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'87 Runner Totaled :( Need some replacement advice.
Hello fellow 1st Gen 4Runner people! I had a sad thing happen to my Runner. Some asshats car jacked a 16 year old and then proceeded to blow thru a stop sign hitting my truck causing it to spin and roll. Anyhow, insurance totaled it, but I bought it back so I will have access to parts (granting they are still good). I haven't seen the truck since so I don't really know what is salvageable.
I'm very attached to the 1st gens and I'm wanting to replace mine. I'm on the West Coast and have been looking all the normal places (like craigslist, marketplace, etc), but if anyone has any better places to look I'll take some links. When I go look at these rigs in person or email with questions (since some are so far away) what do you think are the most important things to look out for? Things you wish you knew before you got yours? And what things are the biggest advantages as far as having already been replaced? Like engine, suspension, rust issues, etc. I'm looking for a stock, daily driver in good mechanical condition with little to no rust. Not easy which is why I am asking you guys for advice. I can deal with a couple projects, but I don't want to start from where I was with mine 16 years ago.
How different is the standard DLX from an SR5 and can you drop the bells and whistles off a loaded SR5 into a DLX easily or is that a nightmare? I have always had a manual, but there are several automatics out there currently. How do those compare, advantages/disadvantages? What are your thoughts on the V6 vs. the 4 cylinder? There's not a ton of these for sale on the West Coast right now from what I've found. And the price is varying from a huge projects at $2K up to $22K for show car looking rides. Throw me your best advice.
The 3vze in the 1988 did great. It was plenty of power for the lighter vehicle. The one drawback is there's a bunch of parts that were exclusive to that narrow build time of approx 8/87-3/89( in 3/89 the second gen was released).
I've always preferred manual trans because they're easier, for me, to work on. But let a fellow member with an ATM voice an opinion on that.
Back then, If a 4Runner was badged "SR5" it meant everything on it that was oem was installed in the factory back in Japan. A/C, cruise control, power package, etc.
Dlx vehicles were shipped without these items, but were sometimes added at the port in the USA by the Toyota Region it was shipped to. Example would be a Dlx 4runner getting a/c added by the Los Angeles Region at the Long Beach port. It's genuine OEM, and identical to the SR5, just added at a different time. From there it woiuld be transported to the dealer.
Std were a bit more basic. Rollup windows, maybe no vent windows, often a rubber mat for flooring instead of carpet, no frills. Sometimes no rear seat.
Thank you for the info! This is very helpful. I appreciate the description of the difference between the DLX and SR5. Great info and very concise. This makes me think maybe I should avoid the 3vze timeline as I've got parts for the 4 cylinder and am familiar with working on it. However, there are a couple out there right now with swapped 5vz 3.4Ls that seem to be in really good shape. Its a conundrum. I want as few problems as possible at ground zero. And I'm with you on the manual vs. automatic transmission. I was curious how it worked with the 4 wheel drive. I've never owned a car with automatic transmission and have steered away from them as potential issue causers, but maybe that's old advice.
I think I'm leaning towards looking for 1. good, clean engine (not too long ago of a rebuild) and 2. little to no rust and 3. good suspension components. Does that sound like a logical order of importance for considering a replacement? Worst comes to worst I can pull the engine from my totaled runner and drop it in a different one (granting it wasn't smashed in the collision), but I'm not personally that skilled so there's a money factor with that option.
Being on the west coast I always put rust-free as my main priority, as there’s no excuse for me to consider one with rot.
im prepared to do some body work, but the less the better. And having the exterior panels look like they fit fairly well is Important to me. The bad thing about panels having oddly wide(or narrow) gaps between adjoining panels is it’s hard to tell if it reflects bad body work, or not-so-great quality aftermarket parts.
A 5vze in a first gen would be a beast. If they did a nice job that would be interesting.
My wife had an 86 4Runner with the 22RE 4 cylinder and auto trans. The auto trans was absolutely trouble free for over 450K miles but the truck was gutless on power. I hated it but my wife would not drive a stick.
I put a 5VZFE 3.4 in my 88 pickup and love it. I would recommend it IF it was done right. A 3RZ swap is also good to have if done right. I would choose a 22RE over the 3.0 but you can more easily swap to a 3.4 from a 3.0.
I personally will not buy a rusty vehicle. I would rather swap in an entire drivetrain than deal with rust.
I guess if I were in your situation, I would assess what you have left to work with on your totaled truck first. Sorry to hear this happened and good luck with whatever you decide to do. Pleas follow up. Dead end threads suck.
So between the two of you, it seems I should prioritize the condition of the body and the absence of rust. Check! Moving that to No.1 slot of importance.
And thank you for the honest assessment of the automatic transmission. I kinda had a feeling it would 'work' fine, but might cause some lack of power issues in certain situations. There is a CHERRY Runner nearby with a brand new engine, new paint job, but it's automatic. Realistically it's out of my price range anyway, but that thing is beautiful. I kinda want to go see it so I can just ogle. Seems also like I might want to stay away from the 3.4 and 3RZ swaps even though they have more power. Maybe I'm gonna need to do something like ride a bike for a couple months until my dream SR5 pops up. I did not fully realize what a unicorn I had.
First and foremost, glad you are OK, considering the lack of modern safety features in our beloved trucks. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt, glad to hear there's no time crunch so you can be picky!
I totally agree with the rust avoidance. I focused solely on the frame and panels when I bought mine, so now I'm facing drivers floor and rocker replacement, passenger windshield pillar which leaks down onto the ECU when it rains, couple spots in the rear that are not terrible. I think you can open the access panels behind each rear wheel well and look down into that area to check for rust as well, that may. not be visible from the outside. Good luck!
When you mentioned the cherry 4R available it reminded me of this thread, may want to skim through it just for your awareness of things that can be hidden
I can't even with this build thread! Wow, the level of detail is inspiring! I have a healthy fear of buying a fancy pants looking 4Runner just for the hidden problem reason. But then there's the $10K description "It runs and drives." Is that better than a 15K cherry looking Runner with a rebuilt 22RE? or the beat to hell $7K with a 4" lift I would have to deal with? or the 12K 'Family Truck'? We just don't know until we know I guess. I'm just trying to make the best decision on a replacement with everyone's help, ideas and past experience advice.
if you open the doors and see any rust bubbling up on the windshield pillar it's a bad sign.
as long as the truck hasn't been wrecked you can fix anything mechanical, but don't buy it if you can't work on it yourself, because shop repair bills can easily run into thousands of dollars... i suppose that you already know that, since you already own one.
you don't have smog checks up there? awesome, get an engine-swapped 4runner, the 22re is gutless and the 3vze apparently isn't much better, plus it had a factory recall for head gasket/head stud problems... sellers claiming that the engine is "rebuilt" doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good engine.
Is that better than a 15K cherry looking Runner with a rebuilt 22RE?
prices have dropped since covid blew it up all out of proportion, you should be able to get a decent stock version of that truck for $10k or less... '85 with a factory solid front axle would be worth more, i would not get a carbed truck under any circumstances.
you might see a really good deal once a year or two, but if it's good it'll be gone in short order.
Thanks for the additional info! Yes, we do have smog checks here, I'm in Multnomah County and emissions inspection is required for registration. I will definitely keep my eyes out for the rust on the windshield pillars bc yikes that thread with the rust looks like a nightmare.
I know the 22RE has limited power as I've been driving it for 16 years. That's ok as I'm not really in much of a hurry most of the time and kind of enjoy annoying V8 drivers going over mountain passes. haha. The 22RE is a 'mostly' reliable engine. I've been driving mine with a bad starter for 2 years and just smacking it with a hammer as needed. lol I should have mine back shortly so I'll know what parts I have to work with.
Oh yes, I do know about thousands of dollars in shop repair bills. I sadly just dropped 4K into the one that was totaled for an assortment of fixes I couldn't do myself. I intended to drive that thing for a bunch more years so you know...
Every decent shape SR5 I've located thus far has some bizarre thing done to it (except the 12K family car with electrical gremlins which does actually have a couple oddball additions that would need to be removed/replaced). Will fully avoid anything with a carb and only look at the injector years. Good advice. Thanks for the tips!
I totally disagree that you should stay away from a 22R, carb. I've been driving my 22R truck now for 13 years. I rebuilt the carb about 5 years ago. No problems with it. If doing a carb rebuild isn't for you, there are plenty of rebuilt carb shops out there, as well as new aftermarket. I've saved tons of money doing repairs myself on my 22R 2WD, with no prior vehicle repair experience either.
Ok! Thanks! Carb could be a possibility then. It's a little out of my wheel house as I haven't had a carbed car for 25? years, but youtube is an excellent teacher.
The Runner just arrived from the tow lot. Sigh. Looks like a lot of smashed stuff, but also still a lot of good parts. That's the optimism in me. The engine appears 'intact', but has been knocked off kilter and is dead as far as turning over. It doesn't appear broken though. The back of the Runner is still in great shape. The battery seems to be disconnected as I can't get the window to roll down in back. Looks like they threw lots of random broken stuff off the street in there, but a few things are missing. There should be parts I can sell after I find a replacement and ensure they aren't needed. So y'all that might need some random detail off one of these keep it in mind. The rear hard cover is cracked open, but somehow all the windows are good. Still one wing window. I suppose I better get a tarp!
The perfect scenario would be to find another 87 and just use all the best parts. Looks like you have a lot of good stuff to work with. Its going to be expensive no matter what if you have to pay to get it done. Got any gear head friends willing to help you out?
I am in the middle of a 1986 Xtra Cab build and I know how much work is involved for a body swap. It's doable by even novice mechanics, just a lot of work and time. Even if you find a running truck and swap just the best parts, it's a lot of work and time involved. Definitely doable by just about anybody willing to go for it though. You'll go broke paying a shop. Especially if they are not familiar with older Toyotas.
It's the details that can get you. Even though a 1st gen "should" be the same, they are not. Many things are a direct fit bolting on but differences in wire harness and connectors can cause you delays. You can work through it but need to be aware of stuff like this. The electronics for an 88 22RE is a one year only thing. The computer, injectors, etc. won't work with an 86 or 87. I think 85-87 are the same. I'd have to look it up though. So they will fit, but you can't mix and match some stuff. The Toyota Bible on Pirate has this info.
Sorry if I'm making your head spin. I know the feeling. Our 86 4Runner was my wife's baby and our son rolled it. Looked a lot like yours. It got parted out.
08-31-2024, 01:18 PM
