SRD Pro build

After one week of ownership, my SRD Pro build is almost done.

This is a lease 23 SR V6 4x4, priced at $34k and leased at $340 per month, with only $900 of aftermarket parts ($500 Facebook marketplace wheels/Pirelli Scorpion tires, running boards, grill and foglights). I'm still on the hunt for a reasonably priced pair of OEM fender flares and a scooped hood.

After:


Before:

 

Lookin clean! I was lucky enough to find a scooped hood locally.

 

Got any tips on how to find one?

 

Are you planning to buy out at the end of your lease or are you keeping to things that are easy to remove later?

 

No, I intend to treat it badly and dump it back on the dealer's lot. I'll ask the dealer if they want to keep any of my upgrades and if they don't I'll easily return everything to stock. All of these upgrades can be easily undone.

 

Hahaha, Sorry I realize now that sounded a bit off and you responded accordingly! I was honestly just curious on your path not meaning to come across as judgemental of it!

 

Can you elaborate on "treat it badly"??

 

I am replacing an F250 with a 1/4 ton pickup. I'm going to overload the hell out of this thing and have Toyota pay for anything that breaks.

 

It's all good! It's an unconventional approach. I live in Detroit and the road salt and terrible roads absolutely destroy vehicles. My house doesn't have a garage. I figure it's cheaper jut to lease and get a new truck every three years than build a garage, undercoat, properly wash the vehicle, etc. The upgrades I put on are about 4 hours of work to install and can be taken off in another two.

 

Leasing is typically a bad financial decision. Have you really done the math here or are you making a bunch of arbitrary assumptions that it's cheaper to lease?

 

Did you let one of the sorority girls drunk park your truck? Looks like she backed it up on a cable.

 

Yes, it i more expensive to lease. However I secured what I think is an extremely favorable monthly payment of $340 per month with 3k down. It's essentially a rental fee of $13 per day. I leased because:

1. I am free to not maintain the vehicle like a truck I own. I'm in the rust belt. No undercoating, no rust prevention, no washing necessary, no garaging. I can take it through the carwash instead of handwashing. A weight limit is meaningless. I can offroad like a reckless idiot. As long as there are no panel dents or broken glass -- which are trivial to fix on a tacoma anyway -- the lease company will take the truck back. Who else will buy a car from you where you say, "I have done my best to destroy this vehicle for three years?" Because that's what a lease is.

2. The arguments in favor for buying cars rest on rising, or at least stable, prices. I bought both my cars in the past four years and they have actually appreciated in price. But right now used car prices are crashing. Tacomas have among the lowest depreciation in the world, but why bet on a depreciating asset? Let somebody else assume the risk.

Anyway, that's my calculation. I was going to spend 25k to build a garage, but instead I thought, screw it, I'll just lease.

 

No, that was me. I may or may not have been sober at the time.

 

I'd be worried about someone hitting while it's parked in a neighborhood with of campus housing.

How does insurance handle a totaled lease?

 

I just happened to be in Ann Arbor when I snapped the picture. I live in a good neighborhood of Detroit and I've got my own parking lot so it's pretty safe. But I've got full coverage so I'd just pay the 1k deductible if an asteroid hit it.

 

You are in for a rude awakening when you go to turn that vehicle in. Best of luck to you brother.

 

Are you speaking from experience or speculation? Because I've turned in three trashed leases and never had a problem.

 

Nope. I just jumped in it as soon as I saw it come up. A fellow with a sport wanted a solar panel on his hood. Only thing that would have made it better if he would have traded!

 

Enjoy it man....

 

Op can't park for shit...