Buying a banged up LX470, wise choice?

[Hillyking]

Hi guys,

New to the forum here, but heard this is THE place to be to get some proper advise. So hope you guys can give me some insights.

So me and my family are looking to drive from Amsterdam to Japan over land, with (you guessed it) an overlander! Really looking for a Toyota 100 or Lexus LX470 to do it in. Leaving in 2 years, so I some time to a) let my kids get a feel of going off road and being in the car for a serious amount of time.

So I have two options at the moment: either buying a green 1998 Lexus LX470 with 206K miles on it, but with serious paint damage, interior pretty banged up, airco not working, air suspension not working OR a off white LX 470 from 2000 which is pretty neat on the inside, airco's running, air suspension isn't working and has 270K miles on it. Both for the same price (14K euro's, which prob is an equivalent of 8K in the US). The green also one has a roof rack and a Snorkel. Don't really need the snorkel, do need a roof rack though.

Both cars run great and look great from below. Under the hood everything looks pretty neat (as well as it can be for a car that age).

In time, I'm going to a lift kit on it, a new front bumber, a roof tent, and the whole works.

So... I'm in doubt. Which one should I buy? Added some pictures. Would be great if you can help!

 

[Hillyking]

Here are some more pics.

 

[Hillyking]

And some of the 2000 LX 470

 

[delz05]

Just based on your writings and images posted… I like the look and condition of the 2000 LX.
Price seems reasonable. Is the underside as clean as the 98?

 

[Hillyking]

It is! Same tech health I (assume a little). Just a little nervous about the miles though, 270K for petrol OK for this engine?

 

[MechE30]

Buy whichever has better maintenance records. Also it’s hydraulic suspension, not air. You would have better reliability with the non-hydraulic Land Cruiser version of the suspension.

 

[bhsdriller]

If you have 2 years can always wait for better options.

Going to spend a lot of time in it i'd want a clean interior

 

[D21FJ60]

2000 is better unless the frame is rotted away.
Or if you can get them to come down about 4k in price on the green one.

 

[kbfj621989]

The green one looks like the radiator is bad or about to perish. It looks very rough overall. Also was the rig originally from USA/California as indicated with the license plate??

Agree with above, service history is key.

 

[BullElk]

Based on what you say….I say 2000 LX. It has ATRAC, the ‘98 does not. 270k miles is irrelevant. Suspension is likely an easy repair.

You would have better reliability with the non-hydraulic Land Cruiser version of the suspension.

Shhhhhh. My 2000 LX that got 462k miles on all original AHC components may have something to say about that.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

I’d go for the one with:
• Minimal to no undercarriage rust.
• Better, updated and most recent mechanical (suspension, brakes, engine) service done to it - this can be tricky because half of the time whatever is in paper is not true/accurate when inspected in-person.

Lastly, use anything that is due/overdue for service as a bargaining chip as best practice when buying a used vehicle. Write down your negotiable and non-negotiable items and when you do he final inspection use that as guide and it should make it a little easier to decide which one to buy. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[Mike NXP]

Buy whichever has less rust, and more maintenance. Seriously, it's a simple as that, otherwise someone else will buy it before you do. I didn't see undercarriage pics of the gold but green looks great.

As mentioned above AHC is a bit of a factor to consider when doing extended travel in remote areas, ask @Moridinbg how much excitement that could add to your journey. This is a hydraulic suspension system, not air suspension as you noted in your original post...You also don't want to lift this vehicle it really doesn't help with anything for your current use case.

These are really great vehicles to invest in but keep in mind they ( well any vehicle really ) will require repairs and maintenance as they roll closer to 300k or more miles / 20+ years of age. The 2UZ motor is a really solid build , keep it cool and oiled up and she wont let you down.


*** good eye, mentioned by someone above the radiator on that green does look sort of rough like it got pretty hot at some point maybe ?


Can you put VIN into Lexus owners website and pull service history?

 

[Mike NXP]

It looks like the owner of the gold rig took better care of it. Engine bay nice and clean . Also sitting on highway tires not big offroaders like the green truck .. Also green truck is all TEQ'd out, probably been off road more than the other... The gold one is my new choice for sure, the 270k shouldn't scare you, especially if timing belt, water pump and other big items have been done...

..You talk to the owners? That will also tell you a lot.

 

[Super77]

1. I’m jealous of your adventure plans. Sounds amazing.

2. Your locations shows as NL. Any reason you’re buying in the US and presumably shipping the truck over? Are they much more $$$ in Europe? Worse condition?

Post up your route! This has the making of an epic journey and you’ll get thousands of people here following it. We love us a good story. You might even be able to score some sponsorship.

As a rule, don’t you want to keep the truck as simple as possible? If you’re on the side of the road on a mountain pass in Ethniclashistan, you don’t want to be messing with a droopy active suspension.

 

[Hillyking]

Just based on your writings and images posted… I like the look and condition of the 2000 LX.
Price seems reasonable. Is the underside as clean as the 98?

It is! No rust and everything looks neat! Seats have been updated a little, but that's it.

 

[Hillyking]

1. I’m jealous of your adventure plans. Sounds amazing.

2. Your locations shows as NL. Any reason you’re buying in the US and presumably shipping the truck over? Are they much more $$$ in Europe? Worse condition?

Post up your route! This has the making of an epic journey and you’ll get thousands of people here following it. We love us a good story. You might even be able to score some sponsorship.

As a rule, don’t you want to keep the truck as simple as possible? If you’re on the side of the road on a mountain pass in Ethniclashistan, you don’t want to be messing with a droopy active suspension.

Thanks for the enthusiasm first of all! Will def share the trip when we leave, probably on Polar steps for instance. So stay tuned (for 2 years )

As for the car: it's imported already from southern US. And yes, a good running and looking 100 or 470 is worth quite a lot, especially petrol, because they were not many (or never) made here. Seeing we have more and more zones where you can't bring an old diesel, the petrol (often accompanied by an LPG-system) cars are more and more appealing. Also we have a young timer rule when you make it a company car. This means way less taxes, VAT returns on maintenance and fuel etc. Which saves a lot, but you still drive a pretty modern car.

And yes I do want to keep the truck as simple as possible. But I do tend to put a new bumper with a wench on it, as well as a roofrack with a big tent. We need to sleep with 2 adults and 3 kids, when needed. And when we leave, I prob gonna mount 33" tires, not sure though. First get the car, then worry about improvements.

 

[blinkerfluid]

Of those two I'd go the Lexus given its undercarriage is clean

and personally If I was going for such an adventure, I'd find the 100 specced with the 1hd-t 12v engine, with IFS front - no AHC etc.
Or at the very least, remove the AHC stuff from the 470, use brand new toyota shocks, springs and torsion bars from the non AHC 100.

Keep tyres stock size or a size thats available easily anywhere - I'm sure you'll carry one or two spares - but an odd size tyre can make life tougher. Plus with the stock sized tyres it runs really nice

 

[BullElk]

As mentioned above AHC is a bit of a factor to consider when doing extended travel in remote areas,

Yes…. For the adventuring overlanding I totally agree. That is the ONLY reason I decided not to repair the AHC in our ‘06 LX overlander. It took an eight hour trip home with the rear end on the bump stops to make that decision. That event scarred me for life.

 

[Jack90210]

The first one looks substantially neglected overall but especially under the hood. I would inspect it carefully around and under the battery for corrosion, and at the fusible links just behind the positive terminal. Also, brake fluid is very dark and the radiator looks brittle/de-plasticized.

 

[Exiled]

With so many people importing Land Cruisers into the US through the secondary market, I hadn't considered the possibility of US-spec Land Cruisers being exported to Europe... who knew?

If the gold LX looks as clean underneath as the green one, then I think that one is the winner, seems cleaner overall and better taken care of. I agree with the rest of the gang that getting an idea of the maintenance records would also help you make the decision. 270K on a well-maintained 2UZ-FE shouldn't be an issue, plenty of folks around here regularly driving trucks with a lot more miles.

Before you start thinking about modifications/upgrades, factor funds and time for a significant baseline, there's bound to be deferred/ignored maintenance and for the kind of trip you're planning, you want reliability above all else. I've never had AHC on any Land Cruiser but the general consensus on this forum is that a well maintained and fully operational AHC system like on that gold 2000 is better than an aftermarket suspension kit.

Good luck and keep us posted, your trip sounds like the adventure of a lifetime and a great opportunity for your family!