Advice for buying/selling highly modified offroad vehicles

[derekjmiller913]

I am seeing some sweet deals in my area for outfitted T4R's and Taco's and with me still wanting to mod out my 4Runner, would it be better to trade in my T4R for a modded rig, or just slowly build my rig up?

When a Tacoma near me is selling for $1500 (approx) over KBB, but has around $5,000 in upgrades like Armor, Skids, Suspension, etc, what route as a consumer is best? I just don't know if keeping what I have and building it is better, or just to buy a preconfigured rig from an outfitter and not have to pay in as much for mods in the long run.

I could see me investing in front/rear/slider armor, auxiliary battery, shelves, swing outs, winch, lights, the list goes on and on for what we do to these things. Or, I could take that mod and roll it in to buying a built rig?

TL/DR: Do I mod what I have or get rid of it for an already fully built rig? What routes have you guys gone in the past, and what left you feeling the happiest?

 

[ToyoT4R]

Do I mod what I have or get rid of it for an already fully built rig? What routes have you guys gone in the past, and what left you feeling the happiest?

Building your own rig will result in a vehicle setup exactly how you want it and you'll know how it was built and how it was treated but you'll pay full price for all of your mods. If you plan on keeping the truck for a very long time (>10 years) then it will be worth it to build her up yourself.
When selling a modified vehicle, you never recover the full cost of what you put into it so you could probably get a good deal on a modified vehicle. However, you won't get exactly what you want and you'll end up putting more money into it in mods and repairs (you won't know how it was treated unless you buy it off someone you know/trust). It all depends on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle. If you are planning on keeping the rig forever then you are probably better off keeping what you have and building it up yourself. When I built my '74 Bronco, I put a lot of money into it and it was built up how I wanted but kept it for 18 years before I sold it. Got out what I put into it mod-wise but most people don't keep vehicles that long.

 

[derekjmiller913]

It all depends on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle. If you are planning on keeping the rig forever then you are probably better off keeping what you have and building it up yourself. When I built my '74 Bronco, I put a lot of money into it and it was built up how I wanted but kept it for 18 years before I sold it. Got out what I put into it mod-wise but most people don't keep vehicles that long.

Thank you for your time and input; this raises a good point. Not sure how long I plan to keep *This specific 4runner*, but I am pretty much a Toyota guy for life, and plan to stay in the brand around the 4runner/Taco models for what they offer. Knowing that what you put in to a rig isn't recuperated at time of sale helps when considering buying one, but also when modding in the first place. It's a real double edged sword.

 

[bucknasty07]

I bought my t4r completely stock, which is what i prefer.
First off, ToyoT4R is right in that you can set up a mod exactly how you want it. Also like he said you don't know how the vehicle was treated.
Second, unless the seller has every single piece of paperwork for the work done, you cant be sure whats been done, when, and by who.
Third, you dont know how the work was done, if it was done correctly, and what quality of parts were used. People very commonly put the cheapest in their vehicles because "now vs later". From my experience, this is a huge mistake.
Lastly, and most importantly, you don't get to learn how to work on your vehicle. Sure you can watch videos and read forum posts, but until you put your hands on your t4r you'll have no idea what's going on. The more work you do, the better driver and offroader you'll be. Plus, when something goes down youre much more confident to do it yourself and save a ton of money vs taking it to the dealership or a local shop. To me, these are all very important. Plus, its awesome to start with a stock vehicle and end up creating an epic mud machine. If you just want to drive on dirt, buy a 4 wheeler. If you want to learn what vehicles actually are, mod a stock t4r!

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[bucknasty07]

Also, all vehicles lose value after mods. Even old cars. T4Rs are rare in that they retain very good value. But you wont get $1 for every $1 in mods. Probably more like $1 for every $10 in mods.

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[RonJR]

I've never bought anything but stock vehicles, and then made my own mods after that. I've looked at modded vehicles, some that looked pretty sweet, but there's always the concern about two things:
- Do you trust the aftermarket parts and the workmanship involved in the mods?
- How much "abuse" has the vehicle seen beyond just street use now that it was modded for serious offroad use.

There's no doubt in my mind that in general the highest reliability used Toyota vehicle is one that has been well maintained, has been a street queen, and still has all of its factory parts. Pretty much no one in the field can match the Toyota assembly processes in the factory.

That being said, I think it comes down to whether or not you want to do the mods yourself, how much time you have to do the work, and whether or not you have the necessary skills and tools, or the desire to acquire them. For some of us, it's a rewarding hobby. For others, we just want to get out and wheel, and buying something already done is appealing.

Don't know if this helps, but it's how I see it.