Builds Homer's 2003 GX470 Build 8.2 4.56 2.5 34s (14 Viewers)

[HomersCanyonero]

FYI, amazon had a decent price for the 14mm hex drain plug (front) the other week. I ordered one and it was cheaper than LexusPartsNow with delivery.

Thanks I’ll take a look on Amazon. I need to find the parts number. And more importantly, do we need new washers too?

 

[DRANGED]

Thanks I’ll take a look on Amazon. I need to find the parts number. And more importantly, do we need new washers too?

Got a whole crush washer kit from Amazon, after doing the center and rear, but I'll look there for the front plug too.
Thx @elprup87

 

[HomersCanyonero]

It’s a small order and decided to sponsor an independent shop outside of amazon: www.Yotashop.com

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Spent an hour restoring the headlights using my own ingredients mentioned in a YouTube video on headlight restoration.

My previous headlight restoration using the Sylvania kit didn’t last very long.

Here’s the after photo…

 

[HomersCanyonero]

And of course I just realized I used semigloss by mistake. I was supposed to use gloss! Darn

Also, I saw someone use some type of smoke tint spray to make them look dark like the sport model.

If I end up redoing the lights, I’ll try the smoke tint

 

[Rednexus]

FYI I recently used the 3M kit (drill-attached) on my wife's Outback and was very happy with the results.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

FYI I recently used the 3M kit (drill-attached) on my wife's Outback and was very happy with the results.

The issue is longevity. Most kits will last like a year and the yellow comes back.

If you use the rust oleum clear gloss non-yellowing…it’s supposed to last longer…but you have to wait a year to see if it does last that long.

 

[elprup87]

MBR don’t have much of a yellow problem, but one is pealing. I’m certain it’s the original and was shot with a gloss coat in the past. That same side also has less definition of a low beam pattern compared to the driver’s side. Was that the case with you HC? I wonder if redo you did this can help with it.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

MBR don’t have much of a yellow problem, but one is pealing. I’m certain it’s the original and was shot with a gloss coat in the past. That same side also has less definition of a low beam pattern compared to the driver’s side. Was that the case with you HC? I wonder if redo you did this can help with it.

That was not the case with my headlights. Mine were just getting yellow again but I had a good light pattern.

Watch YouTube videos on restoring headlights. You sand the headlights to remove the previous clear coat. Once the headlight looks cleaner you clean with alcohol to remove any oils, dirt, etc.

Then you spray paint a new clear coat using a clear rustoleum glossy spray can.

It costs like $15 in parts and materials. It takes an hour. If you screw up, repeat the process. I’m gonna have to do mine again. I didn’t like the way it came out.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

The cosmetics keep coming in. More lipstick for the pig. These are the door pocket organizers. They arrived in one week even though the site said 4 to 5 weeks

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I got a referral from Bilstein USA to a shop that rebuilds coilover shocks for $175 each, so $350 for both. I'm still trying to make an appointment since the shop is about 90 miles from me near my brother's place.

I was crunching the numbers just for parts (no installation fees) and here's where I'm at:

1. Rebuild both shocks for $350 (installed and should be done in one day with appointment)
2. Buy a new set of replacement front Bilstein 6112s ($931 pre-assembled including tax and shipping) + install
3. Switch front/rear to Dobinson IMS 2.2" body shocks ($1500 pre-assembled including tax and shipping) + install + excludes rear coils - keeping Dobinson 675Vs
4. Switch front/rear to 2.5" ToyTec Boss Aluma (Elka), or 2.5" Radflo are about $1500 just for parts/shipping for the front coilovers, plus rear shocks, plus installation, so I'm looking at like $2500 for this option.

Being that I'm frugal...I'm not liking options 3 and 4.

If I go with Option 2, then I have my good passenger Bilstein 6112 as a spare and I could rebuild them both. Or I could just go with Option 1, but then I have to worry about how much longer they will last considering they have about 55k miles on them and are about 5 years old.

I remember the good old days when my 80-series got basic OME shocks/coils all around and they have lasted over 175K miles.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Got these Plano Sportsman Storage bins at Home Depot for $17.48 each. You can fit 3 of them across the back of the GX470. It goes well with my frugal sleeping platform. These storage bins are medium size and don't fit as much stuff as my larger bins which are hard to lift when fully loaded.

 

[DRANGED]

Nice!
Pix of bins for size reference?

I like those more vertical sides...

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Nice!
Pix.of.bins.for.reference?

I like the more.verticale.sides...

Re: More Vertical Sides

You mean vertical storage sides? There's a guy Xplorer Steve that did an awesome vertical storage bins on his 4Runner. I want to do that eventually, but in the meantime, I use the Plano storage bins. I'll have some poser pictures tomorrow. I hope to organize all my gear in those Plano storage bins next week.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

In these pictures of the Plano Sportsman 68 qt 1719-00 storage bins, I left the middle row folded. I usually remove the second row to fully extend the foldable twin foam mattress for sleeping.

So, I usually get another 10” of floor space, so i can fit other bulky items (like my cooler, 5-gal water jug, and eventually my small solar power station) near the barn door for easy access

 

[CGIB]

In these pictures of the Plano Sportsman 68 qt 1719-00 storage bins, I left the middle row folded. I usually remove the second row to fit the foldable twin foam mattress for sleeping.

So, I usually get another 10” of floor space so i can fit a cooler and other boxy items by the barn door for easy access

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Can you fit 3 across like pictured when you have the second row seats in their regular upright position?

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Let me check

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Plenty of room to spare if you have single boxes across the back with 2nd row reclined. If you stack 2, then they still fit but you have to pull them back like 5” to 6”. You can double stack 6 bins.

You can even stack 3 in the middle only and the barn door closed without touching the box. So, 7-boxes total would fit back there with the middle row reclined. Maybe 9 if you keep the middle row upright, but I didn't try that.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

But with car motion the 3rd stacked Plano storage bin will likely hit the window. It's pretty close.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

More cosmetics arrived. The Lseat.com front leather seat covers just got delivered. Ordered on 10/2/2021 and arrived 10/28/2021. $349 plus $29 shipping.

They look well made. Quality looks good. Now I need to find an auto upholstery shop to install them with extra padding.

I got the dim gray and it matches pretty close in person. Matches better than what shows in the pictures. Not an exact match but I’ll show more pictures once installed