Thinking on buying a 3rd gen

Hello! This is my first post here and I've done some light research on some 3rd gen 4runners. I currently own a 2019 Honda Civic Hatchback and I love it. Though, my interests are changing and I want to do some more outdoor stuff like camping. I might want a trailer in the future. I have been looking at 3rd gens for awhile and have been considering them for some time on maybe a new vehicle for me so I could enjoy these new hobbies. I mainly use my car for around town but I've found i need something with more space. I'm not too worried about MPG and I understand these older 4runners are not perfect and I expect to do some work if that is necessary. Just looking for opinions is all and I'm generally new to the community! Sorry for the story haha but I'm open to any advice and things to look out for if I do start shopping

 

Do you wrench on cars?

3rd gens are 23 years old or older. They are starting to age like all vintage cars do to where any you find are going to have a lot of neglected maintenance and may require a good deal of work.

If you don't do you own work on cars, I'd suggest a 4th gen or even newer. There are still a lot around with good life left.

If you must have a 3rd gen, buy as low low mileage as you can find. It's going to cost you up front but should save you in the future.

 

Hello! I do have knowledge to an extent but I can't say that I've done alot of my own maintenance. I would love to learn and I have common knowledge on cars so I think I should be fine. I understand the difficulty going in this project blind.

I do not HAVE TO have a 3rd gen but I just like the way they look and I know there's a good support for them so any upgrades I might want are there. It was mainly an aesthetic thing that drew me towards them. I have looked at some 4th gens but haven't done alot of research.

Should I worry about the transmission? Cause locally I can't find many manual 3rd gens

Thanks again for your reply

 

If you can get a loan for $15k there are some good deals out there. I think you may run into maintenance issues with a 3rd gen.

 

Welcome!

3rd gen’s are a great choice, they are getting old and will require some maintenance, but they are also very easy to work on, with abundant aftermarket support. Be sure to look at the frame! Also here’s a sticky that has good info

https://www.4runners.com/threads/3rd-gen-4runner-buyers-guide.630/

 

Older 3rd gens are great however there are two issues, one they’re either high mileage and beat to shit or the clean low mileage ones will demand a pretty penny. Also depending on where you live they could be heavily rusted on the frame. Even in SoCal I’ve seen ones that lived here their entire lives with rust

as mentioned it’s a 30 year old rig so you’ll need more than basic maintenance abilities (for example the 5vze needs a timing belt replacement every 100k) you’re going to be dealing with stripped and frozen bolts etc

I’ll put it this way there’s a Toyota garage shop in SoCal that only works on Toyota and Lexus trucks I talked to the owner and he said a guy brought in a 3rd gen 4Runner and wanted them to go over everything and replace everything likes hoses brakes etc basic maintenance and wear and tear items on the drivetrain the customer paid over 10 grand in parts and labor they went over the truck and replaced all wearable parts but it wasn’t cheap and if you’re planning on taking in the middle of nowhere you want all that shit replaced because Toyota or not 30 year old parts will wear and break down

 

If I sold my car I'd be able to afford a newer one but I thought it'd be convenient to get an older one and have the extra cash to do repairs because I do expect that. A family member of mine owns a 2018 4Runner and it is nice! Thank you for the advice

 

I am based in Florida so most of the things out here should be decent frame wise. I understand that maintenance would be a big deal and that is kind of driving me away because I don't want to put myself in a situation with no car. This would be a weekender kind of truck and my daily for the rest of the week so I'd need something that would get me around still.

I wanted to sell my civic and buy this truck so I could have some extra cash for repairs but 10k is hefty. If I did buy one I would do the same myself and have a Toyota tech do a run down.

If anything I'll look at some newer 4Runners for sure!

Thanks for your help

 

Honestly if you have any skill at all, I’d expect 4500 for a decent 4R and 2k in freshening up