It seems with each passing year, the original Toyota 4Runner becomes more and more cherished, now to the point that clean examples of the second- and third-generation models are fetching strong money. While the first one may stand apart for its removable hard top, the later editions were a touch more civilized without losing the charming qualities of a truck with four doors that the 4Runner has always captured perfectly. This one is a dry, Nevada truck with a recently rebuilt engine and the rare five speed manual gearbox. Find it here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $16,000.
The seller discloses that he is a Toyota fanatic, owning several 4Runners and a 1991 pickup with a Buick V8 swapped in! As such, he couldn’t resist taking a chance on this desert-dry example when it turned up with a bad engine. He got it home, cleaned it up, and began re-assembly of the original 3.0L six-cylinder engine. This is good not only for the future peace of mind but also because it means the seller has likely addressed the troublesome headgasket issue that plagued the six-cylinder 4Runners.
The engine rebuild was certainly robust, incorporating new oversized pistons and rings; new bearings; a valve job; along with a new timing belt, water pump, and more. While the 22-RE in the previous generation was incredibly durable, the V6 was a big time step up in usable power and refinement. Assuming the headgasket has been replaced as part of the rebuild, there’s little else the next owner has to worry about in terms of reliability. The seller has also replaced the tires and installed a new clutch.
One of the best features of the second-generation 4Runner was the power sliding rear window above the tailgate, which was perfect for keeping kids and dogs inside the truck while visiting the local drive-in or taking it to the beach and throwing your surfboards in the back with the seats folded down. The seller has done a ton of work to bring this 4Runner back to life, and the rare manual gearbox makes it a truck worth saving. In the sea of crossovers, original SUVs like this 4Runner make way more sense to me than buying yet another truck with no off-road abilities and riding on a car-based platform.
I love this. The power slide down rear window is a 4runner Hallmark. Our 2020 forgoes the ever popular power lift gate in order to keep the rear slider. I can’t over state how cool that feature is. I drove one like this once. I thought it improved on the original design without taking from its character. I don’t know what the value is, but the price doesn’t strike me as unrealistic.
Had a 86 and a 91. That back window is great except on dirt roads. Leave it down and you will have an inch of dust in no time all over. Great SUV’s. I would love another.
I loved everything about my 95 except the fuel mileage. Mine was an automatic, I added a less restrictive exhaust system (not loud) and even changed the full time front hubs to manuals to extract a few more MPG’s.d Reliable as all get out, and hands-down the coldest AC system ever! I wouldn’t mind another.
The 2nd Gen is the unloved generation ( and 4th of course). Toyota had a great idea with the 4 doors but power plants held them back. The venerable 22re was underpowered in the first gens and this was even more noticeable with the second. The 3vz was a whole different story. It came out in the 4 runner in 88 and even producing 150hp, this engine was a dog. Head gasket problems plagued this engine, an AFM that was really too small, this engine mated to an automatic couldn’t get out of its own way. The 5-speed is a little peppier and with a few mods is just ok.
A 3rd gen 3.4 swap and I could see something in the ball park of that price. But to old Toyota 4×4 enthusiast, a 3.0 is still a 3.slow.
A full engine rebuild means head gaskets were replaced. Also most head gaskets were done as a customer satisfaction campaign back in the 90’s. We had a tech who came from Toyota and that was all he was doing back then.
Not much of a Toyota fan, but my kid is. 184K miles typically would scare me but if the engine was rebuilt and the rest of the drive train is in good condition it could be an exceptional vehicle.
The color is exceptional and though it has a few defects, nothing too much that you couldn’t live with while driving it.