Limited trim w/manual transmission?

Hi. I'm new to the forum. I just bought a '96 4x4 4Runner w/manual transmission. The rear door bears a "Limited" badge and it has leather seats, so I'm pretty sure it is a Limited.

I'm a little perplexed because I've seen several mentions on the internet that manual transmissions were not available on the Limited trim models.

I suppose it's possible that a prior owner changed out the auto for a manual, but I wouldn't know how to go about detecting an after-market swap. Any insights will be greatly appreciated. TIA.

 

Only the SR5's had a manual transmission.

https://www.cars.com/research/toyota-4runner-1996/


The previous owner either:

A) Slapped a "Limited" badge on it and added aftermarket leather seat covers (probably Katzkin).
B) Manual swapped an actual Limited model. If he did that, make sure it was done right.

 

Does not exist. An easy way to tell if it was swapped is to look at the door sticker, if the tire pressure is for a 16 inch wheel it is a limited. All 4runners regardless of if it was optioned with a 16 inch wheel or not have the tire pressure for 15 inch wheels, except the limited.

 

It's an SR5 with a Limited badge and seats. The door sticker says 15" wheels, and a VIN check reports the truck is an SR5 that got rear-ended. You don't need Sherlock Holmes to figure that a prior owner probably used the rear door from a junker to repair the rear-end damage and changed out the seats for good measure.

This one's something of a Frankenstein, but I suppose a fair number of 30-year-old trucks have similar tales to tell. Still, I'd rather they swapped out the rear door and seats and not the tranny.

Thanks for the intel. I'm stunned at how much you guys know about these cool old trucks.

 

Are you able to drive a stick?

 

Yes.