I started looking into GX470s right out of college in 2015. I had moved to the bay area from Colorado for a job and was lusting for how easy adventuring once was. At the time I drove a Audi a4 station wagon that I inherited from my mom that never really fit right. It was a great car but probably saw more time on dirt roads then it should have and I always felt limited in where I could go.
I made my way back to live in the mountains in Colorado after a few years with a California girl in tow. She came with a jeep Grand Cherokee. We drove that WK with the minivan engine all over the west. It barely would go the speed limit in the mountains, burned oil like mad and would light up like a christmas tree on occasion but it never left us stranded or stuck. I still dreamed about a GX and would spend hours scrolling through GXOR and build threads without even owning the car. Something about luxury, dependability, and off road capability just seemed so right. In 2019 things finally aligned and I got a GX470. I purchased docwyte's 2008 blue whale. I was really grateful to have the resources available in GXOR to learn what to look for.
A few shots within the first few months of ownership
With about a year of ownership I have no complaints and its exactly what I was looking for. I've driven the truck three time from Colorado to Ontario with no issues at all. We have renamed the GX La Honda after a iconic road in the South bay area where the GX dream all began. Most of the work up till now has just been preventative maintenance. Fluid changes really- rear diff, transfer case, brakes, power steering, engine oil. The car came in pretty good shape with a new radiator, alternator, front CVs and front dif fluid. At some point the car was in a hail storm and got a new hood and roof. The paint job wasn't as good as factory and within a week of owning the car a pretty big chip came off the hood. My repair job isn't that great given the size but atleast its protected now.
mods before purchase:
tacoma windshield sprayers
gas strut for the rear door
265/70/17 KO2s C load
TRD PRO suspension off a 2015 4runner
The Planned Build
The current plan for this build is a truck we can use to explore Canada but still feel good about driving as a DD. Come fall I do a lot of hunting so having something that works for those trips as well is needed. We are a one car family so it cant get too extreme. This is my first 4x4 and want to try and do as much of the service and modifications myself so I can learn how to fix things in the event they break while in the middle of nowhere. As a grad student I hope to figure out what I need out of a truck without breaking the bank and then when I'm a few years out of grad school I can invest in a newer rust free 460 that I can build right and keep for a long time. This might change depending how she fairs with a few Ontario winters... In Krown we trust.
The plans for the truck are a follows:
Front end:
front bumper cut
SSO Hidden Winch mount with recovery points
Smittybuilt 10k
Diode dynamics fog lights wired into factory switches and some side shooters mounted next to them for auxiliary lighting off road.
Black hood vinyl to cut the glare and cover some hood imperfections
plastidip the chrome hood- done
snorkel
new rad rubber fender liners- stuck in customs currently...
E-locker: If the car holds up, a rear axle swap to an 8.2 with an aftermarket E-locker is the plan.
Roof: I added 4 80/20 bars to the factory rails. It holds our little Tepui Ayer just fine. Instead of using the provided mounting hardwear I am using 4 L backets that bolt to the T slot and the tent. Way easier to install and given the tent only weighs 90ish lbs I think its plenty strong. A rear extension of 80/20 is on the list to add traction boards to the roof. We will also be adding an awning eventually. Currently the plan is a rhino rack batwing. I dont think we will ever get a full roof rack. Perhaps even ditch the rack entirely if a trailer ever comes along.
interior mods: I've got a non-nav model. Right now we just have a bluetooth aux connection (Tunefly) that fills our needs. I've never had a car with a screen in it. An alixepress android head unit is the plan for infotainment eventually. LED interior lights too. The front driver seat leather needs to be replaced. It came with a small hole. We hired a guy to repair the leather and he used some harsh cleaners and plastics to repair it. Honestly 2 weeks after it looks way worse then it did when we bought it. I repaired it again using some needle and thread. It works for now. Not very luxury though.
Armour
Sliders: White Knuckle. I want bolt on but putting a large plate next to the frame like many designs have seems like a recipe for disaster on heavily salted roads. I like the mounting of the White Knuckle, the price and people say they are plenty strong. Factory running boards were removed and puddle lights were replaced.
Skids: GX470 specific ASFIR skids. Shock and lower mount point skids will be in the cards as well. A recent trip did some work on the factory skids. This is next up after suspension.
Rear end: I want to keep the rear end light. At first a full plate bumper seemed like the bees knees but I think its really beyond what I need. In my mind the Mountain pass tube bumper and Becky would fit the bill perfectly. We usually have a bike rack on most of the summer so that adds weight already.
Suspension: The goal for the truck has always been a 2" lift. I was really into rear long travel for a bit but I dont think we need it. I dont think I can afford to get that rowdy with significant disposable income to fix broken parts. When I got the truck it had Bilstein TRD shocks off a 2015 4 runner and retained the factory bags. I dont know anything different but I thought this set up worked well. It towed really well and I liked the auto leveling feature. It never felt harsh really. It did fine offroad until it didn't. Both rear airbags came out doing one manoeuver over rocks and we had to drive out 10 miles on bumpstops. Canadian shield is way rockier than I thought- think moab mixed with bog. It was an adventure to say the least. We found a really helpful supplier out of Quebec and I am making the switch to Dobinson slowly. I'lll figure out the front end including UCAs when the funds allow. The suspension fiasco will be in another post.
Storage: My girlfriend always wanted drawers in the back. Kinda obsessed with Marie Kondo type deal. We have a dog that is worth almost as much as the Lexus so he rides in a Ruff Tuff kennel in the back. I ended up building a platform out of 80/20 and birch plywood to fill the other side and allows me to sleep in the back. Its perfect because a lot of areas around here allow you to park overnight to claim your spot in line for blinds to bird hunt public land. This way I dont have to deal with a RTT at 5am when its time to get out in the field. The plan is to get a custom drawer box made and coat the top in rhino liner. This is a work in progress. So far I really like it. We will eventually add a rear folding table to round out the rear.
Tires: Currently on 265/70/17 KO2s. The next set planned is 255/80/17 if the KO2s ever wear out. Its honestly impressive how well they last. I don't see larger than 33s in my future.
I hope to document these mods as I go and some of the mods I've done to help others in the future and get help from the group. The GXOR FB page is great and full of information but searching that information can suck. I found this especially true trying to figure out shock and spring information most recently. Hopefully this thread can help others as they research their own builds.
I made my way back to live in the mountains in Colorado after a few years with a California girl in tow. She came with a jeep Grand Cherokee. We drove that WK with the minivan engine all over the west. It barely would go the speed limit in the mountains, burned oil like mad and would light up like a christmas tree on occasion but it never left us stranded or stuck. I still dreamed about a GX and would spend hours scrolling through GXOR and build threads without even owning the car. Something about luxury, dependability, and off road capability just seemed so right. In 2019 things finally aligned and I got a GX470. I purchased docwyte's 2008 blue whale. I was really grateful to have the resources available in GXOR to learn what to look for.
A few shots within the first few months of ownership
With about a year of ownership I have no complaints and its exactly what I was looking for. I've driven the truck three time from Colorado to Ontario with no issues at all. We have renamed the GX La Honda after a iconic road in the South bay area where the GX dream all began. Most of the work up till now has just been preventative maintenance. Fluid changes really- rear diff, transfer case, brakes, power steering, engine oil. The car came in pretty good shape with a new radiator, alternator, front CVs and front dif fluid. At some point the car was in a hail storm and got a new hood and roof. The paint job wasn't as good as factory and within a week of owning the car a pretty big chip came off the hood. My repair job isn't that great given the size but atleast its protected now.
mods before purchase:
tacoma windshield sprayers
gas strut for the rear door
265/70/17 KO2s C load
TRD PRO suspension off a 2015 4runner
The Planned Build
The current plan for this build is a truck we can use to explore Canada but still feel good about driving as a DD. Come fall I do a lot of hunting so having something that works for those trips as well is needed. We are a one car family so it cant get too extreme. This is my first 4x4 and want to try and do as much of the service and modifications myself so I can learn how to fix things in the event they break while in the middle of nowhere. As a grad student I hope to figure out what I need out of a truck without breaking the bank and then when I'm a few years out of grad school I can invest in a newer rust free 460 that I can build right and keep for a long time. This might change depending how she fairs with a few Ontario winters... In Krown we trust.
The plans for the truck are a follows:
Front end:
front bumper cut
SSO Hidden Winch mount with recovery points
Smittybuilt 10k
Diode dynamics fog lights wired into factory switches and some side shooters mounted next to them for auxiliary lighting off road.
Black hood vinyl to cut the glare and cover some hood imperfections
plastidip the chrome hood- done
snorkel
new rad rubber fender liners- stuck in customs currently...
E-locker: If the car holds up, a rear axle swap to an 8.2 with an aftermarket E-locker is the plan.
Roof: I added 4 80/20 bars to the factory rails. It holds our little Tepui Ayer just fine. Instead of using the provided mounting hardwear I am using 4 L backets that bolt to the T slot and the tent. Way easier to install and given the tent only weighs 90ish lbs I think its plenty strong. A rear extension of 80/20 is on the list to add traction boards to the roof. We will also be adding an awning eventually. Currently the plan is a rhino rack batwing. I dont think we will ever get a full roof rack. Perhaps even ditch the rack entirely if a trailer ever comes along.
interior mods: I've got a non-nav model. Right now we just have a bluetooth aux connection (Tunefly) that fills our needs. I've never had a car with a screen in it. An alixepress android head unit is the plan for infotainment eventually. LED interior lights too. The front driver seat leather needs to be replaced. It came with a small hole. We hired a guy to repair the leather and he used some harsh cleaners and plastics to repair it. Honestly 2 weeks after it looks way worse then it did when we bought it. I repaired it again using some needle and thread. It works for now. Not very luxury though.
Armour
Sliders: White Knuckle. I want bolt on but putting a large plate next to the frame like many designs have seems like a recipe for disaster on heavily salted roads. I like the mounting of the White Knuckle, the price and people say they are plenty strong. Factory running boards were removed and puddle lights were replaced.
Skids: GX470 specific ASFIR skids. Shock and lower mount point skids will be in the cards as well. A recent trip did some work on the factory skids. This is next up after suspension.
Rear end: I want to keep the rear end light. At first a full plate bumper seemed like the bees knees but I think its really beyond what I need. In my mind the Mountain pass tube bumper and Becky would fit the bill perfectly. We usually have a bike rack on most of the summer so that adds weight already.
Suspension: The goal for the truck has always been a 2" lift. I was really into rear long travel for a bit but I dont think we need it. I dont think I can afford to get that rowdy with significant disposable income to fix broken parts. When I got the truck it had Bilstein TRD shocks off a 2015 4 runner and retained the factory bags. I dont know anything different but I thought this set up worked well. It towed really well and I liked the auto leveling feature. It never felt harsh really. It did fine offroad until it didn't. Both rear airbags came out doing one manoeuver over rocks and we had to drive out 10 miles on bumpstops. Canadian shield is way rockier than I thought- think moab mixed with bog. It was an adventure to say the least. We found a really helpful supplier out of Quebec and I am making the switch to Dobinson slowly. I'lll figure out the front end including UCAs when the funds allow. The suspension fiasco will be in another post.
Storage: My girlfriend always wanted drawers in the back. Kinda obsessed with Marie Kondo type deal. We have a dog that is worth almost as much as the Lexus so he rides in a Ruff Tuff kennel in the back. I ended up building a platform out of 80/20 and birch plywood to fill the other side and allows me to sleep in the back. Its perfect because a lot of areas around here allow you to park overnight to claim your spot in line for blinds to bird hunt public land. This way I dont have to deal with a RTT at 5am when its time to get out in the field. The plan is to get a custom drawer box made and coat the top in rhino liner. This is a work in progress. So far I really like it. We will eventually add a rear folding table to round out the rear.
Tires: Currently on 265/70/17 KO2s. The next set planned is 255/80/17 if the KO2s ever wear out. Its honestly impressive how well they last. I don't see larger than 33s in my future.
I hope to document these mods as I go and some of the mods I've done to help others in the future and get help from the group. The GXOR FB page is great and full of information but searching that information can suck. I found this especially true trying to figure out shock and spring information most recently. Hopefully this thread can help others as they research their own builds.