Possible purchase of a 1st gen

[ab3]

Hey Guys,

I hate for my first post to be calling in a favor, but if I decide to buy this truck, then I'll be sticking around.

I found an 87 with a 22RE that I'm considering purchasing. This will be a secondary vehicle used to get me up and down the snowy mountains when I move. No crazy off-roading, only snowboarding. I know with a vehicle of this age, that I'll be getting into issues and I'm willing to spend a little on my toys, but I also don't want to get into a complete money-pit. I'm trying to decide what I'm working with here and what your opinions are. Obviously you all know these trucks are getting harder to find, and I think that's obvious in my searching.


207,000 miles
Body has some bondo work but overall looks good and no rust.
$3400

I had the truck looked out and there was quite a bit of things going on with it. Lots of cosmetic and noise issues which I feel is pretty common for a vehicle of this age and not that big of a deal.

*The mechanic said the clutch was thin but not slipping.
*There was oil all over the undercarriage and inside the engine. I did see receipts and talk to the mechanic who replaced the rear main seal (or rear cam seal, I can't remember). He said they had it on a lift and running for 10 minutes trying to find the leak and it was blowing oil out everywhere. They finally found it, fixed it, and I saw it before they detailed it.

Below are some of the notes on the sheet

*clutch master leak
*lower ball joints
*idler arm
*pitmat arm
*rear axle seal
There was a note that the cylinder head, timing cover, and water pump all look new

There's a ton of other nitpicking stuff that I'm not going to list, but those are the main issues of concern. What are your opinions?

 

[541joseph]

If you don't want a money put find something newer. This sounds like this truck has been neglected all its life. A lot of those are normal maintance that hasn't been done which who knows what other stuff hasn't been taken care of. Good luck. If you can get it closer to 1000

 

[89FourRunner]

The parts you listed all can be had (at what I consider to be) dirt cheap, and that's new. It all depends on if you are installing these items yourself. The oil leak doesn't necessarily mean the vehicle was neglected at that age. One can never tell unless the owner has detailed records. Front end wear parts like you listed aren't the end of the world. Good frame, body, engine, tranny, transfer case and the like are the big deals.

I would say that $3400 seems a bit high. $2500 seems more realistic, maybe even lower.

You should have a grand on stand by for the little repairs it will need after you purchase it.

 

[ab3]

The parts you listed all can be had (at what I consider to be) dirt cheap, and that's new. It all depends on if you are installing these items yourself. The oil leak doesn't necessarily mean the vehicle was neglected at that age. One can never tell unless the owner has detailed records. Front end wear parts like you listed aren't the end of the world. Good frame, body, engine, tranny, transfer case and the like are the big deals.

I would say that $3400 seems a bit high. $2500 seems more realistic, maybe even lower.

You should have a grand on stand by for the little repairs it will need after you purchase it.

I lowballed and offered $1500 and he refused which I kind of figured. I did see the documents where he paid $2350 for it at an auction so $2500 was out of the question. He was asking around $4200 take home and I negotiated down to $3400. A money-pit, in my eyes would be spending thousands and thousands after purchase. If I could get away with a nice truck for around $5k that will last a good while then I would be happy.

What you're telling me was kind of what I was looking to hear. I have a VW that gets quite a bit of attention as well, and I've definitely spent more than $1k on her before, so I think that's manageable. I can do some work on my own have done minor issues myself on the VW, but I would definitely not call myself a mechanic.

 

[crash813]

Basic wear and tear stuff that honestly, half the cars on the road out there needs as well. Its cheap if you want to correct it and liveable if you don't.

The drivetrain is cheap as well so even worst case, complete engines and trannies aren't the end of the world.

Clean body, little rust, nice paint and interior and the price is not bad at all. If you can live with little things like small electronic gremlins and plastic getting old and brittle, these cars are great. If you'd like it a little more modern, you can look into getting a 3rd gen for almost the same, maybe a little more.

 

[thegray1]

*lower ball joints
*idler arm
*pitmat arm
*rear axle seal

I recently replaced all these on my 4Runner. When I bought my truck a year ago I had almost zero automotive knowledge. Most of the common wear and tear on these vehicles can be repaired easily and rather cheap. Trust me if I can do it, almost anyone can.

 

[KidVermicious]

What he's asking for it is way too much for a stock truck unless it's in exceptionally good shape, and it doesn't sound like this one is. My first bit of advice would be that an old 4Runner is not the best vehicle for accessing ski resorts - it's drafty, it's small, it's loud, it's underpowered for keeping up with traffic in mountain passes, and as noted, it'll require regular maintenance and upkeep. My second bit of advice would be, if you're set on a 1st gen (and I wouldn't blame you if you were, they're awesome ), keep looking. This guy is way too proud of his, you can get a truck in better condition for less money.

 

[supkar]

Kid is right. Way too much for what you describe. For that kind of money in Ca., you can get a 1st gen with great paint, int., ect. High mileage on a 22RE does not scare me--I am a big fan of this engine- but the apparent neglect on the vehicle in general, does. I would be very aware of rust on any 1st gen, and usually advise people to look in Ca. or Az if they are real 1st gen lovers.