goalieThreeOne
Member
Hello! Figured I'd introduce myself since I'll be lurking here heavily for the next few years.
My Raptor journey started in May of 2023 when I put an order in for a 2024 Ranger Raptor in CGM. I'd always dreamed of owning a Raptor since they came out but the price and size was always a barrier for me. I figured the Ranger Raptor would scratch the itch for me. Unfortunately due to the strike and the ordering delays, my build date moved from 9/18/23 several times to 1/8/24. I was unfortunately running out of time since I had to turn in my fleet Malibu and move to a reimbursement program for my new vehicle. Plan B was a Tremor and I found some good deals on leftover 23MY F-150 Tremors, but it really wasn't doing it for me. So on a whim, I started checking online (AutoTempest is amazing for this) for extremely low mileage used full-size Raptors. As luck would have it, this beautiful 22MY RRM 801a with Moonroof was available at a Toyota dealer with less than 7,000 miles:
I actually lucked out because this seemed to be priced around $5-7k lower than any other Raptor under 10k miles within the area I was willing to drive to. I drove up an inspected it, and other than a few little spots, it was clean as hell and ready to go. I didn't realize it before I went to pick it up that the previous owner tint-matched the front windows and got Line X for the bed, probably somewhere close to $1500-$2000 in upgrades. Best I can tell, the guy got up to his eyeballs in his payments and traded it in for a Tundra TRD Pro. His loss, my gain.
As for me, I'm coming from a 2017 Explorer Platinum, actually in Ruby Red Metallic so it's almost the exact same color. I personally hate buying a vehicle and seeing a better trim level of the same car next to me in traffic so I'm super stoked to have the baddest F-150 in any given parking lot or traffic light. I've never owned a pickup before either, but I've already put it to work carrying jobsite material and sales samples around my territory. The size has been a learning curve but basically all the fear I had about the length and the width have turned out to be nothing at all. My only gripe is that I have to find a new garage to park in downtown to see my dentist because it's too small. Small price to pay to own a vehicle I've been dreaming about for over a decade. I'm an Electrical Engineer in a sales role, so trucks come in handy for job sit visits. I'm happy to offer any expertise that I can in that regard to the forum, but most of my experience is working in AC, not DC.
Either way, I'm happy to be here and learn from some of you veterans and experts. If you're in Memphis and you see my truck around, feel free to come up and introduce yourself.
My Raptor journey started in May of 2023 when I put an order in for a 2024 Ranger Raptor in CGM. I'd always dreamed of owning a Raptor since they came out but the price and size was always a barrier for me. I figured the Ranger Raptor would scratch the itch for me. Unfortunately due to the strike and the ordering delays, my build date moved from 9/18/23 several times to 1/8/24. I was unfortunately running out of time since I had to turn in my fleet Malibu and move to a reimbursement program for my new vehicle. Plan B was a Tremor and I found some good deals on leftover 23MY F-150 Tremors, but it really wasn't doing it for me. So on a whim, I started checking online (AutoTempest is amazing for this) for extremely low mileage used full-size Raptors. As luck would have it, this beautiful 22MY RRM 801a with Moonroof was available at a Toyota dealer with less than 7,000 miles:
I actually lucked out because this seemed to be priced around $5-7k lower than any other Raptor under 10k miles within the area I was willing to drive to. I drove up an inspected it, and other than a few little spots, it was clean as hell and ready to go. I didn't realize it before I went to pick it up that the previous owner tint-matched the front windows and got Line X for the bed, probably somewhere close to $1500-$2000 in upgrades. Best I can tell, the guy got up to his eyeballs in his payments and traded it in for a Tundra TRD Pro. His loss, my gain.
As for me, I'm coming from a 2017 Explorer Platinum, actually in Ruby Red Metallic so it's almost the exact same color. I personally hate buying a vehicle and seeing a better trim level of the same car next to me in traffic so I'm super stoked to have the baddest F-150 in any given parking lot or traffic light. I've never owned a pickup before either, but I've already put it to work carrying jobsite material and sales samples around my territory. The size has been a learning curve but basically all the fear I had about the length and the width have turned out to be nothing at all. My only gripe is that I have to find a new garage to park in downtown to see my dentist because it's too small. Small price to pay to own a vehicle I've been dreaming about for over a decade. I'm an Electrical Engineer in a sales role, so trucks come in handy for job sit visits. I'm happy to offer any expertise that I can in that regard to the forum, but most of my experience is working in AC, not DC.
Either way, I'm happy to be here and learn from some of you veterans and experts. If you're in Memphis and you see my truck around, feel free to come up and introduce yourself.
