Moral support -- is it time to move on?

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senor perfecto

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I love my 3rd gen. Black 2002 2WD Sport, hood scoop, sliding moonroof, towing package, roof rack and running boards, factory everything. California car, 2nd owner, zero rust. Body and interior in great shape. Even the A/C and antenna work!

BUT it just hit 210k. Needs TB and brakes, and now the CEL has come on, most likely due to the cat being blown. I'm good on inspections til January 2021, but after that it's repair the exhaust system or kiss it goodbye.

Could use shocks/struts too -- they are factory and swhile I don't really mind it much, the ride is a little rough.

I drive it 50mi r/t daily. Could honestly do the brakes and just ride out the rest, at least for another 16 months.

Is it time to sell and move on? Repair the Cat first? Or just drive her into the ground and take $500 for her and shed a bittersweet tear?
 
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Entirely personal decision.

From my perspective, I sold a solid, known quantity T100 that I'd owned for 17 years. Everyone who looked were wanting to replace one they sold... and 2 years later I bought my 99 4runner (wife wanted an SUV, not a truck). Meanwhile, we bought 2 new vehicles.... they suck. Beyond belief. One is bearable, but it's a base model cargo van.... the other one, a top spec Mazda, is just gut wrenching when we think about what we sold to buy it (first, and last, new car.. will NEVER do that again).

Brakes are cheap, timing belt too if you DIY... you'd be done with both for under a grand. Shocks/struts could be done for under $300 for decent quality. A direct-fit cat is under $300.... so you're talking about trashing a vehicle over 6~7 months worth of car payments. Unless there are Other fundamental flaws you didn't list, it makes way more money sense to fix the Very minor issues you have and keep on driving. Given basic care, you're probably only half way through the vehicles life... if not way less than that.
 
Move on? Hell nah you've still got at least 200k miles left if not more. Do her right, fix her up and carry on.
 
Brian. said:
Meanwhile, we bought 2 new vehicles.... they suck. Beyond belief.
Click to expand...

^Exactly^

Senor Perfecto, I am here to give you moral support! Unless you are talking about buying a new Taco or 4Runner and can afford $450-$700 a month for the next 5 to 7 years i wouldn't even think of trading your rig in for another used model. 4Runners are supper easy to work on and reliable. I say give her some love and keep her running.
 
Majority rules.......keep it and invest a bit of money and time and you will continue to have a great reliable 4Runner that you can easily have for many more years of trouble free ownership.
As Brian mentioned, not many new vehicles out there worth giving up a 3rd gen Runner for.
 
Sounds like minor issues to me, but anyone who owns a vehicle, any vehicle over 200k miles needs to either know how to wrench on it or have a close connection with somebody who does, otherwise you stand to pour money in.

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To point out the obvious....buying a new car today equivalent to what you got would probably tally up to over 40k.

So uh....yeah even 3k (crazy ballpark number) in repairs is cheap compared to 40k. And paying that 40k care note for a couple of years

It's just general maintenance of cars...treat it right, it will treat you right.

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You're just getting to the fun part! Now is when you become one with your ride man. I wouldn't let that thing go. There is a reason why so many people want 3rd Gens so bad...don't let it go! I never love a vehicle like I do once I get my hands dirty making it right.
 
I'll admit that I'm not too familiar with the later model CA smog 3rd gens, but how often are the CATs really "blown"? I've had my fair share of finicky German cars and they LOVE blaming the cat for everything. My understanding is that one shouldn't typically destroy a catalytic converter unless you have or had other major fueling/firing issues. I know it's a little more simplified on an older 96 like mine, but in 20 years, the only time my check engine light has come on was due to an o2 sensor. If I were you, I would start there before digging in and replacing a cat. I only had to replace mine because some dirtbag meth-head cut mine out...
 
Difficult decision. I have been in such a position despite the different cases
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Keep it, that is not super high miles for a 3rd gen runner or any Toyota for that matter. Most 90's and up cars of any make will give you 200k+ miles, so don't be afraid. Your T4R could probably fetch about $5-7000 if you sold it so it is ok to put money into it. Also remember that even if you are not mechanical and had to pay a shop $3000 to do all the repairs needed, that would be the equivalent of about half a year of car payments on a new one.
 
Automobiles, trucks especially, are extremely expensive these days. My friend just paid $72k for a brand new f250, that is with some serious cash back incentives.

Turn some wrenches and keep it. I still have my 99 with only 115k on it and plan to be buried in it.
 
First things first; I'm guessing if you're potentially willing to spend several hundred (like $500+) a month on a new truck you have enough money to reasonably fix this truck.
If you do all your own work, I honestly think you could be all in for around $1500 or less, including misc parts, fluids, etc. If you have a shop do it, it could be a few grand more.


Not sure of the exact pricing for the (2) cats for the Cali/Federal '02 model year, but the single Walker Directfit on my '99 was less than $200, and works great. Bolted right on, sounds great. I'd expect similar for the 2 cat setup.
But yeah, check the O2 sensors first. I'd recommend replacing them anyways if the cats really are dead. No sense in having old O2 sensors with new cats. That's just asking to kill the new cats quicker.

Is the rest of the exhaust rusty/dead, or were you just referring to the cats?


For the TB, a highly recommended eBay kit goes for around $230ish. My dad and I knocked this out in 8 hours, including 2 trips to the store, a few youtube videos, break for a light rain, and a lunch break. Now, we could probably do it in 4-5.
Toyota 3.4L/V6 Complete Timing Belt & Water Pump Kit | eBay


Depending on how crazy you want to get with brakes, you could get new pads and rotors for less than $150 if you get the cheap parts from Autozone or similar (and do have at least a 2 year warranty)


For suspension, that's up to you. You can go crazy and get a lift and spend several hundred to several thousand, or you can stay stock height and get cheaper, well rated parts like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VAVSQ90/ref=psdc_46320011_t1_B0722W2RY2#customerReviews


I don't always recommend going with the cheapest parts, but just giving you some comparisons, especially if you're on the edge about keeping the truck.
Nothing you've mentioned really falls outside of basic maintenance; even 200k plus on a cat is a decent life.


Overall costs:
TB for $230
Cheap Brakes for $150ish
Cheap Suspension for $200ish
Cats for $400ish
O2 Sensors $50/each
Total $1080 to cheap and easy DIY fix it, vs $500+/month on a new truck.

If you overall like the truck, keep it and invest a little TLC into it.
 
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As others have pointed out, when weighing the decision on whether to repair an older higher mileage car, you also need to factor in what it would cost to replace that car with something newer that you would like equally. In this case, if you still like the 4runner, it seems like a no brainer to repair what needs to be done. That thing's got lots of life left.

When cars get so cheap it can be hard to feel good about putting $ into them, but somehow it doesn't feel equally bad to drop many MANY times more than that on a new car that will depreciate as soon as you drive it off the lot.

TL;DR: Unless you're itching to drive something new, repair that 3rd gen and keep on truckin.
 
Fixing/maintaining is still probably cheaper and less annoying than having a car payment.

If you like the truck I would keep it going. I have a 4th gen with over 200k and I still like it way too much to want to part with it.
 
mtbtim said:
Learn how to turn a wrench. The videos [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION], myself and others have made will help you out. The knowledge and tools you’ll gain in the process will be valuable. This thread I started has all you need to get started. 3rd Gen T4R DIY Maintenance, Repair and Modification Videos

Keep the rig!
Click to expand...

I am leaning toward keeping it, since I love the car and have not had to put anything into it in 8 years.

BUT I am not a mechanic. I can do some small stuff, but have no tools or space to do the work. So I think in LA I'd be lucky to get out under $4k here...
 
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