Might Pull Trigger Sat on 04 4x4

B

bluecollarjock

New member
Hi,
Ive been looking and prices in SoCa are just kinda ridiculous...but I found a 04 SR5 4x4 with a V8, 60k miles, and service records, family owned, leveling kit up front, for $16k. The guys wife changed her mind this week and doesnt want to sell it, but the guy agreed that if its meant to be they will sell it to me, if not they keep it. He says he has a bottom line but obviously I have no clue what it is....

Around here getting a lower mileage 4x4 for $16k is kinda a deal as long as its clean and sharp, so not sure how much wiggle room he is going to have.

Any thoughts, suggestions, things to look for when giving it a run through and what to feel for when driving it? Price to offer?

Grad school starts in a few weeks and is a 80 mile round trip. I really do not want to drive my lifted Rubicon that far on LA freeways, and risk any of my bolt on parts getting stolen while at school and since its a soft top its not very secure. Dont feel like running the miles up on a nice Jeep commmuting. Plus my girlfriend has two kids, and we do mountain trips that we have to take her Lexus SUV ugh....a Jeep just doest have enough room for a woman and two kids plus their gear! So to me the 4runner would be a good commuter (my excuse to have another 4x4), and good for family mountain trips. And God willing in two years after I finish this masters Im going to apply to PhDs in Colorado, Missouri, and West Virginia, so hoping Ill be back in Gods country doing more hunting, wheeling, and driving in the snow! So a one two punch of a 4Runner and Rubicn would be sweet :-)



Thanks
Matt
 
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That seems like a pretty good deal. In Feb of this year I purchased an '05 SR5 V8 in Oregon (from a dealer) with 90k miles on it with new timing belt, water pump, and tires for $17,300. They originally had it listed at $19,900. It's a solid truck with some scratches on the exterior but nothing major, normal wear and tear. I think $16 is a good deal on that rig.

Make sure you get a carfax on it and check the usual, kbb.com, nadaguides.com, edmunds.com to see if that's a reasonable price for your area.
 
3 Rules to ALWAYS follow when buying a used car.

1. Get a Carfax/Auto Check

2. DO not TRUST above carfax- Most accidents are never reported to these systems, for a variety of reasons. While a bad carfax should always be used to refuse purchase, the decisions to buy should not be based on a carfax alone.. this leads to number 3.

3. Have the vehicle inspected at your local toyota dealership that does body work. Why? Most dealerships offer a "pre-purchase" inspection in which they will put it through their certification process. They will check just about everything you can check. Make sure they do body work, so that they can throw it up on the rack and have experienced mechanics in body work look at it for frame damage. This inspection will run you 80-120 bucks and is WORTH IT.
- They will check its repair history. Toyota dealerships share info with Toyota Corporate.


My .2cents.
 
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DC runner said:
3 Rules to ALWAYS follow when buying a used car.

1. Get a Carfax/Auto Check

2. DO not TRUST above carfax- Most accidents are never reported to these systems, for a variety of reasons. While a bad carfax should always be used to refuse purchase, the decisions to buy should not be based on a carfax alone.. this leads to number 3.

3. Have the vehicle inspected at your local toyota dealership that does body work. Why? Most dealerships offer a "pre-purchase" inspection in which they will put it through their certification process. They will check just about everything you can check. Make sure they do body work, so that they can through it up on the rack and have experienced mechanics in body work look at it for frame damage. This inspection will run you 80-120 bucks and is WORTH IT.
- They will check its repair history. Toyota dealerships share info with Toyota Corporate.


My .2cents.
Click to expand...

And register the VIN as yours on Toyota's owners website. You can register and drop any VINs 100's of times there and can see those corporate service records that carfax can miss.


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Thanks guys! Ill see if there is a dealership near him...its a 1.5 hour drive on the other side of a national forest, I think he is in the boonies...

Thanks for the tip on the Toyota site!! From a fellow Pittsburgh guy I appreciate that :-) I went to HS in Beaver County, did a lot of mud bogging and woods wheeling in Western PA and Ohio growing up! Miss those times, trying to get back for labor day weekend to get one more groundhog hunt in with the old man haha....too bad I sold all my 4x4s I had on the east coast, Id love to do some wheeling when I visit my parents if you knew of places!
 
Keep in mind it's common practice to ask for more than you're willing to take. With dealer's it's more pronounced. You can always come down but you can't go up! Offer him a lower amount, and see if he has a counter offer. Worst comes to worst, you pay the $16k. But you might be able to sneak away with $15k, or $15.5k. More money for mods. :)

I joined the 4 runner family last Wednesday, when I purchased a 2003 Sport Edition 4x4 with every option in great condition, with new tires and brakes, and the timing belt/water pump service done before being put on the lot. They were asking $12,990 but I drove it home at $10,500.

I wish the best of luck to you.
 
bluecollarjock said:
Thanks guys! Ill see if there is a dealership near him...its a 1.5 hour drive on the other side of a national forest, I think he is in the boonies...

Thanks for the tip on the Toyota site!! From a fellow Pittsburgh guy I appreciate that :-) I went to HS in Beaver County, did a lot of mud bogging and woods wheeling in Western PA and Ohio growing up! Miss those times, trying to get back for labor day weekend to get one more groundhog hunt in with the old man haha....too bad I sold all my 4x4s I had on the east coast, Id love to do some wheeling when I visit my parents if you knew of places!
Click to expand...

Nice!!! (Why's everyone seem to move away from Western PA???)

I grew up in Mars, Pa. Graduated high school in 2000 and am now a convert to the 'South Hills' (my wife's from down here).

And, sadly, I don't have any trail info to offer around here. I'd love to find some though. So far, I've only been to my father in law's private 'mountain man club' and made some 4R fun with their quad trails.

Anyway, goodluck with the hunt!


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Im a little older than you, but played Mars in football back in the day! I left to play college football in Colorado and then upstate NY...grad school in CT, stayed there a little for work after, then moved to DC for work, got medically retired moved to LA for doctors, now starting another masters and after finishing will try to move closer to "home"....Colorado is sweet so I couldnt turn that down, WVU would be SUPER close to home if I got into school there.....just got my tickets, heading to see the folks next weekend....

Oh man there were some serious trails in Beaver County when I was growing up....I drive by them now lots of them are blocked off and closed down....otherwise I had some nice powerlines that id climb and good wheeling back there too but its been quite a while! The good ol days. Folks in Western PA are damn good people...damn good place to grow up or raise a family
 
Makes me wonder what my 04 4x4 with 60K would be worth in your hood? 10-13 in FL? 16 has to be So Cal dealer price?

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Good luck with the purchase.
 
Goodluck! And fyi, I drove from Pittsburgh to State College, PA when I bought mine. Best decision yet and worth it.

What wasn't were the two different drives to Cleveland and Akron, in Ohio only to walk away not buying.

Do not be afraid to walk away. There will be more/another. But if it checks out, then rock n roll!


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Thanks guys, and no NOT dealer. An 04 with 60k at a dealer here would be in the $20k range roughly....prices in SoCa for certain things (well most things) are insanely higher than the rest of the country....what you can score for good deals out here is older rigs, nice modded out full size American 4x4s, Jeeps, and muscle cars. Stuff doesnt rust, lasts forever, and there are so many lifted old rigs and muscle cars around the prices seem awesome. Im always window shopping 4x4s, and wow when I visit my parents in Pittsburgh I crap my pants looking at used 4x4s rotted out and high mileage for what I consider to be super high prices for the condition....but for whatever reasons, Yotas out here stay sky sky sky high....so $16k is actually sort of a "steal" and the main reason I think this hasnt sold is its 1.5 hours away from the coast of LA into the mountains...Im probably one of the few folks willing to wake up this early on a weekend to avoid 405 traffic and haul my butt over the mountains to see it...

Yea if thats your 04 with a lift and 60k miles, if you wouldnt eat so much in getting it here you could unload it for a lot more!

Looks nice, what kind of lift? The one Im looking at owner says has new coils in front to level it 2" which is perfect for now....this is supposed to be my practical vehicle ahaha..so anymore lift will be a few years down the road....and was wondering why there are no threads on regearing or throwing in limited slips on the top, usually on 4x4 sites regearing and putting in lockers or limited slips is like a reocurring main topic but not here! Just curious!
 
Well the guy was cool as heck. We hung out and BSed about life from 8:30am until Noon! The 4Runner isnt as clean as Id like, I am kinda anal about keeping interiors immaculate unless its an older trail rig. So the interior had lots of wear and light stains compared to what Id have, nothing horrific and probably a good detailing would get most of the stains out. The rear roof above rear door paint was faded from the desert sun, he has kept it in garage but he is second owner. So its got paint issues above rear door on roof (not a big deal to me). He used it for camping and going shooting in the desert, and towing dirt bikes which was occasional. He has had it for two years and only put 13k miles on it. He had all records, as soon as he bought it he did a full service tranny/diffs/transfer case/radiator/oil as soon as he bought it and then has records for oil changes every 3k miles. He also installed Rancho coilover shocks for 2" leveling in the front, looked nice. Other than that stock. He had lots of toys and was proud of them, and everything he owned looked neat and well kept. Nice cars, motorcycles, etc, and he is all about upkeep. He said he took it four wheeling in the desert a few times but nothing hard core, and even got the dolly out for me to climb underneath and check it all out. Definetly dirt on the skids from the past, but didnt see any major dents or abuse, just lots of dirt (but he does live in the desert). I looked in the garage where he had it parked, no fluid on the floor at all, no fluids on the driveway either. The CV boots looked like they each had some oil on them in same place but not leaking, maybe they are supposed to be that way if properly lubed I should have taken pictures.

I think thats it....got him down to $15k from $16k...told him I was pretty sure just wanted to get home, carfax it, talk it over with the women and would get back to him tonight. So for those of you on the weekends looking here Id love input....I want to do it....$15k here for a 60k mile 4Runner is not an easy find, I keep looking and have been looking and most are $18-20k if they only have 60k miles. Yes some are more loaded but I dont like leather anyways. Id love if it were super clean and immaculate inside and undercarriage, but I guess saving $4k off the top helps ease that pain, and most of it could be cleaned up with a good $200 detailing job. What was most important was the service records. Also Im not sure whats the cost with those Rancho coilovers and whats your guys take on them? I think he showed me the bill but I didnt pay attention, plus there was a brushguard, lights, and misc other stuff on the bill he put on. Ill sell the brushguard and lights if I get it and wait to upgrade to a real bumper and lights down the road.

Thoughts? the guy was so cool and squared away I almost wanted to commit to buying it on the spot from how cool he and his wife were!

I need to carfax it and get on the Toyota site see what comes up....
 
Wow I live in MA and just bought an 04 sport v8 with 90k for 12k, originally 15.5k.
 
So wow in that you think its a good or not so good deal?

And one big difference, there will be zero rust...I come from east coast, snow kills vehicles!
 
I say rock n roll if carfax/Toyota website check out.

For inerior, just clean those carpet spots with like 'Force 40'' and throw Klasse AIO on the paint. I wouldn't hesitate it sounds like.


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Another thing you might want to check out are the smaller car dealers that go to the major auctions and get really good deals (wholesale), then ask for a fixed commission-usually 750-1200 dollars. I have researched and places like Manheim auctions and maybe a few others do inspections on the cars that come in as well as offering a carfax. Supposedly the car auctions have inspectors that go through the vehicles extensively, checking for bent frames, wear and tear, etc and then assign? a rating for that particular car. A guy I talked to here in Austin, logged on and said that a 2006 sport 4wd with 40-50,000 miles was definitely obtainable for 13,000 to 14,500 dollars, then tax, then his mark up so probably 16,500 drive out give or take a few hundred. All this may or may not be correct, like I said just giving you some ideas.
 
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