4Runner96

6/21/21

The difference is the Chevy actually drives fine and only needs about $300-400 in parts to redo the entire front end with decent parts.

6/21/21

Why would you swap over a bunch of (likely) worn junkyard parts. The new parts for these are dirt cheap as it is.

6/21/21

I’d take the Turbo PT over any of those tbh, for a combination of being more fun to drive and/or likely to be cheaper/more reliable to run

6/21/21

Would old black men do a better job? Indian? Huh?

6/21/21

Recent memory? You can’t throw a stick without hitting some butt-ugly modern crossover monster or hump-backed “sports activity vehicle”

6/21/21

Within the context of so many grotesque modern crossovers, even a Pontiac Aztek looks “normal,” let alone something as benign-bordering-on-handsome PT Cruiser

6/21/21

The interior is particularly hard to love IMO, we had one of the later facelifted cars as a rental (by the end most of them were fleet sales from what I could tell), from the depths of the cost cut playskool Chrysler interiors. Exterior? Definitely polarizing but within the context of how ugly modern crossovers have…

6/21/21

It’s definitely scenario #2 lmao. An old Suburban having some slop in the suspension is basically a given.

6/21/21

Right on. I’ve been going through most of my 300k GMT800 Suburban over the past year, parts for these things cost PEANUTS (even good quality stuff) and they’re stupid easy to wrench on.

6/21/21

Yeah seeing these jalopnik writer stories where they go and get reamed at shops is pretty pathetic. Isn’t half the point of a website like this is it’s gearheads wrenching on their own shit? I guess that ship sailed years ago.

6/21/21

I was gonna say, $3500 would buy another 2500 Suburban (okay, maybe not in 2021's market).

The beauty of owning an old domestic truck is how stinking cheap parts are, and how DIY friendly they are. I’ve rebuilt half of my 300k mile Suburban in my garage at this point, parts cost peanuts on rockauto, even the OEM GM/ AC …

6/18/21

Well put. I test drove an old ‘85 Prelude S a few years ago (the 105hp carb’d low-spec one) and couldn’t believe the amount of sensory feedback and overall enjoyment I got from that thing, just putting along at 35mph. Nothing new can match it, short of maybe some zany open top three wheeler motorcycle thing

6/18/21

Probably an oil pump seal on the 2.2L 5sfe. I agree that era of Toyota is perhaps the best built mass produced car anyone’s ever made. My ‘96 ES300 felt like an absolute brick shithouse at 209k miles when I sold it.

6/17/21

Can’t wait to watch this. I rode a 1976 XS500 that I bought out of a barn for $50 across the US from NY to CA and back in the summer of 2008. Rode with my bro and three friends, everyone on cheapo UJMs (TX500 bought for $50 together with my Yamaha, ‘81 CX500 for $800, ‘78 Kaw KZ650 “SR” $800, ‘82 Yamaha Seca 750…

6/17/21

The iron block 5VZ is an absolute tank. Non-interference timing belt that lasts double the stated replacement interval. Not terribly picky with engine oil, shim based valve adjustment (ie just don’t worry about it). 300,400,500,600k not uncommon on original engine and transmission. A very early run of the 96s…

6/17/21

I sold my super clean (both in terms of dings/paint as well as a mint frame for a midwestern truck) e-locked ‘96 Limited with 153k miles last summer for $7700, which was $1500 more than I bought it for 7 years and 55k miles ago. The “ROI” would look even more insane had I been selling it right now.

6/15/21

My family is from rural Siberia with roads in as bad of condition or worse than Africa and relatives that live with a level of development not unlike what I see in the OP’s posts (roadside repairs of janky used up trucks, etc). Out in remote areas like that there is first and foremost a level of “let’s get this shit…

6/15/21

I didn’t slam you for “speaking ill of the well off,” I slammed you for talking out of your ass

6/15/21

How was this “inauthentic?”

6/15/21

“aura of exploitation”

That’s on you bud lol. In fact I’ll go so far as to claim that your infantilization of Africans “ooh meany westerner drove through town in his snazzy Jeep!” is the real issue here. I guarantee you most of the locals found it interesting if nothing else, hardly upset or bothered.