Need Some Opinions On An 87

[SCRunner12]

I just checked out an 87 5 speed 22re tonight that I'm interested in picking up. It has a few issues that I had some questions about. I had an 87 about 10 years ago, but haven't messed with one since, so I figured I'd check with the experts.

It has 287k and the guy said it was rebuilt about 60k ago (doesn't have records). The engine is puking oil out of the front main seal (seems like an easy enough fix) and runs a bit rough. The guy says it bogs down around 3k rpm when it is under load, but not when it is stationary. Any clue what can be going on? He mentioned maybe the TPS.

It also has been wired by a 10 year old or as it seems. The owner has tried to fix some wiring himself and a good amount of wires are electrical taped together. Kind of scares me. Also he rolls the rear window up and down by sticking two wires in the cigarette lighter and alternating the polarity to make it go up or down.

Other than that it was pretty dirty and needs some major TLC to get back into tip top shape. It has no rust at all and the rear axle was dry (no leaks) and the exterior is in good shape besides one dented portion on the rear passenger side.

The guy is asking $800, but I offered $500 and he countered with $600.

These are some of the suspect wiring jobs, sorry for the low quality pics it was dark when I checked it out.

 

[KidVermicious]

If you're ready for a project and the body is clean and straight and minimal rust, $600 is reasonable. The front main is easy to replace. The bogging sounds more like a fuel issue than the TPS. The wiring is definitely a mess - wire nuts and electrical tape? Plan on repairing those sections right.

The truck sounds like a lot of work, to be honest. If you're ready to put the work in, the price is probably reasonable.

 

[SCRunner12]

Thanks for the response! Yeah it seems like a lot of work and I'm worried about all the "fixes" he did to it. I'm not the most electrically inclined, so I'm not too confident about dealing with that. It would be a project car, not my daily so I'd have time to work on it.

Here is the craigslist ad. 1987 4 Runner 4 cyl 5 spd

 

[91'4bee]

I would go for it. Just take your time to do stuff right.


If all else fails motor swap something completely different with a new wiring loom and all that jive.(basically start from scratch or bare bones it)

Good luck.

 

[RAD4Runner]

I concur with ^^. Just be ready to learn things and do them. Do things cleanly. By the time you're done, you'd intimately know the truck and can tell what's going on with it from the sound, feel, smell, and looks of it. Better than a fancy, modern car that you won't even be able to see, much less access parts of it.

 

[kc15842]

salvage title??? You can piece it out and make your money back if you get tired of fixing the PO's stupidity.