Too good to be true?

[arrakis429]

So I bought a 4 runner today! 1999 4 runner limited! I'm super excited but also kind of concerned. I looked over the 4 runner buying guide thoroughly from this forum before checking it out. I did also bring it to a shop with the plan of getting a compression check and and having the transmission fluid checked. We nixed the compression test because in talks with the garage owner (who also has a 4 runner) that is something he rarely see's wrong with them and he didn't want to take my money for something he thought was fine. The transmission fluid was as it should be and so my visit to the shop was done. The 4 runner drives really well, no issues shifting, no problems on the highway, no shaking, alignment is good. It also has NO RUST, which is amazing for the northeast. When I say NO RUST, it's coming from a 3x Tacoma owner who has suffered from this plague. I spent 15 minutes underneath the truck on a crawler and there is no rust!. Here is why I think it is too good to be true. 127000miles, $4500 bucks (almost 2k below kbb). I have the carfax going up to April, 2013 and it says there was only one owner before this guy, and that he picked it up from a dealership. He had it for a year and is now getting rid of it (he did just buy a subaru which I saw). He TOLD me he payed 6700 for it a year ago but is telling me it has no problems. I asked specifically about the radiator and tranny. He was familiar with the strawberry milkshake because it happened to his dads 4runner. I couldn't find any evidence that there is a new radiator in there or anything. The transmission looks pretty un-messed with. VIN # is JT3HN87R7X9022708

Could I be missing anything? Here is a blurb from the craigslist ad and a picture of the vehicle, any ideas would be appreciated:
"I am selling a 99 4runner limited.
What's new.
New timing belt and water pump.
Brake rotors and pads & shoe
Starter
Remote starter
oxygen sensor downstream & oxygen sensor upstream
spark plugs & wire
windshield
HID Conversion Kit H4 Hi/Lo 6000K
replace all fluids with synthetic oil
transmission fluid change.
Font & rear Differential. Transfer case with Mobile one synthetic 75w90 .
power steering .
antifreeze with Toyota red
Oil change every 4000 with Royal Purple oil & filter
Always keep in the garage in winter

Roof rack
Rear cargo protector
Moon roof
Power everything
Auto trans
4WD
Cruise control
A/C works great
Has front and rear heater.
no rust at all ()
Very smooth on high way even 90mph
17' wheel , tire is good
Get about 17-20 mpg
Got some dent and scratch
Reason to sell is im looking something new
Not looking for trade
This my daily drive to work
((not too many out these))
Must go .$ 4500

 

[Hepar]

Do you have any pics of the undercarriage? Sometimes "no rust" means they just did a good job of hiding/covering it.

 

[eplanajr]

That is cheap! I would definitely give it a careful look over.

 

[Jaketino]

Wanna trade? Lol.

 

[arrakis429]

I don't have any, but trust me. When I say I went and spent some time under there it comes from having three tacomas, two of which had perforation frame rust. the last of which had it only in one spot on the inside of the frame where it had actually split the rail. I followed the frame on each side, with the crawler, on both the outward facing and inward facing sides, and put my fingers in all the little holes to feel for chips. Also, checked the shock mounts, coil mounts, etc. When I post the pics you will see what I'm talking about. The only spot with rust is the pan underneath the gas tank - and it isn't bad at all.

 

[arrakis429]

In addition I should mention that the frame is in it's original condition, the sticker is still visible and the frame hasn't been painted or coated with anything.

 

[Hepar]

And all the body lines are good? No signs of a respray? If not, you scored!

 

[arrakis429]

Are there maybe any subtle signs of transmission damage that I may be missing? Something more than what the write up suggests? Also, if a strawberry milkshake did occur, and the owner replaced all fluids and potentially the radiator would I be able to find any signs that it had happened?

 

[CallMeAnEngineer]

Do you have any pics of the undercarriage? Sometimes "no rust" means they just did a good job of hiding/covering it.

In my experience, "no rust" means "I covered the frame in black paint 15 minutes before you got there"

 

[vanion2]

In my experience, "no rust" means "I covered the frame in black paint 15 minutes before you got there"

The OP says he has had 3 Tacos with rust issues and examined the frame himself carefully...

As for transmission issues, if you aren't having any problems driving it now then you should be fine. Replace the radiator for peace of mind and enjoy a nice score on a 4Runner. Mine has 161K on the original radiator and no strawberry milk shake here when I bought it. I do plan on getting a new radiator as well since I just bought it but I had a professional mechanic look everything over.

Oh, and HID conversion means he stuck HID bulbs in the stock housing? Or did a retrofit? HID is nice as long as it was put in a proper projector otherwise you are just blinding oncoming traffic and wasting a lot of light with a messy spread. Since I suspect you already have the bulbs you can retro fit the housing and really enjoy the horizontal spread that HID provides. But that's just me talking from experience.

 

[CallMeAnEngineer]

I wasn't talking about OP specifically, just about vehicles advertised as "no rust" in general

 

[MTD]

The last two 3rd gens my roommate bought have been under 1k, course they have 275k+ on them, but they run and drive great. IMO the only deals that are too good to be true are the ones that are not researched enough, or expectations are too high.

 

[Brique]

Sounds like you scored big. Be sure to update us in a few months with how it turns out.

 

[hour]

Yeah, that sounds like an awesome score. Maybe he just won the lottery, has a trust fund, or wanted the car gone quickly. Since he already had the new Subaru I think it's safe to say that he wasn't relying on the cash for a down payment.

I'm planning on selling my Tacoma to my girlfriend's father, who does extremely well and wants a desert toy, and I'm going to let him have it for $100 over what dealership has offered (a couple thousand under blue book). Mostly because I don't agree with what my truck blue books at and don't need the money any more than he needs the sweet deal. Not really trying to kiss his ass either.

Anyway, enjoy your ride. If you had budgeted more for the truck than what you paid... immediately do transmission cooler and isolate the radiator, or get a new radiator. Feels good to know that's a null issue, like, real good. Check the fluids to make sure they're not mucked up, and enjoy a deal that I and probably many of us are jealous of. Oh yeah, look at some more pics here and get the itch, then blow the rest of the original allotted cash on mods!