Need help: Is this 1988 4 Runner worth $12k

[NebulousQ]

I have been looking to buy a 3rd Gen 4runner that is a 4 cylinder, 4 wheel drive model. This is all I could find close around me: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ctd/5831856859.html

It is a 1988 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4X4 22RE 4CYL 5 SPEED MANUAL listed for $11,995. The price seems way high, but I am new to 4 runners and given how hard it has been to find a 4 cylinder, 4 wheel drive I am not sure.



I am going to check it out in a few days and take it to a toyota dealership or mechanic to do an inspection.

What do you guys think?

There are a few other 1st and 2nd gen 4runners farther that out that I am interested, but I am finding it harder to find information on the older 4runners than on 3rd and 4th gen. What advice would you give me? Thanks!

 

[JLee]

I have been looking to buy a 3rd Gen 4runner that is a 4 cylinder, 4 wheel drive model. This is all I could find close around me: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ctd/5831856859.html

It is a 1988 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4X4 22RE 4CYL 5 SPEED MANUAL listed for $11,995. The price seems way high, but I am new to 4 runners and given how hard it has been to find a 4 cylinder, 4 wheel drive I am not sure.

View attachment 372357

I am going to check it out in a few days and take it to a toyota dealership or mechanic to do an inspection.

What do you guys think?

There are a few other 1st and 2nd gen 4runners farther that out that I am interested, but I am finding it harder to find information on the older 4runners than on 3rd and 4th gen. What advice would you give me? Thanks!

I'm a little confused as to what you're looking for - 1988 is first generation; is that what you're trying to find?

 

[SurferJacoby]

Good grief

Hell if you're considering this at that price then throw a few grand more and I might sell you mine which IS a 3rd generation and comes with the V8!

 

[NebulousQ]

I'm a little confused as to what you're looking for - 1988 is first generation; is that what you're trying to find?

I was initially looking for 3rd generation, but have started to consider 1st and 2nd generation as well. I just haven't done as much research on 1st and 2nd gen and am finding information a little harder to find.

Hell if you're considering this at that price then throw a few grand more and I might sell you mine which IS a 3rd generation and comes with the V8!

Ha, $12k seems way expensive to me too! I am hoping to get some gas savings and better mpg by sticking to the 4cyl engines. V8 is too much power for me!

 

[SurferJacoby]

Go for a 3rd Gen

Look for a 99-02. You can always swap in an ELocker if you want and there's plenty you can do with these trucks. The 3rd Gen 4Runner remains one of my favorite SUVs of all time. Find a good southern vehicle too obviously and build to your needs from there. As it is now mine is overbuilt but I absolutely love the thing. Whatever I build next will be hard to top what I have now. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[jpeaslee]

Look for a 99-02. You can always swap in an ELocker if you want and there's plenty you can do with these trucks. The 3rd Gen 4Runner remains one of my favorite SUVs of all time. Find a good southern vehicle too obviously and build to your needs from there. As it is now mine is overbuilt but I absolutely love the thing. Whatever I build next will be hard to top what I have now. Good luck with your purchase!

3rd Gens are the perfect size and platform for what I was looking for. Another thing that's rarely mentioned, but is fantastic when riding trails is the side visibility. You can actually turn around and look out the side and rear glass and see. No extra interior "fluff" in these gals.

Back to the OP topic, I'd LOVE a 1st gen 4runner, but no, I don't see that one you linked to being worth 12k to most buyers.

 

[xlcaferacer]

The body and interior sure are clean!; BUT, it has 300,000 miles. Lots of parts are going to be worn out and need replacing. If it was the rare '85 with a solid axle and fuel injection it would be worth a fair bit more than an '88 with the crappy torsion bar ifs front suspension. Either way, that price is laughable! Walk away!
The problem with the older car market is that people see these shows on T.V. where people pay top dollar for stuff because they have deep pockets and then dump more into them. So they think they can get top dollar for their stuff cause it looks nice. I bet some misinformed person will give them way to much for that rig, don't be that guy! I think he's overpriced at half of his asking price.

 

[Laxaholic]

My 4Runner is for sale:

1997
White
2.7litre 4 cyclinder
5spd
4x4
212,000mi.
Perfect mechanically
Immaculate interior

Located in Georgia.

 

[borison]

$12k and 310,000miles on the ODO? That dealer must be smoking some of that Colorado stuff. Laugh and move on.

It does seem really high $$, but to be fair, he could be smoking the Washington stuff��

 

[DaveInDenver]

Simply smoking crack. That's not far off what the truck cost new. I sold my 1991 Pickup with 287K for $3K last December and I thought that was generous. There was a time when a well used truck was $1K. The body on my truck wasn't close to that nice but the frame was solid and clean, the interior decent (SR5 buckets from a 1992), had ARB bull bar, Marlin rear bumper, Aussie locker, ham radio, etc. I'd be thinking more like maybe $4K for that 4Runner.

Now I will say the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen trucks are neat and they are starting to get restored or rusting out of service. So there are fewer of them. But Toyota made them by the boat load so rarity is not really going to be an issue. I imagine prices will climb a little but it depends on what you're after. A 3rd or 4th gen 4Runner has a lot of upside if it's the utility and function that is more important. What the 79 to 95 trucks are is somewhat more simple.

OTOH Toyota is discontinuing parts in the catalog for them so keeping them going will start to be a labor of love, which played into my decision to sell my '91. I loved that truck but the reason I bought it in the first place was to replace a FJ40. This was in year 2000 and at the time the FJ40 was in the same boat, Toyota eliminating parts so it was junkyards, aftermarket, always trying to find this or that. That's great if you have a way to get to work daily but it's not practical as a daily driver. So enter the Pickup. Plus we wanted something a little more comfortable, cruise control, hold speed on the Interstate. Yeah, I'm not 25 any more and hearing the radio over the road noise and doing 75 into a headwind kind of seemed nice.

 

[Arktikos]

Way too much, IMO. For about half of that you could get a really nice second gen, or best yet a third generation. The 22RE is fairly impotent when competing in today's world of everyone driving at breakneck speeds.

If looks are important, I can understand the appeal. My opinion is that everything after the 2nd generation looks like crap, but nevertheless I still own a 2001. It's so much nicer in every other way than one of these 1st generations, you must test drive to see.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The 22RE is fairly impotent when competing in today's world of everyone driving at breakneck speeds.

Not only that it's got the early 22R-E which had even less power than the later ones.

 

[Laxaholic]

I think the 2.7 in my 4Runner has pretty decent power. Not fast, but moves with intent, and the 5spd helps squeeze out every bit of power. Have no trouble running at 70-80mph on the highway, and I average over 21mpg on almost each tank. Has been the best car I've ever owned, and never had a single mechanical problem. :smiley_drive:

 

[red EOD veteran]

Maybe worth 5k if the suspension/drivetrain has been renewed or rebuilt. I paid $800 for my 1982 toyota pickup, 2wd with 206k miles, 22r, very good interior and runs great but the bed is rusty and the driver side fender has some damage up front by the headlight.

Will admit though, averaged 28mpg driving from Utah to Washington and back with a few hundred pounds in the bed. 65-70mph.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I think the 2.7 in my 4Runner has pretty decent power. Not fast, but moves with intent, and the 5spd helps squeeze out every bit of power. Have no trouble running at 70-80mph on the highway, and I average over 21mpg on almost each tank. Has been the best car I've ever owned, and never had a single mechanical problem. :smiley_drive:

The 2.7L is a 3RZ-FE and it does well. It has 150HP and the 22R-E had 115HP. Your 4 cylinder makes the same power as the original 3.0L 3VZ-FE V6 Toyota used in the 88-95 trucks.