Everyone talking about rebuilds and swaps….am I throwing money into a pit building up a 240k mile rig? (1 Viewer)

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It's a money pit because of the gas you'll be buying.

I bought my '94 with around 253k on it. I'm at 284k, driving it daily. It just needed a ton of neglected maintenance done to it. I expect to get to at least 350 - 400k before anything major like a head gasket happens. At that point, I'll likely look to an engine swap for more power and efficiency.

We're likely headed toward much higher fuel prices. These vehicles are not a smart long-term financial choice, but neither is a new 4runner, really. Buy a Camry or a Prius if you want smart.
 
Even if you have to swap in a new crate motor and replace every other major part it will still be cheaper than a new 4 runner.

Damn this hurts right now. The joke with my friends is "you could have bought a base Camry with the money you put in to that thing." My response is "It wouldn't have to be a base Camry, but then I'd have a Camry." It's been funny, but now my wife hit a deer and totaled her 2013 4Runner. With the world the way it is at the moment, not a good time to be looking for a new vehicle. There are plenty of 1 year old used 4Runners available for more than they sold new. I have mentioned 100 series and GX470s, but that's still a $20K - $30K+ conversation right now.

Jason
 
Does it make you happy ? It's probably one of the most reliable vehicles ever built, but it's also 25 years old. My 4Runner had 321K on it (wreck totaled it), my 80 had 277K before I tore the truck apart and went through it. The engine was only bored because there was rust in the cylinders from sitting for a few years. Machine shop said it was a shame, because the bores were still great otherwise. The thing is durable, and designed to run forever, and while some parts are discontinued now I have been shocked at what I have been able to buy new from Toyota or the OEM for Toyota. Only real issue has been the heater core, found a radiator shop to recore mine as new is NLA and the dash wasn't going back together with a 300K mile heater core in it. Radiator shops are getting harder to find. It MIGHT be a little much as a DD coming for a 2020 GX, but enjoy it.

Jason
 
I bought my 80 10 years ago with 250k on it. I thought for sure I would be rebuilding or replacing the engine within a few years. I know better now. 10 years and 60k mi later, it is still going strong. Plenty of routine maintenance has been done, but mechanically, the engine and transmission are probably good until at least 400k mi. At the rate I drive, that's another 20 years.

Those 60k miles were not easy either. I lifted, locked, and geared the truck right away so it has been pushing 37"s around with 5:29 gears (cruising freeway RPM of 3000) the whole time. I bet 30% of those miles were off road, some on pretty difficult trails.

The only rationale (for me) to replace the engine is to make it a bit faster. A rebuilt OBD2 turbo 1FZ is somewhere in the future.
 
I’d say no. My ‘94 has nearly 300k. My other three (all 3fe’s) had 230k, 250k, and (my parents) nearly 400k without any large bill items done.

My current 1fz I do the bare minimum. I’m waiting until it dies to do a diesel swap. But I’ve been waiting for nearly 60k.

If I were going to keep the 1FZ, I’d buy another engine and completely refurb it, within reason, at my leisure and then pull the runner and put that one in. If you like doing your own stuff, I feel like that’s the best bet. Same with tranny and t-case.
 
If I were going to keep the 1FZ, I’d buy another engine and completely refurb it, within reason, at my leisure and then pull the runner and put that one in. If you like doing your own stuff, I feel like that’s the best bet. Same with tranny and t-case.

Exactly. Can't go wrong doing it this way. There are always deals to be had on used engines. You can find a 1FZ-FE/A343/T-case for $1000 or less.
 
Damn this hurts right now. The joke with my friends is "you could have bought a base Camry with the money you put in to that thing." My response is "It wouldn't have to be a base Camry, but then I'd have a Camry." It's been funny, but now my wife hit a deer and totaled her 2013 4Runner. With the world the way it is at the moment, not a good time to be looking for a new vehicle. There are plenty of 1 year old used 4Runners available for more than they sold new. I have mentioned 100 series and GX470s, but that's still a $20K - $30K+ conversation right now.

Jason
My wife’s looking at RAV4 TRD’s. I keep trying to push her to a 4Runner or a GX or 100. But she’s not having the last two. And like 4 of our friends have T4R’s, so I doubt she’ll do that. She will be driving my other 80 (LX450 w/ 85k) until I sell it. But yeah… she’s pretty particular. She still likes LR4’s but knows they’re not reliable, long term.
 
My wife’s looking at RAV4 TRD’s. I keep trying to push her to a 4Runner or a GX or 100. But she’s not having the last two. And like 4 of our friends have T4R’s, so I doubt she’ll do that. She will be driving my other 80 (LX450 w/ 85k) until I sell it. But yeah… she’s pretty particular. She still likes LR4’s but knows they’re not reliable, long term.

I did not know there was a RAV4 TRD, that's interesting. You are right on 4Runners though, especially 5th gens, they have sold like crazy and they are EVERYWHERE.... A downside if you don't like seeing yourself everywhere.

Jason
 
I did not know there was a RAV4 TRD, that's interesting. You are right on 4Runners though, especially 5th gens, they have sold like crazy and they are EVERYWHERE.... A downside if you don't like seeing yourself everywhere.

Jason
Yeah, I didn’t realize it. We test drove the XLE I think, and I was incredibly unimpressed. Rough ride, loud, etc. and the the salesman wanted us to try the TRD Off-road. I wasn’t keen on it, honestly didn’t think it would be any different. But it was a night and day difference. So much smoother and quieter, better handling, despite the A/T’s. I was sold, if we go that route.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone, all the threads about rebuilds and swaps just had me concerned.

This isn’t my first 80, in fact an LX450 was my first car. I bought it off the auction block in 2000 coming off of a lease with 20k on the odo, I was 16 years old I worked pretty much just to make the payment on that truck it was my baby I loved it. I had lots of cars in between but the LX always stuck with me, I finally only sold her a few years ago as she had been in two bad accidents and being a Michigan truck had more rust than I would have liked. I regretted it ever since and a few months ago picked up this 97 LC. While the LX was always bone stock I never put a dime into her other than regular maintenance this LC I am completely building up and pumping a lot of money into to be my every day driver. I got my current GX dirt cheap on a lease before everything hit the fan and it’s not possible to get anywhere near that price again, can’t find anything right now so this was my solution.

This is the truck I want so it’s not exactly like I’m settling. I guess the biggest issue is that I wouldn’t be doing any of the work on it myself so it gets pricey to say the least. But it has shockingly low rust and drives really strong, like I said I was just thinking.

Oil analysis is a great idea, going to do that right away thank you!
 
If an exercise in futility - you've got a lot of company - myself included, I'm in about exactly the same boat re: year, miles, expenditure.

Transportation costs money, one way or the other, whether new acquisition, operating costs, or repair/refurb/replace. One thing this won't cost you is depreciation, it's probably already worth more than you paid for it. Because - it's an awesome platform that is highly sought - because it's an awesome platform

without even discussing the engineering or the fun factor

Enjoy and don't look back, you can't take it with you
 
Can’t recall if you mentioned wrenching experience, but I’m sure you can do most of what it will need yourself, know it’s done right and skip labor cost.

If you like sticking with capable offroad rigs, again it’s still cheaper to keep feeding it than to let it go for something new, or something newer, both of which will still need work and to be built to your preference.

I’d rather pay for a new engine once than take the loss and end up with something new I don’t like.

As a “snowboard bum,” I don’t make full-time money, and most people might think it’s crazy to have an 80. But, doing my own work, knowing it’ll rarely need anything major, it works. Having savings helps too, hah.

For me, I often think, when I’m 100, will I regret having owned it and paid a little more for gas? Nope.
 
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Exactly. Can't go wrong doing it this way. There are always deals to be had on used engines. You can find a 1FZ-FE/A343/T-case for $1000 or less.
I will take 2.
 
Can’t recall if you mentioned wrenching experience, but I’m sure you can do most of what it will need yourself, know it’s done right and skip labor cost.

If you like sticking with capable offroad rigs, again it’s still cheaper to keep feeding it than to let it go for something new, or something newer, both of which will still need work and to be built to your preference.

I’d rather pay for a new engine once than take the loss and end up with something new I don’t like.

This starts where I’d reply.

**IF**
-You are your own mechanic & don’t need cut checks for every man-hour of labor, be it capability / priority / lifestyle - then yes, these make sense even in crazy $$/gal gas.

A stock 1FZ is fine on 89 with Techron on occasion & a few tanks of alchohol free gas / fresh plugs as how tour fuel locally shows you the burn.

-There will come a day when a critical motor part will go NLA, so possibly you may want to think if you can do a full motor swap to say a 2UZ or a LS/LT platform, but 240K you still on stock pistons & rings, you have 2 bores if parts support holds.

—If you do all your own wrench or cut checks for smart work (I did for R&P’s per @cruiserdan advice / e-lockers are a picky animal - seemed smart despite having done R&P’s prior).

But if you keep your labor bill small, these 1FZ’s are easily the most well - indexed DOHC motor of the era.

And the 1FZ is a forklift motor - a Honda motor is seriously now at a place you need SST’s for minimal jobs (had a Prelude SH, learned hard way).

All that said, if you have space to keep a true Shîtbox car when you take the 450 down for larger work, it could pay for itself after 2-3 major jobs versus rental econo-crapbox rigs at the $$/day rate.
 
I will take 2.

$1000 is not the going rate, but if you are patient you can find them. I took a running 1FZ/A442/Transfer case home this spring for $800. 45 min drive away. Guy even dropped it in my trailer with a fork lift.

Or check insurance auctions. Find a theft or minor collision totaled running 80 for $2-3k. Grab what you need, part out the rest and you almost get your parts for free.
 
Drive it, put money away in a savings account for a rebuild and then when that time ever comes you’ll be ready and you already have your car to drive while it’s in the shop. I’ve had multiple Toyotas over the 300k mark and they always still drove like new, these are Japanese trucks not Korean 😂
 
Drive it, put money away in a savings account for a rebuild and then when that time ever comes you’ll be ready and you already have your car to drive while it’s in the shop. I’ve had multiple Toyotas over the 300k mark and they always still drove like new, these are Japanese trucks not Korean 😂


Oh trust me I know, in 2013 I bought a brand new wrangler unlimited off the showroom floor thinking to replace my LX. 6 months later I got rid of that piece of junk and had a whole newfound respect for my LX as if I needed more reason to respect it, my 15 year old LX450 drove better than a brand spanking new jeep and it wasn’t even close…..thank god those heaps of plastic girl cars hold their value for the next sucker….

I’m the biggest patriot you’ll ever meet but nobody builds a truck like the Japanese.
 
This starts where I’d reply.

**IF**
-You are your own mechanic & don’t need cut checks for every man-hour of labor, be it capability / priority / lifestyle - then yes, these make sense even in crazy $$/gal gas.

A stock 1FZ is fine on 89 with Techron on occasion & a few tanks of alchohol free gas / fresh plugs as how tour fuel locally shows you the burn.

-There will come a day when a critical motor part will go NLA, so possibly you may want to think if you can do a full motor swap to say a 2UZ or a LS/LT platform, but 240K you still on stock pistons & rings, you have 2 bores if parts support holds.

—If you do all your own wrench or cut checks for smart work (I did for R&P’s per @cruiserdan advice / e-lockers are a picky animal - seemed smart despite having done R&P’s prior).

But if you keep your labor bill small, these 1FZ’s are easily the most well - indexed DOHC motor of the era.

And the 1FZ is a forklift motor - a Honda motor is seriously now at a place you need SST’s for minimal jobs (had a Prelude SH, learned hard way).

All that said, if you have space to keep a true Shîtbox car when you take the 450 down for larger work, it could pay for itself after 2-3 major jobs versus rental econo-crapbox rigs at the $$/day rate.


Other than basic bull**** I don’t wrench at all and that’s probably the biggest issue, I have a great local mechanic that knows 80’s inside out and works out of his garage and work cheap but still probably not best to own a 25 year old truck if you’re not working on it yourself.

Also my second car is a Ferrari 🤦🏻‍♂️
 
Hell, if you have the Ferrari & a great guy willing to do labor as long as you want to own an 80 well,

-ride that horse.

Enough said.
 

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