help me brainstorm what to get for my next vehicle

hm... good to know. Retrofit as in removal and replacing with aftermarket?

For daily driving and zero lift, would you still replace the air suspension?
 
so stuff like hole in the rock road (not trail), or driving up to Dutchman Flat. Am I going to destroy the air shocks running that stuff at a brisk pace?
 
sixstringsteve said:
Don't worry. The only thing I'd do to a runner is put an OME lift on like greg said. They have almost zero ground clearance with gas tank hanging down so low.

I know you love power, but if you were to do it again, would you go with the v8 again? The v6 is plenty powerful for me, but if the v8 is more reliable, then it wins for me.

I'm still not sure what I want, I go back and forth everyday. I've got a guy who's pretty serious about getting my truck, but I'm not much closer to knowing what I'd want. A 4-door tacoma is the ideal rig, but they are extremely expensive and it's hard to spend that much $ on a vehicle I won't drive a whole lot. I'm still blown away how a better equipped 4th gen runner costs $5k less than the equivalent 4-door tacoma.
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Yes I would buy the V8 again. The mpg between the v6 and v8 are 1-2 mpg, HP is almost the same too, but the V8 has torque. One thing to remember is that the v8 is full time all wheel drive with a center diff locker.
 
ModStock said:
Why not just pay-off your current rig. Ive always liked my vehicles better when they are paid off.
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Agreed, all 5 of ours are paid off and we like it that way. But it seems most of our neighbors drive new cars and never go anywhere fun because they are busy working to pay for them.
 
TRD270 said:
I think Carlos is paid for... That being said I thought you wanted a truck bed
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Yup. I've never had a car payment in my life, and I'm not about to start.


And you're right, a truck bed would be ideal. I just realized the $4k premium for the bed vs a 4runner.
 
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I sold some toys and my budget is now $18-22k. That opens up a lot more doors. That doesn't mean I need to spend all of it on a rig. If i can find a great rig for $8k, even better. But now I can afford some lower mileage tacomas and even tundras. I love the space inside a tundra, and I love the big bed, but I worry it'll be too big for me.
 
Yeah, but it also means I've also never owned a car that's newer than 12 years old. But I'm ok with that.

I think things are starting to shift in the used car market. I think it used to be easier to sell used cars. I could be wrong, but it seems like more people are buying new cars than ever before. With how easy it is to finance, I think a lot of people just think "If I'm going to pay $16k for a used car, I might as well pay $35k for a new one and just have a slightly bigger car payment drawn out over the years." They when they get bored they trade it in for another car, and accept the fact that they will have a car payment the rest of their life. A lot of people are ok with that, which makes an older, used car less appealing.

My friends and I have noticed that it's getting a lot tougher to sell our used cars. I'm talking cars in the $10k-20k range. $3000 hondas will always sell, but there just aren't as many people interested in used cars in the $12K and up range.
 
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x2 on Montero. $3-5k gets you a premium condition vehicle that is plenty capable stock, good blend of off road and on road capabilities. I get above 18mpg. And, you have $13-18k of budget left over for a sweet little trailer to haul the bikes (do you really haul bikes every day?) plus years worth of camping/exploration funds...
 
thanks j. The montero has definitely been on my radar.

The truck bed is sure nice, but I could get by without it. I have a hitch-mounted rack I could use with an SUV. I like the bed for muddy boots, snowshoes, dusty packs, wet kayaks, car parts, you name it. I could get by using an suv, but it'd get thrashed inside.
 
sixstringsteve said:
thanks j. The montero has definitely been on my radar.

The truck bed is sure nice, but I could get by without it. I have a hitch-mounted rack I could use with an SUV. I like the bed for muddy boots, snowshoes, dusty packs, wet kayaks, car parts, you name it. I could get by using an suv, but it'd get thrashed inside.
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For sure, the truck bed is awesome. I have had a terrible time trying to choose which vehicle to sell - 97 landcruiser, 02 F350, 03 Montero, 13 Toyota hatchback. They all have their strong points that I'm not sure I'd be happy without. That said, I sure miss my '04 Tacoma that I bought new, and traded in like a chump in 05 for a Ram 1500 (also new....worst decision of my entire life). If you want to spend the entire wad on a vehicle, get another tacoma. If you want to think outside the expensive box, I think there is serious value in the Monteros, and at that price, you could afford to armor up the interior a bit, or just not care :) Some of these adventure trailers these guys build are pretty cool...

John
 
sixstringsteve said:
Yup. I've never had a car payment in my life, and I'm not about to start.


And you're right, a truck bed would be ideal. I just realized the $4k premium for the bed vs a 4runner.
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Just add a bed, I know its a lot of work but you did do this to Lee's old 4runner. The 4runner has 109 inch wheel base, luxury interior, and a V8.
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A lot of guys like the 94-96 SR model monteros, 2nd gen. Stock, you can fit 33's, they come with a rear locker, spare is located on the door so no need for swing-out rear bumper, and those years came with a slightly larger 3.5 motor. These are the old box-style vehicles. I owned a '90 and a '93, great vehicles. However, that is just a bit too old for me. 2000 and up is the 3rd gen, newer body style, lots of changes. 2003 and up gets the bigger 3.8l motor, which I recommend. My wife won't let me sell ours, she likes it a lot better than the cruiser, lot more peppy and 'light' feeling to drive. You should test drive a few. I'd be happy to let you drive mine in the hills here in alpine if you want to test their skillz in the hillz

John
 
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