Need advice in buying my first 4runner

K

Killer6eans

New member
Hi guys im new to the site and really looking into buying my first 4runner. My situation is this guys selling his rig for 2000 but need a Transmission, Cat and owes 3-4 in registration fees. i tried talking him down but thats the lowest he will go. its a 99 4runner v6 214miles 4x4 with locker. interior is 8 out 10 same with exterior. is 2000 even worth investing? i'm capable doing the work myself since i work at an autoshop. any advice will be much appreciated. :thumb3:

 
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Run a compression test on the motor and check for any oil leaks before you talk numbers. If the motor is showing fatigue, I would keep looking.

Yeah, I'd offer $2000 at the very most, although I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the 3-4 registration fees. Is that something you will need to cover in order to register it under your name? The transmission and the labor to install it (assuming you are taking it to a shop) will cost north of $2000, so keep that in mind.

Also, look for rust on the frames. Even though it's in California, it could be a truck brought from the east coast.
 
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Sounds worth it if you can p/u a used tranny for $400 & put it in yourself.
I'd have a tuff time buying a non running vehicle but you have to go look at it & check out the rest of the truck. Good Luck
 
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No not ALL trans, the 3RZ (4 cyl) has a different one, but those are rare and thats besides the point. 2k is good for a 99 elocked runner. You can pickup a low mileage engine/trans cheap, swap it and you're set.
 
Is the buyer responsible for the sellers delinquent registration costs? If that's the case, what an ass backwards state.
 
KUHLNESS said:
No not ALL trans, the 3RZ (4 cyl) has a different one, but those are rare and thats besides the point. 2k is good for a 99 elocked runner. You can pickup a low mileage engine/trans cheap, swap it and you're set.
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^^ no not all the 4×4 5vz (6cyl) are the same either. 1996-98 are the same, 2001-02 are the same and '99 and '00 are sorta throw ups. They are all the A340f transmission (6cyl, 4×4, auto) but they are slightly different and the ecu are not compatible and will need to be reconfigured. Believe me i have been doing A TON of research as i have to do a tranny swap. You will be looking for the A340f transmission 96-99 (same year would be optimal but the others will work). Make sure you find out what caused the tranny to kick the bucket before you do the swap because you can possibly ruin a good tranny. For ex. If it had a bad torque converter that spit crap into you transmission and you left the tc in its gonna spit crap into your good one, or if your rad and tranny cooler lines corroded and coolant leaked into your tranny (like mine did) and you didnt replace the rad flush the lines you'll ruin the new tranny.
 
ray122 said:
^^ no not all the 4×4 5vz (6cyl) are the same either. 1996-98 are the same, 2001-02 are the same and '99 and '00 are sorta throw ups. They are all the A340f transmission (6cyl, 4×4, auto) but they are slightly different and the ecu are not compatible and will need to be reconfigured. Believe me i have been doing A TON of research as i have to do a tranny swap. You will be looking for the A340f transmission 96-99 (same year would be optimal but the others will work). Make sure you find out what caused the tranny to kick the bucket before you do the swap because you can possibly ruin a good tranny. For ex. If it had a bad torque converter that spit crap into you transmission and you left the tc in its gonna spit crap into your good one, or if your rad and tranny cooler lines corroded and coolant leaked into your tranny (like mine did) and you didnt replace the rad flush the lines you'll ruin the new tranny.
Click to expand...

Correct. I didn't say all 5VZ trans were the same, my point was that with those miles on the rig I'd swap in a newer trans and engine at the same time to save some headaches.
 


well guys i can finally say im a proud owner of a 4runner. i got this bad boy about an hour ago. she was asking 5k but water pump or timming belt never been changed as well as the rear wheel seal was leaking. i offered 4k and she took it. :)
 
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Looks good. Read all the FAQ info here and you'll have a good baseline of knowledge about the vehicle.
 
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