Looking at a '95 - what should I look for?

[7x57]

New guy, here.

I've got a 17 year old son who'll be needing (or at least begging for) wheels in the next few months. Given Toyota's reputation, and having 3 newer Corollas in the family, I took notice of a 4Runner for sale up the street.

Though the paint is a bit faded, the body looks good: some rust on the bumper, but none on the rest of the truck. This is a '95, 3.0 V6, 2WD, Auto.

I drove it today, & found the following:

* 152 K miles.
* Body is tight.
* Needs shocks.
* Brakes seem to do their thing pretty well.
* A quick look underneath shows no rust.
* Not too ridiculously slow from a dead stop, but passing at 65 mph aint gonna happen, especially if you're running the A/C.
* Driver's window is finicky about going up after it's been lowered.
* Oil was new & topped off, but there appeared to be leaking from the valve cover gasket on the driver's bank. Underneath, the whole left side of the block was covered with oil, as was the tranny, & there was smoke wafting from that side. There was a large oil spot where the car's been parked, & the spot is old, and is regularly receiving fresh oil from the motor.

What are the odds that this motor could be repaired for a reasonable cost? Would it be worthwhile to investigate swapping motors? What other parts of the truck ought I to look at?

FWIW, the owner threw out $3,200 as an asking price. I haven't even looked at KBB or Edmunds yet. I'll also peruse Craig's List to see what the asking prices are.

Any advice will be much appreciated.

7x57

 

[4runnin83]

The 2nd gens are very popular, I have a 93 v6 4x4 and I'll never get rid of it. They are well made trucks that if taken care of will last a very long time. The softspot of the engine is the headgasket. If you do purchase this for your son, STRESS to him the importance of watching the temp gauge, do not let her overheat. Keep an eye on coolant levels etc. You can get the vin and call toyota and ask if the recall was performed or not. With 150k miles I'd offer around 2400 at the highest, if the interior is 8/10 and the paint is 8/10. The engine is stuffed in the truck, and its a tight squeeze getting in there, so if you're going to do the valve cover yourself, make sure you have an entire day to get to it. If you're taking it somewhere, its going to be a 400 dollar job or so. Also, it is a non-interference engine, it has a timing belt, not a chain but if the belt breaks, theortetically it wont destroy the engine (of course this depends on speed, rpm etc at the time of break). Overall I think its a great vehicle for a young driver, it has steel bumpers, sits up fairly high, and is relatively cheap to work on should it need anything. Hope this helps a bit.


PS make sure you check if the rear window works. (You cant open the tailgate if the window doesn't roll all the way down)

 

[KidVermicious]

That owner is off his rocker. I wouldn't go over $1800 for a truck that needed that kind of engine work, especially a 2wd.

For what it's worth, I like the idea of a older 4Runner for your boy, but I'd keep looking. In most areas of the US you can find '86 to '95 4wd/manual 4runners in sound mechanical condition for well under $2500. Personally I'd suggest a 1st gen with the removable top, but I may be biased.