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Former OG FJ Owner....Soon to be again

1K views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  FJ-Menace 
#1 ·
Just thought I would do the intro thing as I have been lurking on here a little. I was an original purchaser of an FJ back in the summer of 06 for the 07 model year. I had been following Toyota and the new FJ concept from the start and couldn't wait to get one. I did in Burgundy with just about all the extras. Still my favorite new vehicle purchase ever! Well 3 years down the road with 2 kids and another one on the way it just became too cumbersome to use for our growing family and I sold it. I think their were tears involved to be honest and it is only 1 of 2 vehicles I wished I would not have sold, the other being a 1999 740iL. Anyway now 13 years later and the 4 kids are old enough to get in and out of vehicles themselves, I am back in the market with the wife blessing! Been doing a little research here and on the net and now getting ready to pull the trigger. Just sold my 2017 Ridgeline to my pops today and going FJ shopping tomorrow. (Minnesota) I've narrowed my local search to 3 units, two 2007's, one with 122K and one with 98K and one 2011 with 93K. I'm considering all 3 but of course the 2011 would be my first choice if in good condition but it is about 30% more in cost, not a deal breaker but I do like deals. I'll check them out first and see what tickles me I guess and then start some negotiations if I like what I see on any of them. I've looked nationally as well and have a couple eyeballed if none of the local stuff pans out. Anyway glad to be here and look forward to contributing when I can..........
 
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#2 ·
:grinWelcome!

My advice is to listen to your inner child when making your selection.....>:D

If you are going to mod it up anyway, then consider that in 5 years the oldest FJ's (like mine) will be 20 yrs old. It costs about $2500 to completely have the interior redone at an upholstery shop...and about that or a bit more for new paint. Might make more economic sense to get one with some blemishes and such and just redo her, if the price is right.

My personal feelings about new cars is this: I bought my house in 1992 for $95k; in 2006, I paid $36K for an FJ; I think for $36K I should keep this ride for at least 20 years since my house has a 30 yr mortgage....:wink
 
#5 · (Edited)
Greetings from VT! Such a good Dad deserves a great FJ :wink Make sure it’s low on rust underneath, and assume there’s plenty if it’s lived it’s life up there in the salt belt. I spend untold hours underneath my 07 every year thanks to VT salt...be wary of it looking too freshly painted, too black and perfect under there like it was all just covered up (paint alone only hides rust and just seals it in to do more damage). Bring a good flashlight with you and peer inside the frame rails. But if you can manage it, get one from a southern non-salt state. Your drive home in it will become one of your all-time favorite “deliveries” :grin And post up any possibilities if you’d like our feedback - we love to do that - GL!
 
#7 ·
Welcome! My FJ came from Minnesota, and although I've been told the rust "isn't that bad" and can be corrected, I would seriously consider flying south to buy one and driving it back home. Just my 2 cents.

GL!
 
#8 ·
Welcome back!
 
#9 · (Edited)
Thanks for the welcome and I'm now officially back in the fold. I pulled the trigger today on an 07 base that I believe I got for a pretty good deal. The rear differential was just replaced with warranty and I got it for significantly less then KBB, which was a bit surprising. It was from a small dealer who's profit margin went out the door when he had to replace the rear differential and he was ready to unload it, just to recoup his investment essentially. He has a high end inventory and was unusually honest. Excellent reviews up and down the web as well. She is a one owner that had a clean car-fax and regular service. 122K miles.....felt nice and tight and everything was operable except my mirror lights are not working. (My guess is the bulbs are fried, will investigate eventually) She does have a little rust underneath but considering she comes from the salt state of Minnesota it doesn't appear to be that bad, I couldn't find any structural integrity issues underneath. The aftermarket hitch needs a little attention as its rusting and I'll probably work on the skid plate area a it as well purely for cosmetics. The gas door was tweaked a little but overall pretty clean and the interior was amazingly clean for a 13 year old vehicle. This was the 4th of 5 FJ's I looked at during my search and it would have been nice to check out even more, but at some point you have to just make a decision. The 2011 I checked out didn't ride as nice as the 07 even and was in worse condition overall with 30K less miles. After driving the 2011 I couldn't justify almost 9K more nearly doubling what I paid for the 07. I can do lots of fixing and mods for almost 9K was my thought process. I would have loved to make a voyage south to get one without the rust but not in the cards right now and for the price I got on her for, not sure the trip would have been worth it. Just happy to have an FJ in the garage again. Pics coming soon........
 
#14 ·
welcome
 
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