nc-grayson
Member
Greetings T4R.org Family and Friends,
I wanted to make this post to introduce you to the newest member of my family, My LX from TX! A little bit about me: I joined this forum a bit over a year ago after acquiring my college roomate's 3rd gen from him, 2000 SR5 Highlander package, no locker. When I met said roomate in 2009, he was driving his 3rd gen at the time. I told him the day that we moved in together, that whenever it came time for him to sell his toyota, I wanted it. He was the second owner, and had owned it since 2003. Well, fast forward to summer of last year, well after graduating college, he called me up and offered me his 3rd gen. I booked a flight and was there to pick it up literally within 48 hours of his call. I was stoked because I had always wanted a 3rd gen! When I got it, it had 148,000 miles on it, with a stack of receipts totaling over $3,500 of maintenance that had been done within 6 months of me scooping it up. He sold it to me for $4,500
At any rate, the 3rd gen story is the basis for this story. I guess I have a car fetish, more specifically an old toyota 4x4 truck fetish. As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted a 100 series cruiser. I think deep down in my heart I even wanted the 100 cruiser long before I told said roomate about wanting his 3rd gen. Joining this board gave me tons of ideas and projects for my 3rd gen to keep me busy and occupied, but in the back of my head I always still dreamed of a 100 series cruiser. So as any dedicated gear head does, they search the interwebs for their next ride at odd hours of the night when disapproving girlfriends and wives are asleep
Which brings me to here, and now. After YEARS of longing, and after months of searching, (honestly not that intense of a search, just here and there...when I could, just to see what was out there....), I found....my unicorn. I found what I've been looking for, (although not technically actively), and it was in Texas. San Antonio to be exact.
What I found was, a MINT 1998 Lexus LX470. ONE owner, bought and serviced at the same Lexus dealership in San Antonio it's ENTIRE life. Completely rust free Basically, what everybody with "our" mindset is looking for when they search for their next rig. This thing had ridiculously low mileage for it's age, and it was cared for meticulously, it's painfully obvious how well this thing was cared for.
Anyways, I put a refundable deposit on the truck the moment I saw it. I scheduled a local shop in the San Antonio area to perform a pre-purchase inspection just to make sure the dealer's ad wasn't smoke-and-mirrors. The service manager of the local shop that did the inspection told me that if I didn't buy the truck, he would, and he's local.
When the inspection came back with A+ remarks, I booked my flight. 5:25AM flight out of Wilmington, NC, landed in San Antonio at 11:21 local time. I was at the dealership within an hour.
And here's what everybody's been waiting for, pictures, and story of the trip home:
The moment I got her:
And then this happened a few hours later:
Got a few hours shut-eye in the back in some town right outside of TX in LA that night:
Woke up at 3AM the next morning and hit the road to The Big Easy to say I did:
And stopped on Bourbon Street for a quick photo:
And I didn't really stop anywhere scenic or take any other pics on the way home, I just enjoyed the drive. Made it home to my house in NC at 12:30am, after 21 straight hours on the road. Slept like a baby.
Washed it yesterday:
And tried to get some pics on my sweet iphone to give y'all an idea as to how ridiculously clean this thing is. I feel bad because I can clearly tell this thing has been garage kept it's entire life in West Texas, and I don't have a garage for it now :/ The leather of the seats is IMMACULATE, as is the wood grain trim. I've seen some others that don't look so good.
(last picture the bumper looks like it's sitting crooked, but I can assure you it's just the angle of the lighting!)
And, to keep it in the T4R family:
for 17-18ish years old......this thing i a BEAUTY and I am very happy with the purchase. There's only ONE problem.....it's making me seriously re-consider the build plans and pile of parts I have accumulating for my 3rd gen!
I've been on MUD since I bought it, and am looking forward to our future together!
I wanted to make this post to introduce you to the newest member of my family, My LX from TX! A little bit about me: I joined this forum a bit over a year ago after acquiring my college roomate's 3rd gen from him, 2000 SR5 Highlander package, no locker. When I met said roomate in 2009, he was driving his 3rd gen at the time. I told him the day that we moved in together, that whenever it came time for him to sell his toyota, I wanted it. He was the second owner, and had owned it since 2003. Well, fast forward to summer of last year, well after graduating college, he called me up and offered me his 3rd gen. I booked a flight and was there to pick it up literally within 48 hours of his call. I was stoked because I had always wanted a 3rd gen! When I got it, it had 148,000 miles on it, with a stack of receipts totaling over $3,500 of maintenance that had been done within 6 months of me scooping it up. He sold it to me for $4,500
At any rate, the 3rd gen story is the basis for this story. I guess I have a car fetish, more specifically an old toyota 4x4 truck fetish. As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted a 100 series cruiser. I think deep down in my heart I even wanted the 100 cruiser long before I told said roomate about wanting his 3rd gen. Joining this board gave me tons of ideas and projects for my 3rd gen to keep me busy and occupied, but in the back of my head I always still dreamed of a 100 series cruiser. So as any dedicated gear head does, they search the interwebs for their next ride at odd hours of the night when disapproving girlfriends and wives are asleep
Which brings me to here, and now. After YEARS of longing, and after months of searching, (honestly not that intense of a search, just here and there...when I could, just to see what was out there....), I found....my unicorn. I found what I've been looking for, (although not technically actively), and it was in Texas. San Antonio to be exact.
What I found was, a MINT 1998 Lexus LX470. ONE owner, bought and serviced at the same Lexus dealership in San Antonio it's ENTIRE life. Completely rust free
Basically, what everybody with "our" mindset is looking for when they search for their next rig. This thing had ridiculously low mileage for it's age, and it was cared for meticulously, it's painfully obvious how well this thing was cared for. Anyways, I put a refundable deposit on the truck the moment I saw it. I scheduled a local shop in the San Antonio area to perform a pre-purchase inspection just to make sure the dealer's ad wasn't smoke-and-mirrors. The service manager of the local shop that did the inspection told me that if I didn't buy the truck, he would, and he's local.
When the inspection came back with A+ remarks, I booked my flight. 5:25AM flight out of Wilmington, NC, landed in San Antonio at 11:21 local time. I was at the dealership within an hour.
And here's what everybody's been waiting for, pictures, and story of the trip home:
The moment I got her:
And then this happened a few hours later:
Got a few hours shut-eye in the back in some town right outside of TX in LA that night:
Woke up at 3AM the next morning and hit the road to The Big Easy to say I did:
And stopped on Bourbon Street for a quick photo:
And I didn't really stop anywhere scenic or take any other pics on the way home, I just enjoyed the drive. Made it home to my house in NC at 12:30am, after 21 straight hours on the road. Slept like a baby.
Washed it yesterday:
And tried to get some pics on my sweet iphone to give y'all an idea as to how ridiculously clean this thing is. I feel bad because I can clearly tell this thing has been garage kept it's entire life in West Texas, and I don't have a garage for it now :/ The leather of the seats is IMMACULATE, as is the wood grain trim. I've seen some others that don't look so good.
(last picture the bumper looks like it's sitting crooked, but I can assure you it's just the angle of the lighting!)
And, to keep it in the T4R family:
for 17-18ish years old......this thing i a BEAUTY
and I am very happy with the purchase. There's only ONE problem.....it's making me seriously re-consider the build plans and pile of parts I have accumulating for my 3rd gen!I've been on MUD since I bought it, and am looking forward to our future together!
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