New guy build thread (5 Viewers)

[ninedude]

After a few weeks of reading all I could on the 100 series, deciding that it would be my next vehicle, I set out to purchase one before winter hits here in Detroit. From prior experience with cool-but-aged cars, I figured it would be best to get an inexpensive winter 'beater' version of the car here, learn all I could, and then if the platform works with me, spending 3-4 times as much for a better version out west down the line. This would be a fun project car to ride until the wheels fall off, basically. Still, I didn't want something that was completely covered in rust. So I found a vehicle listed on this site that I figured fit the bill good enough, as it was from Kentucky. At 275k miles she is no spring chicken but the service history was good.



I drove a one-way rental from Detroit to pick the vehicle up, and it had no trouble driving back.
I actually did a 1200 mile road trip through the Keeweenaw peninsula a few days later. So the mechanical condition of the vehicle is great and I have really enjoyed how smooth and quiet it is.

As far as suprises, there are only two so far: I didn't notice that the headlights are not original, and I underestimated how difficult it could be to track down the original glass assemblies. I am working on that. Fortunately the current headlights are functional, so I will wait for the right deal to come along on that.

More pressing, and my reason for starting this thread, is the rear section of rust. I had erroneously believed it to be a small spot of rust originating from inside the cab (maybe a leaky rear ac condenser), and I briefly strayed from the iceberg principle of rust discovery -- that you can probably only see 10% of it without digging into things -- which is always a costly lesson.

When I believed this was just a hole in the back passenger side, I felt like I could patch it on my own time. Now, as the attached pictures indicate, I think I am running the risk of losing the rear bumper mounts sooner than I would like. So I'm reaching out here to see if anyone has any input on how I might approach this repair. What is this panel called?

 

[Trapper50cal]

Welcome!
Mine has rusted in the same spot.

 

[FamilyCamper]

Welcome. Mine rusted same spot too. Just cut it out and weld the patch closed. Good video on YouTube about it where they did it really well. You don't need to use a panel you can just cut sheet metal.

 

[excessive]

welcome! I like your idea of buying a cheap one to see if you like the platform first, i actually think that is wise before you drop big dollars on a 2006/2007

 

[jaewastooshort]

@FamilyCamper thanks for the link to that video. I'm about to try tackling a spot of rust on mine there, videos like this give me more confidence.

 

[JOSHD]

There are just too many rust-free cheap LX470's in Texas for sale to have to deal with that mess. Sure, it would have cost a couple hundred more in gas to drive back home but it would have been worth it.

 

[ninedude]

There are just too many rust-free cheap LX470's in Texas for sale to have to deal with that mess. Sure, it would have cost a couple hundred more in gas to drive back home but it would have been worth it.

For sure, the next truck that I get will be from the pacific northwest. But it will literally be 3-4 times the price, if I'm lucky. On this one, the seller was on this site and we had a mutual trust that made the transaction simple. Unfortunately we were both blind to the severity of rust in this specific spot. On everything else, there was complete transparency and things were reflected in price.
On previous cars I worked on -- astro vans and ford OBS trucks -- if I got them with absolutely no rust at all, I simply never could bring myself to drive them during the winter months here in Detroit. Even with heaps of fluid film. I'm hoping to do a decent refresh on this one of a few things to complete the baselining, and have it be more of a thrash about vehicle.

Having said that, I would have had a much, much more difficult time talking myself into this if I had known exactly what I was in for with the body repair, but at this specific moment I'm pretty optimistic that I can get a repair done that brings it in line with the lifespan of the rest of the car, which for a midwest winter vehicle, is something less than infinite!

 

[ninedude]

Okay, things have escalated quickly.

I got a quote for fixing the rust damage on the 99 lx 470. The bodywork professional said it would be between 20 and 40 hours of work at 75.00/hr. So, 1500-3000, at least. And that would not come with a warranty or include painting and re-rubberizing the fender. I was prepared to bite that bullet, fall on that sword, etc, and made an appointment for the 12th. My plan was to fix this damage in time for being able to undercoat the car.

Then on Saturday I did a nationwide search for 2006-2007 landcruiser, probably as a last minute act of desperation before committing thousands to a car I knew I would never likely get back.

I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a listing that had popped up literally a day earlier, only 10 miles from my house in Detroit, MI.
Before even looking at the pictures I called just to see about doing a test drive. I figured, it may be a rusty pile of crap but at least I'll learn a bit about what the newer models can drive like. Then when I was on the phone w the shop, I realized I couldn't see any rust on the vehicle. "Oh, it just came in from El Paso yesterday."

So I drove over immediately. I showed the dealer the rust damage on my lx470. And to his credit, what followed was I feel like a fairly honest exchange, considering the circumstances, on 2 vehicles with over 275k miles.

I spent the entire day at the shop going over everything I could w this vehicle. I had already ordered all of the parts to fully baseline my other vehicle, so I used the work this would need as a negotiating point.

In short, he was not scared of the rust, and I was not scared of the work this car would need. So he gave me what I paid for the car in trade in value, and I came home with this:

An 06 Landcruiser with 295k miles and factory AHC delete. No DVD players in the seats or anything, but has rear AC and NAV.

I followed a build thread of 2001LC on here where he titled a similar car Merlot. I am thinking of calling this one Franzia.

The service records on this leave a bit to be desired. It was listed at a dealership in texas for a bit over twice what I paid.
I know it has a new brake booster.

Generally speaking I prefer to deal with other enthusiasts rather than going through dealerships, but because of the situation I was in, on the precipice of burning thousands on a car I had only wanted to own as a jumping off point, I feel much better about putting my time and effort into this car.

It throws a p0022 code.

I will post more pictures later, but it is one of the cleanest vehicles I have ever seen in terms of the engine bay and even the seats. They are used, but still in good shape which considering the mileage I interpret as a good sign.

I am not so naive as to think I'm out of the woods yet, but again I feel a lot more enthused about putting time into this vehicle, so I hope there aren't too many surprises lurking.

To start with, I was thinking of removing the plastic fender covers. In the Merlot build thread, when 2001LC posted about doing so, someone said something like 'be careful'.
Is there anything I should be mindful of?

 

[ninedude]

Oh yeah, and it looks like someone was a bit too aggressive with a cleaner on the hypersilver wheels... I think I have sourced a better set of those, and I'll use these ones for winter tires at some point. I dont hate how they look... From the reading I did, it seemed like getting them repainted was perhaps not a worthwhile endeavor.

 

[FamilyCamper]

Nice find!! Good to start with a less rusty rig glad it worked out. I just removed flares and did not have much issue. Just time consuming as some of them came off clean and others left a lot of the adhesive that was a pain to get off. Not sure where you would need to be careful. Love the color.

 

[delz05]

I would leave them on until you have made a plan and budget for any upgrades and fixes it may need. Start with a Woolwax or Fluid Film coating, get all the mechanical issues sorted out and enjoy it for the Winter. Come Springtime, let the upgrades and mods begin!
Congrats and good luck!

 

[ninedude]

Whew,
OK, a lot has happened since I updated last.

The engine has 295,000 miles, and the service history is minimal. It would be accurate to say that I dove in pretty recklessly on this car, as it provided me an escape from another somewhat reckless investment, which was the first one I pictured. So, I knew I was not heading in with the soundest of foundations. But I am very happy with the potential of this truck, and at this moment I remain motivated to get it there.

I changed out the rear diff fluid. No surprises, looked pretty clean.
Changed out the transfer case fluid. Ditto.
Front diff. looked good.

Greased driveshafts.

Then I moved Franzia into the garage to prepare her for surgery.

The plan is to do timing belt/water pump, cam seals, steering rack / hoses, valve cover gaskets, oil cooler o rings. This is kind of a shotgun approach based on things I saw that seemed to be leaking, and getting into all of this would give me a good opportunity to really familiarize myself with the engine.

It wasn't long into this process that I begin to see some signs of neglect that, right now, are open questions in my mind as to what they will do regarding the longevity of this vehicle.

I am not opposed to replacing the engine and transmission over time if it comes to that. Ideally it will not, but this is far more neglect than I've seen in any other vehicle I've owned.

When I named her Franzia, it was tongue in cheek. But she is living up to the name.

This was the first unwelcome surprise. The trans fluid smells okay (not burnt), but it's obviously very dark. Once Franzia is put back together, I will do the fluid exchange as described by 2001LC, and test for myself the limits of the possibility that this could shock and destroy the system. It pains me to say it, believe me, but if this spent fluid is the only thing holding the transmission together, I would rather bite the bullet now. But right now I'm still hoping I get lucky.

So, the timing belt was in good shape (no cracks), but the amount of corrosion in the coolant system made me wonder when the water pump was replaced. I actually laughed when I lined up and compared the date code to my new water pump. It appears this is the original water pump, dated 2006?

So, there's that.

I decided to try and cheer myself up by looking at the valve cover gaskets. I just watched a video by a guy where he remarked on the cleanliness under the valve covers as being a good indication of engine health.

It's probably not a good sign that I immediately went and googled "valve cover sludge 100 series ih8mud" and didn't find many results.

For whatever reason, the drivers side appeared a bit 'better':

So I think the window has closed on anyone remarking at what a wise and prudent purchase I made. To me, the car drove great, so I am hoping that this is kind of like a C- student that will still be able to get a diploma and be driven, at the end of this. I would appreciate putting in perspective how bad any of this is, or if its not a huge deal, that would be encouraging.

For me, the funny thing is, because this is the exact model I want, in the color I want, as bad as this news is, I am more motivated to work on it then with the 99 I started with. So if I eventually have to source a new engine as well, so be it. But I would really, really prefer that to be not any time soon. I need to amass some riches first.

Anyway thanks for reading this far, hopefully Franzia has not induced a hangover.

 

[ninedude]

Above are the passenger spark plugs

The drivers side spark plugs are in much better shape.

I am going to take out the cams to do the seals, and I figure that would be a good time to address the sludge thats present here. Is that true, and are there any pointers as to how to do so?

 

[ninedude]

So I have progressed to removing the cam shafts to do the seal and clean the area. I've uncovered a problem I need some advice on:

So, I wasn't expecting any miracles after the valve cover sludge eased me into this. However I am concerned by the damage at the 'front' of the camshaft.
I am tempted to replace the camshaft, and the scored top piece, as those would be 'easy' and I'm inclined to think that that would be a decent bandaid, but I'm not exactly playing with a full deck of mechanical knowledge. To fix the scoring on the bottom, I think I would have to source a new head, which, honestly after seeing all of this, I have no problem replacing the engine at some point. But I really would not like to do that right away. I am enjoying learning all of this, and accept that the lessons are often tough when you are dealing with this kind of neglect. So thoughts on how to proceed and how severe what I'm looking at is, would be very helpful!

 

[2001LC]

Get to place where you've shop to work in. Replace the engine. It was run without oil change for 30, 40, 50K miles, and likely run low on oil. Crankshaft, bearings, cylinders, oil rings, oil pump and more likely damaged.

New Toyota short block, and new Toyota heads:
These are not crate engine, heads are sold separately. DIY: $6 to $8K. Plus gasket and stuff like oil pump, timing belt, etc. Dealership all in, about $15k, they do the work. The 25% sale on now. They may not offer the engine, online. Call Eric at Serra Toyota of Decatur AL. Telling him Paul in Denver sent you. If I trust anyone, to get one and the best prices out the door price, while 25% off wholesale sale is on. It's Eric.

Used:
$1k to $4k. Get the VIN #, and do your homework. Many sell trash, but there are goods ones. Trick is finding one well care from, and not exposed to the elements/water.

Buy a used or wreck,

Small low volume yards, do not not list in car-parts.com. So check with smaller salvage yards, also.
This is where many have found, a good engine. I see some possibles today.

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

Other portals online, here's one.

Find Used Toyota Parts at UsedPartsCentral.com

Buy used Toyota auto parts using UsedPartsCentral.com

www.usedpartscentral.com

Remain:
$5 to $7k. Do your homeworking, finding a good rebuilder. A good used engine is better IMHO.
Fast and easy. But what parts, did they use. Are they good at there job. Can they duplicate Toyota factory build, I doubt it. But you can get a good warranty.

 

[2001LC]

When your done, including servicing end to end whatever it needs. ie brakes, bushing, bearing etc.. You'll have a great looking 06 with one of the coolest colors, that will last a lifetime and be reliable..

You can't take the miles away, but you can make like new.

 

[ninedude]

Whew, Ok a mere eight months later, there is a series of big updates.
So once I saw 2001LCs last post, I wrote him a message that I meant to title "consultation needed", but I accidentally wrote "consolation needed", which turned out to be true as well.
Paul talked me into taking the time to source a replacement engine, rather than just replacing the top part of the motor. He passed along some very valuable insights regarding navigating junk yards, and that saved me from some pitfalls. A lot of yards would list 'JDM' engines with super low (under 100k) mileage, but if you call them, they cant provide any information at all. Most of these motors were around 3,500.00.
I decided that I would rather go with a higher mileage motor, but I would run a carfax on every vin and look for one that had a very complete service history. There were 2 good candidates, also at around 3,500.00.

Then I saw a post on car-part for a motor with a picture of a fender flare, at around 2,000.00. I assume it was still listed because the picture led one to believe it was simply a mis-entry. Still, I called the junkyard (based in the bay area), and they certainly seemed by their tone to be much more competent and straightforward than the previous dozen yards I had talked to earlier in the day. The guy vouched that he had personally heard the motor run, and gave me the vin to run service history.

The car was totalled in a non-insurance claim, probably due to someone off roading somewhere or something. In any case, it had oil changes every 3,000-5,000 miles, and had something like 180k miles on it.

So, I took a chance and purchased the motor. When it arrived to me in Detroit, Michigan, winter had fully set in, and I was very behind schedule to leave on a trip back out west. Curiously, the fuel rail had disappeared from the last footage I had seen of the motor, which wasn't exactly a great sign. Also, the bottom of the crate had collapsed. In somewhat of a panic I called 2001LC, and asked him if I should just refuse the shipment. He suggested I grab the boroscope and quickly poke around the fuel rails and cylinders to see if any water had got in, and that if they looked fine, it was probably okay. I think the guy doing the delivery was so stunned by my frantic actions that he, to his credit, allowed me to do all this while he just kind of laughed. I eventually called the junkyard and told them my concerns. They told me over the phone that if I had any issue with the motor we could "make it right", and that abstract handshake agreement was good enough for me, so I accepted the motor into my life, and then moved it under a carport tarp and threw as many covers over it as I could.

At that point, I was quite exhausted mentally and financially by the reality of the decisions that had led me to this point. And like I said I was way behind schedule to be across the country. So, there it sat for months. In certain bleak moments I wondered if this was going to be one of those times where I had to just cut my losses and move elsewhere.

In early summer I arrived back here to Detroit, with a half-disassembled landcruiser taking up my entire shop, a motor under a tarp outside, and a lot of things to do. To say this was a thorn in my side was an understatement.

But if there was a silver lining, it was that I was able to just slowly whittle away at purchasing all the while-your-at-it items, which if I ever have the stomach to take a close look at what I've spent here, almost certainly exeeded the cost of the motor.

I ordered the following:
new power steering rack, pump and hoses
valve cover gaskets, pcv
timing belt, water pump, fan clutch bracket, fan clutch
every single suspension bushing and suspension component
alternator
every gasket and seal

Then a somewhat fortunate / unfortunate thing happened. My friend that knew much more about vehicles then I, had an unexpected vet expense (there are a lot of chicken bones on the ground in Detroit, and those are not good for dogs). So, he was suddenly looking for a project to shore things up, and I was certainly looking for some assistance.

All told we spent about 80 hours doing all the work.

We pulled the old engine:

We put the new engine on a stand:

Then we set to work on changing all the suspension items. Pressing out all the bushings, etc, took probably as much time as the engine related matters.
Once we did that, we put the engine back in.

It took another few days to button everything up, make sure all the hoses were primed, etc.

I did learn one valuable trick. We hooked up a manual oil pressure gauge, disconnected all the fuel injectors, and cranked the engine a bunch in order to circulate all the oil. So when we did finally fire her up, things were ready to go.

Here she is having moved 10 feet under her own power!

I have a better set of wheels and tires I'll be putting on soon, and I'm still learning the finer points of paint correction and car detailing. This picture was after the first effort. Once I've got the new tires on, and I drive it around a bit, I'll post a picture and consider this aspect of the build complete.

Major thanks to 2001LC, without whom I may have given up or, possibly worse, made the very bad decision to try and repair the engine rather than sourcing a replacement. Once I got it out of the truck and was able to take a closer look, I was able to see the extent of the neglect, that had certainly compromised the 'bottom' of the motor as well. It sounded good when I purchased the vehicle, but due to some bearing wear, it was on borrowed time. All told, this wasn't too daunting of a project, it was the meticulous cleaning and while-your-at-its that added a considerable amount of time and expense. So, though I am not thrilled to have purchased a vehicle with a terminal engine, it is the exact color I wanted, and there is absolutely no rust, and that went a long way toward keeping me motivated!

 

[2001LC]

Nice lob!

Hopefully it's a good engine.

Glade I could help.

BTW: Your brake fluid is overfilled.

Thread 'Brakes ...... Overdue write-up.'

Nov 1, 2020

First and foremost: Brakes should only be worked by those, with high level of mechanical abilities and experienced with brake systems.

With the age of all 100 series today, in our aging fleet. Any issue, with brake master assembly. IMHO, best and safest course of action. Have the whole brake master assembly, replaced with new. If you have to ask question, on "how to", your not qualified to work on the master.

My hope is below link will give better understanding as to what we can do to reduce brake failure and what to watch for. The info is from my experiences and my thinking, as to what...

• 2001LC
• Replies: 148
• Forum: 100-Series Cruisers

• 
• 

 

[ninedude]

Nice lob!

Hopefully it's a good engine.

Glade I could help.

BTW: Your brake fluid is overfilled.

Thread 'Brakes ...... Overdue write-up.'

Nov 1, 2020

First and foremost: Brakes should only be worked by those, with high level of mechanical abilities and experienced with brake systems.

With the age of all 100 series today, in our aging fleet. Any issue, with brake master assembly. IMHO, best and safest course of action. Have the whole brake master assembly, replaced with new. If you have to ask question, on "how to", your not qualified to work on the master.

My hope is below link will give better understanding as to what we can do to reduce brake failure and what to watch for. The info is from my experiences and my thinking, as to what...

• 2001LC
• Replies: 148
• Forum: 100-Series Cruisers

• 
• 

Good eye! Brakes are next on the list before I start driving around. My friend that knows engines pretty well, we took a very close look at this one before proceeding, with everywhere the boroscope would reach, and it certainly looked worlds better than the other 2uzs that have entered my life. Next to zero varnish under the valve covers, no signs of leaking or overheating. But yeah, fingers crossed!