Anyone want to sell 85-89 4Runner?

I live in Norfolk too ... you should go to 7-11 and get the Tidewater Trading Post if you haven't already.

's also a Mid-Virginia Trading Post as well, available at 7-11s aroundRichmond and central VA Other than that, Ebay might be your best bet.

There are plenty of 4Runners and pickups running around this area though... Just wait till the next major deployment and you'll probably find a nice one cheap! :oD

Thanks a lot. btw, do you know when the next major deployment is?

-Matt

hahahha halfway joking on that one... no, I don't. Look in the Virginian Pile-of-$hit, the local newspaper, for that one.. personally, I wouldn't line a bird cage with it (if I had a bird).

This question is fit for it's own thread, but fits in neatly here: what do you look for/at in a used truck. I'm in the market for a 1st gen runner myself. I'm not a mechanic, and can't afford one. My real big question is, is there an easy way to tell if the mileage has been rolled back? I looked at an '88 runner tonight with only 66k "original" miles on the clock. The truck did look immaculate. He's asking 2500 and I got him down to 2 grand. Is this as too good to be true as it seems?

Drew

That Price does seem very low, but if the truck looks immaculate, has no rust (framerails too), and drvies well, that's a very good deal. I suggest spending a few bucks to take it to a mechanic to have it looked at. Most honest sellers will allow this. Another quick way to judge how many "real" miles are on a vehicle is by looking at the brake pedal rubber wear. If it's worn a lot, it's probably more than 60k.

Hope this helps, Matt

It seems too good, but then again, the used car market is taking an quick dive to zero, thanks to the after-effects of post-911 0% financing and aggressive marketing from the makers. And, currently, rising gas prices are making more people consider more fuel-efficent vehicles. Of course, there's some economic folly there: it takes a LOT of miles and years, even at $2/gal, to make up the difference between a paid-for vehicle at 20mpg, and a new $12-$20k vehicle at 40mpg. Locally, a flood of Chevy GoodTimes (G20) conversion vans, with the 350V8, which optimistically see 8-10mpg, have hit the market at prices as low as, in once case, free.

Run a Carfax report to see if there are later mileage records from the DMV or emissions/safety inspection stations. Even consider going to the local dealer or shop where the truck was serviced and ask to see the service records (even JiffyLube keeps a comprehensive database, take the truck there on a test drive if it was serviced there, and ask them to look up the last oil change).

Otherwise, my same repetitive advice:

1) look closely for rust, 80s Toyotas rust like few others 2) pull the plugs, examine them and do a compression check. This is fairly quick and simple on a 22R-E, requires some more time on a V6. 3) The advice on the brake pedal is good, unless it was a city commuting vehicle. Which is also a concern: 66k in stop-and-go traffic is worse than 66k highway. 4) If you're not mechanically inclined, consider taking the truck to an independent mechanic and pay about $100 for a comprehensive checkup. S/he will be able to point out any negative (and positive) things about the truck.

Specific to the 4cyl:

- any history of timing chain/guard/timing set being replaced?

- have the valves been adjusted regularly? this is more important to engine performance and longevity than most people realized, and is theoretically supposed to be performed every 10k.

Specific to the V6 (though, I don't think I've seen a lot of 88 V6s, mainly 89):

- were the headgasket(s) replaced, either independently or under warranty?

If everything seems fine, in my opinion, $2000 for a MY88 4Runner with under 100k is an excellent deal, if that's the vehicle you want, then you've found a good deal.

good luck! GTr

Thanks to those who replied. That particular deal fell through. Someone else got to it first---or so the dude said.

If anyone here lives in/near central CT and is selling a 1st gen runner or a p/u for 3000 or less, get in touch.

Cheers,

Drew.