Thinking about selling the FJ… Thoughts?

I am not sure if I posted this at the time, but I leased my FJ two years ago. I leased it with the intention of buying it at the end of the lease period. I knew I wanted that truck. It was a conscious decision to give myself a lower monthly payment for two years. Knowing I was planning to buy the truck at the end of the lease, I had no hesitation in modifying it. Well, I have just recently finalized the financing work on the truck. This has got me thinking...

As I have posted in the past, I love this truck. It is the best daily driver I have ever owned. However, I have been contemplating selling it lately for a few reasons.

1. I want to keep modifying it. There are so many things I want to do to this truck. I know I should hold back. It is my daily driver. It is meant to get me to and from work and out and about to do everyday things. I am not supposed to want to modify it like a toy. Right? Not only that, but every time I walk out of my building at work, which is located in a less-than-safe city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I find myself wondering if my spare tire (which happens to be mounted to a 18" Volk TE37) is still going to be mounted to the rear door. Not that working in an unsavory neighborhood should affect decisions such as this, but I just do not want to worry about things like this.
2. I feel like I have neglected the Z because of this project. Yes, I have a bevy of nice Japanese parts piled up and ready to make their way onto the Z, but I could also be much further along if every penny I spent on the FJ went into the Z. That is not to say that I have regrets with the FJ. At all. I love it and I love what I have done to it, but I also have a completely stock Z that is not getting the love it deserves.
3. When I leased the FJ, I got locked in to a buy-out price of what the truck was worth in 2014. As 2014 was the last year the FJ was produced, the demand for them is high. In short, looking at the book value of this truck with the current mileage, I could make a few dollars selling the FJ.

I am not sure what I should do. The extra money in my pocket would be nice. I could do a few responsible "adult" things with it and then I could put a few dollars aside for a down payment on a new daily that I would not be so tempted to modify. Then, of course, I could devote more of my attention to the Z. I am in no rush at this time, but I am very seriously considering what I should do with this truck. If I had millions of dollars, I know I would not even be considering selling this truck. Unfortunately, I am not a millionaire.

In case you may be interested (or know someone who may be), here are the details of the truck. I would be willing to sell as-is or possibly part it out. It all comes down to offers, money, and what a potential buyer is looking for in an FJ.

2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Mileage: ~28,000 miles

Pro-Comp 3" Lift Kit

18" Volk Racing TE37 Large PCD (5)

34" BF Goodrich T/A KO2

MBRP Cat-Back Exhaust System

Demello Offroad Single Hoop Aluminum Front Bumper

Bushwacker Extend-A-Fender Flares

N-Fab Nerf Bars

Trail Teams Edition Black-Out Grille

Trail Teams Edition Black-Out Door Handles

Schrockworks Washer Reservoir

Baja Designs 3.5" Squadron Sport Lights
Black Anodized Billet Fuel Door

LED Interior Lighting

LED Headlight Bulbs

Hella Sharptone Horns

Springtail Solutions Straddle Combo Packs

Tint

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project FJ: Stage One Completed.

Brian at Pro-Spec facilitated receipt of the FJ this past Friday before the holiday weekend. I am very happy with the final product. I have used every excuse to get out and drive it this weekend and I am left smiling each time. The truck is not nearly as sluggish as I had anticipated and prepared myself for and there is no rubbing with the unproven/untested tire size selection. Thus, the risk and labored research and contemplation paid off, as the final look is exactly what I had hoped for. My only "complaint," if it can even be referred to as such, is that it appears as though the front sits slightly higher than the rear. I am not making any hasty decisions as of yet, because I do anticipated some suspension settling over the next few days. However, I may end up remedying the situation with a small spacer for the rear, especially because my future plans for the truck entail a heavier rear bumper.

To recap all the work that was completed in this stage of the project, here is a list:

1. Pro-Comp 3" Lift Kit
2. Volk TE37 Large PCD Wheels (18x8") w/ matching spare.
3. BF Goodrich T/A KO2 (34x12.5R18)
4. Demello Offroad Single Hoop Aluminum Front Bumper
5. Schrockworks Washer Fluid Relocation Reservoir Kit
6. Baja Designs 3.5" Squadron Sport Lights
7. Bushwacker Extenda Fender Flares
8. N-Fab Nerf Bars
9. Hella Sharptone Horn (link to hear it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKOdNCv9UwE)
10. Tint (2 front windows to match the rear and a small windshield banner)
11. Interior LEDs
12. Rear license plate LEDs
13. LED headlight bulbs

The MBRP exhaust system was supposed to be installed in this stage, but it was backordered across the country from the manufacturer, so it should be arriving this week. That is one thing I noticed - with the more aggressive look, it needs a more aggressive growl. I am really looking forward to having this installed.

I have not had a chance to take many good pictures of the truck, but I will post what I have.

Demello Single Hoop Aluminum Front Bumper

If you look closely, you can see the Hella horns behind the grille...

Pig on gas...

JDMphasis: Innovation over Imitation
(Message me for JDMphasis decals.)

Matching spare...

Poor neglected/stock Z in the background…

The mod bug has certainly hit in regards to Project FJ. I can honestly say that this truck ranks as the favorite daily driven vehicle I have ever owned. Some of my future plans for this truck include, as mentioned above, possibly adding a small spacer to the rear suspension, as well as a rear bumper - I am thinking Warrior at the moment. I would also like to do a light bar across the roof rack - both front and back. Also, one of the things I notice when I now look at the truck is the side mirrors. I feel like I need to black them out to match the rest of the truck. Performance-wise, I think the truck could benefit from a cold air intake system. There are a few other smaller things I would like to do, as well, but I would really like to concentrate some attention on the Z at this point. We will see if that happens… Stay tuned.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation