Which 4x4 for the gf?

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archaeology_student

archaeology_student

10 Year 15 Year
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The gf has decided she wants a toyo for off-roading, and we've got some questions. We are looking at JDM as well, and right hand drive is no problem for her.
  • Did domestic 4Runners come in diesel, I don't recall seeing them?
  • Average realistic price of a decent 4Runner (1990's body styling)?
  • Prado... experiences/issues?
  • Different models equate to what in the 4Runner line?
The only requirements for her are:
  • Toyota
  • Diesel (If possible)
  • Manual... she won't touch an automatic :D
  • 4 door is a must
  • Not too sluggish (My old BJ60 was about right, 100km/h on the Hwy)
Thoughts, suggestions, and comments are welcome.

Thank you :beer:
 
NO domestic 4runner diesel
4000- 11000
my experience is awesome,but there is junk out there carefull!
prado 5speeds are rare . I wouldnt be too quick at knocking the auto
5 speed HILUX SURF with proper headwork 3l head conversion on 2lte dont touch the2.8
they buuuuurrrrrrrnnnnn fuel and gutless
or HZJ77 might be the answer! but then again what is she willing to spend?
note i push my modded 2lte to 4200rpm plus all day,KIDS PLEASE DONT TRY THIS AT HOME!
the bj74 is hibernating for a while
aaron
 
prado t, thanks for the info. She is looking for something between $5,000-$9,000. Of course she has gotta do the test drive to know if she really likes it.

Oh, one other thing with the domestic 4Runners; what are the major differences between a 4 banger and a 6 banger?
 
Domestic 4Runners with the gas 3.0 engine are fuel guzzlers, BIG time. The 4 cyl is deathly underpowered and not all that much better on fuel, but it is better. The prado L/C can have the problematic engine with head issues - avoid it. I think the Hilux avoids this problem but I'm not certain. You might want to see if you can find a 70 series powered by the 1HZ engine or a 13BT - both nearly trouble free but it would be tough to get one in her price range. Maybe try to find someone who is looking to upgrade, but be VERY careful, many bargains out there are so far from that once you get them on the road for any time. An inspection by someone who REALLY knows what they are doing is essential before buying one of these trucks, in my opinion.
 
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The 4runners, and pick ups here are all gas. The earlier 80s had the 22R (and different letters after the R) which is a great little engine, runs forever but a bit gutless. It does not take much to have it put out a bit more horses. The early six cylinders ('87 - 90something)were crap, the later ones were much better, I think '95+. If you want a JDM get it now before the dogs at ICBC have their way and they are banned.
When ever looking at a toy just remember the rust issue.
 
if you absolutley have to have a toyota , and in your price range why not look at hj 60's auto trany's , 6 cyl diesel , other wise i would look at other jdm's mtsubishi's, nissans , if it doesnt have to be a diesel why not a second generation 4 runner i dont think she would be all that happy with a solid axle , my mother in law calls my cruiser the tank as in it rides like one , or she could look at a 4 door side kick/ tracker wich could be had very cheaply and these come with a full frame and a.c. power windows locks ect .
 
Great info :)

We are both curious about the JDM's since they are so popular around town lately. We've noticed quite a number for sale and re-sale it seems. Are parts an issue, or is it just the odd part that is an issue to get?

Fantom, my BJ60 was crusty, I mean rusty *lol*. That's always something I keep aware of ;)

It also has to be child friendly. We will keep our eyes and ears open and see what happens.

We've even looked at the Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro with 4WD... great camping vehicle with lots of room, and a decent little 4 banger... but sluggish on the hwy.
 
The Delicas are a neat little van. The have a TC with a real low range. The only down side is that the rad is underneath and does not take to well to running mud holes without being cleaned well afterwards. Also it doesn't have a solid front axle. The up side is that they seem to be quite dependable, can haul 7-8 people and are easily camperized. I don't think you will much product worth buying under $9,000.00. She might get something for under that and only find herself dumping a lot more into it soon after.

I would also recommedn she look at the Nissan Safaris. The Safari comes as a 5 or 7 passenger truck. JDM Wholesale had a couple in last year. Also, look a the Nissan Quad Cab trucks. Mustang Connection was bringing these ones in. She will pay a few thousand less for the Nissan name but get the same or better quality ;) than Toyota. Also, unlike like Toyota, Nissan Canada provides part support for the JDMs. I know that Abbotsford Nissan has a selection of parts and filters. ATEB and John Hamilton at Rocky Mountain also have a good selection of parts like brakes, water pumps, etc.

It goes without saying, whatever you buy in a diesel, have it fully checked out by a good licensed diesel mechanic. This should include a leak down test.
 
Honestly. People come down hard on the 22re.
But is a solid, tried tested and true engine.
I would take a 22re over a 2lt any day.

Personally, I would look for a 4runner in your price range.
The 3.0 liter v6 sucked. But the 3.4 v6 rocks.
The 3 liter has little more power than the 22re, and drinks the fuel (don't get the 3.0 liter)
The 3.4 v6 (1996+) has great power, and still gets 30mpg.

The 1996+ 4 runners are really nice, and don't have the same rust issues as the earlier ones.
They also came availble with a rear locker. My opinion for what is worth: Try and find one of those.
If you want to spend less, get a eariler 4 runner 4cyl.

Cheers,
N,
 
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The 22R (and different letters after) was a great engine, reliable, decent torque, has many available after market parts to make it more powerful. The only issue was that some of them would blow the head gasket when they got older, once you replace it with a factory Toyota (not aftermarket) it was good for another 200,000 +. I had one, and some friends did too, we ended up doing the heads on them a couple of times, went for the aftermarket gaskets first and learned our lesson, easy job and not that expensive. If I went for a gasser again I would definitely get one.
 
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x2 on a suzuki if it doesn't need to be a toyota , bought my wife one (cheap) ,put in a 6 inch lift and 31's ,she loves it .not a diesel tho , heres a pic . everyone loves pic's
sidekick 12 (Medium).webp
 
pbgbottle said:
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x2 on a suzuki if it doesn't need to be a toyota , bought my wife one (cheap) ,put in a 6 inch lift and 31's ,she loves it .not a diesel tho , heres a pic . everyone loves pic's
Click to expand...

x3 on the zuks. Any of the trackers were buit by suzuki, and all were good and cheap.

I am probably going to be selling my 74.
I am going to downsize back to a zuk (used to have a LJ80)
I have been considering LJs, sammi's and trackers.
All 3 have there perks. But if I get a 4 door tracker, it will end similar to yours pbgbottle.
Do you eat up front CV shafts with the lift? Or did you do a front dif drop?
Looks like you got the 3inch calmini +3" body. How is the gearing with 31's.
Did you do the calmini xcase gears? If so how do you like them.

The other idea I was playing with was putting toyota minitruck axles with 5.29's and the calmini xcase gears, then put it on my 33x10.5 muds that my cruiser is on. That would be sweet, and fairly cheap too.

Cheers,
N.
 
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this vehicle has the calmini 3+3 lift 1.6L-16valve engine ,stock everything ,not to bad on gas ,for the gearing ours came with the auto and O/D ,so it had 5.13's .it works good offroad but hasn't really been put to the test so no issues with the cv's yet ,but i hear there are a ton of mods using other cv's ,mostly it's my wifes grocery getter , it has been to hale greek quite a few times and up to sunrise lake 3 times , i think it would make an excellent offroad rig ,lots of options out there dual t-cases, solid axles conversions ,vortec V6 engine swap , if i was going to build one i would go for the solid axle swap like from trail tuff (http://www.trailtough.com/) using toy mini axles (coils no leafs up front),complete kit with high steer, heres a few pics of rigs with 35's ,:cheers:
REO (Medium).webp
zuki (Medium).webp
 
pbgbottle said:
this vehicle has the calmini 3+3 lift 1.6L-16valve engine ,stock everything ,not to bad on gas ,for the gearing ours came with the auto and O/D ,so it had 5.13's .it works good offroad but hasn't really been put to the test so no issues with the cv's yet ,but i hear there are a ton of mods using other cv's ,mostly it's my wifes grocery getter , it has been to hale greek quite a few times and up to sunrise lake 3 times , i think it would make an excellent offroad rig ,lots of options out there dual t-cases, solid axles conversions ,vortec V6 engine swap , if i was going to build one i would go for the solid axle swap like from trail tuff (http://www.trailtough.com/) using toy mini axles (coils no leafs up front),complete kit with high steer, heres a few pics of rigs with 35's ,:cheers:
Click to expand...

Looks like a nice kit, but also way more than I would look to spend.
I would go DIY to try and save money.

Cheers,
N.
 
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arent guys swapping vw diesels into these trucks ( zuks ) i seam to remember reading about that somewhere ?

i was going to buy a 4 door tracker / side kick , but the lack of fold down tailgate killed it for me there is only room for a 24 behind the rear seat and with my wife and two kids i needed more room , i did test a very nice 99 kick with the v6 and 5 speed , if the tail gate was different i would buy one !
 
i never had a tracker but bought a 87 sami jx plus 2 door hard top had put 300,000 of hard driving up the ROSSLAND hill every day only had to rebuild the aisin carb once, wish i could of had the fuel injected one though
aaron
 
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