New owner with newbie questions

Hi everyone.

I'm in the second week of ownership of my first ever 4Runner. I was very lucky to find a 2021 Venture as I was in desperate need of a new car. I bought it (full sticker of course) because of the reliability of the engine and overall build. Plus it will service me for my small business....

I have some TOTAL noob questions to ask.

The Yakima basket had to be removed as it would just barely not fit into my garage. I assume that I can sell it - but where and at what price? Or should I hang onto it in case I need it for a long distance trip?

The wheels. I wasn't too crazy about the black wheels, but they have really grown on me. But, while the wheels are matte (and the steps), the door handles and side view mirror are a glossy black.

So now I'm considering getting something in a glossy black. But I have NO idea where to begin / what I should look for / where I should look for it. Does anyone have any pictures that they want to share with glossy black?

Finally...the TRD wheels. I've only got 1500 miles on them so far. I assume that I can sell them pretty quickly?? What is a fair price to ask?

Thank you in advance to any assistance. This forum was a big help in making my decision to purchase my 4R.

 

OK one more question. What should I do about protecting the paint job? Any suggestions on a large term solution? I am going to assume that even though paint has come a long way over the years that I still need to do something better to protect it?

 

First off congratulations your 4Runner looks gorgeous, I am in the process of becoming a first-time owner myself. Good question on the paint, I plan to do the limited off-roading but I want to know what can be done out there to protect your very expensive investment?

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! About the roof rack.. if it were me, I would hang on to it for the anticipated long distance trip, thus eliminating the 'wanting' one when you think you need it. Now, where to store it till you need it? If you chose to sell it, you could post it on this forum in the buy/sell/trade portion of the forum. (found on the top header of the forum) Now the paint protection I would leave to the ceramic coating, no expert on the subject, but, what I've read about ceramic coating is that it is durable. We live on a gravel road + have the color that is known to be weak and we use silicone based "waxes", due to their ability to get rid of dust, while they do NOT offer much in the way of protection. Enjoy your new 4Runner and the forum.

 

Where are you located?

You can sell anything you like right here on this forum. Check out the 5th gen marketplace page. Those wheels will get scooped up pretty quickly.

just do a quick google to look up pricing. See how much it costs new then fairly adjust for how used yours is.

 

If you bought a lower profile rack would it fit in your garage and serve your long trip needs? Something like a Prinsu, Gobi, Westcott Design, etc? If so go buy one and once it arrives (some racks are taking a long time), sell the one that came with your vehicle.

I just sold my wheels and tires as a set on Facebook marketplace for $950 but they weren’t TRD wheels. Try a price and see who bites. Go high and bring it down. You could use Facebook marketplace, OfferUp, buy/sell/trade as previously mentioned, local pickup on eBay, etc.

Paint protection is very vague. What are you trying to protect it from? Keep it in the garage and that will protect it. Okay enough of trying to be a wise guy but honestly it depends what protection you need. Sun? Bird poop? Rocks? Potholes? Pinstripes from off-roading? Hail? etc. depending on your answer you might have a couple different options.

Sun and birds: Wash and wax on an as needed basis. I just washed with dawn dish soap to get oil and stuff off, claybar, waxed, and 303 the 4Runner and oh my was it nice. It feels like butter smooth (better than new) and looks great in the sun. I wouldn’t recommend washing it with Dawn every time obviously. After you do that just keep up with maintenance and wash the car with car soap and apply spray on wax every time. The 303 your vehicle every 30-90 days or so. You can read more about 303 here if you haven’t heard of it: Vinyl wrap for everything protection.

hope this helps.

 

Welcome from Florida

 

Welcome.