard parts means lower costs (hopefully), more availability, and opportunity for the 3rd gen enthusiasts to keep their rigs running.