"Toy Yoda"

Great little truck. 82,000 miles and 22 years old.

The Toyota pickup (upon which the 4Runner was originally based) underwent a major redesign in 1983 for the 1984 model year. Many other automakers were introducing mid-size SUVs in the mid 1980s (e.g., Ford Bronco II, Chevrolet S-10 Blazer) and the pressure mounted on Toyota to develop a competing model. Instead of developing an entirely new vehicle, Toyota took their existing short-bed pickup frame, made some simple modifications, and added an open one-piece body with a removable fiberglass top (much like the full-size Ford Bronco and Chevrolet K5 Blazer).

What does 4Runner mean? Combine "4-wheel drive" and "off-road Runner", and you have 4Runner, Toyota's fun-to-drive off-road vehicle. All 4Runners are built at the Tahara Plant in Tahara, Japan.

Thus, the first generation 4Runner is nearly mechanically identical to the Toyota pickup. All first generation 4Runners had two doors and were indistinguishable from the pickups from the dashboard forward. Nearly all changes were to the latter half of the body; in fact, because the rear springs were not upgraded to cope with the additional weight of the rear seats and fiberglass top, these early models tend to suffer from sagging rear suspensions.

The first 4Runners were introduced in 1984 as 1984 1/2 models. For this first year, all models were equipped with black or white fiberglass tops. An SR5 trim package was offered that upgraded the interior: additional gauges, better fabrics, and a rear seat were standard with the package. All 1984 models were equipped with the carbureted 2.4 L 22R engine and were all available with a four wheel drive system that drove the front wheels through a solid front axle (although this would be changed in 1986, much to the chagrin of many off-road enthusiasts).

1985 saw the arrival of the electronically fuel-injected 2.4 L 22R-E I4 engine (though the carbureted engine remained available until 1988). Additionally, rear seats were available in all 1985 4Runner trim levels, not just the more upscale SR5.

1985-1988 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) 22R-E SOHC FI I4, 112 hp (78 kW) at 4800 rpm and 137 ft?lbf (185 N?m) at 2800 rpm

The first-generation 4Runner had two doors and a removable hard top in the form of a fiberglass shell over the rear cargo area. It was available in two models. The first was little more than a pickup truck with a covered rear cargo area. Its emphasis was on utility. With seats in the front only, the rear of the vehicle was intended to be used for cargo (or camping equipment, bicycles, etc.) The second was designed to carry up to five passengers. It included a rear seat (with seatbelts for three occupants) which could be folded flat for additional storage space. The passenger model was available in the SR5 grade, and included a larger fuel tank and more luxurious interior appointments.