Potential 4Runner Purchase - Need Guidance

[dca]

Hi All, I'm new to the forum but I've been reading articles and forum posts for a while. I'm in the market for an inexpensive (under $5K) vehicle and I'd love your opinion on the following.

My coworker has a stock '97 4Runner with the 2.7l, 225,000 miles, which he has offered to me for $2K. I'm leaning towards it since I know and trust him, and it has been well maintained.

I need a solid 4x4 to get around town and up to the mountains (I live in CO) now and then for camping with my family (me, my wife, 2 year old son and another on the way). I'm not afraid of something that will need further investment over the next few years as I plan on turning it into more of an expedition rig, but I'm looking for a truck that can immediately be used for these lighter duties. I plan on spending $2K on mild upgrades/maintenance, if necessary.

Am I barking up the wrong tree with this truck?

 

[eblau]

best 4runner generation in my opinion with a fanatastic engine... is it a stick shift?

 

[dca]

best 4runner generation in my opinion with a fanatastic engine... is it a stick shift?

Great question, it's an auto

 

[MCObray]

Sounds like a deal to me. The comfort of personally knowing how the vehicle was maintained over a period of time is priceless.

 

[v_man]

Without a doubt the price and history seem unbeatable...

...but be aware of what driving that little four banger at altitude might be like ... the general rule is 3% loss of horsepower per 1,000 feet of altitude gained ... some of those roads and passes are 8, 9 , 10 thousand feet , I mean paved roads like into Leadville , not even talking some of the mountain dirt road passes up around 12k - 13k feet. And factor in the weight of a family , gear , mods etc.... jus' sayin'

edit: and yes I know it's a fuel injected engine but there's only so much that 17 year old ECU can do to compensate for altitude , you could look into advancing the timing a few degrees as well...

 

[tanglefoot]

It sounds like a great deal. It'd be nice if it had the 5-speed, but it would probably still beat me up the passes by a wide margin. I'm used to running heavy with the earlier, 8-valve 2.4s at altitude. It's been getting a little frustrating trying to keep from holding people up, with the other traffic being so fast these days and the general lack of patience, but we usually pull over a handful of times to let everyone by and it works out fine. You won't be nearly as slow. It'll probably be a great platform for what you have in mind.

You probably won't have to spend all your maintenance money, especially if you do the work yourself. Who knows, it might not need much of anything.

 

[Arktikos]

Hard to lose with that deal. Buy it!

 

[Benc]

That's a great deal. But one thing to make sure is that the valves have been adjusted. The is the only prob with the 2.7 if you don't have the valves adjusted every 40,000- 60,000 they will tighten up and burn valves.


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[dca]

Thank you all for the feedback! The power output of the 2.7l has been a concern for me, though less than mileage and overall reliability. I'll look into the possibility of advancing the timing to offset the altitude and whether the valves have been adjusted accordingly.

Thanks again!

 

[Martinjmpr]

With a 4 cyl and an auto that's going to be slower than molasses running uphill in January. Don't be surprised if you get passed by VW buses going up Mt. Vernon Canyon.

 

[summerprophet]

The price beats the description by far.

Take it to a dealer with a good reputation, and have it inspected.

4runner problem areas to be aware of are front steering and suspension (rack, Uca, lca, axle boots), and sagging rear springs.

Given the milage, it is likely due for most of the above as well as timing belt, water pump, and other service items. In a perfect world, this would have been done at 180,000, but check and see. Major service is going to run about a grand for a shop to do it. If you do it yourself, you want Toyota parts for the belts, and pump. If the rack is loose, get a replacement (not rebuilt) from Toyota. Suspension and springs I would go with aftermarket.

 

[Benc]

If I were you I would buy it and try it out. If you don't like it you could prob turn around and sell it for $3000-$4000 easy. There is no timing bet on the 2.7 there is a chain so you don't have to worry about that. Like I said the most common prob with the 2.7 is burnt valves. Do a compression test and that will tell you if the valves are burnt or not. I had a 2.7 tacoma with a manual and it felt more powerful than my 4runner with the 3.4 and auto but I have never driven a 2.7 with the auto.


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[tanglefoot]

Yep, no timing belt on the 3RZ.

No, VW busses won't pass you (at least not the early ones). The 22R-E is even a few big steps up from the VW air-boxers in the power department, and the 3RZ blows the doors off the 22R-E.

I don't think I would take it to a dealer service department if it were me. They'll probably happily write you a bill larger than the purchase price...unless you just take it there for an oil change. The complementary inspection with the oil change provides some insight, and you can get away for low 2-digits. Then do your own oil changes and maintenance after that--it's a great way to get to know the truck and keep on eye on things underneath. That's my strategy, at least.

I wouldn't advance the timing either. I'd keep it at stock spec. Computerized engines adapt to altitude just fine...even the old 22R-Es, and you could lose some torque with the timing advanced.

 

[Arktikos]

As I recall, 2.7 has more HP than 3.0 2nd gen V-6. Yes it will be relatively slow with auto, but just my speed.

 

[v_man]

HP and torque numbers are nearly identical , but 4 vs. 6 cylinders obviously ...