New Here -- Tell me about the 3rd Gen

[shudder]

Met your pal driffter33 today on a mountain biking forum. He told me to come here, introduce myself (which I did) and then post up in here what I am interested in. Oh, he also told me to tell you that everyone here is great! So, there ya go…

Hopefully you can help me out. I am looking at picking up a 4R as a fam/vacate vehicle, as well as something my 15 1/2 year old can drive when he turns 16 (he wants to get his license the day he turns 16... ha!). I mentioned to driffter33 that I was thinking mid-90s and he suggested I specifically come in here into the 3rd gen forum and post up to get some opinions and guidance.

Thanks in advance for your help. I'm not all that familiar with the vehicle that gives its name to this forum, but as I am out there looking around, they seem to look real good to me. driffter33 says the 3rd gen have a better motor and suspension geo. So...

Are there particular places I should be shopping?

How much should I expect to pay for a 3rd gen 4R?

Are there any specific gotchas to watch out for?

Any other cogent help would be appreciated.

Thanks folks,

- shud

 

[JohnsD90]

lol, what forum? What do you ride? (i got a 05 Spesh FSR XC Comp!)

Get him a 6 Banger 5 Speed manual 4x4, always good to teach him stick early.

If you go auto put a tranny cooler on there, look out for leaky rear axle seal, timing belt change, rear diff whining...

 

[JohnsD90]

And here is all you need to know:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/82033-3rd-gen-4runner-buyers-guide.html

 

[4-Ripcord]

Welcome indeed. Glad to have you here! :welcome:

That thread should answer all of your questions except pricing.. I am working on that but don't expect it soon.



I would say that 5-7k will get you a decent SR5 or limited in the range of 96-00 and above about 125k miles.

7-9k will get a nice SR5, sport or limited in the 99-02 range with a bit lower miles.

9-10+ will get a very nice Limited or Sport in the same range with even lower miles and excellent condition.


..At least that is in MY market, So Cal is a bit different I'm sure.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Not sure what is wrong with this one:

2000 4Runner $5800 OBO

You can usually find many more 2wd than 4wd for sale out in CA. It took my friend 7 months to find the right one in 4wd.


Old school MTB in my stable:
Klein: Team Attitude, Adroit, Pulse II
Ibis: Szazbo
GT: LTS

 

[brian2sun]

Welcome! I go wheeling with Driffter all the time and work on my 4runner down at his house a lot so maybe we will meet sometime. You should come on a run with us sometime and see what these trucks can do!!

Anyways, I'll keep my eyes open and let Jay know if I see any good deals.

 

[driffter33]

Thanks everyone for helpping out a future 3rd gen owner.@ shudder I think you would be quiet impressed if you hooked up with us for a ride along some time.

 

[fightman80]

Welcome to the Forum, and I would seriously take the advice given about the Buyers Guide....and the prices seem pretty accurate too.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

It's very impressive riding with driffter. He's helped me a lot, too.

 

[driffter33]

lol, what forum? ...

Socaltrailriders.org

 

[shudder]

Buyers Guide, here I come! Thanks. Got some reading to do...

As driffter33 said, socaltrailriders.org is where I hail from. Ride an '07 single-pivot Cannondale RUSH 1000 FS sled w/Lefty up front:

Looking forward to an upgrade before too long (29er ibis w/dw-link???...), but for now, the truck probably comes first. That's what you wanted to hear, right?

- shud

 

[akdawg]

I wish that pricing was true in Alaska!

 

[t4r4life]

to answer your questions

Are there particular places I should be shopping?
craigslist is the cheapest place to get a vehicle just make sure to get it checked out by carfax and a mechanic, dont buy any t4r thats not from cali
How much should I expect to pay for a 3rd gen 4R?
fair 3-4g
good 5-7
like new 8-10

Are there any specific gotchas to watch out for?
rust, unsubtle noise, timing belt job, transmission leakage aka pink milk shake

 

[shudder]

^^^ Thanks for those answers t4r4life. Helpful to know. Over the past few few weeks I've already been scoping CL and finding pre-96 T4Rs with a lot of miles down in my range, but haven't really found '96 and later. Gotta keep my eyes peeled, I guess. Because I am in the L.A. market, which is often more expensive for just about anything, my target may be elusive. We'll see. Thanks!

- shud

 

[Hepar]

Don't bother writing on here until you actually get a 4Runner.

:jk:

Welcome and look forward to a real welcome when you actually do find one!

 

[Nunyabiz]

I would think that SoCal would be a good place to find a nice 4Runner.
You have LOTS to choose from and should be rust free.

In your area I would think for $7K you should be able to find something very nice.

As for what to look for just follow RipCords excellent buyers guide and you should be good to go.

I would check Craigslist twice a day and check at least in a 250 mile radius.

Also do NOT go solely by whatever "Carfax" says, in most cases Carfax is virtually worthless, misses more than it catches, in some cases actually presents totally bogus information that could steer you away from what is actually a good vehicle.
Just find a good mechanic that you trust and get it checked out by him.

 

[proNerd04]

You might try extend your search down to the OC. I just got a '99 Limited 4x4 for $5,900. It has 200k miles on it but it was in much better shape than the '00 I found with only 100k. Of course I have a buddy that is a bulldog of a negotiator. Most of the '98+ 3rd gens I saw on CL were in the high $6k - low $8k range. Don't give up hope. You'll find what you are looking for.

 

[shudder]

Don't bother writing on here until you actually get a 4Runner.!

I seeeeeee... the old cart before the horse trick! I'll keep my posts to a minimum, that's for sure. Gotta find a vehicle first!

I've put into play things I have learned here already! All good stuff -- trying to find the right thing at the right price. Can be a difficult trek, but can also be rewarding in the end. Fortunately, I am not in a dead rush right now -- gots plenty of time to put a deal together. That said, when the right one shows up, I hope to be able to see it, then take advantage of the opportunity. That's really the hard part.

You might try extend your search down to the OC. I just got a '99 Limited 4x4 for $5,900. It has 200k miles on it but it was in much better shape than the '00 I found with only 100k.

I'm looking everywhere in the LA area. I'd like to find something close, but I'll go with anything within a reasonable distance, as long as it's a good truck at a fair price.

One thing I have noticed (and this is no surprise to any of you, I'm sure) is how good looking the late '90s models all are. Sure, there are no doubt some ugly colors out there (we all know what our own ugly colors are...), and some really bad wheels some folks put on their trucks (Aw, jeez! U kidding me?!?!?!...), but for the most part we are really impressed with how good looking they are.

Can't wait to find the right one.

- shud

 

[Hepar]

I've put into play things I have learned here already! All good stuff -- trying to find the right thing at the right price. Can be a difficult trek, but can also be rewarding in the end. Fortunately, I am not in a dead rush right now -- gots plenty of time to put a deal together. That said, when the right one shows up, I hope to be able to see it, then take advantage of the opportunity. That's really the hard part.

Good that you aren't in a rush. Patience is definitely the key to finding a good one. And please don't hesitate to post on here. Mine was 100% a joke.

Good luck with the search!

 

[shudder]

My son and I have been looking on CL and found one we are going to look at this weekend. It's a RED '96 4 banger 5-speed manual 2WD for an asking price of $5,300 OBO. I've run the numbers a bit (at kbb.com) and his price is a bit high, but he's added a whomping sound system with subs in the back plus HID and fog lights -- among other things -- that they don't track (other than "Premium SOund" which is probably a Toyota thing?...). In any case, depending on everything taken at once, I might get him to drop a bit (kbb says an Excellent vehicle like his would be at about $4,760...).

Pics look pretty good, showing off some of the aftermarket stuff he's added (cosmetic mostly). The guy seems straight up as I have been texting with him tonight (that always helps, but is not a guarantee, I know...). He's been forthcoming with details and info. He hasn't balked at anything I've asked him about (even pink milkshake issues...).

Here's one of his pics showing his new(ish) grille and brand new 10K HID lights:

Stuff:
--> 4 Cyl. 2.7L 5-speed manual
--> 125,000 miles
--> Cruise Control
--> Tilt wheel
--> A/C
--> Rear A/C
--> Recent oil change and coolant flush
--> Recent brake pads replaced
--> Good clutch
--> Bridgestone 265/70r16 (good tread life left)
--> 16" American Chrome Racing wheels
--> No major mech probs (he's owned just since '06)
--> Leather seats (no tears)
--> Clean interior
--> Rear tinted windows (not up front)
--> Power rear window
--> No power windows up front (???)
--> Roof rack
--> Tow hitch
--> Alarm system
--> Aftermarket 10K HID lights up front
--> Aftermarket Fog lights
--> Aftermarket intake system
--> Aftermarket exhaust system (???) "sounds real nice"
--> Aftermarket Chrome grille up front
--> Aftermarket Chrome grilled light protectors on rear
--> Aftermarket stereo with 2x10" subs in the rear/tweeters up front

Thoughts?

- shud