New GX470!

[GXgeorge]

Proud owner of 2003 GX470 with only 76k miles - want to turn into overlanding beast and invest in it for the true long haul.

Super excited, and tons of wood to chop as I get started working on it. Any tips or must-have mods you all recommend?

 

[GXgeorge]

If anyone has ideas the areas I am hoping for recommendations that seem to be hard to get really solid best practices are:

- Convert Nav system to new head unit, retaining all controls and getting Apple Carplay
- Second battery system
- Additional cabin storage up front - I feel like there is very little just the cupholder space, but tons of open air to add storage potentially?

Other than that, just looking at typical mods and my issue is there are so many options and trying to find stuff at least somewhat budget friendly for things like front and rear bumper upgrades, wheel on back, winch, etc.

 

[CarGuyCarl]

I would start with maintenance if it hasn't been taken care of already. Timing belt, water pump, radiator, all fluids, AC drain extension up front, check for rust. Consider replacing your front brakes with a set of 460 calipers so you don't get surprised by warped rotors randomly. Get rid of the rear air springs/install a lift/AT tires and/or aftermarket wheels.

People add CarPlay with the GromVline frequently. But it sounds like you want to ditch the factory NAV altogether.

People use the Prado center console to give you center storage/armrest and slightly better cupholders. Have seen people add a cupholder where the suspension height and DAC button is using a 3D printed insert.

For when you're out and about, good compact collection of tools, battery jump starter, electric impact, ball joint/tie rod popper... Depending on how crazy you want to go on trail selection and if you're on your own, spare CV, tie rod end, etc. I cram all this into a Plano box. If you plan to sleep inside and depending on the weather some of those door fly net covers help a ton with getting air in during warmer months. Some mini rechargeable fans help with this too.

Other than that, enjoy the ride and don't mind the MPGs. Basically the single drawback to this platform. Lol (for me)

 

[GXgeorge]

Awesome thoughts and checking many of those off the list - should have mentioned I am starting with full timing belt kit and full checkup, as well as a budget suspension system and airbag delete (then going to invest in high end once she has run well for a while).

All noted, thank you!

 

[woodsy460]

Post some pics of the new beast.

And I agree with the above poster, do all the maintenance first. Then you know you have a solid rig to build on.

If you don't mind my asking, what did you pay for your GX 470? I am considering getting a 470 for trail shenanigans.

 

[fvedmo]

Awesome thoughts and checking many of those off the list - should have mentioned I am starting with full timing belt kit and full checkup, as well as a budget suspension system and airbag delete (then going to invest in high end once she has run well for a while).

All noted, thank you!

Radiator is likely leaking or going to soon. Many have gone to all aluminum Koyo radiator because the OEM type with plastic side reservoirs will always leak and eventually bust. You can see my build thread for completed and planned mods, nothing exciting or exotic, also check out Dan (GXO), Rednexus, and HomersCanyonero for some nice build threads and ideas.

 

[Rednexus]

Regarding the CarPlay upgrade, you won't find a lot of love on here for these, but I have one and honestly it's been pretty good:

Buy Now [ G6 octa-core ] 10.4" Vertical Screen Android 13 Fast boot Navigation Radio for Lexus GX 470 2003 - 2009

Transform your Lexus GX 470's interior with this 10.4" vertical screen Android 13 navigation radio. Experience a modern and feature-rich infotainment system.

phoenixautomotiveinc.com

Mine has the Sergey firmware upgrade and runs pretty well. We have Androids and AA works fine on it. They will also run CarPlay, including wireless. I'm going to get a USB AA-Wireless stick for mine and try that as well. The big screen is pretty awesome for other apps; I have Backcountry GPS Trails installed with maps downloaded for off-road/off-grid navigation, Torque Pro for watching sensor readings, etc. It's been in my rig for over 3 years without really having any issues - including frozen down to -10F and cooked all the time in the summer. They are also very customizable.

Now the BAD....the screen can have glare in direct sunlight and it does have a few weird bugs that can be annoying. They don't use the OEM backup camera, so you have to install a new one. USB charging when AA running is slow. For me it's worth it for the other utility of the product. I actually sold my OEM Nav unit....maybe that was a mistake in case this does crap out .

 

[GXgeorge]

Post some pics of the new beast.

And I agree with the above poster, do all the maintenance first. Then you know you have a solid rig to build on.

If you don't mind my asking, what did you pay for your GX 470? I am considering getting a 470 for trail shenanigans.

Will post soon!
I paid 16k for it private party no taxes. It stung, because I was planning to spend about 10k and get one with 170-200k miles, maybe a couple mods already built in - I even considered some at 7-8k with salvage title.

But seeing one that was so clean and was garage queen its whole life, and only 76k miles and never used rough and has full service records single owner and no accidents, and given that I plan to really invest in building it up and using for decades to come I splurged. I also have the luxury of this being a third car for wife and me, so I can actually use it for the types of adventures and trips that I'll be building it for.

The downside is I still need to be comfortable chopping it up and taking through rough times. So I really am fine with either approach to this car, I am 100% sold on it being a truly unique platform to build on in the US. I strongly considered the 460, and the LX, but went with this for a few reasons.


So in sum: I think it's totally fine to go cheap 200k miles and set aside lots of budget you feel good using to rebuild as needed, and I also feel totally good getting uniquely well kept one as a starting place.

 

[GXgeorge]

Will post soon!
I paid 16k for it private party no taxes. It stung, because I was planning to spend about 10k and get one with 170-200k miles, maybe a couple mods already built in - I even considered some at 7-8k with salvage title.

But seeing one that was so clean and was garage queen its whole life, and only 76k miles and never used rough and has full service records single owner and no accidents, and given that I plan to really invest in building it up and using for decades to come I splurged. I also have the luxury of this being a third car for wife and me, so I can actually use it for the types of adventures and trips that I'll be building it for.

The downside is I still need to be comfortable chopping it up and taking through rough times. So I really am fine with either approach to this car, I am 100% sold on it being a truly unique platform to build on in the US. I strongly considered the 460, and the LX, but went with this for a few reasons.


So in sum: I think it's totally fine to go cheap 200k miles and set aside lots of budget you feel good using to rebuild as needed, and I also feel totally good getting uniquely well kept one as a starting place.

Also to add - I have even thought that depending how the next couple years go, I may buy a salvage title but workable one for 7k that I just use for parts. I'm not kidding when I say I am imagining this beast being a great car for adventure and snow and such for decades to come!

 

[GXgeorge]

Regarding the CarPlay upgrade, you won't find a lot of love on here for these, but I have one and honestly it's been pretty good:

Buy Now [ G6 octa-core ] 10.4" Vertical Screen Android 13 Fast boot Navigation Radio for Lexus GX 470 2003 - 2009

Transform your Lexus GX 470's interior with this 10.4" vertical screen Android 13 navigation radio. Experience a modern and feature-rich infotainment system.

phoenixautomotiveinc.com

Mine has the Sergey firmware upgrade and runs pretty well. We have Androids and AA works fine on it. They will also run CarPlay, including wireless. I'm going to get a USB AA-Wireless stick for mine and try that as well. The big screen is pretty awesome for other apps; I have Backcountry GPS Trails installed with maps downloaded for off-road/off-grid navigation, Torque Pro for watching sensor readings, etc. It's been in my rig for over 3 years without really having any issues - including frozen down to -10F and cooked all the time in the summer. They are also very customizable.

Now the BAD....the screen can have glare in direct sunlight and it does have a few weird bugs that can be annoying. They don't use the OEM backup camera, so you have to install a new one. USB charging when AA running is slow. For me it's worth it for the other utility of the product. I actually sold my OEM Nav unit....maybe that was a mistake in case this does crap out .

Got it - thank you for the detail and the link itself. Can't say it's cheap, but budget is worth it for one of these that actually functions well and has CarPlay.

I have heard I will have harder time because I have model with the upgraded Nav and Mark Levinson speaker system, and I also worry about AC controls a lot before I spring on one.

Another random item I want regarding console is to replace the whole center storage console / cupholders. Tons of wasted space on old DVD tech, and I'd love to have some actual storage there!

 

[GXgeorge]

Radiator is likely leaking or going to soon. Many have gone to all aluminum Koyo radiator because the OEM type with plastic side reservoirs will always leak and eventually bust. You can see my build thread for completed and planned mods, nothing exciting or exotic, also check out Dan (GXO), Rednexus, and HomersCanyonero for some nice build threads and ideas.

Oh wow good tip, I had heard the OEM one was really solid but I suppose not. Yet another reason I wish I had the time to do timing belt myself, I'd have all the space in the world to easily drop in new radiator...I'll start with seeing if the shop finds any immediate issues then start thinking about preventative upgrade.

 

[woodsy460]

Will post soon!
I paid 16k for it private party no taxes. It stung, because I was planning to spend about 10k and get one with 170-200k miles, maybe a couple mods already built in - I even considered some at 7-8k with salvage title.

But seeing one that was so clean and was garage queen its whole life, and only 76k miles and never used rough and has full service records single owner and no accidents, and given that I plan to really invest in building it up and using for decades to come I splurged. I also have the luxury of this being a third car for wife and me, so I can actually use it for the types of adventures and trips that I'll be building it for.

The downside is I still need to be comfortable chopping it up and taking through rough times. So I really am fine with either approach to this car, I am 100% sold on it being a truly unique platform to build on in the US. I strongly considered the 460, and the LX, but went with this for a few reasons.


So in sum: I think it's totally fine to go cheap 200k miles and set aside lots of budget you feel good using to rebuild as needed, and I also feel totally good getting uniquely well kept one as a starting place.

I think it was an excellent decision to buy the one owner, low mileage , full service records etc. that you did. You know you have a nice vehicle to build on. You did well. Congrats again.

 

[Rednexus]

Got it - thank you for the detail and the link itself. Can't say it's cheap, but budget is worth it for one of these that actually functions well and has CarPlay.

I have heard I will have harder time because I have model with the upgraded Nav and Mark Levinson speaker system, and I also worry about AC controls a lot before I spring on one.

Another random item I want regarding console is to replace the whole center storage console / cupholders. Tons of wasted space on old DVD tech, and I'd love to have some actual storage there!

ML and Nav do make things hard. The Phoenix does have all of that integrated, so it's plug-and-play other than running and mounting a new backup camera. You do lose most (but not all) of the physical HVAC buttons and the volume button. I'd have preferred to keep the physical buttons, but it's not too much of annoyance and the virtual buttons generally work fine.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

@GXgeorge sounds like you want to do a mild offroad build

There’s a few YouTube videos on mild builds including this one:

The list of mods in order of priority:
1. AT tires and maybe wheels. If you want mild then 32” tires like the 255/75R17 on stock wheels work well
2. Mild suspension upgrade maybe level stance with 2” lift up front and 1” tricked fresh air bags in the rear
3. Rock sliders to protect the rocker panel from rocks if you gonna hit more than just fire roads

That’s it until you figure out you want to be more offroad worthy!

 

[GXgeorge]

I think it was an excellent decision to buy the one owner, low mileage , full service records etc. that you did. You know you have a nice vehicle to build on. You did well. Congrats again.

Appreciate it!! Had shop look it over and they confirmed they think its in uniquely great shape, so that is good start!

 

[GXgeorge]

ML and Nav do make things hard. The Phoenix does have all of that integrated, so it's plug-and-play other than running and mounting a new backup camera. You do lose most (but not all) of the physical HVAC buttons and the volume button. I'd have preferred to keep the physical buttons, but it's not too much of annoyance and the virtual buttons generally work fine.
View attachment 3534646

Wow. This is really solid and looks amazing, also really cool mods you have on the auxiliary buttons. Are those Blue Dog (Wonder if he is on this website, I was looking at those prints recently)? I'd love a run down of what each of those is up to.

My issue on Phoenix is if I convert any physical buttons to virtual, I feel like it needs to be bulletproof like work perfectly to not feel like I'm at risk of losing some really nice comforts lol (I live in AZ, I have everything from 120 degree heat to feet worth of snow up north).

Also side note I'd be curious what that phone mount is (almost looks mounted into glove box?)

 

[stupidchicken03]

This is how I decided to do my phone mount (more pics and amazon links in my post here, more pics a few posts further down in my thread):

Builds - Chicken's GX

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[GXgeorge]

This is how I decided to do my phone mount (more pics and amazon links in my post here, more pics a few posts further down in my thread):

Builds - Chicken's GX

forum.ih8mud.com

View attachment 3536032

Ok Wow i like that a lot - but question, what about throwing in a whole Ram compatible rail somewhere up there? So that it can support more mounts. This is a great design though and might steal this as my starting place.

 

[Rednexus]

Wow. This is really solid and looks amazing, also really cool mods you have on the auxiliary buttons. Are those Blue Dog (Wonder if he is on this website, I was looking at those prints recently)? I'd love a run down of what each of those is up to.

My issue on Phoenix is if I convert any physical buttons to virtual, I feel like it needs to be bulletproof like work perfectly to not feel like I'm at risk of losing some really nice comforts lol (I live in AZ, I have everything from 120 degree heat to feet worth of snow up north).

Also side note I'd be curious what that phone mount is (almost looks mounted into glove box?)

It gets crazy hot and cold here too and my Phoenix works just fine . Fired right up at -3F this past weekend and has gotten hot as well. In a perfect world the non-nav conversion and a generic Android head unit that retains the stock A/C controls is the best way to go. I probably would have actually done that if my GX did not have the PX6 in it when I bought it. Unfortunately, the PX6 is really the only plug-and-play option for the nav-equipped GXs that I'm aware of, since the HVAC and infotainment are integrated. Lots of folks have done the non-nav conversion though.

The prints are Blue Dog. They did not come out perfect and there was a fair amount of fitting to get everything right - but more on me with trying to fit too many buttons in a small space and adding other items like the center-located GMRS external speaker (which vastly complicated things . If i had to do it again I'd just get the Blue Dog transfer case switch surround with a Switch Pro mount to run accessories, which would have been a lot easier.

The phone holder is a Panavise - their website is pretty old so I called them to order. They are great and I've had them on other vehicles too. You need both the vehicle-specific bracket an the generic AMPS mount for the phone.

 

[GXgeorge]

It gets crazy hot and cold here too and my Phoenix works just fine . Fired right up at -3F this past weekend and has gotten hot as well. In a perfect world the non-nav conversion and a generic Android head unit that retains the stock A/C controls is the best way to go. I probably would have actually done that if my GX did not have the PX6 in it when I bought it. Unfortunately, the PX6 is really the only plug-and-play option for the nav-equipped GXs that I'm aware of, since the HVAC and infotainment are integrated. Lots of folks have done the non-nav conversion though.

The prints are Blue Dog. They did not come out perfect and there was a fair amount of fitting to get everything right - but more on me with trying to fit too many buttons in a small space and adding other items like the center-located GMRS external speaker (which vastly complicated things . If i had to do it again I'd just get the Blue Dog transfer case switch surround with a Switch Pro mount to run accessories, which would have been a lot easier.

The phone holder is a Panavise - their website is pretty old so I called them to order. They are great and I've had them on other vehicles too. You need both the vehicle-specific bracket an the generic AMPS mount for the phone.

Got it - thank you for all the great intel!
I'll definitely research the Non-Nav first conversion further then. Frankly, I am surprised at how bad the tech is on a lot of this and past aftermarket headunits my CarPlay was simply unreliable - You'd think a typical Software Engineer college kid could write code in a weekend for all this and hook it up to any screen. Might look into doing something like that myself, with my (very) limited know-how.