what to look for?

[uzibear]

well, i'm looking for a 1st gen around boulder, co (though i will most likely be moving to so-cal in a month), and i've very little experience with cars. i'd really appreciate any help i could get to make sure i get a good one. what to look for, what to avoid, etc. i've bought a few cars and am reasonably savvy when it comes to avoiding being scammed, but i'm not very familiar with the runner or what i might need to look out for on the model. the one thing i do know is to look hard for rust everywhere, underneath, wheel housings, all that. here in colorado i'm lucky as they do not salt the roads, and, the winters are relatively mild (at least in the denver area). one thing i always do when looking for a car is to take it to a good mechanic to get it thouroughly checked out. however, i'm unsure if dealers allow this and i may (gasp) have to buy from a dealer.

what's a reasonable price for a good, rust-free 1st gen with 200k miles on it? $1000? $2000?

the other thing is that i very much want to learn to work on it and do some basic repairs myself, as well as have the knowledge to do basic fixes if i break down on or off road.

most of my driving will be on road, but i do go out climbing or hiking nearly every weekend and there are plenty of spots where a 4wd would come in handy, not to mention winter roads. i have no desire for big-lifts or any major off-road modifications. just want a good basic model.

i've heard not so good things about the 6cyl engine, so right now i'm primarily looking at a 4cyl manual. i do not want an automatic, especially on an engine like the 4cyl. and it looks like the 4cyl 5spd can get nearly 20mpg. not quite what my 91civic does (40mpg) but acceptable.

 

[cornbreadlion]

When you take a car you are looking at to a mechanic make sure they do a compression test because that will give you a good idea what condition the engine is in.

As far as the four cylinder goes, they are supposed to be bullet proof, and they are pretty simple to work on. I'm a do it yourselfer that learned how to work on cars from working on my 4runner. I just rebuilt the engine with a couple of friends and only basic hand tools, so they are pretty easy to work on. The gas mileage on mine is about 18mpg and it's kinda underpowered on the highway, but I have got it up to 25mpg going 55mph on country roads.

The value of 1st gen 4runners according to the books is around $2000, but I paid $3000 for my 89 with 155K. I had to look for 4 months straight, and couldn't find a good one. I think if you are patient and look around you can find a good one for around $2000. I paid too much because i was desperate and I bought it at a small used car dealer (that had 4 just sitting around!!)

Good luck and hope you find a nice 4runner!

 

[zspokess]

I looked for a long time for mine, and continue to scan craigslist and autotrader, as you may remember from another thread. Price all depends on how picky you are about the rust. A truly rust free 1st gen is $3500 + pretty much no matter where you are. You can probably find one in reasonable shape for $2500-$3000. Sure I've heard about the odd killer deal here and there, but you always have to pay for the really cherry ones.

 

[uzibear]

compression test, yeah i've had that one done before; and i can tell that it's going to be more important to get a well-maintained, low rust model than it is to get a rock bottom price. either that or buy a "needs work" for $500, but i don't have the experience for that so that's out.

as it turns out i'm going to be shopping in so-cal, not here in colorado. i have a 94 ford explorer i'm driving back. it needs a bunch of work, but i'm going to get it running and sell it in california. probably get $1500 for it, it's rather beat up.

looking at autotrader.com i see that the prices of 1st gens is a bit high. however, if indeed they have lived their whole life in california, the low-rust would probably be worth it. we'll see. i move at the end of the month, maybe sooner, and i'll begin looking right away. seems like the perfect vehicle for me.

another thing is that i really want to learn to work on it myself. one reason for this is that when i get one, i intend to take several months and roadtrip around the country. i've been sick with lyme disease for going on 2years now and i'm finally getting treated and recovering. i'm going take a much needed vacation. also try to figure out where in the country to settle down. thinking oregon or washington. exciting times.

 

[CathyG]

My 86 with absolutely no rust cost almost $4000. The guy who had it was a mechanic who kept the receipts every time he bought oil as proof of maintenance and knew exactly how much he could ask for it. If your going to be headed to CA you might look in AZ on your way. We have a ton of cars that would normally be rusted out heaps that have no rust due to our dry climate and no salt on the roads. If you do look in AZ or any other desert region make sure to check any rubber parts for signs that they`re falling apart.

As an example autotrader several 1st gens without visible rust at mostly reasonable prices