- Year
- 1998
- Vehicle Model
- LX470
- Location
- United States
Hey everyone,
This is my first post on these forums so my apologies if this is posted in the wrong place. My family and I are looking to sell our 1998 LX470 with 104k original miles (last time i checked, currently charging the battery as I type this out). The backstory on this car is predominately a mystery, as we came into ownership of it in 2015 when it was picked up by a buddy of ours who owns a towing business after being left stranded in a parking lot in SoCal. In the trunk was the complete owner's manual and all of the dealership paperwork from when it was purchased new in '97, and from what we were able to find out was that it belonged to a prominent audio engineer from the area. The car was HEAVILY modified after it's original purchase. The car was outfitted with (at the time) a completely state-of-the-art Alpine F1 Status audio system, bulletproof windows (allegedly), aftermarket security system, Momo wheels, a completely custom exhaust system, and a full Safari Turbo system. As a result, the car failed every smog test the state of California had to offer with flying colors, and was driven illegally with fake plates and tags.
Since coming into ownership we paid all of the vehicles overdo registration fees, performed some basic maintenance, replaced the front driver and passenger side windows, have put a full new set of all terrain tires (wheels were next I promise), replaced speakers and tweeters that went bad and put in a new head unit as a few pieces of the F1 system had bit the dust.
Currently, the vehicle is registered as non-operative in the state of California and is sitting in our driveway (and has done so for the majority of our ownership). We found a way to have the car registered in 2018/19, and it was driven regularly by myself and my dad for the entirety of the year until the tags ran up and we couldn't find a way to get it to pass smog again. During that time, my IS300 collected dust and the LX became my daily driver as it was just too damn fun to drive. The beast handles like a dream and HAULS ass, the sound system sounds fantastic, and the interior is mint aside from some cracking on the driver/ passenger seat leather. It is, without question, the most capable and enjoyable car I have ever driven. We had plans to eventually transform it into the true off-roading beast that it should be, but life has unfortunately gotten in the way of that dream.
We have been approached by a few prospective buyers over the years, but have always decided to hold on to it. Now, however, It's time to let go and pass it on to a home that we will drive it like it should be driven. I have tried to do my research on pricing the damn thing, but all of my efforts have came up short as information and equivalent builds don't really seem to pop up too often. My family and I would greatly appreciate any and all help we could get on coming up with a fair price/ finding a prospective buyer. I'm sure there is some much needed maintenance that could be done on this thing, so we aren't expecting top dollar. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll be checking this thread as much as humanly possible, so if there's any critical info that I forgot to include in here just let me know and I'll answer it as honestly as I can.
Attached are some pictures I took this morning after giving it a quick wash. Apologies for the dirty engine bay.
Thanks,
Chase
This is my first post on these forums so my apologies if this is posted in the wrong place. My family and I are looking to sell our 1998 LX470 with 104k original miles (last time i checked, currently charging the battery as I type this out). The backstory on this car is predominately a mystery, as we came into ownership of it in 2015 when it was picked up by a buddy of ours who owns a towing business after being left stranded in a parking lot in SoCal. In the trunk was the complete owner's manual and all of the dealership paperwork from when it was purchased new in '97, and from what we were able to find out was that it belonged to a prominent audio engineer from the area. The car was HEAVILY modified after it's original purchase. The car was outfitted with (at the time) a completely state-of-the-art Alpine F1 Status audio system, bulletproof windows (allegedly), aftermarket security system, Momo wheels, a completely custom exhaust system, and a full Safari Turbo system. As a result, the car failed every smog test the state of California had to offer with flying colors, and was driven illegally with fake plates and tags.
Since coming into ownership we paid all of the vehicles overdo registration fees, performed some basic maintenance, replaced the front driver and passenger side windows, have put a full new set of all terrain tires (wheels were next I promise), replaced speakers and tweeters that went bad and put in a new head unit as a few pieces of the F1 system had bit the dust.
Currently, the vehicle is registered as non-operative in the state of California and is sitting in our driveway (and has done so for the majority of our ownership). We found a way to have the car registered in 2018/19, and it was driven regularly by myself and my dad for the entirety of the year until the tags ran up and we couldn't find a way to get it to pass smog again. During that time, my IS300 collected dust and the LX became my daily driver as it was just too damn fun to drive. The beast handles like a dream and HAULS ass, the sound system sounds fantastic, and the interior is mint aside from some cracking on the driver/ passenger seat leather. It is, without question, the most capable and enjoyable car I have ever driven. We had plans to eventually transform it into the true off-roading beast that it should be, but life has unfortunately gotten in the way of that dream.
We have been approached by a few prospective buyers over the years, but have always decided to hold on to it. Now, however, It's time to let go and pass it on to a home that we will drive it like it should be driven. I have tried to do my research on pricing the damn thing, but all of my efforts have came up short as information and equivalent builds don't really seem to pop up too often. My family and I would greatly appreciate any and all help we could get on coming up with a fair price/ finding a prospective buyer. I'm sure there is some much needed maintenance that could be done on this thing, so we aren't expecting top dollar. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll be checking this thread as much as humanly possible, so if there's any critical info that I forgot to include in here just let me know and I'll answer it as honestly as I can.
Attached are some pictures I took this morning after giving it a quick wash. Apologies for the dirty engine bay.
Thanks,
Chase
