I’m looking at getting a 2nd or 4rd gen just needing some input from you guys on why one is better than the other. I will be putting a solid axle in front of either one. Thanks
2nd or 3rd gen which ones better? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter green_fj40
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
You mean 2nd or 3rd?
3rd has a better, more powerful V-6. Also has option of locking rear differential.
Front end distinctions between the generations is apparently irrelevant since you will be discarding.
2nd has more attractive styling,
My suggestion is to go with 3rd generation.
For what it’s worth, I’ve owned both. Have kept second generation at vacation home and sold 3rd generation at primary residence after a couple years because we prefer the FJ62 I’ve owned for 18 years now.
3rd has a better, more powerful V-6. Also has option of locking rear differential.
Front end distinctions between the generations is apparently irrelevant since you will be discarding.
2nd has more attractive styling,
My suggestion is to go with 3rd generation.
For what it’s worth, I’ve owned both. Have kept second generation at vacation home and sold 3rd generation at primary residence after a couple years because we prefer the FJ62 I’ve owned for 18 years now.
- Thread starter
- #3
How hard is it gonna be to 5speed 3rd gen?
Yeah, they are more rare than 5 speed 2nd gen but do exist.
Someone was selling one for cheap locally with low miles so I just had to take a look.
Had been used for launching a boat into salt water, plus our wet, snowy, roads get some chemicals. Man, than rig was rusty underneath!
I'm a 3rd gen guy, so that's what I will tell you. They look so badass with a SAS. Are you doing leafs or coilovers with it? To me, the 2nd gens seem more dated and there's some styling that did not age well in my opinion.
- Thread starter
- #6
I would probably do leafs but that can change. I’ve been looking for a manual and have only found one that I thought was overpriced
CenTXFJ60
SILVER Star
I am guessing that you’re referring to the 4Runner. If so I have a 2000 model with a 5-speed 4WD that I am thinking about selling. It’s been in our family 6ish years. I just rebuilt the long block. The bottom end was within spec so all mechanicals were reused. 250 on the clock and still in really good shape. I’m in CO but will be back at my place (central TX) late January. If this is what you’re looking for feel free to reach out to me. Thanks. Jimmy
I owned a 3rd gen...love the 2nd but Toyota had gasket issues with the V6 so it's something to be aware of.
2nd gen manual with a 3.4 swap is the way to go
A word of advice, is if you plan on doing anything off road with the 2nd gen, get an upgraded idler arm (Something like Total Chaos). It's the weakest link in the front end, especially if you throw BJ spacers on while cranking the torsion bars.
Normally the win goes to the Gen3. But, the Gen2 has a tailgate. A Gen2 with a 3.4 swap and 5-speed would get my attention.
After living with my tailgate for about a year now, I'm not the biggest fan. Annoying to have to roll up/down the window with the key in the ignition or the rear keyhole whenever i want to access it. And as soon as you have a problem with the window, you can't access the trunk until its fixed (Happened to me once on a camping trip, was a PITA). Just make sure you're familiar with how the system works so if the motor or the regulator break (Which is a fairly common issue) you can still open the trunk in a pinch.
I'm planning on wiring up a basic 12v switch on the back (will have something on the dash to enable/disable it though for normal use) to bring the window up or down, would highly recommend you do the same.
