Well I have decided on a GX, but I am at a but I am at a bit of a cross roads

[LaserNomad]

So Dissent off roads bumpers and all of you opinions have sold me. Its GX time.
In my area 200mi radius there are 3 GXs that have my attention. One is a 2007 at a used car dealership with 140k for $14ish it has a typical texas service history (AKA none, seriously so few texas lexuses have been dealer serviced I have looked at like 20 of them). There is a 2004 with 210k miles and a great service history, but I can tell it will need a water pump and timing and probably all the other high mileage base-lining but the dealership it is at just dropped its price to $8k ish. There is one that is 150 miles away, it has a good service history, but it has a salvage title probably when according to the police report it hit a pedestrian doing 35+ during a left turn 04 186K for $6257, I am betting that car has killed a person, I didnt see any thing else that would have totaled the car no flood issues... just the hitting a person.

Should I make a move on any of these or wait a bit.

 

[Arailt]

A 1500 Ram truck hit and killed a pedestrian in Pittsburgh a few months back going 40ish MPH and it destroyed the truck's front end. Just saying. Could have been a lot more damage than you think.

 

[LaserNomad]

The police report stated severity level 1 out of 7 (seven being worst) no airbag deployed car occupants walked away, and this happened in 2015 so I am guessing it wouldn't take much to total it out. The information you can find on the internet is kind of scary.

 

[Lifted]

2007 Lexus GX470
Here’s an 07 with under 20k miles!!! There’s a ton on Craigslist in Colorado right now if you are willing to make a trip. I bought two GX’s one is 04 one is 07. I paid for a carfax on both and had both sellers meet me at a Lexus dealership where I paid for a used car inspection negotiate that cost into purchase price).
Personally the three you mentioned have red flags that would point me in another direction but that’s just me.

 

[LaserNomad]

2007 Lexus GX470
Here’s an 07 with under 20k miles!!! There’s a ton on Craigslist in Colorado right now if you are willing to make a trip. I bought two GX’s one is 04 one is 07. I paid for a carfax on both and had both sellers meet me at a Lexus dealership where I paid for a used car inspection negotiate that cost into purchase price).
Personally the three you mentioned have red flags that would point me in another direction but that’s just me.

I mean yeah thats nice my budget really tops out at $15k and quite frankly I really dont want to go above $12. Which means I am probably going to get a car with some amount of red flags as I dont have the budget. I keep seeing ones with no history and clearly are being sold because they dont want to do the timing, and cars no matter how long their service life is seem to start dropping in price dramatically after 100K miles. I know, I need to be patient But I need to get a new car by September... so kind of ansy.

 

[subspd]

Keep looking. Took me a year almost but got a dealer maintained 08’ with 72k miles for 13.

 

[LaserNomad]

A wise man once said there are 2 kinds of people who win a negotiation, The patient and the well informed. I am trying to be both but I really dont know if we can go down to a one car house successfully. Which I need to be better informed and take a hit on patient because I dont have a year, I have until spring at the latest. As I can get it ready for shows during the spring and get full timing by June (if I dont have a vehicle ready by June I am probably walking away from $4-8k in sales opportunities). After tracking trends for too long winter is an expensive time to buy a good 4wd vehicle usually unless some did a cliche thing and bought a car for Christmas....but who would get rid of a good gx during the snowy season, a crappy gx maybe? I cant afford to let perfection be the enemy of good enough. I need to learn to balance what is good enough vs my time table. I need to find the once a season car not the once a year car.

I find myself between tying up capital in my business via shows (booking more expensive ones nearby), tying it up in production equipment (s*** to make s*** quicker, better, cheaper) or sales equipment (car to expand my sphere of influence and hit cheaper shows a bit farther away) and I really dont know where to put the time and money investment buy I know I have to do all 3 but how much, in what order, and what to I expend to frictional costs? Because at the end of the day this thing is going to be 90% business tool 10% fun, so I plan on running it for as long as I can maintain it at safe effective operating specs and I really dont know if that does change the equation any.

Really this thread is as much for me to process what I really need vs want as it is getting really good advice which I am truly grateful to get even if I dont seem it in my responses. I have learned a lot here and will no matter what make a better more informed purchase because of it.

 

[GXO]

You should be able to get a quite good GX for $12k. There are a TON in GA. Check the Atlanta Craigslist. They pop up daily.

 

[GXO]

Example: 138k $8900 2003 LEXUS GX470 4x4 Sport utility

 

[LaserNomad]

Example: 138k $8900 2003 LEXUS GX470 4x4 Sport utility

I feel what you are saying but by the time I add airfare and lodging and gas it to get it back to az it is an a $10k car with out trying... assuming it can make the trip and if it needs timing and water... add another $1500 not to mention my time is worth $40/hr that is 3 days off ($1200ish arguably more). Making it $1120 before I pay taxes... That car is probably not worth $11200+ rounding it to an even 13... I would only drive 3 days if it had a 3000... who care time warranty as I will put that to the test in rapid order. Unless I am wrong then teach me, I need it and another whiskey.


This is the secondary rub how much time do I devote to it, I am thinking when I get up and have a coffee and when I get ready for bed and have a whiskey.

 

[GonzoShinyPants]

Well, what's the cost of buying one with problems? Focus on the price and condition/service history, not so much the mileage. These can go for many hundreds of thousands of miles, and assuming you are going to keep it for a while, you want one that's in good shape the first day you get it.

 

[LaserNomad]

Well, what's the cost of buying one with problems? Focus on the price and condition/service history, not so much the mileage. These can go for many hundreds of thousands of miles, and assuming you are going to keep it for a while, you want one that's in good shape the first day you get it.

That would certainly be the ideal, and the goal.

So question for the hive mind.

Regarding price vs service history. There are 3 exact same hypothetical GXs lets say they all have 155,555 mi
one has had the timing belt and water pump done at 75k, one has never had the timing done, the other had the timing done but not clear on water pump at 145,555. All these are the exact same year and priced at the high KBB. Just for the maximum absurdity they are the same color, kept in a carpeted garage dealer maintained.... all unicorns in every other way. How much less would you offer based on the timing belt alone?

 

[Kelevra]

Just an FYI, I searched quite a bit, from last October until May. Not 100% every day but looked at about 30 GX's. ( We live in Maui part of the year, so not real serious looking when there).
We ended up with a 1 owner 03 Loaded and ALL dealer serviced, From a dealer here in CA. 72,765 miles when we purchased it. I paid $12,345.37 OTD. Funny thing, I wrote a check for it. Had to do a credit check for the car purchase. We still laugh about it.
We are extremely happy with the purchase. Of course, I have about doubled the price getting it ready for its home in Tucson,AZ.
We are in the process of lifting, Shocks, Springs, Tires, Wheels, Rack, Bumpers, Lights, Electronics, Fridge, Canopy, Etc. It is kinda addicting once you get going.
BTW, I am going to do the TB, WP, Radiator, hoses belts Etc. Mainly because of the age of the GX. I don't want issues once we take it to AZ.

Good luck with your search, one will come up. Just be ready to jump.

 

[VinylSeats]

I mean yeah thats nice my budget really tops out at $15k and quite frankly I really dont want to go above $12. Which means I am probably going to get a car with some amount of red flags as I dont have the budget. I keep seeing ones with no history and clearly are being sold because they dont want to do the timing, and cars no matter how long their service life is seem to start dropping in price dramatically after 100K miles. I know, I need to be patient But I need to get a new car by September... so kind of ansy.

You definitely can find one without red flags. I looked for my wife's GX here in Colorado for a while and ended up with a one owner, 200,000 mile beauty with incredible records for $8700. LOTS of preventative maintenance done at 180,000.

It is possible so keep searching. My advice: Look for really well maintained one or two owner trucks around 200,000 miles. Hopefully you can find one with the timing belt and water pump already done. Know that you will likely have to tackle some big stuff after purchase at some point, whether it's failing air suspension, leaking transfer case O ring, etc.

Good luck! Are you willing to come to CO for it? If so, I'll keep a lookout for good trucks around here for you.

 

[LaserNomad]

currently looking at a 2008 with 168k, excelent dealer service until 90k, and then they moved 3 hours away from the closest dealership, asking 12k, kbb is 11,5 very clean all the pics looks like highway driving (steering wheel wear but seat looks almost new). They said recent timing belt and newer tires. There is a toyota dealership so I am going to have them do a pre purchase inspection. Its a 5 hour drive so, road trip.

 

[Lifted]

That sounds more promising! Hope it goes well. There should be a sticker with the timing belt mileage from when it got replaced.....(I’m sure you know this, friendly reminder)

 

[HomersCanyonero]

You can try sewing a black leather wrap around the steering wheel

 

[GXMac]

(steering wheel wear but seat looks almost new).

Watch out for that leather repair "paint" on the seats- it's something dealerships will put on to mask wear on the leather.

 

[LaserNomad]

Well I am a leather worker by trade sooooo leather is in my wheel house.
So I dont want to say the guy seems sketchy ... but I need some advice I pulled the carfax, and went and got approval for a loan from my credit union, here is the run down.

Used Lexus GX 470 For Sale - CarGurus
That is the listing. With pics, it has changed a bit since I started talking to him about it. Here are more pics that he emailed me.
havasu pics - Google Drive

This is a link to the copy and pasted lexus internal service history and then the carfax afterwords
history havasu

This doesnt exactly jibe with what he has told me (also at the bottom of the doc)

When I asked about the timing...
Timing was just done again and was previous done at Newport Lexus at 90k miles.

Drivers.lexus doesnt show Newport doing timing belt and nothing in the car fax shows one directly either. Just normal service work. I know after reading a whole crap load of service reports from the Lexus website that they dont always come right out and say what they did, and others will list everything as a line item... sadly Newport Lexus depends on the tech/service adviser.

His story about how he got it...

I will send over additional photos are there any in particular you would like ? I am the second owner purchased from a family member to keep at my Lake Havasu house to tow our Jet Skis to and from the launch ramp. All of the miles were CA freeway miles and owned by my Aunt. She has kids and the interior is in good shape but not excellent. It runs great and has no issues I am only selling because we are buying a large boat and need a truck to tow with now.


The car fax has it going through a car auction and Lexus of Escondido giving it a once over. Did his aunt trade it in then he went and bought it at auction? Its a stretch buttttttt I had a friend who worked at a vehicle auction place and they did some sketchy stuff getting their friends and family members to bid/buy/sell cars thru them so I am a little less apprehensive about this I am apprehensive about this guys integrity at this point I still plan on renting a car and driving there next week, give it a look see and getting the local Toyota dealership to do a pre purchase inspection, but now I am seeing more red flags than it being in the middle of the desert. Kind of looking for advice if I should walk away or if I should give an in-depth look at. Part of me now feels priced in to buying a car in the next 30 days as by getting pre approved that will have hit my credit report. If some one poaches it out from under me I dont think I would be mad...

Along with the fact that he said he would be available wed, thur, fri so I arranged travel to only to get a well I cant actually this Thursday... fine So I have rescheduled for next wed unless you guys tell me to GTFO or WTFA or run like hell (towards or away).

 

[Kelevra]

Personally, I would keep looking. There are a few GX's for sale over on GXOR.
Maybe check them out?