*This is somewhat for personal record-keeping and a little bit of sharing. I'll go back and refine some of the stuff I listed with actual model numbers and some pics here and there.
Picked up an Black 2002 LX470 in May 2023 w/ 235k on the odo, bone stock (aside from a AHC-delete), from a single owner that passed the vehicle down to his son/daughter in Newport Beach, CA.
The primary use is intended for light trails, long road trips, solo+family camping, occasional grocery-getter, and not so much hardcore wheeling. I had a long-travel 3rd Gen Tacoma that I sold earlier this year and I wheeled that thing pretty good. I then bought a 2nd Gen Tacoma for the purpose of wheelingbut will probably end up selling that, and picking up a 1st Gen Tacoma to get wild with. The goals for this LX won't be the same. Not getting wild, just mild.
Here's what it looks like now (Nov '23), roughly:
Here's how it looked upon day of purchase:
...and this is what I sold prior to the LX:
Here's what went into that: Choyota's 2018 MGM LT+2 TRD *Locked* Sport 4x4 Build - https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/choyotas-2018-mgm-lt-2-trd-locked-sport-4x4-build.703752/
Anyhow. This is what had been done so far within the first almost-year of ownership:
Maintenance Items:
- Swapped Trans Fluid, T-Case Fluid, F+R Diff Fluids, Oil Change
- Water Pump / TB service (before THE ENTIRE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE SWAPPED, see below)
- New Drive Belt, Thermostat Gasket, Coolant, PS hose swapped
- New Spark Plugs/Ignition Coils
- New OEM steering rack
- New Radiator
- Heater T inspection (was/is good)
- Address Valve Cover Gasket leak
- Address PS fluid leak
- Address Center Diff Lock light out (on dash)
- Address AC water leak (new gasket, water accumulated on passenger side floor)
- New AC blower (shortly thereafter the leak, few months)
- New In-Cabin Microfilters
- New Air Filter
- Cleaned MAF
Ultra-Minor Maintenance Items:
- Fixed all door light lens covers that popped out and replaced with LEDs
- Replaced all interior lights with LEDs
- Replaced a broken license plate light housing, replaced with LEDs
- Replaced Corner Light Bulb that was out
- Replaced seat heater bulb (never worked since acquisition)
- New windshield wipers, front and rear
- Fixed driver side door handle
- Fix Glove Box issue
- Replaced headunit display screen with a Alibaba replacement, 70% of the screen surface was inoperable
- New armrests (front, they were missing)
- 2nd row seating swapped (unsuitable condition previously)
- Replaced broken wheel stud
- Removed sidesteps
- Replaced weatherstrip in the rear
- Removed rest of the AHC hardware on the frame rails
- LED bulbs all around
A Bit More Fun Fixes/Upgrades:
- Installed @LandCruiserPhil mud-flap eliminators
- Installed Magnaflow muffler (12259), resonator-delete
- Installed Taiwan Headlights (original OEM in bad shape, broken tabs everywhere)
- Wanderer 4x4 Cup Holder Inserts
- New magnetic sunshades for 2nd Row
- New rubber floor mats
- Cover King seat covers (Saddle Blanket style)
- Installed Blue Ridge Overland attic storage
- Installed Ohana Rig Supply dash mount
- Replaced multiple goodies in the interior from Cruiser DM (T-Case Shift Knob + Shift Plate)
- Well Visors wind deflectors
- Sherpa Oxford Roof Rack
- Viper Ceramic 30 (procured by a fella in Oregon selling them)
- Custom southwestern style tailgate panel (using cheap Amazon rug)
- Victory4x4 molle panels (back windows)
- Drawers/Sleeping Platform
- Vinyl wrap hood (partial)
- Installed LED flasher relay (for hyperflash)
- DRL delete (snipping wire)
- Center console armrest re-leather (terrible job, btw)
- Added LEDs for hatch lighting (magnets, came with remote)
- Added Cruiser DM 3rd row rock light replacements (KC Cyclones)
Funner Upgrades aka Suspension Swap Info:
- New Eibach shocks/springs
- SPC UCAs, new OEM LCAs
- Swayaway Torsion Bars
- Durobump Bump Stops, Front and Rear
- New Swaybar bushings, Front and Rear
- Trail Tailor Extended Swaybar links
- Ironman Diff Drop
- New NAPA CVs and OEM Inner Seals
- New Rear Links (OEM upper, Dobinsons lower)
- New OEM Panhard Bar
- eimkeith Panhard Correction Kit (PCK)
- Rock sliders from Iron Ryno Fab
- Raceline Ryno 17x8.5 -0 offset Wheels
- Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT 295/70-17
As it turned out, I ended up with rod knock. Long story short, I went on a road trip, heard some noises from the engine bay, I thought I had a loose spark plug, which I did. Replaced all spark plugs and ignition coils, turned out to be rod knock. There must have been some leak that didn't get addressed from a shop that I visited a few times. Oil levels seemed OK prior to the trip.
So, the whole motor was swapped, Long Block (new rod bearings, piston rings, head gasket, new valves, seals, freaking everything).Made the decision to sell my 2nd gen Tacoma at the same time.
Shortly thereafter, I started getting drips on my driveway from a leaking steering rack. So an OEM steering rack went in, new bushings, along with 555 tie rods.
Future plans (already purchased, too lazy to install or initiate action):
- Coastal Offroad Front Bumper (custom tube work planned)
- Rear Bumper with swingout
- Skids
- Auxbeam Install
- Valvomax Install
- Loncky Steering Wheel Cover
- Fix the D in the instrument panel
- Fix my auto up/down on front passenger window
- Fix the telescoping steering wheel
Picked up an Black 2002 LX470 in May 2023 w/ 235k on the odo, bone stock (aside from a AHC-delete), from a single owner that passed the vehicle down to his son/daughter in Newport Beach, CA.
The primary use is intended for light trails, long road trips, solo+family camping, occasional grocery-getter, and not so much hardcore wheeling. I had a long-travel 3rd Gen Tacoma that I sold earlier this year and I wheeled that thing pretty good. I then bought a 2nd Gen Tacoma for the purpose of wheeling
Here's what it looks like now (Nov '23), roughly:
Here's how it looked upon day of purchase:
...and this is what I sold prior to the LX:
Here's what went into that: Choyota's 2018 MGM LT+2 TRD *Locked* Sport 4x4 Build - https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/choyotas-2018-mgm-lt-2-trd-locked-sport-4x4-build.703752/
Anyhow. This is what had been done so far within the first almost-year of ownership:
Maintenance Items:
- Swapped Trans Fluid, T-Case Fluid, F+R Diff Fluids, Oil Change
- Water Pump / TB service (before THE ENTIRE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE SWAPPED, see below)
- New Drive Belt, Thermostat Gasket, Coolant, PS hose swapped
- New Spark Plugs/Ignition Coils
- New OEM steering rack
- New Radiator
- Heater T inspection (was/is good)
- Address Valve Cover Gasket leak
- Address PS fluid leak
- Address Center Diff Lock light out (on dash)
- Address AC water leak (new gasket, water accumulated on passenger side floor)
- New AC blower (shortly thereafter the leak, few months)
- New In-Cabin Microfilters
- New Air Filter
- Cleaned MAF
Ultra-Minor Maintenance Items:
- Fixed all door light lens covers that popped out and replaced with LEDs
- Replaced all interior lights with LEDs
- Replaced a broken license plate light housing, replaced with LEDs
- Replaced Corner Light Bulb that was out
- Replaced seat heater bulb (never worked since acquisition)
- New windshield wipers, front and rear
- Fixed driver side door handle
- Fix Glove Box issue
- Replaced headunit display screen with a Alibaba replacement, 70% of the screen surface was inoperable
- New armrests (front, they were missing)
- 2nd row seating swapped (unsuitable condition previously)
- Replaced broken wheel stud
- Removed sidesteps
- Replaced weatherstrip in the rear
- Removed rest of the AHC hardware on the frame rails
- LED bulbs all around
A Bit More Fun Fixes/Upgrades:
- Installed @LandCruiserPhil mud-flap eliminators
- Installed Magnaflow muffler (12259), resonator-delete
- Installed Taiwan Headlights (original OEM in bad shape, broken tabs everywhere)
- Wanderer 4x4 Cup Holder Inserts
- New magnetic sunshades for 2nd Row
- New rubber floor mats
- Cover King seat covers (Saddle Blanket style)
- Installed Ohana Rig Supply dash mount
- Replaced multiple goodies in the interior from Cruiser DM (T-Case Shift Knob + Shift Plate)
- Well Visors wind deflectors
- Sherpa Oxford Roof Rack
- Viper Ceramic 30 (procured by a fella in Oregon selling them)
- Custom southwestern style tailgate panel (using cheap Amazon rug)
- Victory4x4 molle panels (back windows)
- Drawers/Sleeping Platform
- Vinyl wrap hood (partial)
- Installed LED flasher relay (for hyperflash)
- DRL delete (snipping wire)
- Center console armrest re-leather (terrible job, btw)
- Added LEDs for hatch lighting (magnets, came with remote)
- Added Cruiser DM 3rd row rock light replacements (KC Cyclones)
Funner Upgrades aka Suspension Swap Info:
- New Eibach shocks/springs
- SPC UCAs, new OEM LCAs
- Swayaway Torsion Bars
- Durobump Bump Stops, Front and Rear
- New Swaybar bushings, Front and Rear
- Trail Tailor Extended Swaybar links
- Ironman Diff Drop
- New NAPA CVs and OEM Inner Seals
- New Rear Links (OEM upper, Dobinsons lower)
- New OEM Panhard Bar
- eimkeith Panhard Correction Kit (PCK)
- Rock sliders from Iron Ryno Fab
- Raceline Ryno 17x8.5 -0 offset Wheels
- Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT 295/70-17
As it turned out, I ended up with rod knock. Long story short, I went on a road trip, heard some noises from the engine bay, I thought I had a loose spark plug, which I did. Replaced all spark plugs and ignition coils, turned out to be rod knock. There must have been some leak that didn't get addressed from a shop that I visited a few times. Oil levels seemed OK prior to the trip.
So, the whole motor was swapped, Long Block (new rod bearings, piston rings, head gasket, new valves, seals, freaking everything).
Shortly thereafter, I started getting drips on my driveway from a leaking steering rack. So an OEM steering rack went in, new bushings, along with 555 tie rods.
Future plans (already purchased, too lazy to install or initiate action):
- Coastal Offroad Front Bumper (custom tube work planned)
- Rear Bumper with swingout
- Skids
- Auxbeam Install
- Valvomax Install
- Loncky Steering Wheel Cover
- Fix the D in the instrument panel
- Fix my auto up/down on front passenger window
- Fix the telescoping steering wheel
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