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New and Need Advice

2K views 18 replies 12 participants last post by  jimmy-buffett 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey All,

A friend who owns an FJ told me about this forum - I had no idea so many people were excited about these vehicles! The advice I need involves buying an FJ. I'm interested in a stock 2014 FJ TTUE (unless y'all talk me out of it). Please give me any advice you might have - things to think about or look for when buying, things you wish you knew back when you bought yours. So far I have looked on this forum (great, but LOTS of outdated and solds with no great way to tell the status), AutoTrader, and craigslist. Let me know if there are other places I should look.

I'm happy to fly and drive for this vehicle - I figure we'll make a road trip vacation out of the deal.

Oh, and if there is something you wish new people did to help this forum, please let me know. Don't want to be that dork you wish never joined :wink

Cheers
 
#3 ·
Welcome.

I'm not the most 'qualified' to advise you but if you're looking at a 2014 TTUE then I don't think there is anythingmuch you'll need to look out for other than the rules applying to any purchase such as checking for damage, paperwork etc etc

I bought a 2014 and love it to bits

Good luck with the purchase
 
#4 ·
Welcome and good luck with the search! :)
 
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#6 ·
I'm not trying to dissuade you from a Trail Teams (Ultimate) version, but the only thing unique about them is the badgeing and matching roof color. Standard FJ's come with the convenience package or the Upgraded 4x4 package. The TT comes with both packages included. If I were you, I'd be on the lookout for a '14 FJ with Crawl Control. That will be the upgraded 4x4 version and you can simply upgrade the stereo with aftermarket parts. The aftermarket stereo is going to be WAY better than the POS JBL system they include. You'll save a few thousand and you'll have a much bigger pool of vehicles to choose from. You won't find very many '14 TT versions for sale out there. When your options are limited the price goes up.
 
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#7 · (Edited)
I totally agree with smoking_rubber. The TTUE's are going for a fortune and be prepared to fly and then have an extensive road trip home or pay $600-$800 to have the beast shipped to you.

One difference that might make a difference to you is that the TTUE has stock 16" wheels while the base editions (such as mine) have 17" wheels which give me a better choice of tires in the brand I like. They are also less expensive and I like the white roof especially here in Texas.

If you have tinted windows combined with the white roof it makes a big difference in the interior temperature of the truck.

Nothing else really substantive except the exclusivity factor which I would not blame you for taking into consideration.

You pays your money and you takes your choice. I had a chance to buy the last TTUE in Dallas two years ago and went with an Army Green with offroad package with crawl control, locking differential, A-Trac. The week spot is the stock tires in which case the TTUE has an advantage.

At that time the price differential was about $4k and I couldn't see the added value. Plus I like my color.

I'm happy.
 
#8 ·
The TTUE is a collector in my opinion. It's very rare, the last run and heritage blue. Great looking rig and if you have the $, buy what you like.
Technically speaking, there isn't much that separates it from an FJ with the upgrade package. Crawl control has been heavily debated. It's a nice feature. My crawl control is LL in first gear.
If your going to get the mod bug, I wouldn't waste the money. I'd look for a used one with the necessary bits. A-TRAC and DIFF LOCK. The money saved can be used to build one heck of a rig! Good luck and ultimately you can't go wrong buying an FJ.
 
#9 ·
arguably anything no longer available will increase in value, at some point, FJCs included ... thing is how long ...

as others have said unless you have your heart set on a TTUE buy an FJ with basically the same equipment (aside from the badging) and do the mods to make it yours ...

good luck ...
:cheers:
 
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#10 · (Edited)
Hey All,

Oh, and if there is something you wish new people did to help this forum, please let me know. Don't want to be that dork you wish never joined :wink

Cheers
BTW I doubt that anybody who was worried about "being the dork that (we) wish never joined" would ever be the dork we wished never joined:smile

Welcome aboard from Dallas. We have some experts here especially John and Susan at TRDParts4U and Leesha in the Service Department at Toyota of Dallas.

Some people hate dealing with dealerships but these people are a great place to start. They really know FJ's.

There are some great aftermarket shops around here too but I can't find my listing at the moment. I am sure some of the forum veterans will have some good recommendations which is where my list came from in the first place.
 
#11 ·
It seems you have received a lot of good advice here already, but here is mine:

Some say do not buy the TT if you are going to mod it since that now makes it nothing more than an FJ with a special color scheme and badging. It is no longer a collector car. Okay, that makes sense, except: It is not really a collector car anyway. If you mod it, it will still be "exclusive" and then personalized to your tastes.

If you do not intend to modify it, and love the color and have the money to pay a bit more for it, go for it.

I own a 13 TT. I did modify it, rather quickly actually. I am very happy with my choices.

Do what makes you happy and enjoy it for what it is for a long time to come.

cars.com is a pretty good way to find out what is available out there. Buy wisely.
 
#12 ·
Can't thank you all enough for the advice - really appreciate it. Here's the really funny human nature part of it. I've always thought the white top is what made FJs look so cool. Then I start researching and find out the reason for the solid color was the TT edition. Suddenly solid is my new cool ;-)

For vehicles in general I typically try to buy the nicest package that's a couple years old. That's what steered me toward the 2014 FJ TTUE. I like to buy vehicles, take care of them, and then keep them forever. I would likely keep the 2014 FJ TTUE stock. It's good to know that it sounds like looking for the right options can basically get me everything the TTUE offers. Thanks again!
 
#13 ·
In my opinion the white top is one of the things that makes the FJ look so cool in the first place. I really do prefer the look to the monocolor look of the TTUE's. So does every woman in DFW.

Just kidding:smile

You are not a politician (God Forbid). Get what makes you happy, and if you live in Texas I assure you that the white top will make a real functional difference.

On the other hand I readily concede that the 2014 TTUE's look awesome and have a definite exclusivity factor.
 
#14 ·
in my opinion the only "FJ" where a white top matters (and bezel for that matter) is an FJ40 ... I wouldn't think of changing the white on my 40 ...

solid coloured FJC's look great ...
:cheers:
 
#19 ·
I'm the one buying the 2014 FJ Ultimate For Sale. My wife and I are flying out to NH and making a road trip vacation of driving it back to Texas. I'm excited about the FJ - she's excited about lobster for dinner.
So glad I saw this post before starting to do AutoTrader searches and talk you through why you have to fly to buy the rare trucks these days :rofl:

Congrats on your FJ!
 
#17 ·
Looks like you're making a wise choice and getting a great vehicle. Please post pics of the FJ and the lobster dinner!

On a side note, I didn't like the white top at first and so I scheduled the dealer to paint it (when I bought it new). A few days later it started to grow on me. After the first hot day in the parking lot and the interior of my FJ stayed nice and cool ... I cancelled the paint job. That doesn't matter to you now, I just thought I'd share it.

Congratulations on getting a great FJ! I hope the Mrs is just as happy with the lobster.
 
#18 ·
Congratulations on getting a great FJ! I hope the Mrs is just as happy with the lobster.
Thanks! I'm counting the days. As for lobster, evidently there are these places called lobster pounds - hope to visit one for lunch. We'll save the fancy lobster meal for dinner. From Maine we head to Finger Lakes, NY to check out a winery or two.
 
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