To buy it or not to buy it....

Hello all. I'm new here and have found myself in quite the conundrum. I've always wanted a 1st get 4runner (1987) and I finally found one. It has 140,000 miles on it, has no rust whatsoever, is in immaculate condition and it's a turbo model which I've heard is rare. The turbo has gone out on it and it may need a new head gasket/other stuff repaired or replaced. I've done some research and found that the turbo alone is $2500 not including labor. The guy was asking $5900 for it and I talked him down to $4000. But having never owned one of these, I'm hesitant to buy not knowing much about them. But...let's be honest, they're pretty dang awesome and I don't mind putting some money into but I don't want to buy a major money pit. At the moment, I've got possession of the 4runner and I have it at a mechanic. For those of you that know this car, are there specifics I should ask the mechanic about? Anything specific with the turbo engine in general? Thoughts on whether or not $4000 is a fair deal for the vehicle? Many many thanks in advance.

 

That thing looks really clean. Any more pics of it? Do you know how many owners it's had, and are there records of maintenance?

I think it looks like a decent deal if it really is as clean as looks. The windshield pillars are prone to rust from the chrome trim trapping moisture, which can also cause rust in the front floor boards. Check the rear fenders and frame really well. Make sure the front frame section is straight and square.

The timing chain guides are known to break and can cause more costly damage if not repaired, so it's worth having that inspected and replaced during the head gasket job, along with the water pump.

The factory turbo is very costly to replace. Many people opt to upgrade it. The supra ct26 is supposedly almost bolt on. An aftermarket manifold is anywhere from $250-650 and then you can use a t3-t4 setup, BUT more boost needs more fuel so you could be spending thousands before you know it. I don't have much knowledge on the turbo setups. @childrenofboom has a turbo model but I don't know if he is active on this forum. T4r.org or yotatech may be more helpful on that subject.

 

I don't know anything about the previous owners or maintenance. All I know is that current owner purchased it a year ago for $4000, put new front brakes, axle and shocks on it, had the turbo removed, tried to replace it but bought the wrong turbo and in all honesty, it's spent much of the last year in a shop because he just kept tinkering with it. The car itself is almost immaculate. The door is missing from the center console compartment and the heating/air panel where the switches are needs replacing. The antenna doesn't work, cruise doesn't work and the back door lock where you turn the key and the automatic window rolls down doesn't work. But there's no rust (that I can tell), no tears in the seats and aside from new larger tires, everything is stock and not modified. I doubt it's even been 4wheeling on rocks. I'll ask my mechanic about the stuff you mentioned and I'll try some other forums as well. Thanks for the help.

 

No problem, glad to lend my two cents. It doesn't sound bad. The price sounds about right for the condition but values will vary in different regions. The auto trans sucks with these trucks, and that's all that was available in the 4runners. If you can afford the repairs, I say go for it and you will have a badass cruiser.

 

That's nice

 

That's a really clean 1st Gen. Definitely worth restoring. Andy's right about consulting @James , he'd know for sure. On T4R he goes by ChildrenofBodom. Good luck!

 

If no rust, then you did good. I would have bought it!!! But then again, i love working on these!

 

I am jealous of your mechanic!!!

 

I had the SR5 Turbo Pickup in 1987, the only issue I remember is the turbo/exhaust nuts are a one time use and they are prone to vibrate loose. I doubled them up after I lost a few. That is truly a beautiful 4Runner the digital display is really rare. I would have no issues paying $4k and fixing it.

 

Looks and sounds good to me. Price is decent for a first gen- they are starting to become hard to come by. I don't know much about the turbos, but I would hazard a guess that it will not be cheap. But it is a beautiful truck, well worth saving.