Should I buy this '94

[Jim G]

Hey all. First post on this forum. I am considering buying this 94' 4-runner from a guy I work with. It has issues. The trans needs a rebuild. Auto trans. It does not have reverse and shifts hard in foreward gears. I am not to worried about this issue. I have never driven a 4-runner before and when I drove this one today it seemed totally gutless. I don't know if this is related to the trans issues or if these vehicles are just dogs. I'm sure it should have more power than I experienced today. It started right up and idled smooth. The trans did not slip while driving. The owner had the timing belt done recently and the engine looked pretty clean. Unfortunantly I did not have a chance to do any troubleshooting. I know this small amount of info won't do much in the way of diagnosing the problem. I'm just looking for info. Thanks.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

How many miles are on it? Does it have the 3.0 V-6 engine? Is it a 4-cylinder? How much will it cost you to buy it? Is it going to be your daily driver, or a second car for weekend fun?

My cousin-in-law once had a 1995 V-6 SR5 4x4 that he bought new and he totally loved it; but it was rather slow. He had it several years before he sold it and bought a new car.

He used it to tow a boat and it could not get out of its own way when going uphill. The quality on his truck was excellent, though, and he got a decent price for it when he sold it in '02 or '03.

I think that Toyota did increase the horsepower for the redesigned 1996 models - if memory serves me correctly.

Whether or not you buy this vehicle should depend on the mileage, price, overall condition and whether or not you are willing to spend the additional funds to bring it up to your standards. Count on several hundred dollars for replacing or rebuilding the transmission - along with many other items that may have fallen apart in recent years. If the A/C is defective, that could cost mucho dinero to repair. Being without A/C in Nevada is not much fun.

If you really like this truck and the price is right, I would say you should go for it. If it is just a passing opportunity, then save your money for something else. There are several used 4Runners out there, so don't feel as though you have to jump aboard right now.

Whatever you do, I hope it turns out the way you expect.
:beer:

 

[Uneek]

I think that Toyota did increase the horsepower for the redesigned 1996 models - if memory serves me correctly.

You're right. The 2nd gen with the 3.0 V6 12-valves was 150hp and the 3rd gen with the 3.4 V6 24-valves was 183hp.