snapped these pics of a 4runner for sale locally for $3000 (cdn) 1997 ltd edition with 200k miles/ 320k kms

The bumper and body rust doesnt seem like that big of a deal, but im slightly concerned about the underside rust? a buddy of mine thinks the rear diff might be leaking?

Any thoughts?

 

Welcome !!

The question is do you need to pay labor to have this fixed??

I would have looked more at the brake and fuel lines and the frame.

Brakes Suspension and steering linkage

Then again the engine and transmission would be nice to know.

What does it drive like every thing work like it should??

Might be time for a timing belt might be why it is for sale.

Any used Toyota I bought most often needs another $1000.00 or more in parts to catch up on neglected maintenance .

 

time belt, suspension and brakes were all done recently. it drove nicely.

my main concern is having too much rust on my hands, but i just dont really know how much is acceptable.

I do expect to put work in. i basically want to buy it and put another 3-4k in on upgrades

I'll go back and check on the parts of the undercarriage you mentioned.

 

If the diff on a toyota isn't leaking then some one forgot to put 85w90 in it. the leak you see is from the front seal, mostly from sitting. Rust is rust, if you are looking to make it perfect then skip this one. You only can see about 60% of the rust, there be much more that is hidden from the view.

 

I can honestly live with rust underneath.. I just wanna know, is this normal enough looking where I can buy it and probably drive it for a few years without it snapping in half or something?

 

You got to hold your phone a little closer to the engine while it is running so that I can make a better evaluation of the condition.

Not.......

seriously, your guess is as good as any body's about that. Body rust is something that is difficult to judge because you can't see it all. It is hidden behind door panels, inside frame members, in spare tire carriers. You just have to carefully inspect it your self and see if it is something you want to mess with. I think it really comes down to "how picky you are"

I bought an 10 year old 124k miles chevy 2500 with the paint falling off for $4k. The interior was perfect, but the exterior looked awful. Now some 10 years later with 175k on it, it looks even worse and the dash is disintegrating. The body is rusting, we keep using for ranch chores and drive it to town weekly. It is just wearing out, but that is what old trucks do, unless you decide to spend a bunch of money and do a restore. There will come a time when I just drive it to the junk yard and let it pass into it's next life as spare parts.

I personally have never met an old rusty vehicle that I didn't have to put money into.

good luck

 

Mine has 240k miles on it. I am very good about maintaining it. That being said, there is a lot of rust underneath my truck. Living in the NorthEast and Toyota like to rust. I truly expect my ride to hit 500k. Just my .02

 

I disagree. It's common knowledge that the thin rear cover of the diff gets perforated by rust and starts weeping. I have personally seen 5 or 6 in my area with this issue.



Andreas

 

Yes the actual rear diff housings do rust out,and no its not a simple fix.

 

ended up buying it, so far pretty happy. frame isnt in as bad shape as i'd thought. i'll have to poke at the diff though and see what my options are.