Newb: Input on High Mileage GX for Low Budget Build (1 Viewer)

[Leon604]

Hey everyone,
First post here -- I've been perusing these forums quite a bit and this seems to be the best place for GX builds.

I find myself in the market looking for a Toyota 4 wheeler for some desolate camping, I'm new to this so let's say medium level off roading (I'll start slow-ish and go from there). Ideally I would get a V6 4runner (for the mpg) but the premiums they are demanding are pretty ridiculous in the bay area.

So, seeking value, I'm now in a GX wormhole trying to find a steal. I have found a couple of good one's that I'm contemplating going for and would love some input before taking the plunge.

I have found a couple '03 GX's ranging from $5500 to $8500. Both seem to be in good shape and have mileage ranging from 150-170K. Both have squeaky clean carfax (fwiw). Pricing seems dependent on the overall mintness & private seller vs. dealer.

I'm not particularly scared of high mileage Toyota's because you all know why....If I feel ready to pull the trigger I would have it inspected by a mechanic before making any final decisions.

First question - what would you advise I look out for? From what I gather, these are the weaker V8s, and KDSS wasn't introduced until 2004. I think I read somewhere that the 4wd needs to be exercised regularly to avoid problems with the TC - does that sound correct?

This is 90% a joy car for me so I'm trying to clamp down on costs. To start I would be going for tires, suspension upgrades, and rock sliders. Maybe down the road I would go for a rear locker and regear.

Any input is appreciated! Seems like y'all are a smart bunch based on all the information I've gathered perusing this forum. Thanks!

 

[BlackCat]

It’s all about preference. 150-180k is nothing. Personally? 03 or 04 for lack of secondary air pumps and VVTi. Non Nav, non KDSS. But those are MY preferences. Non nav leaves aftermarket options galore, no secondary air pumps to fail, no KDSS since I don’t run away bars anyways.

Other people will say KDSS is handmade by God himself, and all of us without it are a danger to society because it handles so much better, blah blah. SAIS can be cheaply bypassed, etc etc etc. Get the most truck you can for your budget. You can’t really go wrong with any of them.
FWIW, I have an 03 and couldn’t be happier with the truck, but it’s far from stock at this point.

 

[JLee]

Heh, here comes the opposite opinion.

If you aren't going to build to the extent where you remove your sway bars, KDSS wins. Superior cornering on-road and superior wheel articulation off-road. If you do plan on removing sways, for the love of all that is holy I hope you plan on doing something else, like a Currie antirock. 05+ gets you another 35hp and (marginally) better fuel economy. I have 195k on my truck and secondary air is fine -- and if it does fail, you can install a bypass kit and never worry about it again.

Personally, I won't buy anything other than 05+ w/KDSS. That's me, though.

Definitely go non-nav if you can, but don't let that stop you if you find the perfect truck. I got my 2005 w/KDSS and nav with current timing belt, new-ish radiator, good CVs and lower control arms @ 179k for $8150 in October 2015.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

My 2003 without KDSS has been doing great offroad, but I've never driven one with KDSS. My 2003 runs fine on regular gas and I like the simplicity of no KDSS and no secondary air pumps. Less things to worry about maintaining or repairing.

The maintenance/repair issues that give you peace of mind and are expensive to fix were mentioned by @JLee

1. Cooling system. I just replaced the whole darn thing for $1050 including radiator, upper/lower hoses, cap, thermostat, water pump, pulley, timing belt, and drive belt.

2. Bushings and ball joints on the front lower and upper control arms. I replaced the font UCAs with TC ones and I'm replacing the front LCAs with Toyota OEM ones. These two combined were over $1500. The original bushings were all deteriorated by this point.

3. CV boots start to leak, so make sure they were repaired or be ready to repair.

4. Rear air bags start to fail, so make sure they were repaired or be ready to do a spring conversion.

5. Refresh all your fluids including the pesky transmission fluid. It's supposed to be lifetime fluid starting in 2004, so a lot of people didn't flush and refill the transmission fluid.

I also replaced the alternator and battery for peace of mind when going off the beaten path into the deserts of So Cal.

 

[JLee]

^^ yep.

My timing belt is due at 210k (previous owner did it 30k late, at 120k) and I plan on replacing the alternator and starter while I'm in there.

 

[Bluetribal]

If you are looking for a steal of a deal then you really shouldn’t be picky about anything. Buy the cleanest one at the best price. You are already in the worm hole so you are going to upgrade half of the truck anyway! And you will love it!

 

[JLee]

If you are looking for a steal of a deal then you really shouldn’t be picky about anything. Buy the cleanest one at the best price. You are already in the worm hole so you are going to upgrade half of the truck anyway! And you will love it!

True story. I have more into my truck than I paid for it already.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

If you are looking for a steal of a deal then you really shouldn’t be picky about anything. Buy the cleanest one at the best price. You are already in the worm hole so you are going to upgrade half of the truck anyway! And you will love it!

It's sooooo true! Even when the previous owner repairs/replaces components...they sometimes don't do it right or with the parts you want. One of the POs on my GX470 changed the water pump, but put a no-name brand and broke one of the screws that holds the water pump. Luckily, I needed to replace the radiator because it had signs of leaking (pink crust around the edge) and decided to replace most of the cooling system all the way down to the water pump.

You just get a peace of mind that your GX470 is in good shape when you are off exploring in the desert or mountains far from the city. Unfortunately for me, I have a mechanic that does all my work. If I get stranded, I might have the spare parts but I'll need to flag someone to help me! LOL

 

[I6turbo]

I'm with BlackCat as I actually prefer the 03/04. My 03 non-nav, non KDSS has been almost completely trouble free up to its current 150K miles. Despite the low HP rating, I do NOT find it to feel underpowered and have never wished for more power. It FEELS more zippy than my LX 570 during my normal daily driving, because it's very responsive, more nimble, and the automatic in the 470 just seems to always be instantly in the right gear.

 

[GXO]

I have had an 03 since late 09/early 10. No complaints!

 

[I6turbo]

Further on the 2003-2004 engine power ratings vs. the later VVTi version, I don't think there's any meaningful difference in perceived power during routine driving. While the peak HP rating of the later version is higher (263 @ 5400 RPM vs. 235 @ 4800 RPM, Torque is essentially unchanged at 320 (non-VVTi) and 323 lb ft (VVTi), both @ 3400 RPM. For less than full-throttle acceleration, Torque is more of a factor in how a vehicle accelerates and how "zippy" it feels than is peak Horsepower. Without getting into the details, horsepower and peak RPM is more important if you are going all out for acceleration (wide open throttle and spinning the engine to maximum RPM in each gear), but for routine part-throttle driving, torque is king. Also, it's interesting to note that the published 0-60 time for the 470s with the VVTi engines was actually just a bit slower than the earlier models.