Purhcased 97 lx450 (1 Viewer)

[LB22]

What's up everyone!

finally purchase an LC and had some questions and wanted to prepare myself. Just purchased a 97 lx450, 166k miles on it. Anything I should prepare myself for? As of now, planning on taking it to the Lexus dealer, get the full point inspection ($169) to take a look at it. Make sure everything looks good. Body looks great, interior is amazing, undercarriage looks real good. I'm purchasing it from out of state so I wasn't able to look at it in person so I'm preparing myself. One thing I know that's pretty big when I've been reading on forums or even comments during the auctions (bringatrailer.com) was the front/rear differential lock and I know the one I just purchased doesn't have one. I do plan on taking it to Ziebart sometime soon and get an undercoat job underneath for the future. Not looking to do much off-roading with the vehicle since I'm in Chicago. It'll be more for a DD and ready for the snow. I do have an 02 4runner which I do plan on modding up in the future so that will be my fun car. Other than that, feels good to join the group and anything would help!

Going to attach a few pictures!

 

[LB22]

 

[amgraham]

Looks pretty good from what I can see. My recommendation would be skip the Lexus dealer and find a shop that is familiar with 80s. Most of the dealers don't see them much any more. Read the FAQs on here and I would change all the fluids, check all the steering and brakes, front wheel bearings and seals, driveshafts, and go over the cooling system well (radiator, heater hoses, etc.). Then just drive it and pay attention to anything that crops up. I would also put a different set of tires on because those Ling Longs suck.

Also, if it rides super floaty and rolls a lot the Old Man Emu stock height springs and OEM shocks are pretty cheap and easy to swap out. They made a huge difference in how mine drove on the road and if they have never been replaced, it is probably time.

Congrats!

 

[COYS]

Firstly, congrats on what I presume is your first LC.

Where to start? I purchased my 23 year old 80 not even 2 years ago, but based on bits and bobs of know-how I picked up along the way thanks to this community, here's a random list of stuff I'd be looking to refresh with as many OEM or curated aftermarket parts as possible and over the fullness of time. Dealer supplied info, including pics, are often misleading.

-Full front and rear axle rebuild
-Full suspension bushing replacement
-Full under hood rubber/hose replacement
-Fluid exchange everywhere (diff, trans, etc)
-Cooling system overhaul
-New starter, alternator, battery, water pump, power steering pump, etc
-Check windshield for OEM marking and gasket
-Check oil consumption over 1K miles after fresh oil change
-Prepare for head gasket or engine rebuild work at some point if you care to own it long enough
+Cosmetic sht everywhere depending on your level of ocd
+Window motors/actuators, battery, filters, air lockers in your case, lift, gears, bigger tires, turbo kit, MAF, intake tube, etc

Labor of love yo - enjoy the journey!

 

[LB22]

Thank you!

Looks pretty good from what I can see. My recommendation would be skip the Lexus dealer and find a shop that is familiar with 80s. Most of the dealers don't see them much any more. Read the FAQs on here and I would change all the fluids, check all the steering and brakes, front wheel bearings and seals, driveshafts, and go over the cooling system well (radiator, heater hoses, etc.). Then just drive it and pay attention to anything that crops up. I would also put a different set of tires on because those Ling Longs suck.

Also, if it rides super floaty and rolls a lot the Old Man Emu stock height springs and OEM shocks are pretty cheap and easy to swap out. They made a huge difference in how mine drove on the road and if they have never been replaced, it is probably time.

Congrats!

 

[LB22]

Thank you! Will do !

Firstly, congrats on what I presume is your first LC.

Where to start? I purchased my 23 year old 80 not even 2 years ago, but based on bits and bobs of know-how I picked up along the way thanks to this community, here's a random list of stuff I'd be looking to refresh with as many OEM or curated aftermarket parts as possible and over the fullness of time. Dealer supplied info, including pics, are often misleading.

-Full front and rear axle rebuild
-Full suspension bushing replacement
-Full under hood rubber/hose replacement
-Fluid exchange everywhere (diff, trans, etc)
-Cooling system overhaul
-Check windshield for OEM marking and gasket
-Check oil consumption over 1K miles after fresh oil change
-Prepare for head gasket or engine rebuild work at some point if you care to own it long enough
+Cosmetic sht everywhere depending on your level of ocd
+Window motors/actuators, battery, filters, air lockers in your case, lift, gears, bigger tires, turbo kit, MAF, intake tube, etc

Labor of love yo - enjoy the journey!

 

[bhsdriller]

Just drive it and see what it needs.

Most here go crazy with base lining new rides

 

[ppc]

In my opinion Ziebart is a good product for a new vehicle and protects body panels. On a used vehicle WoolWax looks to be a better product for you to use that will protect the entire undercarriage.

Anyone try WoolWax yet?

Kellsport came out with a new product called WoolWax that is supposedly odor free and comes in two colors. As most of you know, I am an old fashioned grease monkey and I am always slathering either bar chain oil or Fluid Film on my undergarments as the first stages of my rust reversal school...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Rifleman]

Most here go crazy with base lining new rides

To start with I'm not trying to flame you, but your right, most people (myself included) here go crazy base lining their "new" to them truck for a reason.

The reason for that, is due to the fact that the youngest of these trucks are now at least 23 years old, and the oldest are now close to 30 years old, and most PO did NOT keep up on their trucks required maintenance.

So yes, most of us would much rather catch a problem in our driveway, doing base line maintenance that the previous owner never did. Then being miles from home, broke down on some lonely trail wishing they had done that base line repair in their driveway. YMMV

 

[COYS]

Most here go crazy with base lining new rides

Nyet. Most don't.

 

[Red703]

Avoid Ziebart just get fluid film or wool wax.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

And get a new spare, that's the original tire and the sidewall is whipped.
Mine came with the original tire too, looks like the tread never saw the road, but the sidewall was dry-rotted just like that one.

Oh and welcome to the chaos. That's a great looking rig.

 

[Kernal]

When I picked up my 97 FZJ80 a couple years ago it had been essentially untouched except for quickie oil changes, front brake rotors, and pads.

The differentials, transfer case, and transmission fluids had never been changed, brake and power steering fluids appeared never to have been flushed, driveshaft U-joints and slip yolks never re-greased, and maybe only one side of the front axle worked on (both knuckles dry) since it left the factory 20 years and 212,000 miles ago.

Mismatch fan belts, worn idler pulley bearing, water pump with slight play in the shaft, original fuel filter, dirty air filter, no-name oil filter, plugged front axle breather, cheapo non-branded spark plug wires, no-name Distributor cap made in Italy.

Cracked fusible links, damaged radiator, noisy alternator, leaking bypass hose #2, sluggish Thermostat, EGR insufficient and O2 sensor codes, original swollen radiator hoses, one window that would not move, small hole in a headlight, other headlight wrong part, clip missing from grill, sticky throttle cable.

Weak hood struts that wouldn't hold the hood up, worn/loose original front shock, front electric seats didn't move, windshield washer diverter valve defective, blown tail light bulb, undercarriage covered in Red clay (from tire kicker before I grabbed it who drove it through a mud pit) and typical/significant oil leaks for many years resulting in a very thick build-up of oily grime all over the engine and steering components.

And this 80 was a Southern lady, mall driven, very clean example, but way behind on maintenance. Pretty much all she did for it were regular oil changes every 3000 miles. It needed fixing most all of the routine maintenance items that have been discussed on the forum over the years and would not have gone much longer without much of the above serviced.

So, yeah, baselining is definitely important IME/IMHO.

 

[LB22]

Thank you all. It was picked up in Arkansas today, should be by my tomorrow, so looking forward to checking it out and getting every thing done. Again, thank you all!

 

[DSRTRDR]

Just drive it and see what it needs.

Most here go crazy with base lining new rides

/this\

and welcome

 

[cbmontgo]

My suggestion would be to get familiar with its oil burn intervals, since most of these engines burn oil. Some need a quart every 300 miles, and some every 3,000. You don’t want to drive it out of oil, and routinely checking this is a big part of owning an FZJ80.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Every other tank of gas (600 to 700-ish miles) = 1/2 quart of oil. I buy it buy the case and two quarts live in the well between the battery and the DS headlight.

You don't have to go crazy baslineing it, its not like it needs to be all done in one weekend. I started with the coolant system as that's the most catastrophic failure if it goes, and worked my way through the vacuum lines and gear oils, wheel bearings, trans fluid exchange.. etc etc
It's been 18 months since I bought it and I just did a power steering flush today, and it needed it, looked like chocolate milk and smelled burnt AF. Gonna put new PS lines on the to do list, they are quite hard.

Another thing I do is scrape and paint while I'm under there working on whatever. I look at it like bridge work, wire brush off the loose scaly stuff and slap on some black rustolium farm implement paint. Its preservation work, not restoration work.

 

[vegasfj40]

loose scaly stuff

What is this Loose scaly stuff you speak of?

 

[Rusty Marlin]

What is this Loose scaly stuff you speak of?

I wish I didn't know what it is either.

 

[LB22]

Was dropped off this morning. Drove it around. I believe I might need to change the bearings on the passenger side. It sort of sounds like it might be it, but I've heard 100x worse when I had an 2012 f150 so I could be mistaken since it doesn't sound anything like it. Unlocking and locking doors are pretty weak. Not sure if that's a battery issue, but times where I can't lock front door with button and need to manually do it. Nobody in Chicago is a LC specialist so going to my buddies mechanic, who he praises to test drive and check the fluids and all.

My next main question as its about to be time, lol, should I be using Regular or Premium gas? I've seen so many different answers but haven't legit decided what to use for the LX450. So anyone please help with that!=D