Prospect 1999 LX470 buyer! Just some clarification...

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

H

hmanasi93

10 Year
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Threads
2
Messages
6
Location
Cleveland, OH
Hello everyone!

I am new to the Land Crusier/LX forums here but I'm nothing near new to Toyota/Lexus! We currently own three toyota's and one lexus and I am potentially looking to add my 2nd lexus: a 1999 LX470!

In my local craigslist area, there is a 1999 LX470 for sale and the owner is asking only 5400 for it with 135K miles and it's a clean title and one owner.... and I'm pretty sure I can talk it down to 5000; that's about half of what they run for!

I spoke to the guy yesterday and I'm going today to see it; from what he told me and what I can see in the picture, the upper part of the tailgate is rusted out around the chrome lip above the license plate holder. The other significant issue is that the air suspension in the back is busted; I believe the airbags or struts have given out completely and the truck is stuck in LO suspension setting. Then there is a little rust around the wheel fenders in the rear and the driver seat and steering wheel leather need to be redone.... but other than that, the truck is very good. It has all the service intervals and the timing belt done and all three keys; like I said, it's a one owner truck!

My question: would it be easier to Bondo the rear hatch and salvage it or just get a new rust free hatch? And for the struts, would it be easier to replace them or fix the airbags (whatever the issue is) or convert to the LC100 set up?

Thank you for your consideration; I'm debating putting the link to this LX470 because I really want it and I'm afraid people here will beat me to it if I do! LOL!
 
I think I have seen this car on CL before. If it is the same car, I think the the interior is dirty - to me this look like the owner neglected the vehicle, and makes me wonder what else they neglect in term of regular maintenance, such as oil changes, etc. But you mention it has regular service interval - I assume you have seen the stack of receipts? The rust in the lift gate is significant - probably the worst I have seen, which makes me wonder what under the car look like. Also check around the windshield for rust.

I dont know much about the AHC, but just do a search for it, and you can see lots of discussion on it.

A 5K car may not be a great deal if it needs a lot of expensive items that need to be fixed. You just need to tally up the numbers and see if it make sense to buy. It may help the cost if you can do some of the work on your own, and enjoy working on the car. Good luck!

Chris
 
Have you checked the Carfax on that yet. Carfax is not perfect, but it could confirm the one-owner status. I looked at the ad and that rusty tailgate is the worst I've seen. If it also has rusted wheel wells it may be a mess underneath. That may make it hard to work on. The tires don't match (one has white-lettering) and the interior front leather is shot. The ride height issue is potentially expensive; it's hydraulic and has costly parts and may make it hard to drive home. As for the bondo question, I don't know. You'll have to judge after you see it. All in all, it looks like it's earned it's low price with rough condition.
 
Thank you for all your messages.

I tried contacting the owner again today of the car (3 times) and he wouldn't answer... ugh. Starting to think this is a scam but the guy is only 25 minutes away from me and I've so wanted a landcrusier in my life.... being a Toyota/Lexus guy, I don't think I could call myself one without at least having one in my arsenal at one point!

I would buy this car with the intention of driving it until tax season starts at most and then selling it and making a profit... even if its only 800.

I have connections with small dealers and mom-and-pop body shops that can do body work that is like 75% cheaper than what other people would pay. I have very good relations with a mechanic too so I wouldn't be paying much more than just parts.

I was planning to sink at most 2000-2500 into this thing so I would have at most $7500 in it. I can easily sell this for 9G's on ebay and not have to worry about shipping or anything like that.

Thank you everyone though for your responses. I'll keep you posted to see if I get any answer from this guy!
 
Seems very cheap. Replacing the AHC suspension with a conventional one would probably be your best bet and I've seen kits for it for ~~$500 - $750+ if you are just looking to maintain a stock ride height / appearance. The bigger concern, if it were me would be the rust issue and any mechanical issues. As @bctlex commented earlier... If it looks neglected walk away and save yourself the headache of buying a potential basket case. I looked at nine different LC 100 / LX 470 before settling on the right one and right price given the condition and problems or potential problems that my chosen vehicle had / has which thankfully have all be minor and insignificant this far. Ask for receipts and any documentation that the owner has if you choose to pursue this as it might be very telling.
 
man it doesn't sound cheap to me from what you guys have said... yes the miles are low for the year... but I'd take a 300k rust free truck over a 135k rusted one any day... with cars nothing holds more true than "you can't polish a turd" I'd run from that truck... there are plenty of high mile rust free trucks in the south that are only maybe a grand more... and you'd have something worth fixing if anything broke... when a turd breaks... it's just a broken turd...
 
At that price if you fix it up you may be able to get 9K if interior is in good shape and no real accident history. I wouldn't do FeeBay though. Also, all your body repairs need to be up front in your add. If you put a LC suspension in to replace the AHC I believe for a '99 you'll be adding value over one with AHC.
 
hmanasi93 said:
Hello everyone!

I am new to the Land Crusier/LX forums here but I'm nothing near new to Toyota/Lexus! We currently own three toyota's and one lexus and I am potentially looking to add my 2nd lexus: a 1999 LX470!

In my local craigslist area, there is a 1999 LX470 for sale and the owner is asking only 5400 for it with 135K miles and it's a clean title and one owner.... and I'm pretty sure I can talk it down to 5000; that's about half of what they run for!

I spoke to the guy yesterday and I'm going today to see it; from what he told me and what I can see in the picture, the upper part of the tailgate is rusted out around the chrome lip above the license plate holder. The other significant issue is that the air suspension in the back is busted; I believe the airbags or struts have given out completely and the truck is stuck in LO suspension setting. Then there is a little rust around the wheel fenders in the rear and the driver seat and steering wheel leather need to be redone.... but other than that, the truck is very good. It has all the service intervals and the timing belt done and all three keys; like I said, it's a one owner truck!

well? did you buy it?
My question: would it be easier to Bondo the rear hatch and salvage it or just get a new rust free hatch? And for the struts, would it be easier to replace them or fix the airbags (whatever the issue is) or convert to the LC100 set up?

Thank you for your consideration; I'm debating putting the link to this LX470 because I really want it and I'm afraid people here will beat me to it if I do! LOL!
Click to expand...
 
Instead of starting with one that has AHC & rust issues, and generally seems to have been poorly cared for....

Why not something like this instead ?

1999 Toyota Land Cruiser Base 4dr 4WD SUV In North Canton OH - Foster Motor Car Co

(I don't know the details on either car, but the link I posted seems a whole lot cleaner and in better shape from the pictures posted. More miles, and a little more expensive, but could be cheaper in the long run. Make sure the timing belt has been done at ~90K intervals on either one.)
 
jLB said:
Instead of starting with one that has AHC & rust issues, and generally seems to have been poorly cared for....

Why not something like this instead ?

1999 Toyota Land Cruiser Base 4dr 4WD SUV In North Canton OH - Foster Motor Car Co

(I don't know the details on either car, but the link I posted seems a whole lot cleaner and in better shape from the pictures posted. More miles, and a little more expensive, but could be cheaper in the long run. Make sure the timing belt has been done at ~90K intervals on either one.)
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a really clean example given age / mileage.
 
I saw that one; and it is nice. But I'm looking for one that I can buy on the REAL cheap-o-meter, fix up the minor stuff, drive it for a while, and then sell it and make money.

I already have four Toyota's at my disposal; a 2005 Toyota Sienna (3MZ-FE V6), 2007 Camry (2GR-FE V6), 2009 Toyota Yaris, and a 2014 Lexus CT200h. I've always wanted a land cruiser and with gasoline cheaper than bottled water, I don't think a better time can come.

But I just don't have space to keep one for long term yet. I'll probably just go to a dealer wholesale auction and bet my luck there; but even those are becoming so ridiculously expensive these days for a clean unit... that goes for any car.
 
I'd argue that if your goal is to buy a LC/LX "on the cheap", keep it for a short time and turn it for a profit. You're going to have to understand:

1) What is a minor repair vs major repair.
AHC:
-It could be as simple as a defective/broke height sensor, or it could be a combination of one or more of the following: accumulators, shocks, pump. Trying to get AHC up and running again could turn out to be costly.
-Strutmasters makes a "kit" to replace the AHC @~$500 but it doesn't come with torsion bars, and the AHC torsion bars really aren't strong enough to support the front end on their own. (I wouldn't consider this an upgrade over AHC)
-You could buy the Toyota parts or try to find used parts.
-OME kit is probably the same price or cheaper than the toyota parts (new) @~$1000, but the ride is a bit harsher. (Some might consider this an upgrade, some may not.)
-Is your potential buyer going to see an AHC removal as a "half assed" repair, and expect a discount?
​
Rear upper hatch:
-A new upper lift gate is ~$1000 +shipping +labor +paint
-You may be able to find a used upper lift gate for ~$500. If you get lucky it will be local. If you get really lucky it will be in your color.
-Why did it rust? Was there a leak? Are you going to have to replace some of the internals too?
​
Recover steering wheel:
- Do it right ~$250 +downtime
- eBay 3rd party replacement ~$300
- Cheap ass wheel skin (blech!)
​
Front Seats:
Lseat replacements ~$299 (inferior leather, may or may not match the rest of the interior)
Upholstery shop $??
Metric TLC $970 (just for price comparison purposes)
​
Still haven't addressed the rust on the wheel wells or other places that are yet to be found...

If this LX has been neglected this badly, what other surprises are waiting for you?

Is the steering rack solid?

Is the sunroof functional, or are the cables rusted/frozen?
​
2) Who the target buyer is going to be? Most that are willing to spend that kind of money on a 16 year old car tend to be knowledgeable about the platform, have a pretty good feel for the market in their area, and be a picky bunch about repairs being done correctly.


Just from the pictures and descriptions of the 2 vehicles, I'd argue that between the $5400 LX and the $7900 LC, you'd be well ahead w/ the LC, would get some time to actually drive the vehicle, and stand a better chance of getting your money out of it when you want to sell it in April.
 
Last edited:
Well, for anyone interested here is an update: the guy never returned my calls so I couldn't buy the car even if I had 100's in my pocket so that's his loss; there are thousands of other Land Cruiser's and LX's out there and one of them has my name on it..... but it wasn't this one. So maybe it was a good thing... I believe things always happen for a reason so this was fate/god's way of saying that this LX wasn't for me.

I ended up finding a 1997 LS400 one owner with 263K miles on it with almost a perfect body, even after eighteen going on nineteen ohio winters for $900. All the car needs are doughnut gaskets for the exhaust, a valve cover gasket, and a redone driver's seat. The car's suspension is as tight as a drum and the transmission still shifts like a dream. And that 1UZ-FE can pull. So ill probably sink another 300-400 in this and sell for 2K in near perfect condition for tax season. In the meantime, I can use this car to keep salt away from ct200h and the other cars :).

Thank you for everyone's help; I do hope one day I can get an LX or LC and join all of you!
 
Sounds like a nice buy!

I sure enjoyed both of the 1st Gen LS the we had.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom