Do I stick with this vehicle or not...?

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LarryTheLX

LarryTheLX

Joined
Sep 22, 2025
Threads
3
Messages
22
Location
Birmingham, AL
I bought a '99 LX470 for $8700 a few months ago with 292K on it. It runs very quiet and very smooth/strong and the trans shifts out good other than it's lazy sometimes finding OD but that seems to be somewhat common with old Toyotas since my '07 Sienna acts the same way when cold. I deleted the factory muffler which took some weight off the vehicle and it sounds like a V8 now. The body is straight, the paint is good for it's age and there's no rust. It has an ARB front bumper, Old Man EMU lifted suspension in place of original and a fresh snorkel. The interior is in good shape overall, front seats need new skins but I run an upholstery business so that's an easy fix. It had quite a grocery list of work done on it before I got it including rebuilt trans (I think), new CVs, new radiator, new timing belt at 228K, new windshield, new battery, new tires with newer gen Toyota wheels. Maybe some other minor stuff I'm forgetting but that's the known more substantial items. I've spent around $3k for new upper and lower front control arms, new outer tie rod ends, new front driveshaft, new U-joints on rear driveshaft, new power steering lines, new rear pads/rotors and a flush/bleeding of the entire brake system manually and with a power gizmo, muffler delete and balancing of tires. The things I know are coming are a timing belt, front pads/rotors, master cylinder/power booster assembly, unknown pieces needed on rear suspension, and the freshly charged A/C quit yesterday so there's an unknown compressor issue going on. I love this vehicle and had been wanting a Land Cruiser or Lexus equivalent for a while. I expected to work on it to get some things up to speed and to see if I can get it to 500k before I die (LOL I'm 55 and it's a secondary / spare vehicle), but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at what I've spent with more known things coming and now some more unknowns. I forgot to mention there's a vibration at 55 and up that's very sporadic and varies in intensity based on torque load. It's much better since I balanced the tires and did the driveshaft work but it's still there and I don't know what to troubleshoot next to resolve that. I don't have endless funds for this to turn into an all out, endless restoration project. I don't know what's been done to the 4wd running gear but figure at some point that will need money also. I'd really appreciate some feedback / perspective from folks that have similar vehicles and how my journey so far compares to theirs regarding cost, similar issues etc. Thanks!
 
That's a big old block of text to sort through, but from what I can tell, you're concerned about repair spend? If you can't do some of these things yourself, then yep, it's going to be expensive to pay shop rates on top of expensive parts. But, once they're done, the longevity of the overall usually outweighs the cost.
 
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I own a 2000 LC and all parts are expensive if using OEM Toyota parts and that is doing the work yourself. I’ve learned these vehicles are a labor of love and you have to be in it for the long run or it will wear you out. My truck has 290K on it and I paid $15K about a year ago. I’ve put roughly another $5K into it, mostly maintenance parts but some accessories as well. I do all the work myself. If I didn’t have the attachment to it that I do, it definitely wouldn’t be worth it to me. The amount of labor I’ve put into it would be in the high several thousand. Just yesterday I spent $900 on a new OEM windshield and all the parts needed to replace it because I noticed some bubbling under the paint at the roof line. I will repair the rust before installing the new windshield. If you don’t love it, it will be overwhelming and you’ll be done with it.

It’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself.
 
Congrats on your LX! The key thing on these truck is rust so since yours is rust free, I won’t sweat the mileage. Any used vehicles will require some work to sort out and Land Cruiser is not different, all the known issues are well documented. With your low acquisition cost you got some margin to tingle with her. I got mine about 15 years ago and about your age, now pushing 70 I’m still able to work on most of the task. It is labor of love as retirement, projects keep us going.
Start with easy thing first, on your vibration I would check your wheel bearing play. Since your previous work likely involved this area. But the torquing procedure on wheel bearing is confusing to some and often the retention but is loose. Jack up the front end and check for horizontal play ie 12/6 o’clock. $3k for all the work you’ve done is reasonable if OEM parts would cost over half that amount but just double check everything from another shop. Have you done alignment as well? The AC is not known problem on LX except rear AC sometime failed but could be plugged to allow main cabin to function.
Lots of good solutions on this site once you’re familiar with the vehicle while a lot of the members are DIY so excellent inputs. I would budget $2k annually anyway for most used vehicles and the LC is not different, as a spare vehicle of mine as well I say my maintenance is around that. That’s not to say some year is zero but another year may be $4k. That is after you sorting through the rest of the vehicle. Items you mentioned like timing belt, rear pads, rear suspension are not big deal. Although the master cylinder is expensive so flush the fluid with Toyota brand now as preventive maintenance. I say you got a pretty good one there, you may break even if you sell now but well sorted one at similar mileage will be double the price and still with unknowns. That’s any used vehicles. I’ll throw in some more articles that may be useful later, post a few pics too.
 
I copied one of my recent post on Bring a Trailer that may be useful.
“This is a good one ! I’ve modified a recent post that may be useful for new 100 series buyers. I actually purchased a new Bronco in 2022 to replace my LC, after a month and 500 miles. I ended up selling my new Bronco, these 100 series are that good. Mine is about the same condition as this one, fewer miles but I won’t hesitate on this one sight unseen. No rust is key and this color combo is desirable. 200K mi and hardly any interior wear, the top of the steering wheel and shifter are tell tale signs. I think this one being “ lightly” used.
First things check the two plastic heater tees, a $10 part that will get you strained and should be replaced at most every 10 years. I would remove all the skid plates and change F/R diff fluid and also the transfer case. A fun project, grease all the fittings while you’re there, I think there were seven including the two slip joints. I used a pair of standard ram, do the back first as more clearance then the front. I had to move the ram to different position in order to have the grease fittings facing down. The whole project took me a week but very satisfying tho.
After much research I used Mobile 1 synthetic gear oil 75W/90 on all three. Change and flush your transmission fluid too, you may remove the front trans cooler rubber hose in front of the condenser very easier and drain out 2 quarts at a time, again Mobil 1 synthetic transmission fluid. Amzoil also a good option. I got some of these info on ih8mud. She does shifts smoother afterward. Keep an eye on coolant lost, any 20 years old plastic radiator may starting to deteriorate. Toyota parts are not cheap but still reasonable coming from P cars. Check your CV shafts for leaks if required attention get OEM about $350 new and repack the wheel bearings while you’re there. I found wear mark on the thrust washers, an indication that the wheel bearings nut was loose, all these work was performed by an Indy shop when I purchased the truck now closed. On suspension parts use genuine Toyota not aftermarket including 555. Door lock actuators on mine were all replaced, but you may just change the little motor for $20 in lieu of the actuators. OEM shocks are cheap $50 or less and provide smooth ride. I upgraded my rusty exhaust system to stainless Bola, not loud throaty yet quite very pleased. Price matching at cruiserparts. You may found a lot of OEM parts via Amazon including O2 sensors, water pumps, hoses etc. I had off brand tires, kind of odd size and pleased with Michelin LTX. This one is rust free, kind of rare as some Toyotas are famous for corrosion, some Tacoma owners have frame rust recalls. I had my brake booster master cylinder replaced, expensive item $2.5k. A dash light will alert you on that! Fuse box was replaced for $700 on mine after an intermittent starting issue. Water drainage in the sunroof is a common issue, ok on mine. I owned a lot of cars in my lifetime and several P cars but my LC surprised me to be rated in my top 5.
One last item that I’ve recently encountered, all series 100 have the AC drain from the firewall and the water drips into the passenger side sway bar mount. After several decades, the integrity could be compromised. So when you change the diff fluid, inspect the passenger side sway bar mount welded to the frame. On mine one bolt is corroded away, left side is ok. A simple tubing to re-route the drain should be in a Toyota bulletin but since this area is covered by by the front skid plate, most are undetected until the mount broken off. Cruiser part sells a replacement mount where you’ll need a frame/body shop to weld it to the frame then drill new mounting holes. On last detail observations, most intermediate skid plates made of fiberglass are broken off at the tip, no big deal still functional. As a perfectionist, I replace mine several hundreds just feels good bolting it back on. Also finally not sure why, but seems like all are missing the battery terminals covers. Don’t put aftermarket’s, just $20 from Toyota. The million miles engine deserves it! GLWA”
 
The vibration could still be from the tires, especially given that it's sporadic. There are a lot of stories about vibrations at speed that wind up being the tires after a fair amount of work chasing other possible causes.

Welcome, hope you stick around -- there's an immense base of knowledge here, and any problem that you might have will have been sorted through by others.
 
Thanks to all for the excellent feedback and info, I'm definitely leaning towards keeping it for the long haul, the perspectives given were very helpful!
 
While the prior responses covered "what's normal" for these trucks mechanically and what to expect ahead, my thoughts are from a different angle.

It sounds like this is a spare "fun" vehicle for you, you aren't relying on it for your daily transportation - it's a toy. So simply think about it as a smiles per dollar calculation. At the end of the day, does the stress and worry about repair cost outweigh the enjoyment you're getting from the truck? If the answer is yes, consider passing it along to the next caretaker. If the answer is no, figure it's just the cost of doing business and resign yourself to a certain regular spend to keep the old girl rolling. Every hobby costs money, it's just a matter of how much. But that is discretionary spending, and there are other ways to spend your time and money that may hold more appeal.

For some personal background on this calculation, I own a 1968 wood boat. I do almost all of the work myself, but even then there are constant costs to maintain and replace systems and structure, the job that gets too big and requires bringing in some additional expertise to get me across the finish line. Does the cost make financial sense? Of course not, but it does pencil out for me in that I get year round enjoyment out of it - we use the heck out of it all spring and summer, then I get to have fun doing projects and tinkering all winter. It gains me access to cool and interesting people who are doing the same thing, and it scratches both the tinkerer and adventurer itch, while also providing a circle of friends to share the experience with. That is hard to put a dollar value on, it's more of a by feel thing.

However, it isn't anything I strictly need, and despite occasional bouts of sleeplessness while I think about how I'm going to fix this or that problem, I get much more happiness than heartburn out of the whole experience. If that were ever to change, the obvious solution would be to pass her along to someone who would be closer to the happiness end of the spectrum.

So think about it holistically, how does the cruiser experience fit into your life? Is it a net source of joy, or anxiety? The costs are a fact of life, the reward will vary by person, whatever you decide will be based oh your unique situation and is perfectly ok.
 
If the vibration problem persists, drop a note on your location where a member may be willing to swap the front wheels for a test drive to see if it goes away. I sure don’t mind if you’re close to me. Other helpful hints may be listing the repair bill minus personal info to see what parts being used. OEM often are more expensive than aftermarket parts but there a good reason for it. Keep in mind your LX likely in the mid $60k a quarter century ago. But once you decided to keep her, as time goes on you’ll find out that few vehicles deserve the best care like her. Among many of my P cars, M cars, and vettes, the LC will grow on you to move to the top of your favorites.
 
41togo said:
If the vibration problem persists, drop a note on your location where a member may be willing to swap the front wheels for a test drive to see if it goes away. I sure don’t mind if you’re close to me. Other helpful hints may be listing the repair bill minus personal info to see what parts being used. OEM often are more expensive than aftermarket parts but there a good reason for it. Keep in mind your LX likely in the mid $60k a quarter century ago. But once you decided to keep her, as time goes on you’ll find out that few vehicles deserve the best care like her. Among many of my P cars, M cars, and vettes, the LC will grow on you to move to the top of your favorites.
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I'll keep the wheel swap with someone local in mind, thanks. I'm putting it back in the shop soon for the next round of stuff and I may just jump in on Toyota CVs to rule that out since the new ones it has are a complete unknown.
 
LarryTheLX said:
Wonder if I should try the diff drop before replacing new CVs with ones from Toyota?
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I’m not sure I would just throw new parts at her yet. New CV is $400 each, occasionally there’s a 25% sale with no tax/ shipping but just over last week. I often stock up on parts when it’s on sale so at least less painful just pay for labor. You may also send a PM to the aforementioned OP on dropping the diff to see if your vibration is similar to his. Finally I would just drive her a lot now to familiar with the vehicle while see what else pops up. On mine the classic five within the first year… heater tee, master cylinder, relay box, radiator, and exhaust system. Watch a lot of you tube video helps me a lot and I did the front wheel bearings and rotors by myself after education from them and this site. Here’s one fellow where he often worked on a lifted LX, excellent mechanic with attention to details. The videos also provided part numbers so besides the Toyota part sales, I used Partsnext a lot often worth it even after shipping and import tax. Some popcorns in the evening between Netflix … lol

Here’s one where he used a modified inner boot due to lifted suspension to improve reliability.

 
LarryTheLX said:
I bought a '99 LX470 for $8700 a few months ago with 292K on it. It runs very quiet and very smooth/strong and the trans shifts out good other than it's lazy sometimes finding OD but that seems to be somewhat common with old Toyotas since my '07 Sienna acts the same way when cold. I deleted the factory muffler which took some weight off the vehicle and it sounds like a V8 now. The body is straight, the paint is good for it's age and there's no rust. It has an ARB front bumper, Old Man EMU lifted suspension in place of original and a fresh snorkel. The interior is in good shape overall, front seats need new skins but I run an upholstery business so that's an easy fix. It had quite a grocery list of work done on it before I got it including rebuilt trans (I think), new CVs, new radiator, new timing belt at 228K, new windshield, new battery, new tires with newer gen Toyota wheels. Maybe some other minor stuff I'm forgetting but that's the known more substantial items. I've spent around $3k for new upper and lower front control arms, new outer tie rod ends, new front driveshaft, new U-joints on rear driveshaft, new power steering lines, new rear pads/rotors and a flush/bleeding of the entire brake system manually and with a power gizmo, muffler delete and balancing of tires. The things I know are coming are a timing belt, front pads/rotors, master cylinder/power booster assembly, unknown pieces needed on rear suspension, and the freshly charged A/C quit yesterday so there's an unknown compressor issue going on. I love this vehicle and had been wanting a Land Cruiser or Lexus equivalent for a while. I expected to work on it to get some things up to speed and to see if I can get it to 500k before I die (LOL I'm 55 and it's a secondary / spare vehicle), but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at what I've spent with more known things coming and now some more unknowns. I forgot to mention there's a vibration at 55 and up that's very sporadic and varies in intensity based on torque load. It's much better since I balanced the tires and did the driveshaft work but it's still there and I don't know what to troubleshoot next to resolve that. I don't have endless funds for this to turn into an all out, endless restoration project. I don't know what's been done to the 4wd running gear but figure at some point that will need money also. I'd really appreciate some feedback / perspective from folks that have similar vehicles and how my journey so far compares to theirs regarding cost, similar issues etc. Thanks!
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Others may have commented about this, but I would point out that if you are not driving any heavy truck regularly, the tires will be slightly out of round when you first get on the road. You might not notice anything at low speeds. If they are properly balanced and inflated, the vibration soon improves. If not, look for another source.
 
Has anyone done the master cylinder OEM rebuild kit? Wondering how much labor is involved and if the outcome was good. I have the original MC so far as I know but the system was apparently modified when the lift was done since there are distribution / proportioning sensors and valves no longer there. So my pedal and stopping is better after redoing rear pads / rotors and having the system flushed and bled but I still have to pump it sometimes to get a good pedal.
 
Also my mechanic is saying he has no way (tools?) to replace bushings in my OME shocks on the rear but I see kits all over the internet. How can I determine which ones I need specifically and any direction on the process would be appreciated.
 
LarryTheLX said:
Also my mechanic is saying he has no way (tools?) to replace bushings in my OME shocks on the rear but I see kits all over the internet. How can I determine which ones I need specifically and any direction on the process would be appreciated.
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Hey Larry, I think you meant rear bushings on the rear control arms. Toyota does not make them but other aftermarket’s. Coupe feedback, I was thinking about the same thing but in the end I replaced the entire assembly vs just bushings. A lot of labor involved so in the end I prefer OEM also mine got some surface rust. I ordered OEM sway bar link and bushings couple months ago from PartsNext even with shipping and tax it was worth it, so when I compare the OEM sway bar bushings vs aftermarket in this case I got them from Rock auto. The OEM bushings are harder and better quality than the aftermarket ones. So I’m happy to pay more as it will last another 200k mi and I felt more smoother on the road. Some good news, there is a sale with 25% off with no tax and no shipping from Toyota on 11-24-25 so plan according. Best!

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