Advice on 1990 22re 4runner

[bluto]

I'm coming from a Land Cruiser background. Most and if not all of my noob mechanical skills come IH8MUD - which is a plethora of info and members that are tempered to my liking. :sombrero:

So my 4runner knowledge = 0. So bear with the ignorance.

There is an early 2nd generation 4runner in the neighborhood that I have been eyeing for awhile. I got a chance to talk to the owner this morning and she seemed ready to sell but offered no price. She just asked me what I was willing to pay for it. I did not offer a price yet since no disposable cash at this point.

The little info I can get this morning:

This was bought new by the owner.
The 90 4r is 4wd/22re with a manual transmission with 300K miles.

Maintenance and upkeep was not discussed since it was a passing conversation. Only thing she mentioned was that she would not daily drive it to Los Angeles - 40 miles one way. She has 2 other vehilcles to use - an early 100 Land Cruiser and a 1st generation RAV4. She mentioned the RAV4 having close to 300k miles also.

The owner states the A/C could be better. Surface rust underneath - mostly suspension stuff. Exterior paint is original - faded and typical age stuff. Missing Driver side mirror.

How much would this 2nd generation cost if sold private party with unverified maintenance done and 300k mileage?

What should I look for with this model - 22re, brakes, manual transmission, independent suspension, manual locking hubs, and mechanicals etc.?

Any sites similar to IH8MUD for 4runners? Friendly and informative.

If I can get a good price ($1000 end point) I would not hesitate since there a plenty of Toyota forums and shops to resource repairs.

I would DD (3x/week the most but I do take the commuter express bc of gas prices) this to Los Angeles and making it a offroad camping truck - no Alaska to the to the southern tip of S America planned at this point.

No hard core wheeling. My goal is to make it reliable to the above duties. Thanks for any info.


Cross posted on ExPo also.

 

[fjfodee]

2nd gen 22re 4runners are hard to find, or at least in my part of the country. A friend of mine just bought one out of Kansas City. It has about 150k and he paid 2700.00. It has some rust around the rear fenders, and a few other issues.

If it were me, I would try to buy it. 22's are easy to work on, and parts are relatively cheap. Not to mention that most 2nd gen Runners are of the 3.0 v6 variety.

 

[85+92]

if the interior is cleanish and complete and the only problem with the exterior is that mirror...

Id offer $1300 and see what she says? at the most if its not super oiley underneath Id pay $1500-1800 but itd have to really little rust and straight.

remeber these are "constant" 4wd so check the CV's for age (cracked/leaking boots) and theres bushings in the spindle that the CV's ride on that wear (about $250 to fix yourself)...make sure the 4wd works

 

[85+92]

since I cant edit..

ask her when the last time the timing chain and guides were replaced...because at 300k IT NEEDS THEM!!

make sure the back window goes down if it sounds like hell, youll need a $50(used)-$100(new) window motor..

 

[yotagator]

hope you don't mind but here is some advice--if she doesn't know when the chain was replaced you can take the valve cover off and inspect the guides with a flashlight, the driver side is usually the first to go. it will wear a grove in the timing cover. you cant go wrong with a 22re, but the chain and head gasket are the major concerns
YotaTech is an excellent site for help

 

[andykrow]

At that mileage I'd just do the chain to be safe no matter what the guides look like. Hard to see in there. You mentioned manual hubs so this is not a truck that will have the driveline spinning at all times.

Head gaskets are not an issue unless the truck has been overheated, like any other engine. Early 3.0's had a recall on the hg but 22's never did.

Main issue is tensioner failure on the timing chain, leading to the chain breaking. Replace it with a steel backed guide so next time the tensioner goes (and it will sooner or later - oem is still best on this and it still sucks) the chain won't eat into a coolant passage. Do it before you end up with guide pieces in your oil pan. You don't want to have to drop that to clean it out.

Out here in CO with a straight body and decent interior that's a $2000 truck as long as no immediate mechanical problems exist. It's old and you will be replacing things but its all pretty cheap. Truck should sell under 2k In an area with less mountains/snow. Good luck! You'll love working on a 22.

 

[bluto]

Thanks for all the replies especially the pointers on the mechanical aspects.
I'm excited to try to make this happen. There are plenty of Toyota truck sites I've been lurking in, but you guys make it easy what to look for the immediate specifics.

Thanks

 

[andykrow]

Check out yotatech if no one mentioned that yet. Great forum with a big crew of mini truck people on it.

 

[Combat Chuck]

I, coming from a cruiser background too, find that the power to weight ratio of a 22RE/First-gen 4 runner preferable over a 22RE/second gen. Those trucks gained alot of weight in the interim.

my two cents.

 

[Igottagettacruiser]

I don't know how rusty vehicles get in California, but in Canada, rust is definitely the weak spot for Toyotas. I've seen a few 22re's up around 750 000 km (500 000km), one running on propane.
From what I've heard, if it's running smooth, the timing chain's probably good.

Most 2nd gen 4runners around here sell for $1000 if they're rusted up and broken, up to 3500, check craigslist or kijiji for what most people are asking for a 2nd gen.

My 1990 22re 4runner has 370 000 km, still runs and drives great, I even got to hire it out while i was working in the oilfields, it got abused it a bit low range bashing it on dozer tracks in -30 at work, but paid itself off 3x over, and was more reliable than some of the new domestic trucks.

I've got a 2l+t diesel 1st gen (in australia), a 22re 2nd gen, and i'd definitely reccomend the 2nd gen for carrying passengers as it has the 4 doors, and it behaves alot better on pavement compared to the solid axle 1st gens, still has great fuel economy on a 4 cylinder that will keep running well wether you choose to give it regular maintenance or not. They're also pretty straightforward to work on.
If, worse case scenerio, something does go FUBAR, there's usually one in the local pick a part or scrapyard.