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Looking for an auto 4WD under 15k

3K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  Xlr8er 
#1 · (Edited)
Selling my BMW 335xi and downsizing/simplifying my life. I decided I needed an FJ and more adventure in my life. I'm willing to fly almost anywhere to buy an FJ. My first adventure will be traveling to buy your car and taking the scenic route back to DC. If you're in a warm climate I'll bring my camping gear and camp on my way home. I'll gladly update a travel blog to the forum so you guys can follow my adventure.

Realistically in my price range I'm looking at something with over 100k miles. I prefer something that isn't heavily modified. Let me know what you have. I can't pay more than $15k and obviously would love to pay less. I'm a freelance designer and recently ruptured my achilles and had surgery without insurance so I'm trying to catch up on bills.

thanks!
 
#5 ·
My advice would be to wait. All you can afford is a beater, and after owning the FJ and catching up on your bills you'll want a newer FJ that you can modify. If you're going to end up buying a newer FJ at some point anyway, why pay the premium twice?

Find a good condition Civic / Corolla type under $8K, catch up on your finances then come back to us when you can afford $25-28K. Then we'll help you find the right truck via a national search. Plus, you can keep the cheap high-MPG car for when you don't want to drive the FJ.

Good luck!

p.s. kudos on realizing that you should fly to buy, most people have to be told this and are then shocked by it
 
#6 ·
My son just bought a nice 2007 that had some mods for $13000 from a used car dealer with a reputation of not gouging buyers. With the stock market tanking, patience is your friend. Use Search Tempest to search for FJ's nationwide or autotrader.ca if you want to take advantage of the exchange rate and import one from Canada if that is allowable. The hype on price is similar to the previous Harley market but that bubble eventually burst a bit. Hopefully you'll find a good deal.
 
#7 ·
I don't think the hype on FJC's is a bubble, every now and then you hear about someone totaling their FJC so supply is dwindling and yet demand seems to be steadily increasing if not at the very least staying level.

And please don't compare the hype to the Harley market as that was doomed to burst, with all the reliability issues it was just a matter of time before competitors started taking market share.


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#13 ·
OP, where are you located at?

I have an '07 4x4 with an A/T that I have been considering selling. It has 167k miles.

Currently getting brand new gears and bearings in the rear-end from the guys at Southeast Overland.

It's a black diamond with tinted windows, 33" Hankook Dynapro ATMs (bought them last year), TRD wheels, and a leveling kit.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Two decent looking possibilities in my area of South Carolina:

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Yellow 170K

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Both very clean southern cars, no rust. The blue one with nice rubber is right around the corner from where I work. Owned by the manager of a Precision Tune, so looks to be well maintained. I pass by it almost daily and was surprised to see it for sale on CL. The yellow one for only 11K is in a very upscale area and looks to have never been off road. Nice KOA campground on Highway 17 North just a few miles from both of these FJs on the way out of the Charleston / Mount Pleasant, SC area.
 
#19 ·
Thanks Invisibleempire, I'm not a huge fan of yellow or voodoo blue (that's what it's called, right?) Blue is a fair price but i doubt he/she would meet me at 13k. That's my ultimate price as of right now.

I'm seriously considering flying to Canada. I've done a bit of research on importing a Canadian vehicle and the process looks fairly straightforward. Obtain a few forms, clean the undercarriage, swap the gauge cluster to MPH. The taxes seem ambiguous and may vary depending on particular states but as far as I can tell, if the vehicle is for personal use and not resale taxes are minimal.

Has anyone ever done this?
 
#20 ·
Mission accomplished.

Picked up a black 2007 TRD (worst acronym ever) in Long Island today. One owner with only 88,000 miles. The paint's a little rough (scratches, door dings) in some areas but nothing I can't deal with. Has a pioneer head unit with blue tooth and GPS but otherwise appears to be stock. The price was a steal. The tiny used car lot didn't really understand the value. I don't like to boast about finances but I will say that it was a couple bucks more than my original budget. I'm happy.

I look forward to lurking and now posting on this forum even more than I have in this last month.
 
#21 ·
So, before you go nuts with mods, drive it for a bit and figure out what you like and dislike. Then head to the member build ups forum and start reading. All your questions will be answered, and mods you hadn't even thought about will present themselves.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Here she is. I never really name cars but I've already been referring to her as Monet...since she looks really good from 20 feet away. I'm loving it. On my way back from NYC I took a route through DC and attacked one of the notoriously bad streets. It's a minefield of deep, car-eating potholes. It felt really good not to look 500 yards ahead to survey any potential road hazards. Instead I drove right into them. As much as I'm looking forward to hitting some trails and parks I really wanted something for the urban jungle too.

As far as mods go, next week I'm installing a new OEM bumper since this one has a dent and a gouge in it. I'll paint the bumper corners while the bumper is off. I'm also upgrading the speakers and will do the headunit once the Apple CarPlay stuff drops in price a little. Thanks to this forum I already know how to do all of this! Thanks to everyone who has given me feedback/support thus far.

Glad to be here
 

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#25 ·
Looks good from here!
If the paint scratches aren't too deep pick yourself up a dual action buffer from harbor freight for $50-60 (with a coupon) http://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-57-amp-heavy-duty-dual-action-variable-speed-polisher-69924.html
and then google some DIY buffing vids on Youtube.
Use a compound first, then a good wax. You'll be shocked at how good it will come out with a few hours work.
If you have a hand full of door dings, any decent PDR shop can remove them for just a couple hundred bucks.
 
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