Looking at 3rd Gen

If the mechanic does indeed specialize in Runners, then I guess take his word for it. I don't agree though that you can't find one in your price range. As you said, look for lower miles, solid drivetrain and know that the rest is either cosmetic or easily repaired. Bad tires, brakes, bushings, shocks/struts, interior, paint, etc. are all easily overcome yet lower the asking price.

I'm sure you've seen them, but here are some listings I found on searchtempest (yes, prices are high on some, just to get a feel for what's out there) :

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4569452069.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4569171633.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4569300889.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4569145240.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4568858194.html
http://boulder.craigslist.org/cto/4569499986.html
http://boulder.craigslist.org/cto/4565764894.html
http://cosprings.craigslist.org/cto/4557824299.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4567344257.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4569370416.html
 
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tre9er said:
If the mechanic does indeed specialize in Runners, then I guess take his word for it. I don't agree though that you can't find one in your price range. As you said, look for lower miles, solid drivetrain and know that the rest is either cosmetic or easily repaired. Bad tires, brakes, bushings, shocks/struts, interior, paint, etc. are all easily overcome yet lower the asking price.

I'm sure you've seen them, but here are some listings I found on searchtempest (yes, prices are high on some, just to get a feel for what's out there) :

2001 Toyota 4runner
1999 Toyota 4Runner
4RUNNER 1998
2002 Toyota 4runner
2001 Toyota 4Runner SR5
TOYOTA 4RUNNER
2001 Toyota 4runner limited
97 4Runner 150000 miles
97 4Runner SR5
Toyota 4 runner 02
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Thanks for all the links [MENTION=96546]tre9er[/MENTION]! I have seen a couple of them up, and this one https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4569300889.html is actually in my neighborhood (I recognize the houses behind it, lol). I'll probably check it out tonight. I wasn't too keen on the shop's thoughts on my search either. I kept reiterating that I don't necessarily care what it looks like, as long as the heart is strong. But they were certain (and that's why I brought it to a mechanic anyway) that the engine was a goner. I'm not fully set on these guys either, but they were recommended by family 4Runner owner.
[MENTION=89460]AirOlson[/MENTION], I do like the search too! But its when I have to blow money to find out it's a no go, that gets a little old :) This was only the first one though, I'll need to drive a bunch more I think :)
 
voldosm said:
The price seems too low to be coming from a dealer. KBB is apparenlty $6400 for this one... Miles are a little high, but they claim one owner:

Cars for Sale: 2002 Toyota 4Runner SR5 in Centennial, CO 80112: Sport Utility Details - 372367393 - AutoTrader.com
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It's missing the flares on the front bumper. Look for accident damage signs. Why would it have a non-flared front bumper unless it was replaced with a junkyard bumper. Perhaps a non-reported accident that's not on the carfax. Just check it out carefully.

Of course it DOES have a "recent oil change"...game changer there... :roll:
 
tre9er said:
It's missing the flares on the front bumper. Look for accident damage signs. Why would it have a non-flared front bumper unless it was replaced with a junkyard bumper. Perhaps a non-reported accident that's not on the carfax. Just check it out carefully.

Of course it DOES have a "recent oil change"...game changer there... :roll:
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$35 bucks is a game changer man! That, like, seals the deal! I'll be checking this one out though... It's too easy at the stealership (no idiot to hassle with a meeting point/time) and at the very least it gets me in another one to drive.

BTW, I subbed to your build thread now. Lots of progress lately on your '02!
 
voldosm said:
BTW, I subbed to your build thread now. Lots of progress lately on your '02!
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Sure, if by lately you mean in the last year, with a 11mo. hiatus! Wife was driving it mostly through last year and the winter/spring of this. Now that she has herself a car she likes that's capable in snow (forester), I can toy with the...ota?
 
tre9er said:
Sure, if by lately you mean in the last year, with a 11mo. hiatus! Wife was driving it mostly through last year and the winter/spring of this. Now that she has herself a car she likes that's capable in snow (forester), I can toy with the...ota?
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Haha, well it seemed like a lot of the brake stuff was recent. :)

So I'm called the dealer and the purple one is still there. Going to go look at it after work. A co-worker of mine says this particular dealer (Arapahoe Hyundai) actually will haggle with you some... I feel like if its all good mechanically and what not, and I can nab it under 5k OTD, that would be a pretty great deal, no?

Also, I should have it checked independently again, right? Can't trust the dealer?
 
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I wouldn't trust a cheap used-car dealer unless I knew the people personally. Just listen to the engine/trans closely, act like you are an expert and know exactly what you're doing. I walk in and start meticulously inspecting it without even talking to anyone. I give short answers and concentrate on inspection. Usually they figure you know your stuff and that puts you in a position of power up-front. If you can find a reputable mechanic nearby, I'd look into that, yes. Even though $5k isn't a ton of money, nobody wants a $5k boat-anchor in their driveway.
 
[MENTION=96546]tre9er[/MENTION]

Stealership wouldn't budge at all. Good looking truck, but had some pieces broken off, like the front bumper flares, rear driver flare, and the rear diffuser. Radiator was original too.
Ended up offering 5k OTD, but they never even moved their price. Said something about a guy in FL who was going to ship it out, which I smell total bullshit on. Walked out the door after talking with the sales manager. As I'm walking out the door they make up some bullshit about the transmission being replaced by the PO, with no documentation to back it up.

Hey, it was an experience though. And another Runner test driven.
 
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1blink said:
Watch it buddy
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Hahaha, I actually loved the color. Wife really wants a "purple" 4Runner. I don't have a lot of experience (only one other purchase) with dealerships, but I was still pretty shocked they wouldn't move at ALL. It might have been a little bit of a low offer from me, but I could see they weren't budging. Plus the crap of "dealer fees" and then tax on top of it and I could see I was not getting anywhere.
 
tre9er said:
So?????? :wtf:
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Yep to trying SearchTempest. It seems to ignore my price ranges though. I have a couple of saved CL searches as well that I can check quickly.

As far as the search goes, I'm going to check tomorrow night and call around Saturday morning to see if any are worth it. I got a little burned out with all the driving at the beginning of the week. Needed a little break from talking to the CL morons :) Gonna jump back in tomorrow though! Thanks [MENTION=96546]tre9er[/MENTION].
 
voldosm said:
So now that I've been looking for a little bit, I'm seeing a lot of the same ones being updated to lower prices. Mostly just the second gen runners
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There's a reason. The 3.slow is not a great power plant. Personally I decided to shy away from them. If you get lucky maybe you can find a 3.4 though
 
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