Gday HH,
Toyotas make some great 4x4s and theres so many things to think of when narrowing down the many decades of models to choose from.
Have a read through this post from a few weeks back, might help a bit.
Short list of toyotas under 8k would be:
*90s Hilux petrol or diesel - plenty around still with and without mods. Tough as old jerky.
*90s Hilux Surf/ 4 Runner - wagon body version of the hilux. Surfs were 90s grey imports while the 4 Runner was the oz model. Have IFS so less bouncy to drive but can still be lifted with care. The imported diesel in the surf can be trouble, go 4 Runner diesel or surf petrol.
*80-90s 70 series cruiser - short or long wheelbase, basically a wagon version of the 75 series ute.
Basic gear but excellent workhorses, keep.ontop of servicing and they basically go forever.
*80s 60 series cruiser - more comfy than the 70 series. Still some good ones around but theyre becoming sought after in 4x4 circles as collector trucks - building an Fj40 sort of following.
Check thoroughly for rust in wheel wells, roof gutters and under rear carpets.
*90s 80 series cruiser, legendary for being spacious and long lived. Avoid buying a petrol unless you want to convert to gas/ duel fuel or own an oil derrick. Diesels attract a higher asking price, always worth checking for a service history, mechnical history to see what sort of life its had. Lots out there already modded and ready to go.
*00- 04 Hilux, end of the 6th gen hiluxes. Face lifted from the mid 90s models. Better options and same 3.4 v6 or 2.7 diesel as the late 90s prados. Also tge start of IFS hilux models to make them more road friendly. 4x4 ones should be in the 8- 10k range depending on trim.
*90s 90/95 series Prado - more of a liveable 4x4, comfy enough on and off road, has IFS so can be lifted if you want. Narrower and lighter than a full blown cruiser so easier to park amd not so heavy on fuel unless you add lift and big muddies to it. Enough room for the family and some gear or fold the rear seat and basically everything from the front seats back is space.
Mostly petrols on the market, still some of the diesels out there and both are solid motors. Servicing is the most important thing with the diesels, the v6 is more forgiving for neglect. Main things to check are the cvs for noise, auto box for shunting/ jerking, air con as some models had split front/ rear systems that may not have been used for a while and play or noise from steering rack. Otherwise solid trucks, have just clocked 290k on mine and expect it to run until 500k without major work. 95 series came along in 99-00, with the same motors and a few face lift pieces/interior upgrades. Best bet for a low km ex mums taxi truck.
* 03 120 series prado, if your budget will stretch to 10-15k this the third generation prado. Comfier interior and 3 motor options, 2.7 4 cyl petrol, 4.0 v6 petrol and 3.0 vvt turbo diesel. Similar IFS as the last gen but slightly cushier for road use, again can be lifted with a little care. Check factory servicing history on diesels and v6 motors.
This should give you an evening of research online to narrow it to what will suit you.
Happy hunting,
TGW.