Serious Question - Anyone Flip 4Runners or Toyotas?

[Unner]

I've toyed with the idea too. I honestly think just buying ones in good shape with awful ads and bad pictures you could make a decent profit. Buy one, take it home, detail it, change the oil, brake pads, spark plugs, air filter, whatever cheap easy stuff it may need and then post it all shined up with good pictures and a list of everything just done. A clean interior makes a huge difference too. It amazes me the pictures people will post of vehicles for sale on craigslist...

There may also be a larger margin for profit in newer Toyota's like a 4th or 5th gen or 2nd gen Tacoma. Just a thought.

This ad isn't as bad as what I'm picturing, but c'mon. I know you can back up and take a picture that involves the entire truck. Make it at least look like you're trying.
2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

Or this ad:
Toyota 4 Runner

Put it this way: if you have enough free time to buy/sell/work on cars in your evenings and weekends, get a 2nd job delivering pizza or waiting tables. You'll make more money

This is also another option. I'm not sure if you have much grass in your area of California, but lawn care is a super easy way to make a little side cash as well at a great hourly rate. Down south here you can pull anywhere between $25-40 an hour using just regular equipment, no need for a trailer, zero turn, anything like that.

I know a couple guys that flip for a living. Between working on rigs and going to auctions and trolling the classifieds, they burn 10-12 hours a day, six to seven days a week. They do it because they like it, not because there's huge money involved.

Every now and again I troll the classifieds looking for a quick buck. I find one now and again, and I've never lost money on a truck. But I've never made more than $1000 either, and I was in the right place at the right time for that one. $400-$500 profit is more likely, and I don't register the cars in my name before selling so take tax and license fees out of that if you're going to do it right.

Yeah I wouldn't register the cars if you're just gonna turn around and sell it. You're just adding another owner to the number of owners then and usually higher owners means less value in a consumers eyes.

 

[Beaumont67]

Great thread BTW.

I am self trained in auto body, did rust repair fabrication & welding, refinishing & painting most every weekend for 15 years / while holding down an Eng. Technology full time job.
- started in high school, summer of grade 12
Went to college in mid 70's - weeks pay was +$100 at factory.
- bought a rusted out Datson B210 for $50, from GF's sisters husband
- made 34 panels out of 19 gauge & brazed them on / before mig welders were invented
- had it painted and safety checked after 6 months, of weekend work
- drove car for 3 full years, and sold it for $500 cash / therefore, free driving
^^ Lots of work / but a great learning experience / I got involved in buying GM "A" body muscle cars, and had the "rush" in building a collection.
- my last full time job position, was a senior buyer in a Tier 1 automotive supply plant / again, self taught...in an unrelated field, to my course of study

Did the same to a 1973 Dodge Dart / paid $200 and flipped for $1,800 after another half year, part time sheet metal & frame work.
Finally I got smart - bought a 1978 Olds Cutless for $1,200 / only 5 major rust spots.
- in 6 days, I had it painted and $1,000 for tires, gas tank & safety check
- sold it for $2,800 and realized a quick $600 profit / only worked 3 weekends
But $600 back than, was like a quick $2,000 today.

And I evolved again - I got to be what many would consider to be a professional buyer / +95% close ratio, when I wanted something.
- once I bought a 1978 GMC for $4,000 with new panels & paint job
- drove it free for 4.5 years / and sold it for $6,300

^^ I started to not flip the best vehicles / but wife and I would soon drive higher end cars & 4x4 truck/SUV ourselves.
Paying 20 to 25 cents on the dollar, compared to new models - our current stable of daily drivers, would retail new for $150,000.
^^ But only have 30'G invested (20% $$, compared to new) / flipping taught me to keep the cream puffs, for our personal use.
Nice vehicles on a Ford Topaz budget - that what makes the most money first...take care of your own DD's.
- drive them for 4-5 years / and sell above book value

Just sold our sons 2008 Nissan Rogue SL today, FWD with 172,000 Km.
- took 7 weeks and cleared $3,500 over what 2 dealers offered, against purchase of a new 2015 Lexus
- all I did was expertly detail SUV, one week / garage did the necessary fixes
Canadian Kijiji (equiv. to CraigsList in States) was nothing but a big waste of time (like usual) / just the low ballers, to ignore.
- but a decade ago, I invested in a retirement property (brick bungalow on +1.1 acres) / 2 miles outside city limits, on a very busy main road
- I sell good cars, but never cheap / buy low-sell high formula / takes PATIENCE
- seems to take me about 1.5 months to sell off our front lawn / but zero advertising costs
My buddy is a good used car dealer / I even amaze him, at my upped final sale prices.

^^ Quality sells.
^^ Buy below book value.
^^ Need a front lawn, to make a sale & worthwhile profit....like they say: Location / Location / Location !!

Need to have a gifted skill in buying & an even bigger talent in selling !!
- I lived on a dead end street once, does nothing for making an easy sale
- I know within 20 seconds, of walking up to a vehicle, if I'm making an offer / in Canada, rust free Import brands sells, just not the Big3 brands


Also takes knowledge and a keen eye - just like a good antique dealer / the task takes passion, for the auto hunt...a natural high.
Finding autos for sale, is the easy part / buying smart & selling smart with high traffic exposure, is the necessary flippers tool box KSF's.
- got the following ArtDeco designed ashtray, at work factory for free (I made it happen)
- saving for the basement games room, with 9 ft. Brunswick Gold Crown IV

 

[white_n_slow]

Plus I can stay at home and spend time with my family at the same time - no other job I can do offers that.

Your wife must be a different breed than mine. Hours in the garage =/= time with the family in my household. Unless I'm fixing my wife's or daughter's car

 

[JayRolla]

I flipped cars and parted out cars to sell on ebay from age 16-22 as a side job. It even kept me afloat at the end to pay my bills for a year or so. I mainly would rebuild DSM's because they where easy sells and parts where wanted.

My buddy at work does this. He mainly only flips cars he likes and are fun. He finds good deals, drives and cleans/fixes them up. Then flips them. Right now he just rebuilt an 80's Buick Regal T Type he got for just trading a crappy trailer for. Guy didnt know what he had. Trailer worth $1k at most. Rebuilt motor, turbo and dynoed 260whp. Fun little car and will flip it soon.

He is in an everyday middle class job and just put down $20k on a 2016 Z06 Corvette Supercharged 650/650hptq. $89k out the door, and about to ship it to California for the Callaway upgrade ($10k). I have been in some pretty fast 400-650whp DSM's and this car by far is the most amazing thing Ive been in. I told him after a test spin this car has ruined every other car I have ever wanted to own. And all I want is this Corvette!!!! Simply amazing piece of equipment. So he is doing pretty good I would say.

 

[O2RunnerSR5]

I just did this last year here in Hawaii;where the demand is extremely high for any Toyota vehicle. I focused on 3rd gen 4runners. I managed to make a little over 2k in 5 months period. Made a couple hundred on one, lost a couple hundred on one and made around 2k on one. It's really hit or miss and a headache. If you come across the right vehicle for cheap, I mean cheap, and little work has to be put into it absolutely do it. Just make sure theirs a market for it.

 

[85toyrunner]

I mess around with a few 4runners from time to time and have come out pretty well on most of them. They don't pop up as often as I would like but I keep an eye out for a deal on one that needs some work that I can get pretty cheap. Toyotas in general tend to bring top dollar around where I live (near Memphis, Tn). I bought a 96 4Runner, 2.7, 2wd about a month or so ago that was wrecked in the front. I have about $800 in parts so far plus the $300 I gave for it. I think it should bring somewhere between $2500 and $3000 when I'm done with it so not bad. I bought a 99 Limited 4Runner 4x4 w/E-Locker today for $1500 that is having a transmission issue. I have a transmission for it if I need to swap it and it's a super nice runner. I think I may keep it for a while. You can do okay at it but it's not consistent money. I may flip 2 to 3 a year on average. I enjoy fooling with them and gives me time to play in the shop. Not getting rich by any means but oh well

 

[absalom]

I'd bartend again before flipping cars. Serve martinis to hot sluts all night, then walk home with $200 after 6 hours or bust your ass for 8 days flipping a car for $500.

Oh, and don't try to play the market, you'll lose every time. Read "The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham. History has taught us that those who try to time the market never come out ahead, and that it's better to just pick an index fund w/ low annual fees (.05%) to represent 60% of your profile. Then fill the rest out with a foreign index fund and a bond fund and you're golden.

I flipped cars and parted out cars to sell on ebay from age 16-22 as a side job. It even kept me afloat at the end to pay my bills for a year or so. I mainly would rebuild DSM's because they where easy sells and parts where wanted.

My buddy at work does this. He mainly only flips cars he likes and are fun. He finds good deals, drives and cleans/fixes them up. Then flips them. Right now he just rebuilt an 80's Buick Regal T Type he got for just trading a crappy trailer for. Guy didnt know what he had. Trailer worth $1k at most. Rebuilt motor, turbo and dynoed 260whp. Fun little car and will flip it soon.

He is in an everyday middle class job and just put down $20k on a 2016 Z06 Corvette Supercharged 650/650hptq. $89k out the door, and about to ship it to California for the Callaway upgrade ($10k). I have been in some pretty fast 400-650whp DSM's and this car by far is the most amazing thing Ive been in. I told him after a test spin this car has ruined every other car I have ever wanted to own. And all I want is this Corvette!!!! Simply amazing piece of equipment. So he is doing pretty good I would say.

He should've paid cash for that Vette. He's going to pay through the ass for financing on $70k over 6 years.

Your wife must be a different breed than mine. Hours in the garage =/= time with the family in my household. Unless I'm fixing my wife's or daughter's car

^This. I speak from experience when I say that that project in the garage can start to feel like a ball n' chain, and you'll miss out on lots of in-house family time simply because flipping is so time intensive.

 

[Ed_C]

Put it this way: if you have enough free time to buy/sell/work on cars in your evenings and weekends, get a 2nd job delivering pizza or waiting tables. You'll make more money

I don't know how it is now but I worked at a Pizza Hut in the 90's as a delivery guy and made some pretty good tip money. I had a coworker who did this part-time,married w/2 kids,can't remember what exactly he did full time but he was some kind of "suit", we'd take home hundreds in cash tips on most weekends. We also saved money on meals, there was always extra dough to make our own pies and bartered with other local eateries.

 

[68dave]

I work as a auto tech so broken vehicles kinda find me. A couple years ago I bought this 04 tacoma TRD 4x4 with a blown motor for $500. The owner didn't want to pay for a engine replacement so he purchased a new truck instead. He was gonna sell it to a local pick & pull junkyard but i couldn't let that happen! I installed a salvage yard motor and all is good. I told my wife i bought it to flip but i kept it, lol. I bought this running & driving 190k mile silver 01 4runner also from a customer at my work for $1000 because it had a rusted frame, 4 or 5 rust holes. I took numerous pics of the truck & frame and listed it on eBay with a honest describition and a $2200 buy-it-now price, it sold in just 7 minutes. And i didn't do nothing to it. I just bought this green 1 owner 179k mile 96 4runner with a seized 3.4 for $200. (Window sticker for this 96 4runner SR5 was $31,800 and thats 20 years ago!) Price of metal is way down right now and he just wanted the scrap value. I just found a 99 3.4 engine from a reputable salvage yard with 116k miles for $700 so another engine swap is in my near future. I have use of a well equipped auto shop after hours so that makes wrenching a lot easier. I've sold plenty of vehicles over the years and imo Toyota's sell the easiest.

 

[68dave]

Why do the pics show up so large on this forum?

 

[Harleydoc]

If I can pick it up for like 500 I buy them to flip but that is about all a junk yard will give you for one that is not running in any kind of shape. I flipped a few 4runners but it is a lot of work to get them to what I would want to sell the last one I flipped has a 95 blowed motor install a I JDM converted the ac over changed it replaced the brakes all around and new tires all around new spring in the back. Clean the carpet wash and a buff she was looking show room ready have 5 people in the drive way about to fight over who was buying it

 

[absalom]

Why do the pics show up so large on this forum?

They didn't edit their photo size. I recommend using Imgur.com to host and edit photos.

 

[68dave]

They didn't edit their photo size. I recommend using Imgur.com to host and edit photos.

Those photos i posted are pics i took. I posted them from my photo gallery. So i have to edit them first on this forum? I've posted many pics that i've took and are also from my gallery over on tacomaworld without editing. I'll have to research this because i love this forum and i don't want to p*ss off any members with my large pics. Thanks for your reply.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Wow, this thread has really come alive. Everyone wants to brag about their success stories . But glad it's feasible, I'm gonna give it a shot when the right one comes around.

Oh, and don't try to play the market, you'll lose every time. Read "The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham. History has taught us that those who try to time the market never come out ahead, and that it's better to just pick an index fund w/ low annual fees (.05%) to represent 60% of your profile. Then fill the rest out with a foreign index fund and a bond fund and you're golden.

Don't worry, I don't trade stocks, and what I do have in the stock market is mutual funds. Those have done quite well over the past 3 years. The rest I have is in real estate and very short term investments like Bitcoin.

 

[farmerjon]

Those photos i posted are pics i took. I posted them from my photo gallery. So i have to edit them first on this forum? I've posted many pics that i've took and are also from my gallery over on tacomaworld without editing. I'll have to research this because i love this forum and i don't want to p*ss off any members with my large pics. Thanks for your reply.

Tacoma World and other sites automatically resize images to a standard size - you can click on them to see them larger if you want - but until you do, they show up all in the same size.

Since this forum is running off a basic web server as someone's hobby, and not as big or commercial as TacomaWorld, the owners/hosts haven't put as much time or effort into keeping things up to date. Or there just isn't as much technical knowledge.

Small price to pay for this kind of community.

 

[4Runnermex]

Thanks for the input, it kinda confirmed what I was thinking. 4Runners sell for a premium in my area, much higher than what you'll see on Kelly Blue Book.

I enjoy working on cars when I have the time (I hate having to fix my DD in a time crunch to get it back on the road the next morning), so it might just work. I'm not looking to make a living out of it, nor register as a dealer. Just something to earn some money on the side. In CA, once you sell over 5 vehicles in a year you have to register as a dealer so it'd be only here and there.

A friend at my work bought a Mini for $6k and after $3k in repairs is looking to sell for around $17k. I don't think I could drop that kind of money though, so would be buying "fixer-uppers" in the $1k-$2k range and hoping to sell around $4.5k. That would give me a lot of room for error, in case I encounter a more serious issue.

Like you guys said I'm not about to quit my day job (2nd job is out of the question though, I want to be able to do this at home on my own time) but I think I might start with one and see how it turns out. Maybe I'll make $1k-$2k on it. Maybe I'll break even. Maybe I'll lose a bit. I think it all depends on the vehicle, I'll be patient and wait for the right one to show up.

I do 3rd gens here in town as a side gig.. Have a good job. But it's addicting doing and selling 4runners. The minute you put one up and have your phone going crazy!! I've done about 50+ runners. Everyone of them has been fun a challenge.

Have made a darn good living with them. Pm me if you would like to talk on how I started.

This was today!!

3 years and counting..

 

[Unner]

He should've paid cash for that Vette. He's going to pay through the ass for financing on $70k over 6 years.

You speak wise words. I've never had a car payment and never will. If I can't pay cash for the car then I can't afford it.

The new boats at Cabelas kill me everytime I look through them. Financing for 12+ years on some of them at crazy interest rates. People wonder why they're broke...

 

[UsmanAshraf]

Anyone here still buying and selling 4Runners? eace:

 

[gamefreakgc]

Anyone here still buying and selling 4Runners? eace:

I am, sort of. I flipped one but was a lot of work and didn't make that much. I started parting them out instead as body, interior and electronic parts go for much more. Plus there's less of my capital at risk as I would buy a busted 4Runner for $800 or so, and make back my $800 usually in a week or two.

 

[ocbruin]

I have a T4R for you!

FS: 3rd GEN 4wd sr5 - white exterior/tan interior, $4000 orange, ca
2001 Toyota 4Runner - Cars & Trucks - Orange, California | Facebook Marketplace