WWYD: 2002 Prerunner - 362K - 3RZ-FE

The truck that i've had since 2008 is finally giving up. It is my daily driver, but we also have a 2023 Tacoma that has a a Topo Topper Mesa scheduled to arrive in February.

My roundtrip commute is 70 miles, 3x a week.

I'm not sure if I should buy a JDM engine and swap it out, or try to sell it as-is and buy a used corolla for it's fuel efficiency (budget of 10K)

Misfire P0300/ P0302

Leak down test suggests cyl 1-3 have either an exhaust or intake valve leak, and cyl 4 has bad piston rings.

a JDM 3RZ-FE is about $3000 here in California from an importer and I can install it with the help of my brother in law. I'm guessing in the end, it may cost closer to 3700 after tax, and misc hardware.

Rebuilt short blocks from shops are about $1900-2300 but the shops that have them in stock have poor reviews.

 

Where can you buy a small pickup for under $4k with a new motor?

The real question is how is the rest of the truck, she is a CA truck so the frame probably is not rotted, is the clear coat on the paint gone… is there any rust on the sheet metal. Auto or manual? I have done the JDM thing a few times and have yet to have an issue.

On a side note… do you like your first gen over the ‘23 or is it an apple-crab apple comparison?

 

I say keep it and do the engine swap since you’re able to do the labor yourself. That will be a very cool truck to keep as a toy once you have the new Tacoma.

 

I think this is moreso a question of how much you like/love this truck?

If you're not really sentimental about the truck, then selling it as is for a Corolla/Civic/Camry/Accord that fits your budget is likely easier and the more financially sensible move.

Quick math on going the economical commuter car route:

210 miles driven per week ÷ 15 mpg (Tacoma) = 14 gallons of gas per week.

210 miles driven per week ÷ 30 mpg (Corolla) = 7 gallons of gas per week.

At $4/gallon, that's $28 saved per week, or about $100 per month ($1200 per year).

The 30 mpg is probably over-conservative too, I'd bet 35 mpg is closer to reality meaning even greater savings. Also, I'd bet overall cost of ownership (maintenance & insurance) adds another decent chunk onto those savings.

This is coming from a guy who daily drives a Tundra that gets 10 mpg, and my backup vehicle is my '03 Tacoma that gets 15 mpg. So I don't even follow my own advice (although my wife drives a Rav4 hybrid that gets 40 mpg, so at least we have one fuel efficient vehicle).

 

Clear coat is mostly gone, some surface rust on the bed rails but frame only has surface rust.
Auto.

Our '23 is our 'recreational vehicle and is paid off. It serves its purpose. Don't hate it, don't love it. Not willing to sell to buy another vehicle lol.

I'm giving it about a month to decide! I've only found one shop that has a JDM long block in stock locally!

I've thought about this too and I'm not sure if I'd be able to get any decent money in current condition, so it would be hard to justify selling it for pennies on the dollar as well.

 

Perhaps true, but the parts value could be decent. If you wanna part it out you could likely make some pretty decent coin.

That frame alone could be worth a couple grand to the right buyer.

 

I wished we could do that but simply don't have the time, space, or patience

 

Many, MANY peeps here sell their first gen because of issues like you have and get something newer, and regret it and want thier first gen back.

 

Did you ever adjust the valves? The 3rz is known to burn valves if you don't adjust them.

Normally you can fix them by replacing the valves, but if the engine has 362k and has worn piston rings rebuilding it vs. replacing it will come out about even. The JDM engines aren't a direct swap over, Japanese 3rz engines don't have an egr.

Have you thought about buying the new short block from Toyota? It's still available for 3k and it comes with new pistons, block, rings, rods. Your head isn't warped, simply replace the valves. The 2TR short block is $700 cheaper, and in theory it should work too because the 2TR reused the 3rz engine block (only the head was changed), but nobody has tried that.

To me it seems like you need an efficient commuter more than you need a 2nd truck.

 

Thanks for the part number and link.

I've been contemplating what to do still and yes, an efficient commuter makes most sense. I may try and put the truck up for sale as-is and see if I can get a decent amount for it before considering buying it's replacement.

 

Update: I'm selling it and moving on.

At the end of the day, we dont need two trucks and I would benefit more from a commuter that gets 25-30 MPG more than anything.

The last 15 years with the 1st gen have been great to us.

 

Update: Changed my mind.

I had a FB Marketplace ad up for a week and kept getting ridicilous offers ($1000-3000) and at that point, I rather fix it and daily drive it. It would still be cheaper than buying a small car.

 

Update: Sold it in May for 5k.