AznSky

Ok I'm a new member here and I have a situation.

I lived in Arizona my whole life and now am currently a freshman in college in Indiana. I'm gonna need a car by this summer because I'm getting a co-op job and I would need a car to drive to work.

Now the situation: I have a 96 4runner, my parents want me to bring that car up because it's 4wd and an suv and safe and bla bla bla. I want to get a lexus sc300 5-speed though because I've always wanted a manual car to have and mod myself. But my parents bought me my 4runner and they won't let me sell it and get the lexus. So what should I do? Try to save up for the lexus,which I am only a few thousand away from, or keep the 4runner throughout college. I don't hate my runner or anything, just want a car to mod. Then again the runner would be a lot better than the lexus in snow.

what would you guys do?

914runner

I would mod the runner!

loosehead

Ditto!

Besides, chicks dig 4Runners!

BTW, welcome to the forum. Keep the 4Runner and stick around here a bit to learn about all kinds of cool 4Runner mods.

rimpainter.com

Start a poll next time, you will get more results. But since you didnt, I say keep the runner. Especially for the snow, and especially since the alternative is a RWD with decent torque (not fun in snow!)

Mod the runner!

PS: This guy didn't like the SC300 much...

metal22lica

haha..what a silly question to ask on a toyota board.

AznSky

Well a lexus IS a toyota........

Anywho, I just de-riced my car yesterday lol. I put some huge TRD stickers on the front windshield and some chinese writing on the side, finally matured enough to take those off. Are there gonna be any 4runner get togethers in phoenix? or az? I'm leavin on sunday (end of spring break) and 96 runner do you go to pavillions on sat? If you do, i'm goin out there this sat., maybe we can meet up and you can show me any mods you've got for the car.

P.S. I took the car off-roading a few years ago, I got a real muddy engine bay, any suggestions of cleaning it?

Robinhood150

At the risk of sounding like a lecture: Keep the 4runner, save money for other things like traveling and school. You're lucky to have a car for college. Stay out of debt and thank your parents.

BTW, my parents let me drive the 4runner throughout college and eventually let me have it...so we're in the same boat.

Steve

Edit: I forgot to say that you will have plenty of money once you're out of college and have a good job.

SLC Punk

I was in the same boat. My parents bought me a 1994 Ford Ranger for my high school graduating year (1998).

I got to pick out whatever I wanted and chose that truck, their intentions was to buy this for me so I didn't have to worry about a car payment in college.

Last December I traded in my Ranger (which I liked but was just bored of it) for my 4Runner. At the time I had plenty of money (still single) only had 2.5 years of college left, and didn't think too much about the future. Then I met Mindi, I ended up getting married, and had to re-think ways on saving money. It came down to selling my 4Runner or selling her Explorer. We ended up selling the Explorer and bought my parents Camry. I got it for $4800, so the payment was cheap, but we still had two car payments. I was very stressed because she just moved to Utah and didn't have a steady job and I still had 2 years left of undergraduate school and want to go to grad school.

In my case I lucked out, because my wife landed a job where she makes enough money to pay for pretty much everything, and my paycheck goes toward saving/fun/etc.


The point of my story is that I would have not had to deal with the additional monitary stress if I had just kept the Ranger. I don't regret buying the 4Runner, but it would have been easier had I not.

If you have the cash, I recommend saving it and if you need it (i.e. meet a girl and get married) you will not have to worry about it as much.

elnip

Toyo_Runner96

There is an event that started today called AZROCKS.
It is a tacoma event but I know for sure that a number of 'Runners will be there. A ton on mods work on either vehicle and that would be a good place to start.

Keep the 4runner!

Scott

AznSky

Dang, too bad I just washed my car yesterday after the huge rain storm. But I think I'm done taking my car off-road, last time I felt like I broke somethin real bad lol. And now I can't get the underside clean anymore.

rimpainter.com

I applaud you de-ricing your vehicle, and especially for admitting it. You dont get a lot of people willing to admit that.

I have been to the pavillions, and would be willing to go again. Its a little far for me at 50 miles each way, but let me think about it. I will let you know if I go. I would happy to help you with your deckplate mod or any other mods (if you want it), just let me know. I got my Beckson 6" Marine deckplate from Scottsdale Marine for $15. Not bad for 5+HP!

There is a place up here (Shell at Tatum and Dear Valley Rd) that steam cleans engines. That's what I would recommend for cleaning.

MY024runner

I would say kkeep the runner although this is a toyoa forum and most of your answers will probrobly keep the runner plus there are alot of mods out there for the runner

AznSky

I'll most likely be there this sat., since I'm leaving on sunday. Just let me know. I'm at 56th and Bell so I'm not that far away from you. Deck plate mod? Huh? Who? Wha?

Basically if I start modding my 4runner i'd be going for the nice rich look, audio-video stuff maybe. But definitly would like some extra power.

Drove to Sedona the other day with my parents and the dog and my car always feels like it's struggling to get up the hills.

Plus maybe you can give my car an overlook and let me know what I should do first. I really need new wheels, mine are like the ones smaller than factory. Really gay.

:bounce2: <------That looks funny!!

rimpainter.com

Ok my bad. I was reading someone elses sig, and thinking of a different thread. Guess that's what happens when you try and do this Forum stuff from work!

Whoops!

Anyway, I will let you about the Pavillions. That place can have some crazy cool cars!

AznSky

ok sounds good. Hey if you know of any mods that are cheap and very useful you can show me this weekend

4x4CPOSEADOG

I second the motion. I will save the money that I saved for the SC300 so I can use them to mod the 4runner. There's a ton of mod you can do on this runner.

Oh BTW, Welcome to the forum!!!!

Noel