kcowyo
ExPo Original
Over the last year, I've been in the hunt for a new daily driver. This weekend I may have found my solution.
I've been using my truck for more and more extended trips and travels. Driving it around my small town, often with camper mounted, was overkill. In an effort to preserve the truck primarily for the long haul and wanting to reduce my fuel expenses (91 octane only for my T100's TRD supercharger), I sought out options that would allow me better mpg's, a way to tote my two kids in comfort, drive clients around and to serve as a weekend trail runner.
My heart was set on a FJ62 Landcruiser. A poor option for decent mpg, but the 62's have long been a favorite of mine. I've always regretted selling my old '89 FJ62. But the right one just never came along. Actually a couple of really nice ones did come available but the owners wanted brain-damage type money for them. I briefly flirted with the idea of a Mitsubishi Montero, an Isuzu Trooper, Land Rover Discovery and even a Jeep Wrangler. But I really wanted a '62.
I have a good friend who runs a car dealership in a nearby town. He knows to call me whenever he takes is in any 4WD Toyota model from '85 - '89. I have a soft spot for any 4WD Toyota of that vintage and any unique 4WD Toyotas. When he called last Wednesday and said I needed to come down to see a new trade-in, I immediately made plans to go see him. What he had was one of the rarest late 80's Toyotas of them all and it had belonged to his boss's son. I wound up stroking a check and bringing it home.
Here's what's new in my driveway -
What's so rare about a first generation Toyota 4Runner?
Well as you may have noticed in the lead photo of this thread, it's a turbo, aka the 4 cylinder 22RTE. Toyota put a turbo on several of their late 80's 4 cylinder trucks but the 4Runner only received this option in the second half of '86 and in '87. By 1988 the 22RTE was dropped in favor of the new 3.0 V6.
According to this 3 year old link, there are only 667 Turbo 4Runners in the United States. Two of which are in Wyoming. Assuming they are still running and licensed, I am now one of three. I like those odds.
Here's what I've got and how it's equipped -
1987 Toyota 4Runner 4WD Turbo SR5
124,400 original miles
4 cylinder 22RTE
4 speed automatic transmission w/ ECT
solid black paint, no 80's decals and stripes
very clean interior
no rust on the body
Digital Dash
factory altimeter/clinometer
4 way adjustable bucket seats
sunroof
A/C - rear defrost
power windows, door locks and mirrors
cruise control and tilt wheel
stock stereo
massive and meaty no-name 235/75/15 tires
flat as melba toast rear springs
Some interior shots -
Surprisingly, notorious problem spots like the power antennae and rear window still work. Everything works so far. The interior is really clean, no stains, tears or smells. There are a couple of minor cosmetic blemishes like a busted radio knob, a cracked dash pad and a missing console lid. I can live with that.
Mechanically it drives great. I drove it 120 miles home from the dealership. It pulled 70mph up the local "7 mile hill" with minimal effort. There is no steering wandering, clunks or mystery squeaks. Not a drop of anything under it overnight. Considering the ancient Gabriel shocks and flat springs, it was a pretty nice ride. The tailpipe touches the driver's side rear spring pack and thus vibrates at idle. That's all I've noticed so far.
I have no firm plans what to do with this thing. My initial intention was to turn around sell it right away and maybe make a buck. Then I thought it would be a perfect dd/weekender to run around in. The two door won't serve as a client hauler very well but the kids love it. And unlike my old '89 4Runner I had a few years ago, my kids are big enough now to crawl in the back and buckle themselves in.
I have a roof rack, several lights, rims and a bullbar in storage that I could bolt right onto this thing. I could leave it mild or go for wild. A simple OME 2" lift with shocks and some ball joint spacers and new torsion bars up front would really improve the stance and handling. Some 30 or 31 inch TrXus MT tires would set it up pretty well.
But I honestly don't know what I'll do with it. I like the first gen 4Runners but they aren't my absolute favorite. It's black and it's not a 4 door. But the top comes off and it's a peppy little bugger to drive. Much more so than my '89 4Runner with the 3.sl0. The turbo unit on the 22RTE isn't Toyotas finest design but there's plenty of info and turbo specific boards for tech help. Until I run through the first tank of gas I won't know the type of mileage I'm getting.
So there it is. This thread may just wither away if I keep it stock for a dd or if I sell it right away. But there is a chance I'll hang onto it and beef it up a little. Maybe I'll see if I can pull off a viable $5K build up with it. Then again maybe I'll try and trade it for an FJ62. One thing is for sure, I still love those oddball Toyotas.
Cheers ~ :beer:
