Sub £1000 Toyota Rav 4.1 4 (First Gen)

[GrantD5]

It's been a while since I have had a car to niggle with. I sold my 2005 Audi A3 1.9 TDi a while back, I recently sold my VW Jetta that I used for Private Hire driving and I now rent a Mercedes E Class for my work. So that left a space for me to have a knock about car to keep me occupied.

I'm really not sure whats drawn me to the first generation Toyota Rav 4 but I really like the 4/5 door models. It's a 2 litre petrol, 4 wheel drive, automatic gearbox. It's not fast whatsoever but people praise the 4WD system.

Anyway I have been looking from time to time on ebay etc and there are always the 3 doors for sale and for far more money and the odd 4/5 door comes up but sell for quite a bit of money also.

Anyway enough of the boring stuff, I found this gem on Ebay, sent the guy a message and we spoke, had a walkaround video sent and photos of receipts etc, I even paid extra for the original roof bars that are sought after and it come with the box too.

I paid £900 altogether.

Ended up booking train tickets this morning to get to Bath from Essex.



Got to Paddington waiting for the GWR. Grabbed some food.





Bit of time for a chapter.



Eventually got to Bradford on Avon, and what a lovely area around there. Anyway a cup of tea later and some payments made the car was mine.

















Stopped off in a town near by and went to a pub for a pint of coke before a 2.5 hour drive home!





Pro's
- 4 Wheel Drive
- Reliable
- Tons of paperwork
- Last owner owned for 11 years
- Air con and it works
- Not used for towing
- 2 keys and 2 remote fobs (dead batteries)

Cons (Knew most before purchase)
- Royal Mail van paint
- Thermostat needed (learned this on the way home it was slightly dipping below half way)
- Needs CV joints
- Was told its had a cambelt (it was around 8 years ago but not too many miles)
- Drivers door window needs a new regulator and has been propped up
- Exhaust back box blowing
- Tape deck
- Doesn't unlock from drivers door but does lock all the doors
- Sun roof leak (after speaking today i believe the drains need cleaning out)

Never owned a jap car, any advice welcomed.

Service parts are going to be bought, window regulator, need a long term phone holder solution and getting the car paint brought back to life and go from there!

[helix402]

These are good old cars. I’ve run one to over 200k. The clutch is horrible to change. Cambelt easy. You can fit a metal thermostat housing from a Celica as the standard plastic one cracks. Fit winter tyres and they are unstoppable in the snow.

[MDMA .]

I think that will come up really nice. Full weekend on it, get the DA out, bring back the paint work, plastic conditioner all the trims and refurb the wheels back to silver. I’d do under the bonnet too. Have it back looking like new in no time.

[Superchickenn]

Something super utilitarian about the look of that Rav. Please keep the updates coming. It looks great.

[Heaveho]

That's the type of thing that a mega valet would transform, bet it would come up really nice with a wheel refurb and a good scrub.

[EdmondDantes]

This is really cool, it’s like a mini Land Cruiser. As mentioned the paint will come up well with a good polish.

[Quhet]

Keep the paint and trim as they are, look cool as fk

[Shappers24]

Two common issues with this age rav4… they will ‘pop’ out of 5th gear and return to neutral. You can keep it in gear by holding it in 5th but it’s a pain… ask me how I know!

Also rear diff mount can perish which will give a very loud knock if you unload and load the power train quickly (ie let off from constant speed and then floor it). It’s just a rubber mount which perishes, one suggested bodge online was to refill mount whilst in situ with some sealant or the like.

Oh and fuel filler can rust, so it’ll leak if you brim the tank.

Ran one as a winter car many moons ago. It was an absolute beast in snow and ice and actually felt pretty nippy up to 40/50. Dreadful fuel consumption (but see above about leaking fuel…!)

[Shappers24]

Just spotted it’s an auto so 5th gear issues unlikely
To be a problem..!!!!

[helix402]

Shappers24 said:

Two common issues with this age rav4… they will ‘pop’ out of 5th gear and return to neutral. You can keep it in gear by holding it in 5th but it’s a pain… ask me how I know!

Also rear diff mount can perish which will give a very loud knock if you unload and load the power train quickly (ie let off from constant speed and then floor it). It’s just a rubber mount which perishes, one suggested bodge online was to refill mount whilst in situ with some sealant or the like.

Oh and fuel filler can rust, so it’ll leak if you brim the tank.

Ran one as a winter car many moons ago. It was an absolute beast in snow and ice and actually felt pretty nippy up to 40/50. Dreadful fuel consumption (but see above about leaking fuel…!)

I had the rusty fuel pipe. After getting a Toyota price I made a replacement from universal parts from my local motor factor.

[christhreadgill]

Excellent. My longest owned car was the 2nd gen, 3 door "NRG". Permanent 4WD, Toyo A/T tyres and it just went anywhere & everywhere. One of the best cars I've had, and ran it from 105k to 150-something with nothing but petrol, MOT and an annual oil change.

Will keep an eye on this thread to see how your ownership goes!

[mooseracer]

Shappers24 said:

Ran one as a winter car many moons ago. It was an absolute beast in snow and ice and actually felt pretty nippy up to 40/50. Dreadful fuel consumption (but see above about leaking fuel…!)

I had a 3 door one many moons ago and agree to all 3 of the above points. The 1st Gens are getting fairly rare now as they do like to rust....everywhere

[GrantD5]

helix402 said:

These are good old cars. I’ve run one to over 200k. The clutch is horrible to change. Cambelt easy. You can fit a metal thermostat housing from a Celica as the standard plastic one cracks. Fit winter tyres and they are unstoppable in the snow.

If I could have some more info on the housing like engine code etc, I have 0 idea with this car never owned jap etc, assuming same year Celica? Will do that same time as the thermostat. Thanks man.

MDMA . said:

I think that will come up really nice. Full weekend on it, get the DA out, bring back the paint work, plastic conditioner all the trims and refurb the wheels back to silver. I’d do under the bonnet too. Have it back looking like new in no time.

Gonna clean it up soon gonna get it serviced first and see what needs fixing immediately and go from there, that being said I am not the one cleaning it, got a friend who has a detailing company coming to show it some love, more than i ever could.

Superchickenn said:

Something super utilitarian about the look of that Rav. Please keep the updates coming. It looks great.

Thanks!

Heaveho said:

That's the type of thing that a mega valet would transform, bet it would come up really nice with a wheel refurb and a good scrub.

Yeah the wheels are tired! My plan is to make these the winter wheels and get them some winter tyres and get something a bit fresher for the rest of the year.

EdmondDantes said:

This is really cool, it’s like a mini Land Cruiser. As mentioned the paint will come up well with a good polish.

Would love a land cruiser, passed one on the way home and felt a type of way ha.

Quhet said:

Keep the paint and trim as they are, look cool as fk

Everything looks better in photos. It looks tired haha.

Shappers24 said:

Two common issues with this age rav4… they will ‘pop’ out of 5th gear and return to neutral. You can keep it in gear by holding it in 5th but it’s a pain… ask me how I know!

Also rear diff mount can perish which will give a very loud knock if you unload and load the power train quickly (ie let off from constant speed and then floor it). It’s just a rubber mount which perishes, one suggested bodge online was to refill mount whilst in situ with some sealant or the like.

Oh and fuel filler can rust, so it’ll leak if you brim the tank.

Ran one as a winter car many moons ago. It was an absolute beast in snow and ice and actually felt pretty nippy up to 40/50. Dreadful fuel consumption (but see above about leaking fuel…!)

I read this laughing, christ, that explains why i filled up and it dropped to 3/4 in no time. Is that the filler neck pipe? Seen some on ebay for around £40-60?

Also when I tried to accelerate there was a bit of a clunk so that also makes sense, stuff I can just order without having to think about it, thank you!.

christhreadgill said:

Excellent. My longest owned car was the 2nd gen, 3 door "NRG". Permanent 4WD, Toyo A/T tyres and it just went anywhere & everywhere. One of the best cars I've had, and ran it from 105k to 150-something with nothing but petrol, MOT and an annual oil change.

Will keep an eye on this thread to see how your ownership goes!

I do like the 2nd gen and there are far more available but something about the first gen i really like, and I dont actually need to daily this and I have space to leave it at home so just went for it. May regret that when I find rust.

Only done temp insurance on the way home yesterday for myself.

But myself and my partner are now insured, she is insured with her provisional and me being passenger princess, get her some miles in the seat and build some confidence. L plates incoming.

[MrNoisy]

My mum had one of these as a 3 door in that turquoise colour, 'fun cruiser' spec with bull bars. Cambelt went just after it was due so I wouldn't take any chances lol!

She had it years and loved it, still misses it now. She gave it to me when I needed an inbetween train station car and she was fed up of paying to have it welded. I have to say, I really quite enjoyed the drive in a '80's biscuit tin' kind of way, felt so light. Exhaust hanger fell off on my 200 mile drive home with it, only thing I had was cable ties, it was very late and raining, had to stop every 15 miles on the A1 to put more ties on when they melted through. "It won't let you down" she said...

Sold it on for £500 eventually to two lads who wanted an off road play thing.

[steve2]

We had a MK1 3 door which the wife loved to bits and kept really tidy, we eventually sold it to the local farmer who ran it for another 4 years before it became uneconomic to repair.
When we sold it we went and bought a Mk 2 3 door which we still have and on winters it goes everywhere, mind you last year it only did 17 miles due to wife working from home but am using it myself a bit more this year.

[helix402]

Re thermostat. It was a while ago. I think:

RAV4 has 3SFE engine. The thermostat housing was from an earlier Celica, which may have had an older 3SFE or more likely an older 3SGE. The 3SGE was a lovely old engine. Low on torque, liked revs with a Yamaha designed cylinder head.

[GrantD5]

So it has been a while since I updated this and to be honest not much has happened at all. It ended up sitting for months on end.

Got the car home, roofbox came off.



Got a phone holder that would fit into the vent and keep the phone off the windscreen.









Also got some service parts lined up and a window reg.



Then my baby daughter was born and this was mid April. Baby settled in and then we were on the road driving and the first mishap came around. The exhaust came off while on the way home from a day out, luckily not too far from home. My partner (now fiancee since my last post) was driving on L plates so I took over and got the car home.





Unfortunately, the car sat for ages, I then changed the work car from a Mercedes E Class to a Tesla Model Y. It costs me more weekly as I am not earning as much. Private hire driver. Anyway.

I ended up ordering a centre pipe and back box. Turns out i ordered for a 3 door and I left it so long for a friend to come and fit it that it was too late to return. So ended up ordering the correct centre pipe, I also had to order a catalyst converter too.

Got the Cat fitted and the car sat again for ages. The battery then went dead, the front brakes rusted away.

A friend of mine came over this weekend and fitted the correct centre pipe and new gasket kit on to the new cat and we have fitted on the back box for now, it fits except it needs new hangers welding on as they are different.









New battery fitted. A lot smaller than I expected.







New air filter fitted. Car looks like it's had some visitors in the winter period.







New spark plugs fitted. Ordered distributor cap and rotor and HT leads as listed turns out I have coilpacks. Also on my list of items that were ordered a long time ago and cant return so will be trying to sell these on.





Front brakes were caked. Disc covers are toast. Something to deal with later for sure.











Coming back soon to do oil & filter change, fuel filter, pollen filter? seen some posts say it doesn't have one but it was listed so at the time I got one anyway! Window regulator also and see what else can be done.

Since having a baby, we are expecting baby number 2 in March. This car was already a squeeze with my fiancee behind me sitting next to rear facing seat in the back, there is no way I can drive with a rear facing seat behind me either. So I am not 100% sure what to do, but having some work done on the car makes me love it again and not want to get rid. But we will see.

I have had the Tesla 6 months now, 28k miles covered. No home charger. Can get some car photos up if anyone wants to see! 2 cars from 2 different worlds.

[3GGy]

Looks like fun, these interest me too. I did similar with a £600 1997 CRV a few years back. Cheap parts, easy to work on, reliable, little to care about... its the only car some random has come up to me to talk about in a car park!

All the best with it.

[helix402]

Glad it’s still going. I think the pollen filter is behind the glove box. My wife’s one made it to 230k before the new owner scrapped it.

[carinaman]

The 3S-FE engine is non-interference. The garage that did mine after it jumped a tooth or two said their subscription database said it wasn't. They timed it up, probably with another belt and it was still running fine when the car was scrapped.

Congratulations on becoming a parent.

Edited by carinaman on Monday 18th December 22:50