Be careful buying a GX470 | Lexus GX470 Cinematic

Hello all, let me start off by saying I'm used to buying salvage title cars and checking everywhere. My stupid thought was that this is clean title so it shouldn't need that much in-depth checking but oh I was wrong, lesson learned you need to check in-depth on any car you're thinking of buying. Luckily I have Sean and a welder to help me repair the bad spots and make this a reliable off-roader. When buying a Lexus there are a couple things you need to look for, ask how long its been since the timing belt and water pump have been replaced, make sure the center diff can lock, check for leaks, check every part of the frame, especially the rear bumper hidden by the plastic, reach up in there and feel around. Check the front rad support and skid plate, check the rails... make sure they're the same lol. Don't do an Alex and look at one frame rail and call it good. Come to find out you can also type in the VIN on the Lexus site and it'll show you all the service info they have. Good luck buying you're off-roader, first time for me and so far it's been a pain but can't wait to see what it can do.
▪️Don't you dare click this link 😳 - / @dailydrivendeathtraps
▪️Hey! 😁
Thanks for checking out our video, be sure to subscribe to see all our future content and wild builds!
▪️▪️Located in a small town of Iowa we hope to make this big▪️▪️
▪️Gear 🎥📷-
Lumix GH5 w/ smallrig cage
Lumix GH4
18-35 Sigma lens w/ speed booster
50mm w/ speed booster canon lens
Movo Hotshoe Mic
Movo LAV
Freeworld Monitor
GoPro 7 and 8 + many accessories
Mavic Air S2
DJI Ronin SC2
Blue Snowball Mic
All edited by Alex in Adobe Premiere Pro
Computer- ASUS TUF A15
▪️Music🎶-
MusicBed
▪️Cars🏎️-
1965 Plymouth Belvedere
1964 Baja Bug
1963 F-100 Unibody (2005 Crown Victoria)
2004 Lexus GX470
2015 Dodge Cummins
1947 Chevy Coupe
Crushed Datsun 240z
1975 Scout International
1961 Ford Country Sedan Wagon (5.0 Swap)
1973 F-250 Highboy (Cummins swap)
2018 Ducati Scrambler (Cafe racer build)
1974 Honda CB750 (1959 Harley Davidson rear end conversion)
1979 Camaro z28 (70-74 RS split bumper conversion)
1929 Chopped Model A
+ Many more that have yet to be featured on the channel

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

What would you like to see done to the GX other than it's rust getting replaced? 😅

[@josephc1148]

See if you can do the prado center console swap

[@GabesGarage]

Absolutely love my GX470 it comes with all the technology you can have and they are super reliable and capable off-road vehicles

[@youtoldharpotobeatme5023]

Picked up my '08 GX with 114,000 miles 4 years ago. I immediately threw new shocks, spark plugs, gunmetal TRD wheels, and tires on it. I also had the timing belt, water pump, and thermostat done. Haven't touched anything but oil, filters, tires since. Not saying it's bulletproof, but it's reliable as heck.

[@buffsamuraifred6037]

Welcome to the club 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 after all the basic maintenance try adding a “sprint booster “ for better gas pedal response since you’ll be adding more gear

[@autoavids]

I recently picked one up as well and I'm really starting to love it. Thankfully it was a 1 owner truck and the frame is solid. Wheels, tires, suspension ordered and on the way. Best of luck with your build 👍

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Glad you picked up a good one! Can't wait to make mine a lil more trail reliable haha, we just got a welder for our other shop so time to start messing with it

[@tvm2209]

Any videos out there walking us through what to look for and how to properly check the underside ?

[@kainesimmonds6316]

Super excited to see you document your journey of living in this, in the future!!! That will be so dope.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

I hope the world stays intact till I do 😂

[@claztube]

Yeah ...me too 😮​@@DailyDrivenDeathTraps

[@landminehopscotch3617]

Hell yeah! Looking forward to this build. Also, worried about my belt now 😂 subbed too

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Thank ya! Usually you can tell when it was serviced by either a sticker on the timing cover (I think they do that) or look up your vin on the Lexus site and it'll show all service records (just found out about that one).

[@thechicagostaleys]

Ive done the same thing before, its definitely a learning lesson. The first thing I do when looking at a Toyota/Lexus truck is roll underneath it and check the frame. At least you have friends that can help out. Like you said, most people would be screwed.

[@Semiam1]

Fellow GX owner here. Good luck with your build. Years from now you’ll look back with fondness on this GX

[@kiddflo5]

wrecked my 4th gen 4runner 4.7l & I'm aiming for a 470 next! I'm coming back stronger this time! hopefully with 35s this time.

[@thelittleguysoutoftexas421]

i picked up a poor example for 7800 with multiple owners, 05, 197k miles last feb. spent as much as i paid for it getting the center diff leak fixed, fluids changed, rear main seal fixed, gasket leaks fixed, spark plugs, fuel pump replaced, brakes replaced all around, lower control arms replaced, new tires and of course a lift... I know i'm missing some things that were repaired. still need to deal with the rear end but it's holding up for now lol. Regardless of how much I put into it I know I could of bought a "cleaner" example and had all of these issues spending even more. realistically it was mostly past due maintenance that needed to be done and repairs along the way that were not taken care of by previous owners. absolutely zero rust and looked new underneath which is a big plus.

[@saakiaskani]

I Love My GX470 2004 Amazing SUV❤

[@larrybarnett5799]

I like the way you think with the camping sit. why not both. Just in case.

[@dandnguyen]

Glad we could help you out over at Apache Offroad! We'll be following along to see how this build comes along.

[@amagilegacy3335]

I miss my GX470 a ton. Got it from a dealer with only 83,000 miles in great shape for $15K. Ended up selling it to Auto Lenders for $15K and got myself a Mercury Grand Marquis (lol). Now I have a 2002 LX 470 with 218K on it that needs some TLC.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

And now they're 20k+ for that kinda milage lol

[@claztube]

MGM Panther 4.6L V8 ...they are going up in value ...had you noticed (May 2024)?

[@josephc1148]

time belts arent bad. its an 8 hour job if its your first time and you have the tools. If you cant do it yourself expect a Toyota professional to charge you 800-1200. The belt kit online used to be 175 bucks.

[@ApacheOffroadcom]

Thank you 🙏🙏

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Thanks for being awesome, genuinely love that your competition (peak suspension) can't even display ratings on their Facebook because they're so bad 😂

[@kosmos60]

I have the 03 I loveeee this car. Yes the belt is an issue that I fixed after 1200 bucks. Also you need to make sure that shifter is not getting stuck. Make sure the oc2 sensors are reading properly to make sure the catalytic converter is working. Check the airbags in the back or replace with springs like the 4runner. Also make sure the cooling fan assembly, make sure there is no noise there but if you do the timing belt then just have it changed with the pulleys and water pump. Awesome car man good luck.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

All of that! I also forgot to mention making sure the center diff locks! I might try that timing belt myself whenever it comes time, might be easier than rebuilding a th350 haha

[@c.a.nixiii4650]

So......Check for rust on the frame (look for frame repairs) and make sure the timing belt has been changed and you must change about every 90K miles. FYI there was an issue on all these with the passenger side frame rail rusting out from an AC drain issue. Likely what happened to this one. Can be sorted before it gets bad but just regular check of the frame is a good thing. I looked at about 10 before I found the one I bought in late 2020. One of them you could put your finger though the rust in the frame.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Yeah I heard about that AC drain line after the fact. I'm guessing the people before me weren't much of "car people" since I don't think this was really known as an off-road vehicle back then. I only looked at this one because I'm an inpatient little turd. I guess it's not that bad with all the pics I've seen of others on the Facebook group. Glad you found a good one

[@traviscrawley8637]

great video bro I'm torn between one of these or a sequoia

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Either way it'll be around the same MPG haha

[@alabama2uz]

Two years ago i bought the cheapest running GX in the country. $4k in parts and lots of hours later its reliable and id take it anywhere.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

If you know how to fix em you're golden. It's just if you have enough time and money also haha. I'm struggling with time right now

[@augustusgloop9330]

@@DailyDrivenDeathTraps are these frames pretty bad?

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

@@augustusgloop9330 if it sees any kind of salt without preparation yes.

[@augustusgloop9330]

@@DailyDrivenDeathTraps ok thanks I’m in Canada the cheapest one I’ve seen was 13k and they’re all like mid 20s lol thanks for the quick reply 👍

[@jameskocks4734]

im pretty sure only the 05-09's with vvt-i blow up with the timing belt snapping. i have a 4runner with that engine and did the service. it was expensive but worth the peace of mind. i plan on selling my 4runner for a GX after things cool off in the economy. btw if you didn't know youre GX i think comes equipped with KDSS. if you havent already look at the pros and cons of that. thanks for sharing.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

We're coming out with update videos but I sold this GX and bought a Tacoma due to needing a bed for remodeling my house. I'm building it out for overlanding as well though. I have 6ft 200lb rated drawer sliders, going to be making a couple videos with it. The 4.0 and the 4.7 both have great reliability butttt the 4.0 has a chain opposed to the belt which brings me peace as well... Also this taco frame is not previous rotted then fixed haha

[@jameskocks4734]

@@DailyDrivenDeathTraps nice have fun with that taco. i had one of those too. they're swiss army knives!

[@dakotahensley5417]

Hey dude you didn't mess up there an amazing vehicles coming from a Mechanic myself but with a large vehicle like this which was most like a mall crawler check the rack and pinion

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

For sure still a great vehicle and honestly even better as a learning experience + getting to put more hours into welding and progressing my other skills on it!

[@KesselRunLX]

You’re not the first guy. I accidentally bought a 100 series Land Cruiser last year with a really bad frame, but at least I got an insane deal before prices of these things went crazy. Luckily I’m a pretty handy guy, so i’m about 50-60% done with my frame swap/build with a clean donor frame. I can’t way to see where your series goes!

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

It's a sucky feeling, glad you found a good donor frame. Also glad that I found a good deal at least plus it's fixable without getting a donor. Being hands on and our own mechanics is a nice thing too haha

[@Ww8.3]

I looked for a year for a decent Gx. Gave up when I could get a new Tacoma for a few thousand more. The market on these cars are up there with the FJ’s

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Sorry you couldn't find one, tacos are nice though. I'm glad mine was priced how it was even with all the bs I have to deal with 😂

[@MS-ij1tq]

The owners manual says 87 octane - US and 91 octane EU

[@dariusdina8561]

My tundra has the same engine and I had no money so I decided to try changing my own timing belt. I was afraid I was going to ruin the timing the whole time but it works and it only took like 2 hours

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Nice! I'm hoping I can bust it out while I'm replacing my bumper with an aftermarket one. If I can rebuild a transmission I think I should be able to do this 🤣

[@dariusdina8561]

Yeah, you’ll figure it out! I will say, it’s a lot easier with two people, so if you can manage definitely do that!

[@lonesomecricket7721]

Hopefully it wasn’t the guy on the phone giving you “BS” that told you that the timing belt had been replaced. Hopefully you can get that rust worked out, it’s a great looking rig. 👋🏻

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Dude I hope so too but I believe that was one of the things he was pretty certain about. He was a nice Arab guy just didn't know too much about cars and bought this mainly to haul around his large family. he put in 3 grand even before I bought it, I have the receipts so that's nice at least. Dude was just clueless on frame issues lol

[@Skruteas]

Hey man these Yota frames are weird. Mine looked rusty but it is all solid and just needed paint and fluid film inside. Yet I've seen others that looked a lot better on the outside that had rotted.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

True that, these frames are unpredictable haha. I have fluid film and POR-15 ready for it. Waiting for winter to die so I can spray it all off, weld and apply. Plus need to buy a tap kit so I can get all the bad bolts out.

[@cesarflores9974]

Yea man mines the same way. Some rust under the radiator, but the rest is clean. I love it I smooth and torquey as hell.

[@tyleraliff3592]

Holy crap! 8500 for that is a steal!! Black leather is so hard to find. One with 170k miles in DFW is about 15-20k. Good luck on your adventure! GXs are the best. Have 06 470 10 460 and a 22 460. Bought them all new and plan to run them till they dead!

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

I was really really searching for black leather, I hate tan 😂. I mean I can settle for it sometimes but nah. Drove 2 hours to get it which isn't bad. I've seen how high they are priced now since joining GXOR. Not sure if I should stick it out with this one or after fixing the frame sell it for way more haha, most likely no, I'm already a little attached and wanting to make it completely mine in other ways. You're lucky to have all those GX's! My financial state would be so in debt if I had that many 🥲. Thankfully my only debts are this and my motorcycle!

[@davidwayne9982]

Don't forget the wATER PUMP when you change the timing belt-- they need to be done TOGETHER..

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Definitely, forgot to mention that!

[@zap...]

Yeah, you should trust what the previous owner said about the timing belt. Really? Do you have proof and documentation that it was replaced? If not you'd best stop driving it until you have the timing belt and water pump replaced.

[@nmbr1robb]

I clicked on comments to say the same thing. Firstly, thanks for the vid. Been reading up and watching all the videos I can before buying. I’d assume being a student your budget might be small but then you’re able to at least fund some of your projects so heed my advice or not, I’d pause any more projects till you can save up for the timing belt/water pump change and just get it done for piece of mind. There are only two ways you’ll find out if it WASNT done by the obviously dishonest seller: you change it and find beat up parts or your motor grenades. Take your pick. Look forward to more GX videos from you!

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Thank you both for looking out, this was one of the first questions I messaged him when first messaging and he gave me an exact mileage so hoping he is right. I am not driving much due to gas being expensive and also having another daily that gets better mpg. I am looking into buying the kit, also have my valve cover gaskets ready to be put on along with a weld yourself MOVE bumper. There will be a lot of welding done to this GX this summer haha

[@youtoldharpotobeatme5023]

When I purchased mine I got into a back and forth with the salesman at Lexus. He kept insisting that the previous owner had the timing belt job done. I took with me printed documentation from their online database that stated otherwise. He finally read the paperwork and dropped the price by $1200. I immediately took it into my local Lexus and had it done. You can't even trust the dealership.

[@isaiahnazario2043]

I’m also located in Iowa with a GX470. I would love to link up in the future and wheel together if you are down!

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

For sure! So far I've met a guy up in the Madrid area and a 460 guy in the Ankeny area, we should all plan something haha

[@isaiahnazario2043]

@@DailyDrivenDeathTraps joining the DSM 4x4 group on Facebook. I don’t have any social media personally, but I have friends in the group.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

@@isaiahnazario2043 cool, my membership is "pending" Alex Grimes on Facebook is my personal profile.

[@javabean30ify]

Iowa owner here. Your truck is looking good.

[@andrespatino2761]

Fuck the rust.....

[@MacawAviculture]

Toyota and Lexus are the best engineered and built cars and trucks, but maintenance can be very expensive, even if the car/truck was serviced by the dealer according to the maintenance schedule. Add rust to the picture and game over, unless you enjoy draining your bank account and you enjoy taking dangerous and potentially lethal anti-depressant medication. For my needs, car camping with a girlfriend and a dog, the GX was too small. I have owned a 1996, a 2003, a 2006, and a 2008 Land Cruiser. All were fantastic trucks and incredible on the Colorado trails, but can be expensive to perform usual and required maintenance. The 200 series Cruiser with the 5.7 engine has specific and potentially very expensive repairs like starter, water pump, rear main seals, and secondary air injection pumps. The Lexus LX470/570 and GX470/460 can also be very expensive maintaining the automatic height control feature. If you desire to build the best off-road truck, I recommend the 2003/2004 Land Cruiser, this was built without the secondary air injection pump system, it has 35 less horsepower then the 2006/2007 Cruiser, but much lower risk of a $3K to $4K repair cost to replace this junk if it breaks, which overtime it will. My 2006 Cruiser developed this problem, and even with the bypass kit, it still went into limp mode and could not be safely driven, so replacement of the entire system was required. Some states have emissions testing, so the bypass kit you can buy for the 2006/2007 Cruiser may not enable you to pass the test. My days of building overland trucks are thankfully over. At 70, I now prefer riding my KTM street legal dual sport to the off-road trails that are 10-20 minutes from my home. Great video, and very helpful for people that may not be willing to keep up the maintenance schedules; they can be expensive but provide you with the best truck made for overland lifestyles!

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Some wise words right here. Thanks for the info! I actually just got an 09 Tacoma 4.0 in the process of building it out a little bit plus saving some gas 🤣

[@MacawAviculture]

@@DailyDrivenDeathTraps great plan, and thanks for sharing your experience with us!

[@WiscoViking]

Previous Lexus tech, timing belt is 125k miles

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Oh it's every 125? That's pretty nice I thought it was evey 75... Do people just say 75 to be safe?

[@WiscoViking]

@@DailyDrivenDeathTraps nah man that’s the over achievers lol I worked on gx470s that didn’t get it done til 200k while it’s not recommended the belt wasn’t like omg this was about to shred apart, that being said after you do it once it’s not hard the gx has so much work space it’s easy to do everything, advice if you do it yourself take a piece of card board and cover the radiator so you don’t puncture it

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

@@WiscoViking thank you very much for that info!

[@amiralvarez6827]

How had this not been asked? WHAT WHEELS !?

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

SCS ray 10 with nitto trail grapplers

[@iamchaunceman]

Old but are they -38?

[@frasiec]

Toyota timing belt won’t grenade your engine like a Hyundai but yeah get it done. Or get a 460 with a chain

[@davidfence6939]

Do NOT trust CarFax or Fox or whatever! Have a family member that worked in the insurance industry for decades and the stories on that company aren't pretty. Same reason I won't buy from CarMax. Not trustworthy. Get proper inspections on used vehicles or pray you're getting a vehicle from a good owner. Often GXs are owned by soccer moms that only took their GXs to the dealership so it works out great. But "show me the CarFax" is idiotic and doesn't show everything. And you should check everywhere whenever buy a vehicle. New or used. Test drive it. Do figure eights. Make the vehicle tell you if it has problems. Owners and dealers lie to sell their vehicles. Owners do so because often they think it's a minor issue or just think they can pass it off. Dealers do to make money fast.

[@davidfence6939]

Should add this is one of the replacements I'm looking at for my 2003 WJ V8 Limited. I've basically only changed the oil on it for the past over a decade. Got shortly out of college in late 00s and it's show its nearly 20 year age. Unlike Lexus and Toyota, non-Wrangler Jeeps past 2000 don't seem to hold up as well. Just replaced oil pan for $500+. Next up is gasket...saving a bit. I'm not a mechanic, but plan on going the DIY route and learning with new vehicle. However, while I get the fixes and then save an additional $15k for a new used SUV I'm browsing. Started out I was going straight 4Runner. Went down FJ rabbit hole and back to 4Runners. Found GX470/460 rabbit hole and been researching. Laughed when a 2006 GX came up for sale down from my house. 1 owner with navigation. Driver seat need replacement, front end has some very minor facial damage, and the owner got it repainted so there's some chipping. $16k for 258k miles. However, she only serviced it at the local Lexus dealership and her farthest trips were to the beach (roughly an 6 hour round trip 170+ miles both ways). If WJ didn't need repair I'd probably look at it.

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Good facts

[@515klrkillahoobie6]

Make tube chassis and weld up rock slide rails

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

No u 😬

[@zman8340]

Ahhh that would be Ah - patch - chee . As in the Indian. Come on man .

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

I think all they care is that I mentioned lol

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

A Toyota product with a rusty frame? No...

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Who woulda known 🤔

[@nathancollier5153]

So you’re judging all GX over your shitty attention to detail when buying a car?

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

Lol just saw this, I'm warning people to have better attention to detail than me and what to look for, literally said this in the end if you'd actually watch the whole thing and not just make a sh*t comment 😆

[@iamchaunceman]

As someone else who bought a used gx470 I would recommend this video to others. Most people, like 80% don’t have the insight or knowledge without being told or learned. The 80/20 rule works for almost everything, even dick heads.

[@jimjamieson9346]

really slow to the point

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

A 9min video... a lot faster than most youtubers.

[@stereolababy]

learn how to pronounce apache

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

No u

[@saakiaskani]

I Love My GX470 2004 Amazing SUV❤

[@DailyDrivenDeathTraps]

2004 GX gang