For the past couple of years or so, I have been making an effort to explore new-to-me parts of the greater Chicago area. By “greater Chicago”, I suppose I mostly mean areas within city limits and also the northern suburbs of Evanston and Skokie, which are also easily accessible by public transportation from my north side neighborhood of Edgewater. On one Sunday afternoon about a year and a half ago, my companion and I decided to head up to the college town of Evanston just for a change of environment.
After wolfing some truly delicious, freshly baked cookies from local, favorite insitution Bennison’s Bakery (with the burgundy awning, on the right in the background of the above shot), I happened upon this 4Runner. After a bit of research, I was able to narrow down the model year to either 1990 (the first model year in the U.S. for the four-door 4Runner) or ’91, based on its front grille.
At first, I thought the “graphics” on the side of this vehicle were a gloriously homemade, abstract expression of fire. Some of my favorite vehicle sightings have been in college towns, where a limited budget often leads students to express themselves very creatively on a dime. In terms of collegiate eclecticism, I imagine Evanston is something like “Eugene-lite”.
I can remember being a college student and perpetually broke, but for my bi-weekly selling of my immune system at the local plasma center, after which my supplemental income came from a part-time job at the local golf course. I tended greens, tees and approaches in early morning before heading to class smelling like (actual) grass, even after showering. (Call me crazy, but I have actually had a jones for house-brand TV dinners and ramen noodles, lately, just to remember what it was like to be that age again.)
On closer inspection of this Toyota, though, it appeared that the duct tape used as a makeshift mask to hide and cover what I had presumed to be rust had perhaps been all the same color red when it had originally been used to bandage this vehicle’s open wounds. What an artful job was done, here. Remember in elementary school, when you were first learning to master the use of crayons, and your teacher recommended that you “color in the same direction” instead of scribbling? Someone did something approximating that here, as the duct tape has been applied with near-parallel perfection across the entire passenger’s side, cut into neat, little strips that sort of resemble Tetris blocks. Maybe this project had been an afternoon activity for a group of friends among which this 4Runner was owned by the primary giver of transportation.
Those tires, though. Oh, my gosh. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near this thing on fast-track North Sheridan Road or Broadway, let alone Lake Shore Drive, when one of those threadbare tires blows. The apparent care that had gone into the concept and execution of patching up the rusty sheetmetal seemed at odds with this Toyota’s then-current condition and disintegrating rubber on each of the four rims. Hopefully, the owner / driver had the tires attended to before deciding on fresh, red Band-Aids for the exterior. As far as the fading of the tape on the outside, I think I actually prefer how it looks just like this over what it probably looked like when the tape was first applied. This 4Runner definitely has / had just a little cinnamon-flavored fire. Let’s hope it hasn’t later ended up like an Atomic Fireball on wheels.
(Chicago suburb) Evanston, Illinois
Sunday, March 12, 2017.
When my wife and I were first married, I had a 3 year old 4wd Ranger and she had a 2 year old 2WD Mazda B2200. We considered replacing the Ranger with a 4Runner, and a co-worker happened to be selling his, also of this generation which was quite new then. 3.0 V6 (aka “3-point-slow”) and 5 speed. Honestly, I found it very disappointing to drive. Uncomfortable seats and driving position, poor low-end compared to my 2.9 V6 Ranger, and generally not impressive. I know this gen Toyota, as a 4Runner or pickup, is now considered by some to be the pinnacle of Toyota trucks, but it didn’t do much for me then. We bought a Vanagon Westfalia and kept the Ranger. Almost 30 years later, I’ve had a Land Cruiser, T100, and now Tacoma and I think I would have gotten to appreciate the 4Runner. There are still many of these 2nd gen 4Runners on the roads here.
This generation 4Runner was the last one to not get galvanized steel body panels, and it is plain as day to see. Underneath, these are really basically rebodied 1st gen trucks (the later IFS kind) in terms of hardware and frame. My own is the first year of the 3rd generation, although to the layman the gen 2 and gen 3 look just about identical. The big difference was leaving the sturdy heavy duty Hilx frame in favor of the lighter “medium duty” land Cruiser Prado frame, a switch to double wishbone front suspension (smoother ride, more travel, but weaker balljoints), longer wheelbase for more legroom and stability, a switch to a single piece hatch from the old school 2-piece tailgate, and crucially, a new V6 motor in the form of the 5VZ-FE that totally outclassed the previous “3.slow” in power, fuel economy, reliability, and serviceability.
my 3rd gen still has the classic legs-out, low roof layout that finally went away with the 2010 5th generation trucks. You get used to it, it’s not unlike sitting in an older Civic, it just feels weird to be doing it up so high (and climbing up to get seated is not for everyone).
At least put some black tape on the tires to match!
Years ago, I dated a woman that had one of these, a ’91, with the 22R and 5 speed.Spent lots of time behind the wheel of it. And it was just 2 years old at the time. The neatest thing about it? There was a switch on the dash that bypassed the clutch safety switch if you were say, rock crawling in Moab….seats were awful,cabin cramped, build quality non-existent, and so slow it made my Chevy LUV’s feel like a 289 Cobra. And that’s not easy to do. Complete POS. No love for these. At all.
“build quality non-existent”
That’s a rather odd thing to say, how do you figure? I’ve always thought of the early-mid 90s as peak Toyota quality, in the realm of materials and fit/finish especially. Now, they may have been simple and durable materials in the trucks, but high quality nonetheless IMO.
Yeah, I don’t get that one either. I’ve been in early 90s Grand Cherokees, Pathfinders, Blazers, Explorers and none of them were any nicer. Maybe some parts of the Explorer but not by much. Trucks just weren’t that nice inside. And that remained true until recently.
Well not really. In my opinion, 1975-1985 was Toyotas peak quality decade. By the early 90’s they had really cheapened on the details, such as interior trim for example. And as someone who moonlighted at a used car lot turning wrenches, they are really not anymore “reliable” than anything else at the time. Most of their reputation was born out of the marketing department. I got almost 400K out of my Chevy (Isuzu) LUV with a mere 2 head gaskets and three clutches. And I drove it like I stole it. Your results may vary.
And I think one of the biggest problems is people refuse to accept the notion that Toyota can build a “bad” if you will product. No automaker is perfect; and Toyota is not immune from it. Nothing really fundamentally wrong with their products, but the same can be said for the Corvair and 215 Buick/Olds aluminum V8 too. Or De Havilland Comet.
“they are really not anymore “reliable” than anything else at the time. Most of their reputation was born out of the marketing department.”
Decades of statistics would take issue with that. The Toyota 4Runner for example is the single most-registered car model in the US with over 300k miles. It’s not some kind of huge successful marketing conspiracy, they really did overbuild the hell out of their cars (less so now IMO).
I’ve also got some experience both direct and indirect in the wrenching world, the overwhelming consensus among the mechanics I know for when someone comes for car-advice (based on running costs) is a simple “buy a Honda or Toyota.” The way an older Camry or Corolla’s suspension can stay tight for 200k miles on original bushings and balljoints, the way their automatic transmissions last, how well they hold up to corrosion (’92+ Camry) really is fairly unique.
And suppose they did regress on the quality of certain materials from the mid 80s to the mid 90s, they still seem head and shoulders above most of the other makes in that same 1990s time window as far as quality goes. It’s just a very peculiar statement to make, contrarian for its own sake.
Very interesting duct tape creation!
At least in my parts, these 4Runners have been long gone for some time, with their immediate predecessors getting very scarce too.
My mom considered getting a 4Runner several times over the years during the 1990s and early 2000s, but never found it quite as car-like on the inside as she would have preferred. Once the Highlander came out, she found that to be exactly what she was looking for.
As well protected as sheetmetal is on the 3rd gens, their thinner frames are actually MORE susceptible to rot than the Hilux frames on the 2nd gen. So it is unfortunately a regular sight to see a very nice looking and running 3rd gen get scrapped out over a detached rear trailing arm or other frame-rot issue. I make it a point to thoroughly undercoat the frame on my ’96 inside and out with Fluid Film using the 360-degree wand attachment.
Good thing your mom passed; she would have hated it. These are hard-riding genuine 4x4s best suited for what they were designed for. Gnarly, in other words. But maybe I’ve got your mom wrong?
“My mom considered getting a 4Runner several times over the years during the 1990s and early 2000s, but never found it quite as car-like on the inside as she would have preferred. Once the Highlander came out, she found that to be exactly what she was looking for.”
This is the crossover craze in a nutshell.
I also assumed this was “art”. I like it.
Your comments about the tires amuse me, firstly because I see tires like that every day, but moreso because you seem to imply that going to the effort of “repairing” bodywork with tape (!) suggests the owner is a responsible, fastidious type. Setting the bar pretty low there. 🙂
I was thinking the same thing. Bald tires go nicely with taped-over rust holes. New tires and rust repair would be expensive. The owner may be on a tight budget, or perhaps just doesn’t care to spend a lot on a vehicle that has seen better days and doesn’t travel very far anymore. Some silver tape on the rear bumper and black paint on the tire sidewalls would keep the theme going.
I’m not sure those tires are bald; when I zoom in I see what looks like plenty of tread. The sidewalls are definitely curb rashed.
We had a 1992, maroon color SR-5 with the nicer interior. Slow? Yes. Bad gas mileage?
Yes. Sorry we sold it? Yes. Felt solid and unstoppable during the ski trips we bought it for.
Excellent post, and a fun read Joseph. Thanks!
Having grown up in a rust vulnerable region where I was exposed to every conceivable form of home made rust ‘repairs’, I wonder if this tape might be the ‘metal mend’ tape sold in auto body repair departments at hardware and auto parts stores. It’s a somewhat heavy gauge aluminum-like tape with a high tack adhesive that is remarkably resilient, and usually stays put where placed. It takes paint reasonably well. I’ve seen it used in the past as a ‘concealer’, when a car owner is tired of looking at gaping rust holes. Or as a backing from behind, for a small hole repair. Not a proper repair, either way. After time, the surface of this tape tends to develop wrinkles, which I think I can slightly detect in your last pic. The metal tape can be molded to body contours, and it maintains its shape over time. The adhesive used in genuine duct tape likely wouldn’t last in an automotive application, in spite of what Red Green managed on TV. 🙂
Thanks, Daniel – and I learned something new on CC today, with respect to the adhesive tape you’re referencing! Within just the past half-hour, I saw a Honda Crosstour with actual duct tape on it, and it did not look like what we see on this 4Runner.
It would be too extensive a rewrite to remove each reference to “duct tape” from this peace, but I’ll just say that I appreciate you bringing this to both my attention and that of the readership.
And the “Red Green Show” used to be a guilty pleasure of mine. 🙂
A roll of that aluminum tape would make the rear bumper look like new.
You don’t have to feel guilty about watching Red Green; his show was a Saturday night ritual for me spanning several years. Like all comedy he had his hits and misses but the hits far outnumbered the misses, at least IMHO. Remember, “I’m a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess”; and don’t forget to keep your stick on the ice.
Sagging rear suspension. Bald tires. Terminal body rot. Very sad, when I was a growing up I always thought these 4Runners were cool. Dark green with the tan herringbone pattern interior fabrics, classic example of the 90s true SUV onslaught. Looking at it now, I don’t get why anyone put up with these early 90s SUVs as daily drivers.
I never drove the generation of 4Runner in question, but did drive a friend’s Toyota pickup of the same vintage with the 4-cylinder and that sucker was an exercise in patience on that road trip. As iconic as this generation of 4Runner is, the 1996 redesign is the pinnacle. And the 5th gen, but no one’s gonna believe me on that one.
I believe the 3rd and 5th gens are universally considered the best T4R’s (unless you like the 4th gen’s optional V8 and full-time 4wd capability). So I don’t think there’s much disagreement with you, though as I recall, Toyota fans were slow to warm to the 5th gen due to styling and the lack of a V8.
I think the biggest regression from 4th to 5th gen, aside from paint quality and sheetmetal thickness, was the loss of “multimode” 4wd, which was the standard 4wd system on all V6 4th gen 4Runners. It had a 2WD mode to save a bit of gas, then a full-time (4H unlocked) setting, 4-Low, and a selectable locking center differential. The 4-Hi unlocked with the Torsen diff is just the ticket for slick highways and mixed traction surfaces.
I used to look down on the 4th gen as way too soccer-mom-ified: loss of clearance and sturdy bumpers, loss of the rear locker option (except for a rare 2009 Trail Edition), loss of a manual t-case lever, more beeping electronic nannies, more car-like overall. But I realize now that for how I use my 3rd gen 4Runner, the 4th gen’s superior on-road comfort and performance is worth more than the higher performance offroad. These days I think the best bang for the buck all around would be a 4th gen 4Runner with a modest suspension lift by way of some FJ Cruiser springs.
5th gen is a return to glory in terms of stock clearance and general form factor, and initially (2010-2012) a good old fashioned manual J-gate transfer case lever on the SR5s and Trail Edition trucks for their part time 4wd system. In 2013 SR5s went back to a simple and boring dash knob, only the Trail/Offroad versions retained the old school t-case engagement. And a Limited is the only way to get a full-time 4wd system (and no 2wd mode on it).
I think you’re right, and there’s a very active and engaged 5th Gen owner’s forum that agrees with you. It’s everyone else that cannot get over the styling long enough to recognize what is under the sheet metal.
But there’s always money for beer. 😀
*This.* And off-brand “Doral” cigarettes – $0.99 / pack back in the mid-90s.
Hey Joseph, next time you head north, if you’re a food nerd at all head up the Edens another five minutes, get off on west Touhy, and head over to Fresh Farms about 3-4 miles off the highway. My wife and I head up from Ukrainian Village to there once a month or so. Their house made Romanian sausages are amazing.
CJC, thanks for the recommendation! I may have to check it out.
That V6 3000 CC Engine from early 90s is having issues with blowing head gaskets and dropping the valve seats.later 3400 CC motor is much more reliable.