Greeting all,
I'm diving in head first in this community after a recent purchase of a 2000 LX470 in Riverrock Green Mica over beautiful grey leather with only 52,000 miles on her at time of purchase. I scoured the internet for weeks and decided on this one based on miles and the color combo. Abandoning my love affair with euro wagons, I flew into Jersey last week and drove the LX470 home overnight to Wisconsin. Besides a clean CarFax, recent oil change, and new battery, not too many service records came with the vehicle outside of what I could find on the Lexus website.
First order of business is addressing the Timing Belt and Water Pump as I'm sure they are both original to the vehicle. A fellow mud member, whose brother works at a local Lexus dealership, recommended a mechanic there and I have an appointment set for Thursday. I'm going the dealer route and willing to pay the extra premium to ensure it is being worked on by someone who knows exactly what they are doing. I'm hoping they can also recommend/identify any other areas that require immediate attention. Again, I'm willing to pay the little extra money for a little extra TLC. And, who knows, down the road if I sell her, reliable service at a reputable Lexus dealer will be a good selling point. Any insight into recent trends of TB and WP service dealership vs. indy?
Second order of business is to address some scratches, dings, and rust spots on the body panels. My main concern is the rust spots and paint bubbling going on where the windshield meets the roof. I've heard the windshield can be tricky to work with. Only other rust issue (other than the undercarriage) that I've identified is the bottom portion of the rear top hatch (on the inside where the locking mechanism is located). There are also a few small scratches/dings in the hood and fender down to the bare metal that has now rusted. Visited a body shop today and hoping to have the rust addressed and the hood/roof repainted in the coming weeks (both starting to lose their luster).
Third order of business, the factory rims and tires currently on the vehicle are trash. Fortunately a set of factory rims in great condition were included in the deal. I will be purchasing new tires and having them put on in the coming weeks as well. From my initial research on this forum, Geolanders seem to be a popular choice, but I will certainly entertain other opinions and ideas.
Down the road, the undercarriage carries the normal surface rust of a northeast coastal vehicle. The frame is in great shape but the rest will need to be cleaned up and rust proofed as best I can. Not a big fan of the Ziebart coating treatment and would prefer something like a fluid film. Will research more when the time comes.
So those are my initial plans. Thankfully, with the mileage and how well it was taken care of, the interior needs absolutely nothing besides Weathertech mats all around before winter.
Appreciate any forthcoming feedback/criticism/apathy/comradery that this forum has to offer!
I'm diving in head first in this community after a recent purchase of a 2000 LX470 in Riverrock Green Mica over beautiful grey leather with only 52,000 miles on her at time of purchase. I scoured the internet for weeks and decided on this one based on miles and the color combo. Abandoning my love affair with euro wagons, I flew into Jersey last week and drove the LX470 home overnight to Wisconsin. Besides a clean CarFax, recent oil change, and new battery, not too many service records came with the vehicle outside of what I could find on the Lexus website.
First order of business is addressing the Timing Belt and Water Pump as I'm sure they are both original to the vehicle. A fellow mud member, whose brother works at a local Lexus dealership, recommended a mechanic there and I have an appointment set for Thursday. I'm going the dealer route and willing to pay the extra premium to ensure it is being worked on by someone who knows exactly what they are doing. I'm hoping they can also recommend/identify any other areas that require immediate attention. Again, I'm willing to pay the little extra money for a little extra TLC. And, who knows, down the road if I sell her, reliable service at a reputable Lexus dealer will be a good selling point. Any insight into recent trends of TB and WP service dealership vs. indy?
Second order of business is to address some scratches, dings, and rust spots on the body panels. My main concern is the rust spots and paint bubbling going on where the windshield meets the roof. I've heard the windshield can be tricky to work with. Only other rust issue (other than the undercarriage) that I've identified is the bottom portion of the rear top hatch (on the inside where the locking mechanism is located). There are also a few small scratches/dings in the hood and fender down to the bare metal that has now rusted. Visited a body shop today and hoping to have the rust addressed and the hood/roof repainted in the coming weeks (both starting to lose their luster).
Third order of business, the factory rims and tires currently on the vehicle are trash. Fortunately a set of factory rims in great condition were included in the deal. I will be purchasing new tires and having them put on in the coming weeks as well. From my initial research on this forum, Geolanders seem to be a popular choice, but I will certainly entertain other opinions and ideas.
Down the road, the undercarriage carries the normal surface rust of a northeast coastal vehicle. The frame is in great shape but the rest will need to be cleaned up and rust proofed as best I can. Not a big fan of the Ziebart coating treatment and would prefer something like a fluid film. Will research more when the time comes.
So those are my initial plans. Thankfully, with the mileage and how well it was taken care of, the interior needs absolutely nothing besides Weathertech mats all around before winter.
Appreciate any forthcoming feedback/criticism/apathy/comradery that this forum has to offer!
