where do you draw the line on repairs?

[Dieselchessy]

At some point I tend to buy another 3rd gen and sell or part out the old one.

Decent ones are $5 to 6k around here and even poor ones fetch $2500 to 3k.

So if repairs top $4k and you can’t spread them out over time it may be time to trade up.

 

[Squint_Eastwood]

Grow up poor but can afford a wrench, love your investment, can do the homework, pick and choose your battles.

 

[pavelvoivoda]

Being my fleet of 4 runners...

I kinda know what you mean!

 

[brillo_76]

Lol looks like 5. I have 5 currently and a 6th one for parts. It seems like a few of us get carried away. :/

Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk

 

[St Runner]

This is my limit

 

[Joelzy]

^ thats fair. I'd say that or extreme frame rot but even then i'd find another and swap all the stuff i want over.

 

[fan of fanboys]

talked to the mechanic today, going to go ahead with first step in work. I forget everything he rattled off but will replace the knock sensors and harness (and everything associated with that such as gaskets) and the water pump and timing belt

I don't need them today but later in the year or early next year I will need new front brakes and four new tires

I think the alternator is going bad so he is going to test that for me. I also asked them to inspect everything related to the suspension.

otherwise, I should be back on the road soon!

 

[T4R2014]

This is my limit

Hey! A clean frame! We can fix another 4Runner with that!

 

[thezentree]

This is my limit

where'd you find a blender big enough to fit a 4runner?!

Also, this is an inefficient way to part out a vehicle.

 

[St Runner]

Thats the 4runner I pulled the 5 speed from for my swap. Went off the road and about 50 feet down a really steep incline. Nobody was hurt and from what I heard it got more damaged being pulled back up to the road than when it went down. It was good for lots of parts!

 

[fan of fanboys]

going to replace the radiator while at it too, about 100K miles old and showing a few signs of rust

want to have someone do the frame, sand it down and seal it. the 4runner spent over 200K miles in PA prior to me buying it. the previous owner did a good job of maintaining it but still needs to be touched up. since it will probably never see snow again I should be good

brakes/tires and then hopefully I can go 100K or so with only changing the oil.

 

[fan of fanboys]

picked it up today. here is the final list of everything replaced

Knock sensors and harness
Spark plugs and wires
Heater hose
All three serpentine belts
Radiator coolant hose
Timing belt
Water pump
Radiator and new antifreeze
Trailer wiring harness
Camshaft seal
Intake manifold gasket
Thermostat and seal
Valve cover gasket
PCV valve and grommet
Radiator cap
Couple oil cooler hoses

Now to get new tires soon and I am good for a while. Probably this time next year I will replace the LBJs, front brakes, and drain fluids.

Any other suggestions? I want to get a lot of life out of this and currently sitting at 276K miles

 

[OrRunner]

I went through all my receipts since purchasing the vehicle and I'm about 25k deep all in, with around 3k of that labor rest is all parts. That said, the truck has all the features and conveniences of a modern vehicle and has been gone through from front to back mechanically.

Some of the highlights:
Wireless car play head unit with backup cam
HID retrofit projectors
Supercharger/7th injector
Icon suspension
BFG KO2s
Transmission overhauled

Is 25k wayyyy too much to spend on this vehicle? Depends how you look at it. She has 210k on the clock, and I intend to double that circumstances allowing. She performs as good or better than any vehicle you can get for the same money, and I can do 90% of repairs myself. Going forward I anticipate mainly regular maintenance costs and a low cost of operation.

And if I decided to sell here in the Pacific Northwest where these vehicle are incredibly popular? I wouldn't let her go for less than 18k, and I'm pretty sure I would have offers. That's a better return on investment than buying a new vehicle driving it 100 miles and selling it.

 

[Thebeastlives]

picked it up today. here is the final list of everything replaced

Knock sensors and harness
Spark plugs and wires
Heater hose
All three serpentine belts
Radiator coolant hose
Timing belt
Water pump
Radiator and new antifreeze
Trailer wiring harness
Camshaft seal
Intake manifold gasket
Thermostat and seal
Valve cover gasket
PCV valve and grommet
Radiator cap
Couple oil cooler hoses

Now to get new tires soon and I am good for a while. Probably this time next year I will replace the LBJs, front brakes, and drain fluids.

Any other suggestions? I want to get a lot of life out of this and currently sitting at 276K miles

You should have your suspension parts checked, struts upper and lower control arms, your entire front end. Upgrading your suspension is the next project for any 3rd gen 4 runner with considerable age and miles.