- Location
- United States
FOR SALE
1993 Toyota 4Runner, ~175k miles on everything but engine/trans/transfercase/rearend. It spent most of its life in Southern California and the last 1.5 years in AZ, so the body is rust-free and the rest is 98% rust free. The previous owner installed a Toyota 1KZTE turbodiesel, automatic transmission and transfercase(it was a 3.0 V6 with a manual) out of a nearly identical "half-cut" truck from Japan, shortly before the EPA cracked down on the guys importing them into the USA.
$10,000obo
(emphasis on OR BEST OFFER)
It goes up on ebay if it does not sell by the end of August, 2012
(emphasis on OR BEST OFFER)
It goes up on ebay if it does not sell by the end of August, 2012
If you have any questions, just ask here - or, DO NOT PM me, email me.
Doing both is better, though.
REASON FOR SALE
In a turn of events that I had hoped would happen but knew would take some serious personal scarifices, my girlfriend has accepted a job position in a foreign country. This means I have to sell off most of my motorized toys, taking them with is way more hassle than it's worth and I don't have a cheap/free place to store them. That said, I reluctantly I offer this vehicle for sale here; I have no option but to sell it at this point. I originally bought this vehicle with the idea of having something to camp out of in remote places and
keep for 10+ more years, running veggie oil and/or biodiesel, but that has changed now. I would NOT be selling it otherwise. It will be dearly missed...I had bigger plans for it.
There are LOTS more pictures of this vehicle available here:
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/24795297_dvFV8t#!i=2029394755&k=W8SwnzC
Specifications and Special Equipment
DRIVETRAIN
Japanese-spec 1KZTE turbodiesel. ~60k KM original on it; approximately 15k KM since total overhaul by previous owner. Starts and runs EVERY time.
______ 4-speed automatic w/integrated transfercase.
Mitsubishi Evo 6 intercooler and custom plumbing.
3" exhaust from turbo back; catalytic converter from a Ford Expedition diesel.
Catarpillar-style fuel filter on engine firewall.
Custom drivelines front/rear, both utilize factory Toyota U-joints throughout.
E-Locker from a Tacoma; 4.10 gears. Original button in the dash with indicator light.
Aisin manual front hubs
Vacuum-operated ADD differential disconnect disabled and locked to engaged position.
Newer Tundra 16" wheels
Firestone Transforce HT tires, 235/85R16, Load Range E, with less than 10k KM on them.
Cruise control has never worked while I've owned it.
CHASSIS______ 4-speed automatic w/integrated transfercase.
Mitsubishi Evo 6 intercooler and custom plumbing.
3" exhaust from turbo back; catalytic converter from a Ford Expedition diesel.
Catarpillar-style fuel filter on engine firewall.
Custom drivelines front/rear, both utilize factory Toyota U-joints throughout.
E-Locker from a Tacoma; 4.10 gears. Original button in the dash with indicator light.
Aisin manual front hubs
Vacuum-operated ADD differential disconnect disabled and locked to engaged position.
Newer Tundra 16" wheels
Firestone Transforce HT tires, 235/85R16, Load Range E, with less than 10k KM on them.
Cruise control has never worked while I've owned it.
Custom front and rear bumpers fabbed by previous owner. Grippy, black bedliner coating on most all surfaces.
Custom rocker panel guards fabbed by previous owner.
Trailer wiring adapter cleanly installed with 4-flat connector. NOT wired for trailer
brakes.
BODYCustom rocker panel guards fabbed by previous owner.
Trailer wiring adapter cleanly installed with 4-flat connector. NOT wired for trailer
brakes.
One little bit of rock rash, right at the seam between the front and rear doors on the driver's side.
Looks like something fell against it a long time ago, on the C/D pillars there is obvious bondo shrinkage-fissuring in two places.
A strange dent just above the passenger side rear tail light.
INTERIOR all original and stock except for:Looks like something fell against it a long time ago, on the C/D pillars there is obvious bondo shrinkage-fissuring in two places.
A strange dent just above the passenger side rear tail light.
Factory 1KZTE guage cluster from the donor vehicle that the drivetrain came from.
Engine temp guage modified to read "true."
Tacoma E-Locker on/off switch and indicator light.
Factory Idle-Up switch(for warmup when super cold).
Factory shifter and center console from the drivetrain donor vehicle.
Carpet DashMat.
Thick rubber front floormats.
Sony double DIN AM/FM Stereo/CD/MP3 player w/remote; iPod and MP3 player cable in glovebox.
Auxiliary switch retracts power antenna without turning off the stereo - nice for passing through brush, or at the drive-through carwash.
Infinity Reference series front speakers in factory boxes.
Boston Acoustic rear speakers in factory boxes.
Rear windows tinted.
SUSPENSIONEngine temp guage modified to read "true."
Tacoma E-Locker on/off switch and indicator light.
Factory Idle-Up switch(for warmup when super cold).
Factory shifter and center console from the drivetrain donor vehicle.
Carpet DashMat.
Thick rubber front floormats.
Sony double DIN AM/FM Stereo/CD/MP3 player w/remote; iPod and MP3 player cable in glovebox.
Auxiliary switch retracts power antenna without turning off the stereo - nice for passing through brush, or at the drive-through carwash.
Infinity Reference series front speakers in factory boxes.
Boston Acoustic rear speakers in factory boxes.
Rear windows tinted.
NWOR(North West Off Road) dual front shock mounts/hoops.
Sway-A-Way 26mm torsion bars set to stock ride height.
4(2 @ ea. wheel)Bilstein front shocks
Total Chaos IFS rear frame brace, welded in place.
Low-profile top-out stops, staged polyurethane bumpstops.
NWOR Toyota IFS idler arm brace.
4crawler.com bronze idler arm bushings.
ProComp ES2000 steering damper.
Progressive rear coil springs.
Airbag load levelers.
Bilstien HD rear shocks.
Downey ~2" rear panhard rod drop bracket.
Swaybars removed(front/rear); included in sale(installation too, if prefferred).
SPARES:Sway-A-Way 26mm torsion bars set to stock ride height.
4(2 @ ea. wheel)Bilstein front shocks
Total Chaos IFS rear frame brace, welded in place.
Low-profile top-out stops, staged polyurethane bumpstops.
NWOR Toyota IFS idler arm brace.
4crawler.com bronze idler arm bushings.
ProComp ES2000 steering damper.
Progressive rear coil springs.
Airbag load levelers.
Bilstien HD rear shocks.
Downey ~2" rear panhard rod drop bracket.
Swaybars removed(front/rear); included in sale(installation too, if prefferred).
Folder of links, information, contacts, sources, and digital factory shop manuals...
Spare 1KZTE engine computer.
Original gauge cluster & center console skirt.
______________Discussion_____________
DRIVETRAIN
The previous owner bought the half-cut donor vehicle and discovered that the importer had hastily tried to start it with ether and cracked a piston...this scenario is very common amongst the non-educated about deisels. So, he tore it entirely down, and rebuilt it with a Toyota factory rebuild kit. Really, all it needed was a replacement piston but he went all-out and did everything he could do - main bearings, rod bearings, pistons, rings, you
name it. His wrenchwork is solid IMO and I don't question the reliability or integrity of it at all. It has been 100% solid for the year and a half I have owned it, no leaks, nothing has come loose and it runs perfectly.
The engine wiring harness was made by a professional place called Phoenix Tuning (
http://www.phoenixtuning.com/ ), and was a package deal that was plug-and-play and has been totally solid.
The 1KZTE engines were sold all over the world EXCEPT in the USA. They are renowned for rock-solid reliability and durability. If you need them(not likely), major parts are available from Australia for very reasonable prices and shipping is surprisingly cheap. Oil filters and other maintenance items are available easily here in the US as they are used on other vehicle that are/were sold stateside.
This engine is the best small diesel I have ever driven; it starts immediately EVERY time even in sub-zero temps and just, well, purrs along. It is an IDI diesel, so it does not get DI or TDI-like fuel mileage - BUT, it can be run easily on veggie oil or biodiesel without massive filtration needed. It generally averages between 19-22 mpg, depending on load and how heavy your foot is. With simple oil, oil filter and scheduled timing belt changes(this takes about 15 minutes on this engine - yes, 15 minutes!) it will likely go 250-300k miles with nearly no other service. Same goes for the injector pump, turbo and
all other critical items.
By most accounts, with an intercooler installed and free-flowing exhaust(this one has both) the engine is probably making about ~120 horsepower, but 220+ ft-lb of torque. Drive it, and you'll see that it scoots right along and is pretty much unphased by load or hills, within reason. If you want more, there is a chip/computer mod available from UniChip that nets ~19% more total power and a lot more torque simply by plugging it in. Additionally, there is a bigger injector pump that bolts on that opens up even more power if you really
think you need it.
The exhaust is not the cleanest fab job, but is solid and has not failed anywhere. The previous owner made it and he was working with throwout exhaust tubing/bends, not a mandrel bender. Again, it works fine. I had planned to clean it up and tuck it in a little better in places but never got around to it because it does work.
The transmission is really well geared and matched to the engine; kickdownsare predictable, crisp and clean and overdrive is perfect for interstate cruising at 75-80 with the 4.10 gearing and 235/85R16 tires. The overdrive on/off switch on the shifter works. I was planning on putting some more aggressive ~33" tires(slightly taller, not by much, though) on it as a final touch, but never allocated the money...
The combination of the diesel torque, automatic transmission and pretty low transfercase gearing in low range make it really, really easy to crawl and negotiate technical off road situations with very precise control. No need for master clutch skills, crawler gears or dual transfer cases, or anything like that at all, even with 33" tires and maybe even with bigger tires.
The E-Locker works seamlessly, and of course is really nice to have. I would have one in every vehicle I have ever owned if I could. I have had cheap lockers and expensive ones and they all more or less have caveats around town or in super-slippery situations as on icy roads - and also when loaning the vehicle to someone to run for pizza or beer or whatever. That's about all I have to say about that. I'm pretty sure it has less than ~100k miles on it - it's real quiet, no gear whine at all.
The previous owner said the cruise control was working, but that it failed right before I bought it. I'm pretty sure the servo just failed so I bought another cruise control servo from a guy parting out a vehicle, and it's included, although I never installed it as I don't really like cruise control anyway.
CHASSIS
Front bumper looks unique and aggressive and also protects the massive intercooler very well. It's damned heavy and solidly mounted:
The sliders are all box steel construction, bolted to the frame; can be removed easily. Grippy, black bedliner coating on most all surfaces. Due to underside construction, they aren't really "sliders" but they do make getting in and out easier and also loading things on top a LOT easier:
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-WJnwZmw/0/L/i-WJnwZmw-L.jpg
I improved/finished the rear bumper mounts and finished some welds he left incomplete myself.
Class III hitch socket in rear; have a 10" drop hitch with another Class III socket at the bottom that comes with the vehicle. This enables towing at ~typical bumper height. I have only ever towed a small trailer with motorcycles on it and used same drop-hitch for a motorcycle carrier; all have worked perfectly.
BODY
Rock rash on driver's side:
Previous owner was pretty new to 4x4 stuff, and leaned it slowly into a roadside boulder at a narrow spot somewhere.
INTERIOR
The gauge cluster was installed by the previous owner, in order to retain the factory idiot lights and correct readings. The drawback is that it reads in KM/H and the odometer/tripmeter reads in KM, too. I have no trouble converting to MPH in my head, but for a while I taped a cheat-sheet for common speed limits next to it to be sure.
The temp guage was modified by the previous owner to read "true," meaning it sweeps around a lot more than stock. The stock guage is electronically "damped" to read in a non-linear manner, so by the time you are into the red range things are so hot you are probably really doing damage to the engine in a big way. With this modification, you get a much better resolution as to what is actually happening and I actually really like it. With this mod, the red is actually where the thermostat opens up, so as you climb a hill in the heat for
example, the guage will go right to the line between wite and red and stay there; any higher and it's genuinely hot. In stock form, they don't swing even to the line until it's super-heated, and by then you've likely done damage.
The piping on the left hip pad on the driver's side seat is just starting to come off; otherwise, the rest of the seats are in great shape. Nothing a seat cover wouldn't cure:
For what it is, the stereo sounds pretty damn good. Obviously it's not a bass beast, but for anything but rap or raggae, it's plenty without sacrificing interior space to a speaker box and having hot amps mounted all over the place, etc. Having the iPod wiring in the glovebox keeps it out of the way and since you can drive the iPod from the deck or remote, just leave it in there:
The carpeting in general is used, but pretty clean and all there:
The previous owner put some insulation/heat tape in and around the rear of the cabin, behind panels and under carpet. I can't say it made a huge difference but he was motivated to do it so it must have made some change for the positive. It didn't hurt anything AFAIK.
The center console has the shift pattern on the RH side as it came out of the donor vehicle. Not an issue, really, just awkward the first time you look to see the pattern:
The vehicle originally had the 3.0 V6/manual 5-speed combo, so the clutch pedal is still there but held by it's own spring out of the way against the firewall.
Everything else works inside and is really as it was stock with typical wear and tear for a
vehicle of this age and mileage:
Original tool kit:
SUSPENSION
Front shocks are all Bilstien; at each front wheel there are:
One each 8" travel
5125, linear pistons with 275/55 valving
One each ~7.5" travel, digressive pistons with ~410/75 valving
Two-each-per-wheel of the aforementioned 5125's did not have enough rebound dampening when used with the 26mm Sway-A-Way torsion bars. The position of the shock mount on the lower arm means the shock only moves about 5", so the travel is just because the shock had to be that long to reach the NWOR upper mounts. This makes for a lot of extra oil voume this way, and they stay cooler over long sections of rough terrain or washboard road. This arrangement matches the rear setup very well and is comfortable enough to drive around town and still be used aggressively with two people and a load of camping gear on board. With the weight of the front bumper and heavier-than-stock diesel engine, the 26mm torsion bars are *just* the right spring rate, but needed the dual arrangement to really work correctly 5125, linear pistons with 275/55 valving
One each ~7.5" travel, digressive pistons with ~410/75 valving
and not overwhelm a single shock. It's really set up about as good to go as fast as you would/should ever want to go without a full cage and real harnesses/seats in the vehicle,
IMO:
I did not install extended arms up front in the interest of retaining matched
front-to-reartrack width for snow/mud use(of which I have never really even used it in); they also necessitate fiberglass fenders or dorky looking flares/extensions and even still, in mud or snow the front wheels cover the vehicle sides without even dorkier looking mudflaps that are wide enough to match. IMO, spending ~$2k on arms, coilover shocks and the like is just not worth it for an additional 3" of travel unless you are racing. At that point, a properly leaf-sprung and bypass-damped straight axle is almost as good and
crawls far better...anyway...
The Total Chaos frame brace is a preventative measure only. When one or both sides of the suspension bottoms REALLY hard on this suspension design, they basically spread and twist the frame tubes because they are not tied together at the aft arm pivot hangers. The brace does this and prevents bending:
Once they are bent, they are very hard to straighten and often cannot be adjusted enough using just the pivot eccentrics to be realigned at all. I know this becuause I bent my first truck like this, abusing it ignorantly. The guys at TC obviously know about it too. While I never planned on driving this vehicle like that, cross-cuts in desert roads and other features are very common in Arizona after rainstorms and sometimes you just can't avoid them - even a 25mph stroke at the right time can be a nasty jolt that bottoms the
front suspension really hard.
The NWOR IFS idler arm brace solved one of the only real mechanical weak points in the 1986-1995 IFS suspension designs - bent idler arms. I'm not sure what Toyota was thinking when they designed the Idler arm, but the way it takes the loads from the RH tie rod link makes it really easy to bend up to that it srikes the frame during a LH turn. These are a bolt-on, bulletproof preventative measure and they work.
Between this addition and the 4Crawler.com bronze bushings, it swings around and the rest of the stock parts in good shape, this setup is really hard to hurt. Again, if I were racing or prerunning at speed, I would buy an entire Total Chaos front end but that isn't what I built this for.
The progressive springs in the rear work really well and were so well matched to the Bilstein HD shocks that I've simply left the the airbag system I bought and installed empty for the duration, but it's still in there. The previous owner had installed "lift" springs in the rear; thus, the Panhard rod drop bracket. I removed it and found that it biased the handling a bit, so reinstalled it and it actually feels really neutral at the present sag setting with the progressive springs:
I still have both front and rear swaybars and they come with the vehicle. Although, I have found that with this arrangement, it handles very well on road and off without them. There is not much body roll unless you put a bunch of weigh on top of the vehicle and at the same time crawls as good as an IFS Toyota ever could IMO. I have previously owned three other vehicles of this chassis variety and this combination achieves the best balance of money spent, street practicality, crawl-ability and romp-ability that I have found.
SPARES:
I have an entire (digital)folder of folders of links, information, contacts, sources, and digital versions of the factory shop manuals both for the original vehicle and the entire drivetrain that I can put on a jump drive or CD-R for the buyer. It is a lot of stuff that has been a long time to find and dig for, and is a really good resource package.
A complete oilchange's worth of oil(Mobil Delvac) and a filter too:
Spare 1KZTE engine computer, known good and intact. Expensive and hard to find, even internationally:
The spare Bilstein 5125 shocks that I replaced, in case you prefer a looser ride.
A boost/vaccuum guage that I bought and never installed.
A box of other spares and take-off parts, mostly leftover from the engine swap, etc. The original gauge cluster will interchange, but you lose the idiot lights(with exception of oil pressure) as far as I know:
Known-good cruise control servo.
Again, any questions, just ask here - or, DO NOT PM me, email me, as PM's
are a very unreliable way to get a hold of me.
