Looking to build my first rig

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climblife

New member
HI guys,

I'm pretty new to this whole forum thing but figured I would reach out for some advice.

I'm currently driving a modded focus ST and loving it... however, its the farthest thing from an adventure truck. I need something to get me into the desert rock climbing areas on weekends that I can still drive to work. My offload experience has been purely ridding along. the truck has to be interesting and unique... I'm not looking to drive something boring. Ive done all my own work on my focus but all of my tools are at my parents house in Indiana, so I'll be paying to have work done. I have a real hard on for the FJ 60 but i think that would be too big of a financial commitment. I have around 20k to spend cash on the truck and I can add the lift and tires later if needed. I'm also planning on a roof top tent and other upgrades to make my truck bomb proof. I want to put in the time and money on the front end so that I can just beat it up and not have to worry about reliability.

thanks for the input,

Collin
 
ttfjc

ttfjc

weekend wheeler
If you got the cash, get on mud forum and buy an 80 series thats built. 15k will get you a go anywhere rig. Dont be afraid of 175k+ mileage and 20 year old vehicles. Mud members will often times sell rigs that are well documented with a ton of money dumped into them, and you can save by letting them go out and put the first scratches on it, if your ok with that. You could go the same route with a 60 but might be less to choose from, more money involved, and lets face it. The most bang for your buck will be an 80. There pretty much the single greatest vehicle ever made.

Save the rest for pm and gas.


If you wanna go unique and have the abilities..there are 80 series and 70 series 5 speed diesel imports all over for around 12-18k (your mileage may vary, and i hope LHD is ok) but parts can be tricky and paying someone else to fix is expensive.

Fjc's are pretty sweet if you can get over their quarks, and the perceived cargo limitations.. That's what i drive, and love it. 2007's are reasonably priced. Gx470s are cheap these days too. Not alot of lexus's on the trails yet, but not really unique.

Tacos resale has gone full retard lately if you have your heart set on a truck
 
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climblife

New member
Taco is out... just too common in SoCal. TBH i really just want an 80 series LC but buying a 30 year old truck makes me nervous as my daily... someone convince me that its the right move:drool:! what about 4runners or jeeps? should i even consider fullsize domestics (tahoe)? for the FJc cargo limitations is not too big of a deal im a single 23yr old dude... i just have to carry gear for 4 people. what about IFS? any thing i should watch out for?
 
ttfjc

ttfjc

weekend wheeler
From what i read, which is a lot, because ill admit i have 80 series envy and i'm helping my father in law find one right now, buying and building an 80 series ( or any LC for that matter) can be expensive and a quite a task. Depending on your starting point. a triple locked 80 '95+(that's the one you want) with less then 200k miles can cost a pretty penny, depending on whats been done to it, and the PM already done. However, they can be extremely reliable if you have the time/ability to do the work yourself. there is an amazing forum community on mud that can help you with literally anything. This is why i say buy someone else's rig. At least one that's well documented. LC owners seem to be overly cautious about everything PM so it might be a bit overstated was is truly "necessary".

I do not have the time to work on a older vehicle so i drive a FJC. If your two passengers that sit in the back dont mind the somewhat awkward suicide doors, and the other qwerks i think its a great option, and not totaly unique but more unique then say a 4r or other modern production toyotas. but IMO they are a great options as the atrac and rear locker which is almost standard will go places you wouldnt think a stock car will go with good road mannors for a DD. youll love it or hate it, you gotta test drive it. better option then a simular priced 4r for capability. but 4 passengers might be pushing it.

If your worries about reliability i would shy away from Jeep. (its safe to say that in the Toyota section) Plus the resale is stupid on Jeeps too. 2 doors have zero space and 4 doors are EXPENSIVE. You came to the Toyota section so our view is bias to Toyota and of course were going to steer you away from others.

IFS is fine all around until you start to get bigger then 35" tires, and start to go over serious boulders. an FJC with 33s 3 inches and skids will go (almost) anywhere, at least more places then you might go. you run into simular limits on all IFS toyotas.

if your leaning 4 runner you should seriously consider a GX470. a 2005 with a v8 and less then 100K is not hard to find. Very reasonably priced. i wanna say 10-12k and Lexus people usually get all their work done at the dealership. and literaly none get wheeled. They are AWD and Center Locked...you can squeeze 33's IIRC and the v8 they got is the same as the LC i believe. Basically a shined up 4R with a V8. you can get lockers and lifts because they share parts with FJC/4R and plenty of space. BUT they are about as unique as a beige colored corolla
 
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JandDGreens

JandDGreens

Adventurer
I think you will find building and maintaining any type of vehicle is a real money pit. So if you are leaning towards Toyotas then that is what I would get. Join the vehicle specific forums and learn what to look out for and how to get your vehicle in the best shape you can. Then If it were me I would seek out others that have the same type of rig to go off road with. They will be able to assist you much better in a situation where something has broke out on the trail. Possible have spare parts too that would save you from a tow. Once you have faith in your abilities and you vehicle you will be well on your way. Just my 2 cents worth.

That is why you will run into 3-4 XJ's because our vehicles stopped production in 2001 no way you have a 2017 jeep Cherokee XJ with no time on the clock and for what it's worth when your driving a rig that is pushing 300K something is on it's way out all the time, and if I don't have the part the is a good chance someone in the group does.That is why most who have the old rigs they are for wheeling types of trips and not daily drivers.

Some day I will probably retire the 91 2-dr XJ and move on to a 4-runner or land cruiser. But by then I think I will be doing more over land types of trips then any of those rough trails I do now.

Hope you get a gem of a rig.
 
ttfjc

ttfjc

weekend wheeler
phsycle

phsycle

Adventurer
Buy the lowest mileage, best kept 3rd or 4th Gen 4Runner. Forget mods or "upgrades". Baseline, gas up and go.
 
MTAA

MTAA

Adventurer
eatSleepWoof said:
Buy a truck that costs half the money you have, get all maintenance 100% up to date, get good tires, basic armor, and go exploring to figure out what you actually need to buy.

And I suggest you get over the "interesting and unique" aspect as quick as you can, and buy something that'll meet your needs and be reliable. Buying interesting and unique vehicles is an endless money hole (speaking from experience).
Click to expand...

This is great advice even though the hardest part is the getting over the "interesting and unique" part!
 
zidaro

zidaro

Explorer
The 4th gen runner with the 2uz v8 I. The limited version which has the awd Torsten center diff is an amazing rig and can be found for a very good price if u take your time looking. Super reliable, same platform as the fjc/gx/05+taco (read lots of parts and fix knowledge) and if you need power it's got it, if you need more traction- add Arb's later.
Wheel the piss out of it cause it's a Toyota
My vote
 
C

climblife

New member
You feel my pain right? if I got a Taco it wouldn't be interesting (to me) until it was supper modded... its not like i go to car shows or anything... i just need to drive something that makes me smile everyday. I realize that buying a 2008 taco or 4runner is the "smartest option" but i just don't know... i just saw an 80 series on craigslist w 155k miles but it didn't have lockers. How big of an issue is that? I'm going to start wheeling on easy trails so couldn't I add those later? this truck will be used for general adventures... snowboarding rock climbing and exploring... i just moved out here so i'm pumped to be able to explore the desert

also this forum needs auto correct...
 
ttfjc

ttfjc

weekend wheeler
if your going bigger then 35' tires you buy the one without lockers- when you re-gear you put in ARB locker while your at it.
Anything less and your better off with that factory dial. That being said, you'll pay a premium for that dial. But the open diffs on the 80's are very good with out lockers, they are big fat pigs with lots of weight so they are still very very capable, lots of grip.

i have a factory locker on my FJC and i have used it a handful of times. I usually use atrac, IIRC thats available on the newer 4R's and Tacos and its very good. im a huge fan.try and get that little button on what ever you buy. But there is no replacement for lockers, your just getting into some pretty crazy stuff to actually need it. More then most people will do in a DD
 
J

JLee

Adventurer
climblife said:
You feel my pain right? if I got a Taco it wouldn't be interesting (to me) until it was supper modded... its not like i go to car shows or anything... i just need to drive something that makes me smile everyday. I realize that buying a 2008 taco or 4runner is the "smartest option" but i just don't know... i just saw an 80 series on craigslist w 155k miles but it didn't have lockers. How big of an issue is that? I'm going to start wheeling on easy trails so couldn't I add those later? this truck will be used for general adventures... snowboarding rock climbing and exploring... i just moved out here so i'm pumped to be able to explore the desert

also this forum needs auto correct...
Click to expand...

Here's my Toyota/Lexus 4x4 ownership history, for what it's worth:

1998 Tacoma 4x4
2005 Tundra 4x4
1999 Tacoma 4x4 TRD (rear locker)
1997 Lexus LX450 (triple locked)
2007 Lexus GX470 (ATRAC, no front/rear lockers)
2005 Lexus GX470 (ATRAC, no front/rear lockers)

I am 100% satisfied with the GX. My next upgrade would likely be to a 200-series LC or maybe something diesel/4x4 (if I can import a 70-series from Australia, for example...though the 25yr old restriction is a bummer). I like the interior space of an SUV over a truck. My 80 series was ridiculously capable but I did not rock crawl nearly hard enough for the lack of power to be worth it. Taking 15-20 seconds to get to highway speed got old, as did going up mountains at 50mph because I couldn't go any faster. That could've been improved by re-gearing (I had stock gears and 35" tires) but the 2UZ-FE V8 was a huge improvement.

You can add lockers later but you're looking at over $1k per axle.
 
Arktikos

Arktikos

Explorer
There's nothing unique about an 80 series, and they're incredible gas guzzlers. Definitely NO on the Jeep.

May I suggest a 4Runner-1st or 2nd Gen would be my preference-or an FJ Cruiser?
 
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