90 Toy 4x4 PU worth buying??? (1 Viewer)

[Chase77]

All,
Not a cruiser, but i have a line on a 90 toyota deluxe short bed, 4x4, zero rust, 2 owner 94k on orig engine, good interior and orig paint, for $3500. Private party blue book is 2800 but its apparently very nice and i get the idea that the guy would take 3k. Usually would give it a good run down and research the consumer ratings for reliability, problems etc and then have a mech look at it as well but time is of the essence. I can get there before the other dude tomorrow but its a 2 hour drive and having my mechanic uncle look it over isnt goin to happen. I am fairly knowledgable and am bringing another shade tree along for the ride but we both never really worked on a car newer than my cruiser due to the simplicity of my rig. So anybody have any experience with these trucks? Anything I should look for other than rust? Does this year still have the bullet proof 22re? This will be my DD and Cruiser parts getter so im looking for something as reliable as my current 95 mazda mx3 w/ 100k miles but with all the advantages of a toyota truck. Just dont want to get home with a POS and start ing myself for being a dumbsh*t.
Thanks in advance
-Chase

 

[Gus]

A few random things to check out/do/be concerned with:
If it has a V6, the early 90's V6's (3.0 liter, I believe) were prone to head gasket issues
bring a magnet, it won't stick to the areas that are full of bondo (if there are any).
Look at maintenence receipts (if the PO has them), this can tell you a ton about the trucks' history.
Check the underside of the rig for large scapes/scratches/dents
Check all of the fluids, look for signs of water in the oil or "burnt" oil
Check the spark-plugs for excessive build up/residue
There are a few, I'm sure others will chime in with a bunch of other things to look out for, good luck

 

[Chase77]

Thanks. Ill be sure to check er out. She's the 4 banger so no head gaskets to worry bout i guess. thanks again.

 

[dinkleberry]

Had a 90 with the V6. Loved it.

Ran to 285,000 and the head gasket went.

 

[Cable Guy]

$2800 seems low. A truck with those miles would easily bring 4K or more where I live. At 94K there should be nothing wrong with it. Test drive it to see if there is any additional noise in 3rd and 5th gear, timing chain rattle at startup. I have the same truck but a 91 and the speedo is making noise at 150K otherwise mechanically perfect.