2 Owner 22RE 4x4 Arizona Rust Free Clean Covertible SUV

THE 1st GENERATION 4RUNNERRare super clean and exceptionally well maintained 100% rust free classic 1987 Toyota 4Runner 4x4 runs & drives as good as it looks with professionallyrebuilt 22R engine, new clutch,factory cold AC converted to modern 134A freon, power steering, power brakes, tilt steering, removable fiberglass top which exposes factory roll bar, new tires on new rims, with zero mechanical issues. Ready to drive cross country at 85 mph down the Interstate all day long.
RULES OF THE ROAD:If you have ZERO FEEDBACK (or less than 4 feedbacks) and are serious about this truck then before doing anything please be sure to either email through eBay 24/7 or call the number below during West Coast business hours so we can establish that you're not a squirrel.It won't take more than a couple minutes so please just do it as the last fellow we encountered with zero feedback was not only a squirrel but had an uncanny ability to say one thing and do another, leaving a trail of wasted time and auction wreckage.
This November will mark my 17th year selling on eBay. By and large eBay members are outstanding responsible people. But for some reason the lustful longing for beautiful classic vehicles, especially pristine old trucks like this, brings impulsivos with no self control out of the woodwork. They appear not to understand or appreciate all the months of time, money and energy it costs to prepare a vintage truck for a venue like this so they start mindlessly clicking as if this public auction is some video game, wreaking havoc on complete strangers' lives without the ability to actually honor the terms they've initiated. If that kind of behavior reminds you of yourself then please feel free to read the description and study the pictures to your heart's content but for the love of common decency please do not click anything other than the CONTACT SELLER tab unless you have the means to pay per the terms below.
HISTORY:This amazing truck was born in 1986 in a factory in Hamura, Japan. It was shipped on a huge freighter to Long Beach, California where it made it's way through the dealer network to Tucson, Arizona where it's lived ever since. Tucson, AZ happens to be the sole location where the US Air Force mothballs all their old aircraft because the air is so dry nothing can rust. If you've never heard of the Air Force Graveyard in Tucson just Google it to see pics of miles and miles of your tax dollars squandered.
The 2nd owner who I recently acquired the truck from is a retired Federal employee whose owned the truck for the last 25 years. A single guy with no kids (as evidenced by the condition of the back seat) he kept up the maintenance meticulously. At 218k he had a complete professional engine rebuild from top to bottom with engine removed and machined plus a new clutch commissioned by Dan's Toy Shop in Tucson. (See last picture for detailed receipt). It was originally Ray's Toy Shop but Dan, his lead mechanic, acquired it from Ray when he retired a decade ago. As an aside, 20 years ago, Ray and I were fellow Toyota mechanics and wheeling buddies.
This truck was so tight when I got it that after a thorough mechanical inspection all I needed to do was replace the rear shocks with Gabriel Ultras and change the gear oil in all 4 cases plus the motor oil and filter. 2nd owner even recently replaced all the upper and lower control arm bushings plus ball joints with new KYB shocks and 4 new 235/75/15 tires.
22RE (2.4L) MULTI-PORT FUEL INJECTION:This legendarily reliable numbers matching 22RE runs like a sewing machine.Starts every time with a click of key. Smooth and whisper quiet. Very peppy and fuel efficient yet you can barely tell it's running. The only sound you can here is the subtle pulse of the fuel injectors. No smoke, no knocks, no issues and no fluid leaks.Runs super cool thanks to upgraded V6 brass radiator. Temp gauge never climbs past 1/3rd even on hot Arizona summer days with AC blowing cold. Engine builders have long admired howthese 22R blocks are famous for being hardened with more nickle content than old American muscle cars. Always passes emissions. Has all the factory emissions and catalytic converter in place. Has enough power to light the tires up in 1st gear and bark them in second.
5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION & GEAR DRIVEN TRANSFER CASE:W56 transmission shifts tight and smooth. Starting in 1984 Toyota improved their 5 speeds making them more robust with bigger bearings. Clutch action feels new because it is newer.2 speed gear driven transfer case, one of the strongest humans have ever invented, operates precisely as designed. Factory Aisinmanual lockout hubs and all the 4x4 components work smoothly as designed.
INTERIOR:Clean interior. Dash pad has a couple of minor heat cracks typical of a 30 year old truck.AC blows ice cold. It's been converted to modern 134A freon. Heat blows hot. Original working factory Toyota radio in place. I have no cassettes to test the tape player but I'll bet it works. Front seats have covers but a pic shows these seats without covers are not all blown out, just thread bare.Back seats are in remarkably pristine original shape. These back seats fold down to make like a flat pickup truck bed for sleeping or camping.The rear tailgate glass goes up and down electronically with a factory rocker switch on center console or with a key turned in the tailgate.
SUSPENSION & BRAKES:
Stock suspension and steering is exceptionally tight. No wander. Absolutely no rattles. Frontshocks are brand new KYB. Rearshocks are new Gabriel Ultra. Brakes were gone through on all 4 corners and thoroughly bled. Rears were adjusted. Pedal is tall and tight.
WHEELS & TIRES:Four newer 235/75/15 radials with 90% tread mounted on nice clean 15 x 8 chrome rims.DIFFERENTIALS:Both factory differentials are stock with 4.10 gears, open carriers and no leaks.
FRAME & BODY:
Original rust free AZ truck has never been wrecked with no rust rot or bondo anywhere. It was repainted once some years ago and still looks amazing for the age. It is 30 years old so there are inevitably very minor imperfections that don't show up in pictures but overall it's a genuine cream puff survivor and you won't find another like it except maybe in a museum or fancy collection.
INSURANCE:This truck is eligible for historic plates in any State. That also mean it's eligible for Collector Car insurance from outfits like Grundy Worldwide or Haggerty which costs only $12 per month for a $10,000 full coverage policy. That's right, a full coverage policy is only $12 per month and emissions are forever waived. I repeat. Collector Car Insurance means no more emissions and a cheap monthly nut on full coverage insurance.
OH WHAT A FEELING:
There's several reasons that these Toyota trucks are so legendary worldwide. It's no accident that no matter what part of the world you look at whenever you see news footage of a guerrilla fighter soldier with an AK47 in the back of a pickup it's always a Toyota. That's because Toyota truck reliability is 2nd to none. It's what soldiers count on. That's why Toyota is the only import vehicle ever allowed to compete in NASCAR racing.
Unlike American, British or Korean vehicles, every Toyota truck from this era comes with a fully boxed steel frame. Not only is the frame boxed, meaning super strong, but also every nut, bolt and fastener is fine machine threaded. So while virtually every American vehicle has coarse threads throughout and a C-channel frame with only the engine and transmissions having fine machine threads - bottom line is except for some exceptional rare American vehicles, like Early Ford Broncos and some Jeeps with fully boxed frames, nobody in the USA constructed 4x4's with as much engineering integrity as the Japanese back in the day, and no wonder since after being bombed into surrender by Uncle Sam after WW2 they had things to prove as a National mission so they built Toyota trucks with an integrity 2nd to none.
I wouldn't hesitate to jump in this truck and drive it coast to coast confident it would need nothing but fuel.
PAPERWORK:
Clean and clear notarized AZ title is ready to go.
INVESTMENT:These 1st generation Toyota 4Runners only go up in value even while you drive them, providing one of the best investments in the automotive world today. Fact is there will never be another made like them. They are 1 off legends.
CONTACT:Email through eBay or Call 52O-Nine 77-O112 for any questions prior to clicking.
FEEDBACK:For those new to eBay and nervous about buying a vehicle over the internet just remember that, as I mentioned from the outset, I've been selling classic early Broncos and antique Toyota trucks and vintage parts on eBay for 17 years. Some 15 years ago I happen to sell a truck to an eBay seller who runs a large scale pawn shop in Philadelphia with over 100,000 feedbacks and he taught me this eBay rule of thumb. Every positive feedback is worth about a dollar of trust. That means if you're buying something for $500 then ideally the seller will have at least 500 positive feedbacks. This is just an ideal rule of thumb mind you. So if somebody's selling a $10,000 vehicle with only 32 positive feedbacks I'd be leery. Doesn't mean it's not legit, it's just that there's not much track record. By contrast if a seller's asking $8k for a vehicle and has more than 12k positive feedbacks like myself, well then you can rest easier for you can ask yourself why would they risk throwing away their decades old hard earned feedback reputation for only $8k? The answer is they wouldn't.
IMPORTANT AUCTION TERMS. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.Note that per eBay Terms of Service (TOS) that you agreed to when registering "your winning bid constitutes a legally binding contract for sale" so please don't start clicking if you're not completely serious and committed to buy, meaning, be sure you have wife's permission and funds in position to honor terms below.
Inspection prior to bidding is welcome and encouraged.
A non-refundable PayPal deposit of $1000 is due within 24 hours of auction close.
Full balance of Payment is due within 72 hours of auction close by either direct bank to bank wire transfer, or you can overnight envelope a Cashiers Check, or pay cash in person, or pay with PayPal or a card over the phone so long as buyer is willing to pay the 2.5% transaction fees.
All shipping arrangements and fees are the responsibility of the buyer. We will store the truck free for 21 days. There is a $15 per day storage fee after that unless a prior arrangement has been pre-dickered.