1993 Toyota 4Runner 4x4 V6 Auto SR5 Super Clean Rust Free 4.88 Gears 33" Tires

1993 Toyota 4Runner SR5

VEHICLE:
This is probably the nicest 2nd generation 4Runner (90-95) in existence.2 Owners.Always garage kept. Rust free from Southern Arizona. Original paint. Never wrecked. Professionally swapped OBD2 5VZ-FE with A340F Drive Train and gear driven transfer case. Factory 4.88 gears. Runs & drives like new with absolutely no mechanical issues. Zero fluid leaks of any kind. 4 Brand new 33 x 12.5 x 15 BFG KO All Terrain tires mounted and balanced on 4 brand new aluminum 15 x 8 MB TKO rims.
I have 40 years experience restoring classic cars and trucks and strive for both mechanical and aesthetic excellence as documented in my 12000 plus eBay feedback rating at 100% for 17 years.
Truck has just been meticulously restored by a team of Toyota professionals having just swapped the stock 129k mile 140 hp 3.0L (3VZ) factory engine (which got lousy gas mileage and was prone to head gasket failure) - with a fresh 195hp 5VZE-FE (3.4L) 1999 4Runner5VZ-FE engine & matching A340 automatic transmission with only 96k miles. The 5VZ-FE uses the same block as the 3VZE but because it was engineered with superior 4 valve heads and unrestrictive exhaust it's legendary for smooth power & long reliability, with many examples exceeding 600k miles, while virtually doubling the gas mileage of the 3VZE and significantly increasing the horse power.
HISTORY:
1988 was the 1st year the 4Runner was offered with a V6. They were brilliant fully boxed framed trucks but unfortunately the original (3.0) 3VZE had a serious design flaw with the cylinder heads, the engine being rushed into production due to American demand for more power & torque than the traditional 22R 4 cylinder could deliver. Toyota stepped up and offered in '86 & '87 only the 22RET Turbo for 2 years, which boosted HP to 140 but was still lacking in the low end torque that Americans demanded. So in 1988 Toyota rushed into production the 3VZE fuel injected V6 with rugged cast iron block and aluminum 2V heads with bucket/shim adjustment similar to Japanese motorcycles. It was a great leap forward but unfortunately the restrictive crossover exhaust mated to those 2 valve heads meant they ran hot & prematurely blew head gaskets. With 32 vacuum lines they were very expensive & ultimately futile to repair, calling for 22 hours labor just to replace one head gasket. To Toyota's credit they did recall every single one of them and replaced the head gaskets but ultimately they couldn't overcome a poorly designed 2 valve head with restrictive crossover exhaust so these engines were doomed while the trucks themselves, with their sturdy box frames were virtually indestructible. The 3VZE ended production in 1995. Few got over 200k miles without fatality and sadly many were crushed before their time.
By 1995-1/2, however, Toyota engineers solved the V6 problem with a radical new engine design, the 5VZ-FE which 1st appeared in the T100 in 1994 and then the Tacoma in 1995-1/2 and finally the 4Runner in 1996. The 5VZ-FE was produced in the Tacoma until 2004 and many units are still on the road with over 600,000 miles without overhaul. Over the last 22 years it's proven to be one of the best all around internal combustion engines humans have ever designed - bar none.
It was revolutionary in design because although it used the same strong engine block as the 3VZE (so the new engine bolts directly to the stock transmission) - it completely re-engineered the cylinder heads, using a 4 valve per cylinder design and a far less restrictive crossover exhaust, meaning they breathed better and therefore ran much cooler. They proved far more efficient because they pumped virtually twice the air during combustion, and since gas engines are essentially air pumps, the more air they breathe the more efficient they run.
The 5VZ-FE also happens to be the only timing belt driven V6 engine with 4 valve heads ever designed that is NON-INTERFERENCE. That means if the timing belt ever breaks it does NOT damage the valve train. No wonder when you see on news video from around the world ofguerillasoldiers with machine guns in the backs of pickups the tailgate always says Toyota.
THE 5VZ-FE BUILD:
When the junk 3VZE factory engine was removed a rolled over '99 4Runner donor truck was obtained. The entire drive train was professionally removed with a mind towards this swap. The 5VZE-FE engine was partially disassembled for inspection and all the moving parts were measured to be within factory tolerances. It was then reassembled with new T100 oil pan, gasket and dip stick, high quality chromed valve covers and gaskets, new cam seals plus new Aisin timing belt kit with tensioners & water pump. Every wearable & replaceable exterior component of the engine was replaced. New aluminum radiator, fan, clutch, shroud and belts with fresh coolant & oil plus filter. New stainless 6 into one (2-1/2")headers and exhaust gaskets were then installed. New Denso O2 sensors were mounted to custom bungs to complete exhaust. Finally a custom wiring harness was built over 6 weeks by Guru Mike at ORS (off Road Solutions) meticulously mating vin # of '93 to vin # of '99 motor and tranny to ensure flawless compatibility of every component. Finally new Denso plugs & wires plus a new air filter with OEM air intake and Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor plus new battery and hold down were installed.
5VZ-FE ENGINE:
This 5VZ-FE runs like a sewing machine. You can't even tell it's idling. Just smooth quiet power. Will go up to the 118 MPH Governor much quicker than you'd expect. Starts every time with a bump of the key. No knocks, no smoke, no check lights, no issues whatsoever and absolutely no leaks. Strong oil pressure. Runs super cool. These engines are bullet proof, powerful, fuel efficient and as reliable as they come.
EMISSIONS:This build is Emissions Legal in all 50 States. The factory '99 OBDII connector port is under the dash just like a '99 so you can plug in a scanner. The check engine light works just like the '99. There's also the factory diagnostic port on the engine. I've run at least a dozen swaps like this through Tucson, AZ emissions which models itself after CA, that is, pretty strict. In Tucson I've let the referee pull me aside and do some research on the 5VZ-FE on his computer and within 5 minutes he's passed it admitting how much more efficient the engine is compared to stock. The beauty was he then made notes in the system about the VIN explaining that on future inspections it will always be green lighted. Other times I've affixed a strip of black electrical tape which fits over the "3400 24 VALVE" sticker perfectly (just so there's less questions) and it runs on the OBD1 sniffer as a '93 with practically all zeros on the Hydrocarbon & literally 0.00 Co2 readings on the last swap I ran through, meaning you'd be hard pressed to kill yourself in your own garage! If you do live in an anal emissions State before you bid you can always get a confirmation from the many online Toyota forums which document hundreds of these 5VZ-FE swaps and their emissions compliance. Moreover, in 2018 this truck will be 25 years old and eligible for Historic Plates in most States. That means you can get Collector Car Insurance from places like Grundy Worldwide or Haggerty which in not only far cheaper ($12/mo. for a $10,000 full coverage policy) but also the vehicle becomes immediately Emissions Exempt!
THE A340F BUILD:Ask any transmission technician and they'll confirm that humans haven't built a tougher automatic transmission than the A340. Yes Americans invented the Automatic tranny but even today they can barely get one to last beyond 100k while Japan, specifically the Aisin brand, has stock units approaching 500k. The A340F unit that was mated to the 99 4Runner engine is a significant upgrade to the A340H that was mated to the 3.0 because it has stronger clutches and did not use the integral transfer case with its own HP robbing torque converter like the H series did. Instead the F ran a separate detachable chain driven transfer case. The only problem with it besides being chain drive was the fact they are clocked to drop towards the driver's side differential whereas all the 86-95 Toyota 4x4 were passenger side drop.
GEAR DRIVEN TRANSFER CASE:Fortunately the folks at InchWormGear.com solved that problem by patenting an aluminum adapter that allows you to run the strongest transfer case Toyota ever made, the gear driven unit that was used on all 79-95 4x4 trucks with 4 cyl engines. Not only are they stronger than chain driven units but they are upgradable allowing aftermarket lower gear sets as well as bigger splined output shafts for Rock Crawler applications.This A340F & gear driven t-case were thoroughly inspected with new filter, seals and fluids.
CUSTOM STAINLESS HEADER EXHAUST:A custom 2-1/2" header-back 6 into 1 exhaust was then built by Justin at Leon's Exhaust Works eliminating any & all crossover heat restriction while mating stock '93 catalytic converter back to a new 40 series Flow Master muffler which sounds great. Throaty but not too loud.
ORS (Off Road Solution) CUSTOM WIRING HARNESS:The $600 ORS harness allows every single light and gauge and OBD2 system to work perfectly when connected to this '99 4Runner drive train. The ECU is mounted in the factory location under the passenger kick panel. That means if you ever get a check light it will show up on the gauge cluster and reading code is the same under dash connection as any (1996 & up) OBD2 vehicle.
FACTORY 4.88 DIFFERENTIALS:
This truck came from the factory with rare differentials only offered in certain 92-94 4Runners with automatic transmissions. The rear 8 inch V6 chunk (which just had the pinion seal and gear oil replaced) has factory 4:88 gears. The gear code on the VIN sticker is G144 proving it. (You can see that a couple lines above the "Made in Japan" in vin sticker pic). That combined with the front 4.88 differential makes it the perfect platform for running bigger tires. It originallyhad A.D.D. (auto differential disconnect) but has been professionally eliminated & replaced instead with an 86 4Runner axle tube with Aisin manual lockout hubs - which makes this truck extra special because you no longer have parts spinning as you drive down the freeway like it did from the factory (and like virtually all 4x4's do today).
INTERIOR:
Non-smoking truck. Nether of the 2 owners smoked. (I don't consider myself an owner because I bought this truck specifically for motor swap and I've driven it less than 50 miles). The interior is amazingly clean for a 24 year old vehicle. The seats aren't ripped or stained, in fact they look & smell new. The carpet's not torn or stained, in fact it looks & smells new. The dash looks new. There's an aftermarket JVC CD deck with factory speakers. It sounds great. All the power windows, locks and mirrors work like new and all the gauges and lights work as designed. The AC blows ice cold and the heat blows hot. The rear hatch compartment looks just as good as the rest of the truck. The rear tailgate window goes up and down with either center console switch or the key in the tailgate. The back hatch features 2 side compartments, the driver's side holding the original factory bottle jack with tools, which is a mighty rare and valuable thing. Under the rear seat is the original jack tools to lower the spare which is a full size 31x15 unit on a factory alloy rim.
EXTERIOR:
Rust free truck. On a scale of 1 to 10 the rust free scale would be 10. Garage kept. Original factory paint is not sun faded. Shines like new. Never wrecked. No bondo or filler anywhere. No cracks in any glass. It is 24 years old so there are a few minor dings and paint scratches that just don't show up well in pictures but you'd have to get 2 foot away to notice them. There's a fixable scratch on the RF door and a couple fixable scratches on the tailgate plus a tiny ding on the RR corner of the chrome bumper as well as a very tint depression in the center of the chrome front bumper which you can see in pics. Operational factory tinted sun roof can be seen in one of the side view pics.
SUSPENSION:
Stock height. Everything is new & tight. New steering gear box. New front KYB shocks. New idler & pitman arm. New steering damper.New tie rod ends.Ball joints & control arm bushings newer with no play. Rear shocks newer. Fresh alignment. 3 miles on $1400 worth of new rims & tires. Truck drives like new with no rattles. Fresh pro installed 2 inch body lift ensures engine clears hood and 33 inch tire clearance. Tires don't rub on the street but I haven't taken it off road. In my long experience with this exact setup any tire rubbing off road is minor and easily fixable with some aesthetically pleasing trimming of the plastic inner fender wells.
BRAKES:Fresh front rotors and pads. New rear shoes and wheel cylinders. Fresh fluid thoroughly bled.
DRIVEABILITY:
Starts great. Runs great. Shifts great. Stops great. Handles great. Looks great. Comfortable to sit in. Comfortable to drive. Smooth ride. No rattles. No issues. 4x4 works better than originally designed.
CLASSIC FULLY BOXED FRAME TOYOTA 4x4:They don't build them like this anymore. Even modern Toyotas, with their partially boxed frames and cheaper interiors, lack the same quality as the older ones as they're not 100% Japanese anymore being assembled in the USA. Considering the abject junk the USA has been churning out for the last 35 years it's actually a badge of honor to drive a truck that says "100% Made in Japan" (and I come from a UAW family).Stock 4Runners of this era in this condition are worth at Least $5k. There's $7k worth of parts into this build and hundreds of man hours labor costing at least as much as the parts. The end result is priceless.
PAPERWORK:
TITLE is Clean, Notarized, Arizona, "A Box" - ready to go. Never liened. Never salvaged.
TERMS:
Please do not bid without funds to honor terms. Ebay is not a game. Per the eBay Terms of Service (TOS) you agreed to when registering: "Your bid on a public auction constitutes a legally binding contract for sale" and you can "be held liable for failing to honor your bid" so don't bid unless you have funds to pay.
Cash or bank transfer for bulk of sale preferred to avoid fees. $1500 PayPal deposit due within 24 hrs. of auction close. Full amount due within 72 hrs. of auction close by bank wire transfer or overnight letter with cashiers check. Vehicle cannot be picked up until paid in full. PayPal fees will be charged on any amount after deposit. I'll help shipping agent load vehicle as much as possible. Upon full payment I will pay to overnight the title. Will store vehicle free of charge up to 3 weeks after auction close. After 21 days a $15 per day storage fee is charged.For any questions Email through eBay or call 520-977-0112 between hours 8 to 8 AZ time.
Ebay's picture loader only allows 24 pics but have more upon request.
SIMILAR EXAMPLES WE'VE RECENTLY RESTORED:Ebay doesn't allow direct hyper links anymore so you'll have to copy & paste the links into your browser but here's some recent examples we've sold:
Stock 1986 Toyota Hilux Extra Cab Pickup 4x4.What held this truck back was lack of factory AC & faded paint on roof & hood. http://www.ebay.com/itm/322313195173?ul_noapp=true
1988 Toyota 4Runner 4x4 5VZ-FE Swap. What held this truck back was lack of factory AC & faded paint. http://www.ebay.com/itm/371596809950?forcerRptr=true&item=371596809950&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:L:EOISSA:MOTORS:1123
This 1968 Ford Bronco would have gone much higher if it still had the factory doors and top: http://www.ebay.com/itm/371654293442?forcerRptr=true&item=371654293442&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:L:EOISSA:MOTORS:1123
This 1979 K5 Blazer just sold last week:http://www.ebay.com/itm/371809865925?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649The buyer lived in AZ only 4 hour drive away. He did experience some electrical turn signal & wiper gremlins on the way home so I refunded him $400 to help sort them out.

On Dec-25-16 at 12:55:38 PST, seller added the following information:

Winner will also get the 4 black center caps that came with the wheels. The front 2 will need modified to expose the Aisin manual lockout hubs. I left them off simply because it looks fine without them.

On Dec-25-16 at 14:59:22 PST, seller added the following information:

Donor '99 4Runner had 96k miles when it was rolled over.

On Dec-26-16 at 11:58:20 PST, seller added the following information:

Note that rollover managed to damage donor truck cruise controller assembly under the hood so although truck is wired for 5VZ-FE cruise control you will need to find another apparatus from a '99 4Runner or other compatible vehicle if that feature is important to you.

• Make: Toyota
• Model: 4Runner
• SubModel: Pro 3.4L (5VZ-FE) Swap + A340F
• Type: SUV
• Trim: SR5
• Year: 1993
• Mileage: 129,000
• VIN: JT3VN39W6P0113420
• Color: Burgundy
• Engine size: 5VZE-FE from 1999 4Runner (96K Mi.)
• Number of cylinders: 6
• Power options: Air Conditioning, Power Locks, Power Windows
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: A340F 4 Speed Automatic
• Drive type: 4WD
• Interior color: Gray
• Safety options: Anti-Lock Brakes
• Options: 4-Wheel Drive, CD Player, Sunroof
• Vehicle Title: Clear
Want to buy? Contact seller!