Salvaged 2005 GX470 Rebuild

Lets get this thing going! I recently bought a 2005 Lexus GX470 w/152k miles off CoPart for $7169 after taxes, fees, and delivery to my house.

https://www.copart.com/lot/56105793

The plan is to keep it long term, street use only. The JK will be my off-roader.
A supercharger is planned.

https://elatemfg.com/product/elate-uzj100-2uz-fdfi1900-intercooled-supercharger-kit/

First things first, interior detail is mandatory. It was pretty dirty throughout the entire thing.

Second is ordering a used tailgate, and quarter panel. OEM structural quarter extension panel.

Had to cut a hole in the tailgate just to get the latch to pop open.

Running costs

Direct Costs

• $5800 GX470 Winning Bid
• $950 buyers fee
• $345 sales tax
• $75 delivery to house
• $383 Dynamat & Dynaliner (entire floor pan)
  
• $420 WeatherTech Floor Liners full set
• $1125 Replacement Diamond Stitch Nappa Leather Seat Covers
• $1400 Replacement Quarter Panel and Quarter Extension OEM from Lexus
• $972 Replacement Tailgate
• $20 4 cans of Tuff Stuff foam spray cleaner
• $3400 Suspension Upgrades
  • Eibach Pro-Alignment Adjustable
  • Upper control Arms
  • Eibach Rear Pro Sport Shocks
  • Eibach Rear Load Leveling Spring System
  • SuperPro Lower Control Arms
  • SPC Rear Lower Trailing Arms
  • Nolathane Red 24mm HD RearSway Bar
  • Nolathane Red 30mm HD Front SwayBar
• $35 Front Sway bar end links
• $43 Rear Sway Bar end links
• $80 OEM 6500lbs Tow hitch
• $60 OEM Transmission Crossmember
• $1168 OEM 4Runner Pro TRD Wheel 17x7"
  • OEM Rear Upper Control Arms
• $213 OEM Rear Track Bar

Total: $16,489

Supplemental Costs (things I can still use on other projects)

• $56 Portable steam cleaner
• $11 Rustoleum Rust Converter
• $9 JB Weld Steel Putty
• $300 Spot welder, Slide hammer set, Small manual winch, Nylon body panel remover set, Gloves and masks
• $480 PrimeWeld MIG180 welder w/accessories

Grand Total: $17,345

I still need to:

• Replace Windshield w/ OEM + $900
  
• Replace Front and Rear bumper covers + $6-700
• Chrome Delete/Black Window Trim + $120
• Chrome Delete/Black TRD Pro Style Lexus Grill + $150
  
• PDR kit to repair hail damage + $150-200
• Tires, lug nuts, TPMS + $1500
• Paint vehicle + $3-5,000

Future Goodies:

• Doug Thorley Long Tube Headers w/Accessories + $1500
• URD Mark3 3" Cat-back exhaust + $900
• Whipple Supercharger by XAT + $5-7,000

 

Lots of surface rust in a few places on the frame. Ordered POR-15 kit off Amazon to take care of it. Will do that in sections as I expose those areas for work. Bumper is first. Hit it with a wire wheel last night to remove as I much rust as I could. Wiped down with mineral spirits. POR15 should arrive later in the week

 

Completed interior floor removal. Gonna shampoo it a good deal. Also have some dynamat lite left over from the M3 project. Will figure out the best places on the floor to use it. Doors will come off and get cleaned at a later date

 

Center dash/head unit, cd changer, and glovebox removed

 

Working up a To Do list. Not necessarily in any specific order

Clean entire vehicle
Quarter panel
Quarter extension
Frame rust mitigation
Rear bumper
Led interior lights
Headlights
Front passenger door protector
Front bumper
Remove running boards
Repaint entire vehicle
New suspension
Elate Supercharger
Install rock sliders
Replacement leather seat skins
DIY Big brake kit front and rear

 

Center console completely disassembled and detailed. Cleaned and conditioned the leather shift boots.

 

Very nice! Good luck on the build. I used to have a 2003 way back when and currently looking for another.

 

Cleaned the carpet. Used steamer, drill brush, and upright carpet cleaner on it. Came out pretty good. Need to get some carpet conditioner on it now

 

Thanks! There's definitely a lot to do with this thing, and can't wait to start driving it around

 

Cleaning up the bare metal interior. Putting the front half carpet, console and trim all back in tomorrow. I've been using this Tuff Stuff foam cleaner on everything that isn't leather.

 

Went ahead and ordered the rest of the Dynamat Superlite needed to do the entire floor pan, and some 1/2" dynaliner to replace some of the insulation on the back sides of the trim panels

Said one day deliver on Amazon but it's also snowing atm...

+ $283

 

Got three sheets mocked up with holes cut out. Still cleaning and waiting for the Amazon order for the rest of the Dynamat

 

Well this is what you deal with when buying site unseen from a salvage auction. Vehicle must've lived in a rust belt area at some point. Saw some surface rust when cleaning the rear cargo area, on the upper fender. Decided to hit it with the wire wheel, then hammer and screwdriver. It became a hole. Luckily not too big. Looks like someone sprayed the wheel well area with rubberized liner.

Went and got some rust converter and jb weld putty to fill the hole. That's the only spot I could find in the interior area where rust came through.

Thorough check of undercarriage and the frame itself is mostly fine. Significant surface rust in the thinner metal areas and on the thin factory skid plates and such

 

Hard at it! Looks like you have made big strides already. That is going to be nice when complete.

How much was new carpet? If you would go back with new you would be inside brand spanky new!!

Looks very nice.

 

New carpet is like $1200. I'm gonna use that money to get new leathers seat covers. Come out to about the same cost

https://ridies.com/product/2009-GX470-JDM-Leather-Seat-Covers

 

Sub’d.

 

Front half done. I know you don't need to cover everything with dynamat, you can just do 25% coverage on areas, but it just looks so good this way!

I'm going to lay down the front half carpet, and then add the thicker Dynaliner underneath wherever needed. Being a Lexus, it already has a fair amount of carpet padding attached to the bottom in most places.

 

Carpet mocked back in place. You can see the OEM padding on the bottom side of the carpet. Most of it is worn down. I'm going to leave it on, but also put the Dynaliner on the floor pan side under those areas.

 

1/2" thick Dynaliner.

 

Awesome. Love rebuilding vehicles. Currently working on a 21 Tacoma from Copart.

 

Dynoliner mostly done and front carpet back in. Still stuffing dynoliner in the trans tunnel area where it'll fit, and on the back sides of trim panels. The carpet is 1000x cleaner than when it was pulled out. Gonna replace all of the carpet all the oem floor liners with weathertech.

 

Ordered a full set of WeatherTech Floor Liners (front seats, rear seats, cargo area)

+ $420

 

What a cool project! I recently sold my 2005 and absolutely regret it. What else are you planning to do with it? Are you going to keep the air ride? Did it come with KDSS?

 

Thanks! I'm not sure what I'm doing, suspension wise. I'll need to check over the suspension, and if the air bags or magnetic shocks have any issues I'll ditch them for coils. I have a built JK for the trails, so this will mostly be a daily driver. Dog, snowboard, mountain bike hailing, and towing duties.

 

^^^^ DANG!!! Looking GOOD!

 

The ride quality of the GX is one of the things Mrs. PolishedTRD and I loved most about it, so I left it mostly stock. I also did the Jeep thing - had a 4.7l WJ that I turned into a rock crawler, so the GX would never see anything rougher than a dirt road. I will say, the air springs were incredibly convenient for hitching/unhitching a trailer, too.

If you decide to keep the OE suspension, one thing to consider is a modest lift. I added these spacers to the front coils for two inches of lift and did the "washer trick" for the air springs - using a .25" stack of washers under the height sensors equates to about 2" of lift. Worked out well for deep snow, and aided clearing 33's, all without noticeably affecting ride quality.

Anywho. I have a brand new Arnott air bag, I bought for "just in case". I forgot to give it to the buyer when I sold the GX. It's yours, if you'd like (I'm not too far away - Castle Rock).

 

Good info. I may take you up on that. I was also reading about, i think it was Readylift that has taller airbags that work too. All depends. At most I'd do is a 2" lift so I don't have any issues with snowy days. My heart wants King Coilovers lol. Had them on my Tacoma and the ride was really nice. Also have the long travel Kings on the JK.

 

Removed the door seal emblem covers to detail and clean under them

 

Didn't notice how dinged up the emblem trims were till I got them off. Going to clean them up for now but putting replacements on the list. Likely the LED versions

 

Great job on that carpet. The pics alone show a night/day cleanliness difference.

Watching to see what you do about that rear corner.