nelson

Sounds like a good price to me. I paid $2k more for my '96 almost 3 years ago... it had more miles. Mine has proven to be reliable and practically unbreakable. Although I did recently rip off the driver side door handle by yanking on it too hard a few too many times. Picked up the $90 part and replaced it myself. Other than that I've had zero problems and performed only the minimum maintenance. I drive mine into the ground. I'd buy another one at that price.

Great photos, dougjohn... awesome... and that crack's even bigger than my girlfriend's! Which reminds me, I know of another incredible obstacle you can drive over whenever you're ready.

1996 LX-450

Purchased 3/22/02 from a used car lot in Virginia Beach with 81,538 miles on it

Now has 118,000 miles

No repairs yet, just routine maintenance when I remember it

Driven hard

Stuff

Some cool tail light guards I ordered from somewhere

Parrot CK3000 Bluetooth handsfree kit, an absolute must

Alpine amp and 12" sub added to factory system

SleeOffRoad replacement front bumper "in the mail" as I type

Most importantly: actual flip-out cupholder from SleeOffRoad

Maybe a suspension lift next...

Comments

Since I bought my LX-450 it has been driven from east coast to west coast and back again, survived a monster Dallas hail storm with not one ding (see my thread on this incredible story), dusted through Nevada desert heat with low coolant, and sat overnight in a frozen rest stop ditch in the Colorado mountains... and all the while it has never even flinched!

Some photos of my baby

to the best vehicle I've ever owned

I also need to be within 10 feet for the factory remote to work.

Some of these aftermarket systems have incredible range on the remote lock/unlock and remote start!

I am interested in the DIY solution. My antenna on my LX-450 is about to die, and I already have the replacement part from Toyota.

Well, that's not nice. Time for a hack. I wonder if there is a way to program the unit to disable this security feature.

Replaced the fluid yesterday with Autozone Dexron III rated ATF, which was immediately available, and I haven't heard any noise since. B) Next I'm going to flush and refill with some Toyota Dexron III fluid.

So I must have been a victim of lube center cheap fluid syndrome. Steviej, I should take your sage advice and hold Grease Monkey accountable.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your help.

Well I must say, looks pretty good!! Matches the wheel color well too.

Thanks, 99lsguy. Noticed this morning the whirring noise doesn't really occur when I first start up the vehicle. But after a few minutes, when it's fully warmed up, I get power steering whirring noise all over the place whenever the wheel is turned.

So you may be right about them using the wrong fluid. I've tried getting the air out, still noisy after engine is warmed up. Thanks for the advice I'll try changing the fluid next.

Ever since I had that lube center flush my power steering system the other day, now it's making all kinds of whirring noise when I turn, and the wheel is a bit harder to turn. Fluid looks good. Wonder what they did to it. Last time I go to any place called Grease Monkey <_< and never again will I let a lube center talk me into some extra service. Am I going to have to replace the pump?

Ok, I understand. Here are some photos of the JAOS spoiler... you may have seen these already.

True story! Major damage to everyone's vehicle but mine. Cost my friend over $2500 for the repair to her Sierra 2500HD (she loves that thing) and she even left the bed all dinged up. These were huge dings, really ugly, resulting in a truck that looked like sponge bob.

I recently found a tinee ding on the hood area of my '450--10 months after the storm. So small you can't even notice it. And that might not even be from the storm. If it is, it's the ONLY damage suffered by my fully exposed truck.

Anyone else survive a hail storm?

Anyone else with a '450, or anyone with a '470, ever been hailed on? Damage?

I'm interested!

Hi garyjavo, I don't have a '470 but I will look at my rear spoiler later today and let you know if I see anything. Can your dealer order this part?

BTW, badams, I would have responded to your pm/email but it seems I can't do either on this board. Oh well...

Wireless power is really the last obstacle to true mobility. There are several approaches that are being worked on, but nothing close to deployment that I've read about. As always, Google turns up interesting stuff on the subject. But I'm definitely off topic!

Back to Bluetooth handsfree...

• Parrot does have some new kits with caller ID displays.
  
• Sony Ericsson has the HCB-30 handsfree kit, here's a brief from PC Magazine.
  
• Motorola has a kit with a long, numeric name: 98500/S9642A
  

I'm sure there are others...

Badams, what kind of devices do you test?

I know what you mean, it's nice to have that cradle recharging your phone. (I have to plug my phone into the cigarette lighter.)

As for handsfree phone use, the Parrott CK3000 Bluetooth kit installed in my LX is ok... it does the job... from buttons on the dash I can choose to answer or send busy signal. But it's not integrated into the head unit and I don't get caller ID. As you know Bluetooth is becoming standard in cell phones and we can expect to see increased merging of handsfree kits into car stereo head units in the near future, not just in factory equipment. It's pretty exciting stuff.

Not to get too far off topic, but with Bluetooth focusing on eliminating wired communications between devices, I still haven't seen a deployed wirelss power solution (closest I've seen). I look forward to the day when you don't have to plug in to recharge your battery. Whoever brings this to market will make a pile of money. :)

Another great photo! I really like the way that looks: mean & clean. A little less protection. This summer I am definitely going to buy one or the other and post a photo when it's installed.

Well Dougjohn, I think you've convinced me. I don't have a spanky new '04, so next tank I think I'm going to switch to regular... see how she runs... and ride out the adjustment.

Last year, I think it was during April, there was a horrid hail storm in North Dallas, TX. I was living in Addison Circle at the time. I'm talking golf ball sized hail, and bigger. My father and I were driving his rental, a Chevy Cavalier, down Belt Line Rd in Addison, when out of nowhere the hail crashed down on us... INCREDIBLE... I have never seen anything like it. Boom, BOOM, BOOM, constant bashing on his hood, fenders, on top of the car, for about 10 minutes. On the rental, all body panels (except the lower bumpers) were completely ruined. I looked around, nearly every other car I saw that had been exposed was also ruined.

Of course, I was very worried about my LX 450. I had left her parked on the top floor of the parking garage, so she was completely exposed. Not even next to a wall, where I usually parked -- this time I was out in the middle of the lot.

Got back home later that day. NO DAMAGE. I could not find one ding on my baby. I was truly amazed. I looked around in the parking lot. Every other car was all dinged up. New Ford pickups, Old Ford pickups, new Chevy pickups, old Chevy pickups (lots of pickups in Texas), a Mitsubishi SUV, a couple Nissan SUVs, nice old Mercedes sedan, a Porsche Boxster, and many other high dollar vehicles... MAJOR DAMAGE TO ALL. I found out later that day... my good friend's tough !Removed! GMC Sierra 2500HD... also wasted!

As the weeks and months passed, a new industry sprang to life in and around Dallas... everywhere you looked you'd see newly hung banners reading "Hail Damage Repair." Guess hail storms are fairly frequent down there. Hail damage repair became just another part of life in Texas...

For me to !Removed! on!

I'll bet I have wasted lots of $$ over the years due to this habit.

Maybe when gas prices get much higher I'll finally decide to 'quit.'

I have installed a Parrot CK3000 bluetooth handsfree kit in my LX 450. Very satisfied.

Next I will be looking for the right aftermarket head unit that has bluetooth handsfree built in. I want caller ID displayed, etc. Haven't found one yet, but I understand they are coming to market shortly.

Sweet! B) Post some photos... and if you can, close ups, too.

I would like to see how it looks, fits, and the storage.

Nice pic Dougjohn, that ARB bumper is definitely the right look! Lexus comfort and quality, with rugged Landcruiser roots exposed.

Can't wait to trade my plastic for some cold metal.

Thanks, dougjohn. I was moving from Dallas to Virginia. So I took the long route. Drove through El Paso, New Mexico and Arizona, to San Diego... stayed there for a few nights... then north to LA... another few nights... then north to Yosemite and San Francisco... then back east all the way to Norfolk. Hit many stops in between all those places. In all I spent about a month on the road. But I also missed so many places... going to have to do it again sometime soon.

B)

Been looking for a rugged front guard, to match those tail guards. I think I'm going to go with the SleeOffRoad bumper.

That is too cool, I noticed your avatar in another thread and knew right away. Well the trip was definitely great with my LX-450, I was always prepared... but ... guess what... the whole time I wished I was driving a convertible!