For Sale 1999 LX470, lifted, 33” tires, steel sliders (1 Viewer)

Location

United States

1999 Lexus LX470 (100 series Land Cruiser), lifted, 33” tires, steel sliders
Price reduced. $12,500

Pictures below. More pictures available at
1999 LX470 pictures by uberduden - Photobucket
Post questions if you need further information. Send pm if interested. Thanks.

I purchased the vehicle 3.3 years ago and began the process of un-sissifying it with the upgraded tires and the sliders. Eventually steel front and rear bumpers could be added and whatever other upgrades you like to complete the transformation. The added features of the early LX470 over the same year Land Cruiser make this a better vehicle, in my opinion. I know some people don’t care for the extras/gadgets. The AHC (automatic height control) is one of those gadgets that some like and some don’t. It has many benefits but will periodically need maintained...just like any piece of technology. The adjustable height and the adjustable ride (4 settings from stiff to soft)on this LX work flawlessly and are a great feature. The LX does have more insulation to make it a quieter ride and the memory seat function is nice when more than one person will be driving the vehicle.

$1200 Oversized truck tire upgrade (see detail below). $1500 touchscreen Nav/stereo system. $1000 (including shipping cost) Slee Tube Sliders (see detail below) 2” lift. $200 Slee differential drop kit installed. AHC lifts the truck another 2” when needed for off-road conditions. Pictures are with AHC on high setting. 4” lift (above stock normal height) in high mode with the way the system is setup. You can also lower the truck 2”+ below the normal setting when needed for parking garages, etc. Weathertech weather blockers installed on side door windows for venting heat during summer without risking rain getting inside.

All fluids have been maintained regularly and are fully synthetic, including the differential fluid and the grease used in grease fittings. The AHC fluid has been flushed and replaced with factory AHC fluid. Last synthetic oil and filter change were done 3 months/1000 miles ago. Timing belt done at 113K. Maintenance records available.

140k highway and city miles. Clean carfax/history. Engine and transmission are in excellent condition. There is a dent in the right front fender and the side marker light is cracked. I was not planning to get it fixed until I replaced the front bumper with a brushguard front bumper to avoid this from happening again. I have only taken the truck off-road once… which is when I was hit by a crazed fallen tree trunk at 2mph that ambushed the fender on a narrow path.

The interior is in good condition. The paint needs redone sometime in the near future. The clear coat is hazy and worn from age and sun exposure (defective Lexus paint. see posts below). The good news is you get to pick the color, type, and quality of the paint… or if you want an off-road vehicle you can leave the paint as-is so you won’t care about a small scratch here and there from a branch when off-road. Repainting will cost anywhere from $250 to $1000+ depending on what you want the paint shop to do. If you are embarrassed by driving a Lexus off-road among Land Cruisers then when getting the paint done get all external Lexus paraphernalia removed and put a Toyota logo on it. After all this is just a high-end Toyota truck. Overall this truck is very strong that has a few superficial scars that can be easily fixed and does have some nice rather expensive upgrades .

UPGRADES DETAIL:

$1500 Pioneer Avic-Z1 navigation/stereo system. Software upgraded so the hardware/software is the same as the Z2. It has a 30 GB hard drive for music storage. The map data was upgraded two years ago. Bluetooth adapter is installed for cell phone use as a speaker phone. An Ipod cable is installed for playing ipod/iphone through the system. The factory speakers are great and the system can get very loud if you want.

$1000 Slee Tube Sliders.
For protection against rocks or other off-road obstacles.
The main slider is constructed from 2"x3" rectangular tube with a 3/16" wall thickness. The mounts to the frame are 1/4" formed channel welded to 1/4" plates. Attachment is done using 3 7/16" U-bolts on each side. The outer tube is 1.75" tube welded to the main slider and supported with two gussets.
The sliders are finished with 60% gloss powder coat finish. The pre-treatment includes baking to remove all oil, phosphate washing, sandblasting and then a powder coating is applied.

$1200 tire upgrade.
Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor truck tires, 33”, 305/70R16. An excellent all around tire that is not too loud on the road. ¾ of tread left. They are very durable and should last at least another 50,000 miles depending on your driving habits/conditions. They have some internal Kevlar for strength and some insulation for added noise comfort.

With these tires the LX still rides well on the road but has serious off-road capability that is not available with the factory tires. In my opinion the original tires are way too soft/spongy for this truck. They make it a purely on-road truck and mock the hardcore nature of this vehicle. Its like putting ballet slippers on an MMA fighter… not a good idea. The Goodyear tires installed are a truck tire that is firmer and helps with handling/cornering and provides a little more rollover safety because they will not flex as much if sharp turning is needed to avoid an accident. They are incredible in wet and/or snowy environments and are great off-road as well.

The spare was upgraded as well and the spare tire mounting hardware was modified to allow the larger tire to sit up higher to keep it safer from off-road hazards.

Write up for the tires:

“Wrangler SilentArmor tires are Goodyear's premium On-/Off-Road All-Terrain light truck tires designed to please pickup, van and SUV drivers with their satisfying on- and off-road capabilities. All Wrangler SilentArmor tires are designed to handle tough off-road conditions, provide a smooth on-road ride and generate traction in dry, wet and snowy conditions.
Wrangler SilentArmor tires use long-wearing, silica-blend tread compounds (Pro-Grade tires feature an even more chip- and chunk-resistant tread compound that also enhances wear in high-torque applications). These compounds are molded into a multi-faceted symmetric tread design with shoulder and sidewall appearances that offer a rugged look and blend on-road comfort with off-road and wintertime traction (tires meet the industry's severe snow service requirements and are branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol).
Goodyear's Durawall rubber compound is molded at the base of the tread grooves to increase resistance to stone/rock drilling. The tire's internal structure includes an Armor Zone that consists of twin, high-tensile steel belts reinforced by a layer of DuPont KEVLAR cord to combine strength with comfort. The Durawall rubber compound is also used in the sidewalls to resist scuffing and abrasion to protect the polyester cord body, and rim guards help protect wheels from accidental on- or off-road hazards.
Wrangler SilentArmor On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires are branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol to identify they meet industry severe snow service standards.”

 

[AGreekBoy]

interested in any trades?

 

[southerncruiser62]

What he (^^^^^)said

 

[rwhatley]

All cash or gold trades welcome. ...okay probably not the gold. The feds would be all over me asking where I got it once I tried to cash it in. No auto trades. Thanks.

 

[AGreekBoy]

still for sale?

 

[rwhatley]

Yes, still for sale. Sorry for the delay... I did not receive a notice that a post was put up and I have not checked in for a few days. I corrected the problem in my settings so I will be able to respond quicker in the future.

Price reduced a little. I edited the original post to reflect the change. Thanks for your patience

 

[nautilus]

Is the truck equipped with a rear differential lock?

 

[rwhatley]

No rear locker. Just central diff locker. Switch can be seen in the picture of the center console area.

I assume there would be a switch for the rear diff lock. There is not one on this truck... but you can always add it!

 

[crowdaddy911]

nice truck, im looking and thinking.Hmmmmm

 

[Farr off road]

Can you post up pics of the damage and the clear coat issue??

 

[rwhatley]

Below are some pics of the dent and paint/clear coat issues. I have done some research on the paint and "smokey topaz mica" has a bad track record from the early LX470 models. Apparently the UV protectant in the paint is defective and causes the paint to fail which weakens the bond with the clear coat causing haziness/fading and eventually peeling.

Some people have been fortunate enough to get Lexus to repaint the truck free of charge through their local dealer. Others have been offered to split the cost and the rest have been told "Wow! It sucks to be you!" I have been talking with the local Lexus service director and am waiting to hear if they will do anything about this apparent manufacturing defect. Since I am the third owner, the warranty is out, and this is not a safety issue I am guessing they will say..."sucks to be you"... but it doesn't hurt to ask and let them know that I am aware that this is a Lexus defect that they are not willing to fix and it will reflect on their reputation and my future choices of what brand auto to buy.

I'll post here again when I hear something from Lexus. Since my goal with this truck was to un-sissify it I was not planning to get an expensive and pristine paint job. I did not buy a "Lexus" as a status symbol. I bought it because it was a Land Cruiser with upgrades that I liked. The plan was to get steel bumpers with a brushguard, get the dent fixed, and get an inexpensive paint job of the same smokey topaz color. Something I would not be afraid to take off-road occasionally and would be inexpensive to touch up if it gets scratched.

The picture on the left is one of the worst areas of the defective paint problem. At the top of the picture the clear coat is peeling.

Here's a new angle on the paint... it's Lexus's new "marble topaz camo" paint! It's a very expensive and fashionable paint job. Get this gem before it's gone!

 

[fjatheart]

Very sound lx!!

I had the opportunity to drive this truck yesterday and I can testify that it is a VERY sound vehicle. Russ has all of the receipts and has thought ahead over the several years he has owned it and spent quite a bit on preventative maint.

This thing drives straight and smooth. It does not pull to either side when running down the interstate or when braking. The interior leather and carpet is in great shape, NO tears or seams coming apart.

The engine runs smooth and there are no leaks, drips, etc.

As stated the only thing "wrong" is the clear coat and dent up front.

My Dad and I were ready to purchase this rig for an overlander, but have decided to look around just a little bit longer. We still might end up with the rig, if you guys don't snatch it up!!

 

[speedkills]

still for sale?

 

[rwhatley]

still for sale?

Yes, it is still in stock and available for immediate purchase but there is only one left! Come on over and pick it up before someone else does.

 

[fj4075nc]

With, the issues on paint and body, would give you $10,000 cash , now, John

 

[rwhatley]

With the issues on paint and body I would give you $10,000 cash now. John (edited for clarity)

That would make a great down payment. Send it to me and I will hold the truck for you for 30 days till you can pay the rest of what the truck is worth... lets say about $3700 more. But after 30 days if you can't make the final payment you loose the deposit and the truck goes back on the market.

If the paint and small dent were fixed the truck would be listed at $16000 with the upgrades it has. Buy it 'as is' for thousands less ($13700) and get whatever paint job you want with the savings... or don't get it painted... it's up to you. I see that you just joined ih8mud today and this is your first post. Welcome to the jungle! You are no longer on Fantasy Island.

(self-edited before posting for a milder tone)

 

[fj4075nc]

It, was just a opening offer !!!! Usually when people have something for sale,that's the way its starts out. then the seller, makes a counter offer, are holds to original price. that was all that needed to be said. Sorry if I hurt your feelings. Nice LX, package.

 

[rwhatley]

That was the counter offer.

No hurt feelings. The sensation was much closer to humor because your very low offer was rather amusing so my counter offer is a reflection of the original offer. The price is a little negotiable but the price that is listed is already reduced for the paint and dent issues.

I may just hang on to the truck if I am unable to sell it for enough. I am certainly not making a profit with it. I have put alot more into the truck than I will get out of it. I just want to find a reasonable price for both parties involved.

Please send PM if you are interested in negotiating the price as stated in the original post:

"Post questions if you need further information. Send pm if interested. Thanks. "

 

[rwhatley]

As I suspected Lexus of Nashville service department looked over the truck and the cancerous paint that is obviously defective and proclaimed "Wow! it sucks to be you" and we will not fix it for you.

The service manager did admit that this paint color was a problem and that they had fixed a few of them in the past at his dealership. He also admitted that they had never had to get any other color fixed because none of them have had this problem. From the responses to my questions he admitted this paint color is defective but Lexus will not help at all with the defect. In other words "yup, we screwed up but since the economy sucks, the truck is out of warranty, this is not a safety issue... etc, etc... the only thing we will offer you is the shaft."

I am going to appeal their decision to the regional and national offices and hope someone cares about defects and Lexus reputation. I expect they will be about as helpful as the local dealer. It can't hurt to try.

I am reaching the point where I may go ahead and get the dent repaired and get a cheap paint job. Many people have a mental block when you say the words "Lexus" and "paint problem" in the same sentence.

Personally, I am much more concerned with mechanical condition than cosmetics... especially on an off-road vehicle. What good is a car that's nice on the outside but falls apart when you drive it. It is nice to have both but for off-roading I do not want a truck so pretty that when off-road the enjoyment factor is diminished by worrying about the lovely princess paint job getting scratched, or getting too dirty.

The price will definitely go up if I go ahead and get the cosmetics fixed. If there is anyone out there who is more concerned about mechanics than cosmetics and wants a good truck with some expensive upgrades for a good price before the paint gets fixed... let me know soon before I get the work done. You can leave the paint as is or get a whatever paint you want and get the truck for a lot less than if it has new paint on it.

Anyone... anyone... Bueller...

 

[crowdaddy911]

that rig seems to have it all. Just curious why are you selling anyway? Thanks