Opinions on 95 Runner?

[NWARunner]

Hi all,

I'm looking to get a 4Runner and found a 1995 SR5 in my area for $3700. 180,xxx miles, only issue with it is the speedo doesn't work. I've read online about the head gasket issue; is that really as common of a problem as it seems to be? I really love the body style of the 2nd Gen Runners, but I don't want to end up with something that will end up costing me thousands in repairs...

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks guys

 

[128keaton]

Okay I've DD'ed my 2nd Gen 4runner for two years. I honestly like it enough to keep using it since it does what I want.

Headgaskets: yes they might blow in the future but its heavily dependent on how you drive, where you drive, and how much you take care of the car. If you keep the coolant clean and make sure the car doesn't get too hot you should be fine.

Paint: if it isn't red, white, or black, you have a base coat and a clear coat. Meaning that if it was parked in the sun or out in the elements much, its probably starting to peel.

Engine: the 3VZE is pretty gutless, but some simple mods and parts can make it a bit more enjoyable. A lot of people opt for the Flamethrower injectors, I however have yet to get them. I've just done the ISR mod and that really helped. And, as much as a pain these engines are to troubleshoot, you learn alot really quickly. And patience. you get some of that too.

 

[RonJR]

$3700 sounds a bit high for that year and mileage. I only paid $5K for my 94 10 years ago with 130,000 miles. I'd offer a bit under $3K and see what happens.

My 3vz3 has been flawless. I think by '95 they had the new head gasket design in place, so not as likely to have a problem.

Is it an automatic or a 5-speed? The 3vze runs well with a 5-speed as long as you keep the rpms high when accelerating or on hills. The automatic is more of a dog.

I've enjoyed mine a lot in the last 10 years. It's a great little back country fishing and exploration vehicle.

 

[Bad_Vision]

The second gen is a problem child especially with the 3.0 engine. It will eventually fail and cost you thousands of dollars to repair. But any vehicle can do that so if you like the style then just be prepared for that eventually.


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[Dropzone]

$3700 sounds a bit high for that year and mileage. I only paid $5K for my 94 10 years ago with 130,000 miles. I'd offer a bit under $3K and see what happens.

My 3vz3 has been flawless. I think by '95 they had the new head gasket design in place, so not as likely to have a problem.

Is it an automatic or a 5-speed? The 3vze runs well with a 5-speed as long as you keep the rpms high when accelerating or on hills. The automatic is more of a dog.

I've enjoyed mine a lot in the last 10 years. It's a great little back country fishing and exploration vehicle.

i agree with him^^
i never thought I would own a toyota with the 3.0 but I only paid $400 for mine from a family member. I have receipts for $3500+ worth of work/parts that was put into it in the last two years before I got it. I got it cheap because said family member's new husband had no clue how to do brakes and refused my offer of help...anyway

The auto is a dog, slow ass acceleration, plan ahead.

look around at craigslist in different areas- the common denominator on 2nd gen 4runners and 3rd gen trucks with the 3.0 is that a lot of them are for sale with around 180K on them, that is about the average mileage for when the head gaskets take a dump.

get the VIN and check with the dealer to see if the head gasket recall was done...still no guarantee that the head gaskets won't need to be done.

 

[nicnmike]

Price certainly seems to have a strong location factor associated with it. I was thinking about selling my 1990 3.0 4wd 5-sp here in FL. I started at $3500 with a rebuilt the engine, new clutch and a ton of other repairs and it hardly generated any interest. I only paid $1500, so that's probably not far from what people are willing to pay for 27 year old car around here regardless of condition.

Have you just started looking, or have you been looking for awhile?

And, if I had my druthers, I would now have searched for an 88 or 89 5-speed with a blown 3.0 and swapped in the 3.4.

 

[twinkybuns]

I had a '95 4runner with only 88,000 miles on it, and yes, the head gasket blew. Someone told me that particular motor is notorious for it because of not enough bolts? Does anyone know if this is true?

 

[bnavarro]

Offer less

I'm a brand new T4R owner as of a few days ago also. I'm an amateur when it comes to Toyota but that price seems a little high. I bought my 1995 T4R for $1200 (not sure if i paid too much or not). It's automatic, RWD (I know, I know) and has 294,000 miles on it. The mileage on the one you're looking at sounds awesome though. I've already replaced the shocks, rotors, brakes, brake hardware, and idler arm. My check engine light is on and I know I have a leak from the gasket at the drip pan (i think). My mechanic said with just some TLC I should have a pretty reliable T4R though. I wasn't aware about the head gasket issue though. Might have to look into that. $3700 seems pretty high to me. You might want to offer less and see if they take it. And be prepared to dish out some money on it at some point. I bought mine as a project for fun so I was expecting some mechanical work to spend on.

 

[bnavarro]

I had a '95 4runner with only 88,000 miles on it, and yes, the head gasket blew. Someone told me that particular motor is notorious for it because of not enough bolts? Does anyone know if this is true?

88,000 miles? That's pretty low mileage! And the head gasket blew at that mileage or later on? Do you mind me asking how much you spent on the repair/replacement and what you ended up doing. Sorry, I'm not sure about the bolt issue. I'm a newbie on T4R

 

[twinkybuns]

88,000 miles? That's pretty low mileage! And the head gasket blew at that mileage or later on? Do you mind me asking how much you spent on the repair/replacement and what you ended up doing. Sorry, I'm not sure about the bolt issue. I'm a newbie on T4R

The gasket went out at that mileage, and at the time I decided to get rid of it instead of fixing it. I sold it as a "mechanic special".