Builds WyoOtto's Build - The Death of a Classic (Pic Intensive) (1 Viewer)

[WyoOtto]

This thread is to document my build on what should have stayed under a cover, been driven in parades and subjected to nothing more than drool with respect to precipitation. Alas, I killed a classic. This factory locked LX450 started life in Austin, Texas. With no more than 120K on the clock, it found its way into the hands of one of the most obsessive and anal Toyota owners I have ever met. Forum member CaptainKirk was a man after my own heart and after several discussions I knew that I’d probably found the rig I was looking for and it warranted the trip to Kansas City.
So it was on a cloudy April day at the KC airport that I found myself climbing into the passenger seat of a Ford F250 - because it might rain and that would preclude ungaraging the Lexus I came to inspect and subsequently buy.
The rig was everything Kirk conveyed and more. I know he suffered a little grief on his asking price but in my opinion, it was worth every penny – obviouslyJ
To fully comprehend the sins I have committed and will soon illustrate, you must understand what Kirk had done to the rig and the condition in which I found it:
I give you an excerpt (italicized) from his sales thread (consider the rig baselined):

Replaced Both O2 Sensors
Replaced Ignition wires
Replaced Ignition Cap
Replaced Ignition Rotor
Replaced Air Filter
Replaced Spark Plugs
Performed Landtanks MAF Mod
Performed PCV Seperator Mod
Performed OEM JDM (From CDan) Aux Fan Install
Performed SUMOTOY AUX Switch Mod for auto/manual fan activation
Installed factory rocker switch in dash to control JDM fan
Installed New (not remanned) blue fan clutch
Installed OEM NEW (not remanned - d****d expensive) Air Compressor w/clutch kit
Installed OEM NEW dryer
Installed OEM NEW expansion valve
Installed New OEM Evaporator Coil
Replaced A/C V-Belt
Performed 7Pin/Diff Lock Switch Mod
Installed Landtanks Seat rails for extended leg room
Installed four OEM Shock absorbers
Installed all four OEM rotors
Replaced front wheel bearings and seals with OEM everything
Packed bearing in Full Synthetic Valvoline with Molly
Performed Series 100 Front Brake Pad Mod with shims
Replaced rear pads with shim kit
Replaced Front Hood Gas Springs - OEM
Replaced Rear deck lid gas springs - OEM
Replaced Antennae Mast - OEM
Drained and filled front & rear diffs with Mobil 1 Synthetic
Drained and fill transfer case with Mobil 1 Synthetic
Flushed Transmission with semi-Synthetic Valvoline
Performed Wiring Harness Heat Shield Mod
Performed Both PHH Silicone Hose Mods
Replaced Steering Stabilizer with OEM
Sewell Lexus Replaced the Radiator at 94,000 miles OEM
Sewell Lexus replaced the VSV - failed internally at 116,000 miles

Now for the cosmetics:
Installed Factory OEM Bronze Toyota Windsheild to retain authenticity - $1100.00 unit from Lexus. I paid $880.00 before the rubber seal at Molle Toyota after getting the part number from Lexus. It had to say Toyota in the glass.
I Don't like Lexus' two Tone paint schemes so I monochromed the entire vehicle and I have pre-paint pictures to show every panel was not wrecked. Anything that was silver, is now black and it looks beautiful - like glass.
The rear deck lid windows have a habit of vibrating/moving around and grinding down to the metal surface. I had it removed and checked for damage. We found one spot down to metal so this deck lid will now survive another 15 years.
I had all door panels removed and anything else that allowed us to use 3M Rust Fighter P/N 08892 for Inner Panels. The truck is Austin, Texas rust free! Period.
We painted the hood due to the washer spray causing clear coat pitting - pic's availible.
We painted the left front fender - it had a ding in it that looked like a 16 oz. ball pein hammer hit it - pic's availible.
We painted the rear deck and gate to remove the cargo scratches and to fix the spot under the rear glass at the rubber seal.
All other paint is factory OEM. I had the rig wet sanded and machine compounded and it came out looking like glass. The shop had a full size booth equiped with thermal baking. Body cosmetics came in a hair under $6000.00.
I did not like the LX wheels so I refurbished a set from a LC. They shot peened, lathed, painted and baked fresh clear coat and carry a lifetime warranty. I purchased brand new center caps from Lexus.
When I found this rig, I was extremely tickled to find that it apparently was not optioned with a trailer hitch. It was optioned with a "Towing Preparation Package" This truck has never towed anything!
I have to give the previous owner credit - none of the fluids looked bad, particulary the transmission. I did take exception to the coolant. It was green. I did two restore flushes, and converted it back to Toyota Red and I installed an OEM thermostate when I did.
I've installed HIR bulbs for both high and low beams.
The tires are at 70% remaining and are the H rated Michellin LTX that came factory on the 80 day one.
I have baselined the motor using Mobil 1 10W30 Synthetic. It does not burn oil that is measureable in a 5000 mile change interval. It is still reading completely full the day I change it.....which has only been twice.
The power steering fluid has been drained and replaced with Valvoline synthetic power steering fluid.
One last comment. This unit is dry as a desert underneath, no seeps or drips and it has no rust either. I beleive this is truly one of the last of its quality remaining and down deep, I hope you guys don't think it’s worth the price.

Sorry Kirk – it was worth the price!

Before I show my dark side, I have to give a brief explanation for the delay in bringing this to you. My life has been insane over the last 4 months. I’ve moved from Casper, WY to Denver for work, renovated a fixer-upper house by night and weekend, and worked my day job by, well… day. I’ve had several extracurricular publication deadlines, various board of directors and commission meetings, and to top it all off, my mother passed away in July. Why would I dump all of that out there? Well, I feel I owe Kirk and various vendors an explanation for not showcasing their craft. Sorry guys. Life got in the way on this one.
Without further delay, the death of a classic:

Un-paralleled perfection! No rust, no scratches. No leaks!

[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7668.jpg"] [/URL]
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[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7673.jpg"] [/URL]
[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7674.jpg"] [/URL]
[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7675.jpg"] [/URL]
[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7676.jpg"] [/URL]
[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7677.jpg"] [/URL]
Wouldn’t be afraid to eat off of anything in this engine compartment:
[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7678.jpg"] [/URL]
[URL="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/WyoOtto/LX450/IMG_7681.jpg"] [/URL]

 

[WyoOtto]

The build

So after adding husky liners all the way around, the next mod was to build a shelf for my (100lb) faithful mutt. It of course had to be tall enough to fit the tools and recovery gear underneath:

Finally, it was time for real decisions. Given the impending move to Denver and the house project, my truck budget had taken a beating. My desire for a 4" or 6" lift, a regear and 35 or 37 inch tires was crushed by house needs and so I elected to keep it simple and relatively inexpensive -for the time being. It was around this time that the MetalTech sliders group buy was going on so I snagged a set. I also ordered the low profile bajarack and put a set of 285/75 Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx meats on it. I love these tires. They’ve worn so well and they have not chunked in terrain where my KM2s and Duratracs would have fallen apart (different Toyotas BTW).

To round out the 2012 spend, I ordered an OME 2.5" heavy duty lift, a dual swingout 4x4 labs rear bumper (and wiring harness because I'd need the towing capability in the move), and a custom BinksFab bumper with AC dryer protector, redesigned bar geometry and a Superwinch 12.5K winch with steel line. I have to say that both of these bumpers are top shelf. This is the second Labs bumper I've owned and I wouldn't put any other bumper on the rear. As for the BinksFab bumper, Bink was incredibly willing to work with me on the custom bar design as well as building the AC drier protector. I was attracted to his bumper by the lines, the guage and the high winch mount design that doesn't constrain winch size between the frame rails. As a final shameless plug, I'll state that his welds are immaculate and his attention to detail is second to none.
I guess I didn't take any pics while I was doing the suspension install, but here's a few from the bumper work.

Here's how she presently sits:

 

[arndog123]

Nice.

 

[WyoOtto]

Her first outing

So as I mentioned, I had a rather ridiculous summer. After going through both the work and money of this build, I wound up hauling lumber and drywall and commuting to work with the rig. Despite still having immense amounts of work to do on the house, yesterday afternoon, I said tohellwithit, and went wheelin. What follows is a very brief account of the rigs inaugural run.
For those who don't know, the Spring Creek trail/loop is a fairly technical trail that starts about 30 some miles west of Denver off of I-70. In hindsight, I'd say that for a solo trek on this trail, 2.5" of lift, at least a rear locker (but the front came in handy more than once), armor and 33's are minimum requirements to get through it without significant damage.
I left the house with the kiddos and dog and we arrived at the trail around 1:30 pm. Considering I'd never been on the trail and wasn't with someone who had, I cut it pretty close for getting off of the mountain before dark. This is not a trail that you really want to run in the dark. The boulders are large but the precipitous drop - sometimes thousands of feet - just inches away from your tires on many portions of the trail is ill-suited for nighttime travel.
At any rate, the run has a number of defined obstacles, the worst of which are at the top. A spotter in these sections would be handy. I took up a fair amount of time getting out to walk round the rig. There is a very long rock garden stretch that requires sometimes meticulous tire placement and to start this section is a rock that is perfectly designed to connect with your doors just a few inches above your slider. At any rate, we made it up and down without any body damage, save for some pinstriping that might just buff out. Here's some poser pics of this rig's virginity vanishing into the thin 11,000' air:

My 6 year old daughter sticking her tongue out at me for scale:

Here's where it starts to get heavy!

Various angles of my bypass around the door killer after several attempts to get by with no success. Fortunately, it's on the driver's side so you don't have to wait till it sounds expensive.

Up and over the door killer which is in the foreground. The main trail goes to the right of this rock, not up and to the left.

The view for what felt like miles:

The view of the way down:

My other future spotter:

Thanks for taking the time to read and/or view all of these pictures and a whole lot of thanks to forum member CaptainKirk. Sorry I killed your car!

 

[FloridaFJ80]

I loved this truck when I saw it for sale!!! Great looking rig!!with all the upgrades.. I would hate to get it scratched.

 

[WyoOtto]

I loved this truck when I saw it for sale!!! Great looking rig!!with all the upgrades.. I would hate to get it scratched.

The hardest part was buying it. I knew what I would be doing to it if I bought it. The second hardest part was that moment before the first irreparable frame cut Now I'm committed (or should be) and I'm going to use it as it was built to be used.

 

[CaptainKirk]

WyoOtto:

This is awesome to see the rig getting rigged for the life it was meant to have. I simply chose the wrong vehicle to turn into a garage queen. It's awesome to see the transformation and to see "my" rig set up and giving you and your family the joy I knew it had to give. This 80 is my version of Elsa in Born Free. You were exactly the right buyer for this one. When I come to Colorado next year, I will look you up and if calendars can be made to work, I would love to do a trail in the passenger seat! Congrats and nice write up!!!

 

[jcardona1]

Beautiful truck! I'm jealous of that front bumper. I've been trying to get one from Binks for 2 months now. No luck

 

[WyoOtto]

WyoOtto:

This is awesome to see the rig getting rigged for the life it was meant to have. I simply chose the wrong vehicle to turn into a garage queen. It's awesome to see the transformation and to see "my" rig set up and giving you and your family the joy I knew it had to give. This 80 is my version of Elsa in Born Free. You were exactly the right buyer for this one. When I come to Colorado next year, I will look you up and if calendars can be made to work, I would love to do a trail in the passenger seat! Congrats and nice write up!!!

Thanks so much! Consider the passenger seat reserved

Beautiful truck! I'm jealous of that front bumper. I've been trying to get one from Binks for 2 months now. No luck

Thank you and don't despair. Bink is a busy guy, but his work is well worth the wait!

 

[Idaho FJ40]

Great pictures.... Very nice ride..

 

[Tapage]

did you have chance to use your SWinch .? if so .. impressions ..?

 

[WyoOtto]

did you have chance to use your SWinch .? if so .. impressions ..?

I haven't used this winch yet in an actual situation. That said, I had a 9.5K Superwinch on my FJC and never had any issues. It performed flawlessly everytime. I have complete faith in Superwinch

 

[roachman]

That is a long drive from Natrona county to to make your inaugural run.

 

[Romer]

Nice

Spring Creek is a fun trail

I tend to not like to run trails alone. Simple things can happen to get you stuck. There are several places on that trail that could happen or even brake an acxle if you have your front locker on. Next time, post up in the rising sun forum and one of us would likely run the trail with you.

 

[FJFOOL]

Excellent write-up, and a good transformation. Looks great !

 

[WyoOtto]

That is a long drive from Natrona county to to make your inaugural run.

I should change my profile - I moved to Golden this summer. If I still lived in Casper I'm sure I would have broken the rig in at Poison Spider by now.

Nice

Spring Creek is a fun trail

I tend to not like to run trails alone. Simple things can happen to get you stuck. There are several places on that trail that could happen or even brake an acxle if you have your front locker on. Next time, post up in the rising sun forum and one of us would likely run the trail with you.

Thanks Romer! This was literally a spur of the moment decision but next time I'm thinking about it ahead of time, I will definitely post up on Rising Sun. I honestly didn't know what I was getting into. As a consequence I brought clothes, sleeping bags, food and water (SAR and fire fighting background won't let me leave home without these things). That said, I was not packing a spare axle nor did I anticipate the exposure on some of those roads. If I had not made it off by nightfall, I would have stayed on the mountain given the consequences of dropping a tire off of the edge. At any rate, we made it through safe and sound and damage free, but I will definitely reach out on rising sun the next time I get a hankering to go

Excellent write-up, and a good transformation. Looks great !

Thank you sir!!

 

[Azonic84]

If you ever make it to grand junction let me know. I just moved here from Casper.

 

[WyoOtto]

If you ever make it to grand junction let me know. I just moved here from Casper.

I get to Junction on occasion as I have family over there. I'll look you up if I get over that way to wheel. On another note, I think I saw pics of your rig out at Poison Spider either on the Backcountry Crawlers site or on here. I was meaning to look you up before my life went ballistic.