On the fence

[Romer]

So I go everywhere in my 100 that I went in my 80 with no issues. Only place I haven't been again is the Rubicon. The solid front axle does make it easier going up some Rocky areas, but the 100 just needs a slightly different line and does just fine. Don't rule out the offroading adventures . .. . . I am still doing them

The ATRAC makes some of the spots easier. I added lockers for the front diff strength and because I like to power brake when I am going over rocks

 

[azcromntic]

Well, I went and test drove another Lx tonight. It was a 2001. Had the AHC and dash DVD. Not my favorite color but it usually never is. It too had some cosmetic issues but not near as many. The muffler looked a couple years old, had new tires, seats were good except drivers which is just starting to separate about an inch spot in the left crease. Engine has 156K and did feel stronger than the other. So, do you think 12,700 would be too high?

I told them 12,500 and the manager said it was close.

That's really about all I can affor and that's assuming my 80 will sell, and that I can keep the pre-approved loan. Sometimes the bank backs out due to mileage.

I'd like to keep the 80 as well but we have limited space and why would I need to?

Thanks for helping me think this all through!

 

[Romer]

has the timing belt and water pump been done? Important thing to find out here

Here is a cruiser with less miles that has had that done in Vail for less money. This way you wouldn't have to rip the AHC out

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4075409364.html

 

[azcromntic]

...
When I got the 80 I dreamed of all these off roading adventures and it just never came to fruition so time to move on for me.
...

I'm not alone! Holy cow, someone else sat up till 2 a.m. reading about 80's and all the adventure! Well, that is until the blood curling scream of a two year old waking up without a night light jolts them back to reality. Yep, that is me two years ago. Endless late hours doing PM and prepping for an adventure that no one other than me could comprehend or was old enough for and won't really appreciate until another 10 years go by.

I can still see the dream but I have to look around a costly 1FZFE rebuild to see it clearly.

Right now they have more adventure in the back yard setting up the tent or hopping in the 80 to drive to the local park pond. I'll pick up the other dream later and enjoy their local adventures.

Plus the 100 is enough to get me to a hunting/fishing spot.

 

[azcromntic]

has the timing belt and water pump been done? Important thing to find out here

Here is a cruiser with less miles that has had that done in Vail for less money. This way you wouldn't have to rip the AHC out

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4075409364.html

Is removing the AHC a recommended mod?

 

[azcromntic]

has the timing belt and water pump been done? Important thing to find out here

Here is a cruiser with less miles that has had that done in Vail for less money. This way you wouldn't have to rip the AHC out

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4075409364.html

Actually I sent a reply to him/her. Is that a good price? It's a year older too but roughly same miles. Lx is a 2001. And I will ask about the belt and pump on the Lx I drove.

 

[Romer]

AHC provides a selectable lift and you would have to rip it out to replace it with a lift. I know guys who use the AHC on a mostly stock vehicle and it seems to work fine if it was well maintained with fluid changed. I read that when you add bumpers and sliders the weight impacts AHC reliability. I am no expert. If your desire is to add a lift and keep it at that height, I would select a vehicle without AHC

The timing belt and pump is an expensive maintenance item. Buying a vehicle that had it completed also is an indicator it was well maintained

For Toyotas, you can create an account at http://www.toyota.com/owners/web/pages/home enter the VIN like you own the vehicle and you can see all the dealer provided maintenance items

I use that and a carfax to evaluate a vehicle before I consider going to look at it. I rule out any rigs that spent their life in the mid west or east coast. After Hurricane Sandy, there were a ton of vehicles from that area for sale in Colorado and Utah and I figured that out from the Carfax

 

[Wasatch Jay]

The timing belt and pump is an expensive maintenance item. Buying a vehicle that had it completed also is an indicator it was well maintained

The recommended mileage for timing belt replacement is 90,000 miles (or six years). When someone exceeds the recommended maintenance schedule by over 50% I don't think that's an indication the vehicle was "well maintained". I would assert the opposite.

Generally the Lexus LX models sell for more money than their Toyota LandCruiser brethren. Of course that difference is much less used than the premium when new.

So you're comparing a 2000 LandCruiser to a 2001 LX 470 with almost the same mileage (I don't consider a 1% difference significant). If the 90K service was done on the LX the cost differential seems reasonable (if not cheap) assuming they are in similar condition. Typically also vehicles purchased from a dealership are more expensive than via private party.

There was a thread a month or so ago about a forum member going out of state to purchase a used Lexus. Even though he had it checked out by a different dealership prior to purchase, the transmission failed when driving it home. The vehicle was sold as-is and that was understood by both parties. But the selling dealer paid 1/2 the cost of the repair. Would a private seller do the same?

I too would look carefully at the CARFAX and the maintenance history. I don't know if there is an online capability but I have taken a Lexus VIN to a Lexus dealership and they kindly printed out a maintenance and warranty history of everything performed at Lexus dealerships.

Good Luck in your search...

 

[Romer]

The recommended mileage for timing belt replacement is 90,000 miles (or six years). When someone exceeds the recommended maintenance schedule by over 50% I don't think that's an indication the vehicle was "well maintained". I would assert the opposite.

...

Are you saying because they went 138K miles it isn't well maintained? It all depends on the rest. If they did regular fluid changes I would still say it is well maintained. The fact that it went 156K miles and still hasn't been done would be the opposite. There are many threads showing the belt has little wear even at double the miles.

 

[azcromntic]

I found the car fax on the lx 470 from the dealer. It was two owners. First was a fleet for like 60K miles then the rest was the second owner. BUT, no mention of timing belt on the car fax.

Doesn't mean it wasn't done but I'll have to ask the dealer and if they don't know then I'll have to assume it wasn't done.

So that's like $600 right?

 

[arbetrader]

FYI, no OEM lockers ever offered on the LXs. 98-99 LCs only.

NOT TRUE

It's in the minority, however 98-99 lockers were an option too in the LX - however most didn't receive it in the USA. IIRC there are a few factory locked LX's (98-99) on this board. One thing to note is that the LX came standard with a limited slip differential. Mine has it...

ALL CANADIAN MODEL LX'S RECEIVED FACTORY LOCKERS (98-99). Along with headlight washers...

 

[Romer]

I found the car fax on the lx 470 from the dealer. It was two owners. First was a fleet for like 60K miles then the rest was the second owner. BUT, no mention of timing belt on the car fax.

Doesn't mean it wasn't done but I'll have to ask the dealer and if they don't know then I'll have to assume it wasn't done.

So that's like $600 right?

$1200 to $2000 depending on the dealer

 

[fireball]

Are you sure that 98-99 LX had locker as an option? I have never seen or heard of one, and it isn't listed as an option in the Lexus brochure: http://www.toyotareference.com/lexuslx/1998-2007

But yes, I stand corrected on the fact that LXs were offered with lockers outside of the states.

However to the original poster, the info is still good. You're in CO Springs....so as far as you're concerned you aren't gonna find an LX with a locker!

 

[azcromntic]

...However to the original poster, the info is still good. You're in CO Springs....so as far as you're concerned you aren't gonna find an LX with a locker!

Good, cause I'm tired of combing through adds looking for locker switches.

 

[azcromntic]

$1200 to $2000 depending on the dealer

That much for a dealer to do it?!! Wow, I'll definitely bring that one up because I could do that myself.

How much to do it myself? Maybe that was the $600 thing I saw for parts....?

Also, no one has still given a quote on how much to rebuild a 2UZ regardless of whether it has ever been done before. Estimate anyone? I did find this: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/foru...lmost-ready-rebuild-help-choices/#post1836696. I just don't want to walk into the same situation as I did with the 80.

 

[Wasatch Jay]

Are you saying because they went 138K miles it isn't well maintained? It all depends on the rest. If they did regular fluid changes I would still say it is well maintained. The fact that it went 156K miles and still hasn't been done would be the opposite. There are many threads showing the belt has little wear even at double the miles.

I guess my criteria is different than yours.... If a vehicle is maintained according to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule (or close to it) I'd say it's "well maintained". Significantly over the schedule to me, equates to less.

I realize timing belts have lasted far longer than 90K or 138K miles, and even then when removed they look like they've got a lot of miles left. But at some point you're "playing with fire". (Quick aside: Girlfriend's son bought a used Audi A4 with 105K (timing belt change recommended at 75K). Sure enough on the drive home the belt broke, valves met pistons and $3K later the engine was running. So I'm particularly sensitive to timing belt maintenance.

The 90K recommended maintenance is expensive, and I can see a fair number of people, even those dedicated to good maintenance, not being able to swallow that nut and put it off for a while.

 

[Wasatch Jay]

I found the car fax on the lx 470 from the dealer. It was two owners. First was a fleet for like 60K miles then the rest was the second owner. BUT, no mention of timing belt on the car fax.

Doesn't mean it wasn't done but I'll have to ask the dealer and if they don't know then I'll have to assume it wasn't done.

So that's like $600 right?

I've never seen maintenance items listed on a CARFAX. Typically it's sales transactions, registration events and accidents. The latter is a red flag (to me). And to paraphrase Romer if the registration history shows lots of usage from the rust belt I'd pass.

Usually if the timing belt was changed by a dealership there will be a sticker indicating the belt was changed at "X" miles. That sticker is found in different places under the hood but common places are on the engine cover itself or on the radiator core support.

If the dealer can't prove to your satisfaction that the timing belt was changed I would use that as a significant point of negotiation. I think when you purchase a used vehicle the general assumption is maintenance has been done. But it's one of those "trust, but verify" things and if you can't verify it, unless you know the seller very well, I'd plan on doing the maintenance and adjusting the price accordingly.

 

[profro]

$1200 to $2000 depending on the dealer

I just bought a 2000 with 212k miles and no history of the timing belt being done. Bought it on Sunday and took it to the local dealer on Monday and had the timing belt, water pump, 2 idler pulleys, tensioner, and serpentine belt done for $1100.

 

[re_guderian]

...Girlfriend's son bought a used Audi A4 with 105K (timing belt change recommended at 75K). Sure enough on the drive home the belt broke, valves met pistons and $3K later the engine was running. So I'm particularly sensitive to timing belt maintenance....

So Audi= Toyota? Or you believe that your girlfriend's son was told the truth? There's lots of other, more plausible, explanations other than "timing belts on 2UZ's will self-destruct if not changed at the exact mileage recommended"

I've never seen maintenance items listed on a CARFAX. Typically it's sales transactions, registration events and accidents. The latter is a red flag (to me)..

They've been showing up there for YEARS. At least eight that I know of from personal experience. Might want to update the ol' "what I know to be true" file every now and again...

 

[mcgaskins]

No Audi or VW product with a timing belt can be even remotely compared to a Toyota product with a timing belt for maintenance and longevity's perspective. I've owned nearly every model Audi made in the last 2 decades (200, A4, A6, A6 wagon, A8, TT), and I would not mess with the maintenance schedule on those at all or it WILL bite you. I have not found that to be even close to true on a Land Cruiser. AFAIK, there is yet to be any known cases of timing belts blowing and causing massive engine damage and there are hundreds if not thousands of cases with VAG (VW/Audi) cars doing just that.