Owners, a soon to be owner needs advice...

[Cranky]

Rear wiper? Works fine but there's not a lot of window back there to begin with ;-) As for the wheels, my preference is for the Toyota stuff. Normally, these rims are hub centric vs. the lug centric w/adaptor you see in the aftermarket. Being rather uptight about such stuff myself, you may feel differently.

As for the other stuff, get the truck you want and that still fits into your finances. Might be time for a priority list!

[Sandi_k]

MA-Hole previously said:

So Long Story Short, They have a Stripped down FJ MT6 in Blue coming soon and that has been tagged with my name on it. All it has is the Rear Diff Lock, (I ordered CQ and a roof rack and wheels) My questions to you all are:

1. Is the rear tint necessary, or can you live without it?

You can live without it. Or, you can add it after-market if necessary.

MA-Hole previously said:

2. The rear wiper, the base model doesnt have a rear wiper. Is this going to be an issue especially for someone that drives so much in the snow and junk going to the mountains.

Nope, you may have to wipe it off manually, but it's not a deal-breaker.

MA-Hole previously said:

3. The Alarm/keyless entry. Can VIP be added without keyless entry?

Don't know. But you can certainly get an after-market alarm, and there have been numerous threads on this.

MA-Hole previously said:

4. If I get the bare truck at $23k and change and they offered to sell me the port options at invoice is it worth it to get the TRD wheels through the dealer or after market then buy BFGs and sell the steelies on ebay or this forum?

IMO? Nope. Get the BFGs after-market. If you want the 17" alloy rims, several members here have sold theirs in order to put other wheels on. Nut the dealer BFG is too expensive, IMO.

MA-Hole previously said:

5. If there is one thing that you would have ordered but didnt and wish you did what is it?

Nothing. Seriously. I had considered the running boards, but once I saw they were plastic, I was happy not to have them. Will be adding the n-fab nerf bars soon. I had also considered the spare tire cover. But it doesn't have a lock on it, which means around here it'd be history in a week. Didn't want the roof rack, didn't want the TRD exhaust.

I did add the wheel locks and cargo cover aftermarket, from Matt at TRDSource.com - and have been pleased with them.

MA-Hole previously said:

I plan on adding these options, am I forgetting anything:
-Convience Pkg with Tow Pkg, Roofrack, Tire Cover,
-VIP Alarm
-TRD Wheels w/ BFG

You can't add the convenience package. It's a FACTORY option, not a dealer add on. If you want it, you need to find one on the lot. I do think the convenience package is worth the price - so you should amend your vehicle preference for the VBlue 4x4 MT with CQ.

The towing package is a good thing to get - again, while it's possible to go after-market, people here have said getting the parts is hard so early on.

Roofrack - be aware of what you're getting. Several people with the factory roof rack have had issues with rain gutters being crimped and leaking in the cabin as a result. May seem to have added the Gobi rack aftermarket, and have been pleased with it.

Tire cover - skip it.

VIP alarm - I believe you MUST have the CQ for the factory VIP system to be an option. So you'll probably ahve to go aftermarket here as well.

TRD wheels - skip it. Go aftermarket, and save big $$.

Sandi

[t2cruiser]

Sandi has covered it. Nice post.

TRD wheels are 16s and come with BFGs, I think. Its a fair deal if you want em but you might want 285s aftermarket instead.

Only other debate here seems to be the neccessity of a rear wiper. I believe you won't be trying to use that window for anything. Invest in some 5 dollar convex mirrors from target for the sides though.

[chump]

Test drive it down a steep hill. Coast and if you hear a noise that sounds like a catalytic converter rattle test drive another. It seems to be a very limited problem but it's bothersome enough to keep testing until you find one without any noise. Great vehicle other than that. Also get the B.F. Goodrich tires unless you're city driving the majority of the time.


I stuffed a rag under the license plate, this has completely solved that rattle coming from the rear of the vehicle.
Going to double-side tape the back of the plate using the sticky side against my plate.

[Chairman]

I couldn't live without the keyless entry and cruise (or the rear sonar after using it now). I think the conv. package is worth the money.