Hi! New member intro with pre-purch questions.

Hello friends,

I've been eyeballing 4runners since the 80's, and my 1990 Sienna is getting a little long in the tooth, so I am looking to buy. I'm also new here, so let this be my introduction as well.

I am a man of a certain age who has been transitioning careers into teaching, so I'm also broke as a joke for a while. (And let's be real, I won't exactly be ballin' after I complete my residency, either.) I'm not bad with a wrench - I did the suspension and the timing belt on the Sienna, and I've kept my son's '84 VanWagon running so far. That said, I don't have the time or the bandwidth to take on any projects right now. Perfect time to buy a T4R, eh? What could possibly go wrong?

So I've got my eye out in the SF Bay Area right now. I've spotted two that capture my interest, and they are both 2nd Gen. I'm not a wheeler, so I don't need aggressive suspension, but I will be off-roading to camping spots every once in a while. I do like the look of a little lift and meatier tires. There are two that have my attention, and I would really love some input.

One is a high-miler that has just gotten a rebuild, and it appears that the seller knows his T4Rs. We'll see... Love the color and the look of this one. Just the right amount of beausage. Hate the blue interior, but oh well. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/santa-rosa-1993-toyota-4runner-5-speed/6890731937.html

Next is a garage-queen that I don't love as much on the outside, but the interior is perfect!
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/d/south-san-francisco-1990-toyota-4runner/6891866854.html


Is the rebuilt one going to be more reliable in the long run? Should I be wary? What questions would you be asking, etc.

Thanks! I hope I will be sharing my purchase with you soon!

 

Welcome.