Stick with 3rd gen or go 4th?

[Kinnick]

I previously owned a 3rd gen prior to getting my 4th gen V8. I love the full-time 4WD and power of the V8. If you can swing it, I would recommend the 2006 since that was a mid-gen refresh that came with more options and restyled. They also fixed the cracking front dash problem that year.

I just got back from a trip to Breckenridge and I have never seen so many 4Runners before. I imagine they fetch a premium in Colorado.

 

[C-RAIG]

I get that analogy perfectly actually! I'm still damn torn. I think I need to find someone with a built up 4th gen out here and see if I can take a ride. I have to imagine they lose the slightly too comfortable ride after a lift and some decent tires.




Oh man I have to disagree with you there. I loved my 97 when I got it back in 2010! I was coming from a 2000 Golf, but still, even with bigger tires and no lift it felt so much better. Maybe it was just that it was my first truck.

Good luck with your build though! Are you going Bilstein/Eibach again? I know I am. I got so many complements on how good the suspension was on the road and on the trail, and it was so much better when I ditched the Tundra 5100s and went with the Tacoma ones.

I ordered the TRD pro kit from the dealer last week, I'm probably going to have to play with different springs to get the height I want, which isn't much.

 

[BackOff]

My vote is for 4th gen.

 

[atalarico]

I also just saw how much easier it looks to install a suspension lift on a 4th gen. The 3rd gen rear is suuuuch a pain, and on the 4th it looks like that top nut is just right there ready to be taken off. One more point to the 4th gen.

 

[amalik]

eh, the way I look at it is... old is old --- sure, the newest 4th gen you can buy is 2009 -- but you aren't gonna find one at $8k unless you want 200k+ miles in our market (Denver).

What I mean by that is, there's not that much difference, likely it'll be a 10+ year old vehicle you'll have to wrench on to get it up to date unless all that is done already (rare).

Feature wise, are there really any major drivetrain differences unless you find a V8 4th gen?

 

[amalik]

I previously owned a 3rd gen prior to getting my 4th gen V8. I love the full-time 4WD and power of the V8. If you can swing it, I would recommend the 2006 since that was a mid-gen refresh that came with more options and restyled. They also fixed the cracking front dash problem that year.

I just got back from a trip to Breckenridge and I have never seen so many 4Runners before. I imagine they fetch a premium in Colorado.

They do. This is Toyota town officially, next to Texas.

 

[atalarico]

eh, the way I look at it is... old is old --- sure, the newest 4th gen you can buy is 2009 -- but you aren't gonna find one at $8k unless you want 200k+ miles in our market (Denver).

What I mean by that is, there's not that much difference, likely it'll be a 10+ year old vehicle you'll have to wrench on to get it up to date unless all that is done already (rare).

Feature wise, are there really any major drivetrain differences unless you find a V8 4th gen?

For sure, but I've been finding more than a few of V8 03-05's under 200k miles for less than $8k with most major maintenance completed. I've only been looking for a week, so I'm thinking it can be done with more time. I'm firmly on the V8 train now too since those years for the V6 are hit or miss with the headgasket. There are some significant drivetrain differences in that case (5spd, V8, full-time AWD, etc.) that are worth it for me.

The other consideration for me is that if I buy a higher mileage 4th gen, it'll become a more normal mileage 4th gen since I only put about 2-4k on my 4Runner a year. It's really just an off-road camping/adventure rig that sometimes gets driven in the winter too. I think the mileage will average out within a couple years of that pretty quickly.

 

[97cruiser]

My vote is for 4th gen. I owned a 3" lifted 80 series for 15 years. By far the best dual purpose vehicle I have ever owned. I switched to a 3" lifted 97 4runner for the better mpg. It was nice but I missed the extra cargo room. I then switched to a 03 4runner v6, not lifted, yet. I prefer the 4h gen over the 3rd primarily for more room and road manners. I get 20 mpg which is slightly better than my 3rd (17-18). The main thing that would push me away from a 3rd gen is the same as others have mentioned, its 20 yrs old now and electronics are starting to fail at this age. That can get frustrating and spendy. Good luck man!

 

[atalarico]

My vote is for 4th gen. I owned a 3" lifted 80 series for 15 years. By far the best dual purpose vehicle I have ever owned. I switched to a 3" lifted 97 4runner for the better mpg. It was nice but I missed the extra cargo room. I then switched to a 03 4runner v6, not lifted, yet. I prefer the 4h gen over the 3rd primarily for more room and road manners. I get 20 mpg which is slightly better than my 3rd (17-18). The main thing that would push me away from a 3rd gen is the same as others have mentioned, its 20 yrs old now and electronics are starting to fail at this age. That can get frustrating and spendy. Good luck man!

Yeah, I'm beginning to get on board with the idea that I might have just gotten a nice get out of jail free card with the totaling check. I love(d) my truck but it wasn't perfect and it was aging for sure. Being able to get close to $6k for it is probably a stroke of luck even if I want to gripe about all of the new OEM and aftermarket money I dropped into it in the last year. I'm still $6k closer to a decent $8-9k 4th gen, which is more than I would be if my engine crapped out or something like that.

I guess I should save my pennies a little longer so it won't take such a hit out of my savings right away and I can also throw another $1,500 at it right away for a lift and a little routine/preventative maintenance.

 

[_4Runner]

I've been in your shoes before. I had a 3rd Gen and loved the "truckie" feel to it but the drivability and power is so much better with the 4th gen. This would be amplified if I lived in Colorado and dealing with mountain passes regularly.

Depending on the year, the multi-mode 4wd can be a factor too. It's really nice not having to switch in and out of part-time 4wd when it snows here in Iowa and the roads are partially snow covered.

Lookwise, the 3rd Gen wins IMO. However, I am not a fan of the plastic cladding added to the higher models. It looks cheesy and I expect many of those fenders have been lost to the trail with little impact. Also, the 4th Gen with a lift and tires is pretty close to the 3rd Gen in the looks department. In time you could source these from local CL or find a 4th gen with a lift install keeping you from paying retail prices for the upgrade.

Good luck with the search.

 

[atalarico]

I've been in your shoes before. I had a 3rd Gen and loved the "truckie" feel to it but the drivability and power is so much better with the 4th gen. This would be amplified if I lived in Colorado and dealing with mountain passes regularly.

Depending on the year, the multi-mode 4wd can be a factor too. It's really nice not having to switch in and out of part-time 4wd when it snows here in Iowa and the roads are partially snow covered.

Lookwise, the 3rd Gen wins IMO. However, I am not a fan of the plastic cladding added to the higher models. It looks cheesy and I expect many of those fenders have been lost to the trail with little impact. Also, the 4th Gen with a lift and tires is pretty close to the 3rd Gen in the looks department. In time you could source these from local CL or find a 4th gen with a lift install keeping you from paying retail prices for the upgrade.

Good luck with the search.

Yeah, that AWD option in the V8 likely would have saved my ass a couple weeks back when my 97 got totaled. These things are squirrelly as hell in RWD mode in any sort of wet conditions, and it used to freak me out a little in the 97.

Totally agreed on the fender flares, which mine had, and unfortunately which every model year 3rd gen I would consider has. They absolutely get trashed on the trail, as my 97 could attest to, buuuut I think even with those flares the 3rds are still narrower than the 4ths, so there's that too.

I'm more in more in the 4th V8 camp now, and just need to keep saving so I can get a decent one before spring.

 

[97cruiser]

I thought when I put my 03 v6 in 4wd it was basically awe and not true 4wd. Am I wrong? I drive snow coved roads up to 55 mph and I know I wouldn’t do that in my 97 in 4wd

 

[atalarico]

I thought when I put my 03 v6 in 4wd it was basically awe and not true 4wd. Am I wrong? I drive snow coved roads up to 55 mph and I know I wouldn’t do that in my 97 in 4wd

My understanding of the early 4th gen V6s is that it's 2WD/RWD until you engage that 4Hi.

As for the 97, you absolutely could drive in 4Hi at highway speeds (on wet pavement/snow) if you had the push-button multi-mode 4WD on the transfer case shifter. You just couldn't engage the push button 4WD over 55 though, but I have no idea about the non push-button 4WD ones. I did for 8 years in my LImited and never had an issue...until I wrecked it.

 

[97cruiser]

Does a 03 v8 have and until put into 4wd then. Sorry for off topic but you have me wondering now. Lol that would be cool

 

[BackOff]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...modifications-write-ups-quick-links-faqs.html


:attention:

 

[atalarico]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...modifications-write-ups-quick-links-faqs.html


:attention:

Thanks! I've definitely read that over more than a few times. Unfortunately it doesn't really address the more nuanced situation I had regarding 3rd vs 4th in my use-case scenario.

Anyway, found a decent condition v8 from a forum member local-ish that I'll be checking out. Only stated issue is the exhaust manifold tick/leak, but he's going to give me the DT headers that he hasn't gotten mounted yet and was nice on the price. I think it's a go!

 

[jreask]

Thanks! I've definitely read that over more than a few times. Unfortunately it doesn't really address the more nuanced situation I had regarding 3rd vs 4th in my use-case scenario.

Anyway, found a decent condition v8 from a forum member local-ish that I'll be checking out. Only stated issue is the exhaust manifold tick/leak, but he's going to give me the DT headers that he hasn't gotten mounted yet and was nice on the price. I think it's a go!

I just got my tick/leak repaired. Turned out to be the gasket was pooched out. Put a new metal gasket in and..........quiet !

 

[atalarico]

Welp, I did it. Bought this 2004 V8 (from a forum member actually).

It was a decent enough deal since it's already lifted 3" with an OME lift, it has a full 5th gen brake replacement, and only 156k miles. He put those eBay uniball knock-offs on there but I'm probably going to replace those after seeing some of the thread about those failing. I'm sort of tempted to just pull this lift out to sell it since it only has 2k on it and then replace it with Bilstein 5100's all the way around. I like the ride of the Billys better but this isn't as terrible as I thought OMEs would be. Maybe it'll be better once I get a bumper and some 33's (year or so down the road)?

It's going to need quite a bit of TLC to get it up to snuff; DT headers need to go in because of leaky exhaust manifold, CV boot is torn so I might as well get a set from CVJ nearby, it needs some rust mitigation since it spent 100k of it's life in Pennsylvania (this part sort of makes me question the whole deal and is one of the biggest regrets I feel dumb about), it really could use a full detail, and I'm going to go through and restart all of the fluid change intervals since I don't really know how well that has been kept up with.

I'm considering turning around and selling it because I'm just not getting the same level of excitement that I got when I got my first 4Runner, and the rust might stand in the way of trying to keep it for more than 5-7 years. Maybe it's because the circumstances for having to get another one kinda sucked, so I'm going to give it some time and try to make it my own and see.

Thanks for the insight from everyone to help me figure it out though.

 

[COSteve]

I've been in your shoes before. You look long and hard for a good one but end up buying something that's a good deal but not what you wanted. You want one you can make nice but to put the stuff you want on a high miles rusty one just doesn't make sense. The price is quickly forgotten but the rust never goes away.
Last summer I was hunting for a low miles 4th gen Runner and you know how hard that is in Colorado. Missed a great one by a day. Stumbled on a 60k FJ in great shape for a fair price. Bought it. Hated it. Sold it. I now have an '04 Runner with 100k on it but it looks and drives like new.

 

[atalarico]

I've been in your shoes before. You look long and hard for a good one but end up buying something that's a good deal but not what you wanted. You want one you can make nice but to put the stuff you want on a high miles rusty one just doesn't make sense. The price is quickly forgotten but the rust never goes away.

Last summer I was hunting for a low miles 4th gen Runner and you know how hard that is in Colorado. Missed a great one by a day. Stumbled on a 60k FJ in great shape for a fair price. Bought it. Hated it. Sold it. I now have an '04 Runner with 100k on it but it looks and drives like new.

That’s pretty much it, and I’m really glad to know someone else has felt this before. I might be more on the boat of get a cleaner foundation of a vehicle that maybe isn’t already lifted or modded or whatever and do it right the way I want it. Often times people new to a platform do the best they can with mods but I know that in the first round of work I did along my 8 years of ownership of my 97 was kind of hacky. It’s just how it goes since you’re still learning.

I’m going to keep looking while I clean this one up a bit. Since it was a decent deal I can probably quasi-flip it if the right one comes along. If in the meantime I grow to like it more and can take care of most of the rust, cool.

I’ll post pics of the rust. It’s mostly in the engine bay and the rest of the body looks fine. Maybe it’s not a big deal, but I feel like an idiot. We live out west and one of the perks is not having to deal with rust bucket east coast or Midwest cars. I’m from Michigan originally so I know all too well about that. Lol