2008 Special Edition TT or 2007 TRD?

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Hellus

Hellus

Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Threads
5
Messages
24
Location
Orange County, Ca
I am a newbie to this site so I wanted to introduce myself and also ask all you guys your advice.

I am kinda new to off-roading, been a bunch of times with friends but never owned my own "rig". I am in the market for an FJ and I was going to get a used 2007 TRD and try and get a deal, but from looking around they are hard to find and especially for under 31K. So I am considering just waiting and buying the new 2008 Special Edition TT, cause I figure the price will be 32K-33K anyway.

What would you suggest?
 
Bad Voodoo said:
Buy a used 07 Black Diamond w/ no damage and few miles for WELL under $30k and build it yourself. I've never been a fan of dealer "optioned" rigs. All you're paying for are the pretty little badges.

-voodoo
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Yeah but then I have to paint the roof black, get new rims and tires and lift. After all that and voiding all the warranties it will cost me just as much and if it breaks I have no recourse. Basically it has everything done to it that a novice like myself would like and personally I am not a big fan of the two tone.
 
Hellus said:
Yeah but then I have to paint the roof black, get new rims and tires and lift. After all that and voiding all the warranties it will cost me just as much and if it breaks I have no recourse. Basically it has everything done to it that a novice like myself would like and personally I am not a big fan of the two tone.
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There's no lift on the SE or TRD, and (at least for the TRD) you can get all the same options except roof paint on any FJC. I believe any Toyota option or accessory installed by a dealer is normally honored as part of the factory warranty.

As far as customer modifications, the warranty is only voided if a modification you do, directly causes a failure, your warranty is not automatically voided because of a mod.
 
Thanks for the input guys, I think I am leaning towards the SE TT. Obviously you guys would fix up your own, but hopefully they have worked the bugs out of the 2008 version(windshield, rear diff, front fender) and that is just one more reason to wait and get a brand spanking new one.
 
Hellus said:
Thanks for the input guys, I think I am leaning towards the SE TT. Obviously you guys would fix up your own, but hopefully they have worked the bugs out of the 2008 version(windshield, rear diff, front fender) and that is just one more reason to wait and get a brand spanking new one.
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A big, square on, windshield isn't a bug, it's a rock and bug magnet. My FJ40 was the same way. Newbies that aren't familiar with this type of windshield automatically want to blame Toyota. I knew when I drove off the lot I was gonna have to be careful behind traffic with that windshield. I have two 'stars' on mine since purchase.

The rear diff problem should be solved for all FJ's newer than 2/2007 (from what I have heard). Lucky for all those owners, I am envious.

From what I read on the blue forum, some are also experiencing the inner apron (fender) problem even in 2008. One guy on the blue forum had a good hypothesis as to why it was happening. I believe he is a mechanical engineer as well. I see it as a cosmetic problem which is inside the hood bay anyway and am not worried about it. Others make out like the world is at an end over it. They (pre- 2/2007 owners) should be more concerned with the R&P problem than body rips.
:beer:
 
LandCruisers4Life said:
A big, square on, windshield isn't a bug, it's a rock and bug magnet. My FJ40 was the same way. Newbies that aren't familiar with this type of windshield automatically want to blame Toyota. I knew when I drove off the lot I was gonna have to be careful behind traffic with that windshield. I have two 'stars' on mine since purchase.

The rear diff problem should be solved for all FJ's newer than 2/2007 (from what I have heard). Lucky for all those owners, I am envious.

From what I read on the blue forum, some are also experiencing the inner apron (fender) problem even in 2008. One guy on the blue forum had a good hypothesis as to why it was happening. I believe he is a mechanical engineer as well. I see it as a cosmetic problem which is inside the hood bay anyway and am not worried about it. Others make out like the world is at an end over it. They (pre- 2/2007 owners) should be more concerned with the R&P problem than body rips.
:beer:
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Thanks for the tips landcruiser......sounds like you are really pissed about this diff thing. I think I would be to if they know about it and still aren't doing anything. Hopefully will be picking up my FJ soon!!!
 
Hellus said:
I am a newbie to this site so I wanted to introduce myself and also ask all you guys your advice.

I am kinda new to off-roading, been a bunch of times with friends but never owned my own "rig". I am in the market for an FJ and I was going to get a used 2007 TRD and try and get a deal, but from looking around they are hard to find and especially for under 31K. So I am considering just waiting and buying the new 2008 Special Edition TT, cause I figure the price will be 32K-33K anyway.

What would you suggest?
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If your plan is to wheel the rig offroad, save your dough from all the upgrade packages and get a stock FJ with the convenience package and 4WD/rear locker. Add A-Trac yourself with a $50 switch and some inkernet searching.

The money you spend on SE or OR editions could be better spent on 3rd party suspension kits, steel bumpers, sliders and better offroad tires. (Although the stock sliders ain't bad).
 
BMThiker said:
If your plan is to wheel the rig offroad, save your dough from all the upgrade packages and get a stock FJ with the convenience package and 4WD/rear locker. Add A-Trac yourself with a $50 switch and some inkernet searching.

The money you spend on SE or OR editions could be better spent on 3rd party suspension kits, steel bumpers, sliders and better offroad tires. (Although the stock sliders ain't bad).
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It will also be my "daily driver" although I work in Property Mgmt so I work where I live, so I only drive for errands and going on trips and stuff like that. The reason I was attracted to the FJ in the first place is that, pretty much everyone agrees that it is a good on-road vehicle and can do some actual off-roading, right "out of the box".

I'm sure one day I will have a pupose-built rig but for now I just want to learn and have some fun.
 
I agree, with the others. Get one without all the dealer s***e and build it up yourself. Mine is my daily driver too. I just had an accident and i'm really glad I had that steel bumper installed. Other car came out much worse. I just need a new powdercoat job. Fabfours makes a rock solid bumper.
 
Toledo FJ said:
I agree, with the others. Get one without all the dealer ****e and build it up yourself. Mine is my daily driver too. I just had an accident and i'm really glad I had that steel bumper installed. Other car came out much worse. I just need a new powdercoat job. Fabfours makes a rock solid bumper.
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I mean I get where you guys are coming from, but I also live in an apartment in SoCal......so I would have to have all of the additional stuff put on at a garage or by someone else..so after buying a stock on and builing it up, it would cost the same in the long run.....one day when I have a garage to work in I will have my own rig built from the ground up....but for now, without detailing my whole life schedule, just know that I am trying to decide between these two cars that I listed in the header....I know you guys mean well and all but I wish someone would actually answer the question asked and not just keep telling me to get a stock one and build it myself....would love to but its not happening right now with my life the way it is...so please if you want to help me, give me some advice I can use.
 
I like my TRD SE. It was a good option for me because I don't have a lot of time to waste building the vehicle. Despite what everyone else is saying, I believe there is still good reasons to want a stock vehicle, especially if you want it for a Daily Driver; and it does performs very well off-road while still handling the freeways very nicely in stock fashion. The most I plan to do to mine any time soon is going to be more engine performance, and body armor that you can't get from the factory anyway, so it was money well spent for what I wanted.

The newer SE sounds like it'll be a very nice setup too, for a factory built vehicle, but I don't know as much about it. You may still want to compare what it would cost to by a cheaper model, and then add all the dealer options on, just to make sure it's cost effective. I did that with the TRD, and the TRD looked to be about $2k cheaper then doing all the add-on's. The thing that might make it cheaper is doing what BMThiker suggested with the ATRAC switch, but then you still have to consider the two tone (my wife hates that too, and got on board with the TRD real quick when she saw it was all one color).
 
Go with the white, black shows tree scratches and dirt, white hides it. Also the white one comes with black trim and wheels. I think the TRD although black comes with silver mirrors, bumpers and trim.
 
Got a stock voodoo blue and have had a great time with it. The list of mods I want is great, but those will come in due time. One of the most valuable things to have (if we're talking factory stuff) are those rock sliders. My rig came with the Predator sliders (w/steps), and I trashed the passenger slider on a run. Not before it did its job, but I can't really take a hit on that side without doing some body damage. The factory rock sliders would've been a better choice.

After seeing the TRDs wheel in a couple places, you'd have a lot of fun with it. Assuming the same would be true of the TT. Bottom line, it's your money, you're the one wheeling it, get what you want.
 
I think you just want a TRD or SE, which is totally fine. They aren't exactly "built up", and there is really nothing on them that you cant install with a few handtools in an hour or so.
 
firetruck41 said:
I think you just want a TRD or SE, which is totally fine. They aren't exactly "built up", and there is really nothing on them that you cant install with a few handtools in an hour or so.
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Ok so firetruck, if you HAD to choose the TRD or SE which would you choose?
 
Probably the SE, since I like the color scheme just a little bit better. I have a black 80 series, and would be ready for a change. Though if I could get an "un-abused", used TRD for $2k (or more) cheaper I would go for it instead.
 
firetruck41 said:
Probably the SE, since I like the color scheme just a little bit better. I have a black 80 series, and would be ready for a change. Though if I could get an "un-abused", used TRD for $2k (or more) cheaper I would go for it instead.
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Exactly the kinda advice I was looking for. Thank You Firetruck!!
 
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