Project GX 470 – Ep0: Biggest. Mistake. Ever.

This post is the unofficial kick off of our first project vehicle. It’s “unofficial” because, well, this particular vehicle turned out to be unfit for upgrading, and we’ve already replaced it.

But since the Lexus GX 470 is such a popular platform, I wanted to go over what’s wrong with this vehicle so you know what to look for if you’re building your own. If you’re looking for a GX470 for your own overland vehicle build, here’s what to watch out for. The video provides a full walk-through, and I’ve put select photos and notes below as a reference.

Why Did I Buy This One?

Despite seeing a few bits of rust when I inspected it and not realizing how bad it was, there are a few reasons I went through with the purchase. I hope you can learn from my mistakes:

1. I had been looking for weeks with little success finding ones that met my criteria (non-Nav, clean CarFax).
2. This one looked good with the aftermarket wheels and tires.
3. Rear air bag swap to coils was already done.
4. Already had aftermarket stereo with Bluetooth.
5. Price was good, and some of the things seller thought were broken were actually fine.
6. I drove 4 hours to see it, so had the sunk cost of time invested in it.
7. I only had my phone flashlight to see under it, and missed some of the worst spots during my driveway inspection.
8. Engine and drivetrain felt smooth, quiet, and all 4WD modes and Center Diff Lock worked.
9. No engine warning lights were on.

Basically, I had my heart set on it and had invested a lot of time to go see the vehicle, so I didn’t listen to my gut as well as I should have.

Lesson #1: Spend more time looking over the vehicle and bring a good flashlight.

Lesson #2: Bring a good OBD II scanner that can check all the things (spend more on a good one like the Foxwell NT630 Pro)

Lesson #3: Don’t get emotionally invested. Be willing to walk away.

Rust in Peace

The biggest issue with this vehicle was the amount of rust. In particular, we found three big concerns:

• Holes rusting through frame
• Holes rusting through underbody
• Deep rust penetration and flaking around suspension mounts

These are obvious problems because rust never really stops, but here’s why those are particularly concerning for an overland vehicle:

Frame Rust
The rear of the vehicle has holes in the frame with metal flaking out, particularly around the rear hitch mount and body mounts. This suggests it won’t be able to hold up the stresses of hitch-mounted recovery points and/or jostling around off-road, particularly when fully loaded.

Additionally, excessive rust around the radiators, brake line mounts, and other parts mean it’s very likely those bolts are seized and can’t be removed. This will make any future service very difficult if not impossible. Basically, this car is going to work until a major component fails, and then it’s likely junk.

Underbody Rust
Existing holes in the frame hadn’t quite penetrated to the interior of the vehicle, but they had broken through the first layer, which means water and contaminants could get caught up in there and exacerbate the problem. It also generally weakens the body, making it less likely to hold up to hard terrain and heavy loads.

Flaking around mounts
The lower control arm mounts are the worst part, and also a high-stress area. Adding any upgraded suspension parts, larger (heavier) wheels and tires, and other stronger parts will exacerbate this weak point further and increases the chance of failure, particularly on rough terrain.

Here’s a gallery of the train wreck if you can’t look away:

Other Weird Stuff

On the drive home, the speedometer stopped working. Fortunately Google Maps now shows current speed next to the speed limit.

Then, after a lunch stop, the speedometer started working again but would be anywhere from 10% to 40% over my actual speed. At one point, it said I was doing 80+ mph when I was only going 54mph.

I also found this mess of expanding foam insulation filling a massive hole in the body then spray-painted black. Honestly, if I’d seen this when I went to get it, I probably would have bailed right then.

Other things I found after purchase:

• The headlight bulbs were replaced with aftermarket LED bulbs, but the weather seals weren’t replaced, so moisture can get into the housing.
• Dash lights came on with various error codes, biggest is a problem with wheel speed sensors that seem to have deactivated TCS and ABS. This is a very hard, time-consuming, and potentially expensive issue to properly diagnose and then fix.
• Tons of dog hair, and whatever air freshener was used is not dissipating.

…and I still don’t have the Title, FFS.

But lastly, and perhaps one of my biggest annoyances, is that I still don’t have the title three months after purchasing the vehicle. The seller had to pay off the vehicle, which we did at the bank in person together after I paid him, so I knew he’d have to get it and mail it to me.

What I didn’t know was that he’d never registered the vehicle in SC (where I bought it), so the bank mailed it to his old VA address, then had to re-send it. Then he got sick. Then he forgot to mail it. Then, on the last time he communicated with me, he said it was in the mail. That was six weeks ago as of this post going live.

At this point he has blocked my calls and texts, and seems to have told his co-workers to simply hang up on me when I call Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Charleston (his employer). And he never replied to emails. So, I’m now forced to go through the laborious, costly process of obtaining a replacement title in NC where I live and had to contact his lender to get a Lien Release statement. PITA, and all because someone can’t do what they agreed to do or have the common courtesy to answer a text.

Am I venting? Yes. But you should know what’s potentially involved with someone not giving you the title at time of purchase. Moral of the story, the first question you should ask any private seller is whether they have the title in hand and it’s free and clear of any liens. If not, WALK AWAY!

What’s Next?

The next episode officially kicks it off with a full weigh-in and parts delete on a completely different, much cleaner GX470! You can check out that video here to see how I pulled almost 133 pounds out of it and prepped it for a proper overland build…