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What a mistake that was ! Advice to come back required !

I can see the 2 rust spots on the front wings on the pictures.

It might be also worth getting a look at the wheel wells and in particular in front of the rear wheel and the running boards.

Also looks like the rear doors have had some attention as the VX signs etc are missing.

This however might not be a bad sign as someone has at least tried to address the issues.
 
Thanks, I wouldn't have spotted the rear doors. I am generally a bit twitchy about it, to justify such a journey I really need to have zero concerns. They were however very good on phone and have a good reputation as dealers go.
 
http://rushmoormotor.co.uk/vehicle/name/toyota-amazon-gx-4-2d/ - this looks a cracker. Only problem is its a GX not a VX. I know there is an advantage of not having the AHC to go wrong, but I do LOVE leather and really don't like cloth seats. I have wet kids (surfing) in car a lot and always choose leather to avoid salt marks and dampness everywhere. Having said that, this really does seem a superb car. I checked the MOT history and not one mention of the word "corrosion". I would rather roof rails instead of roof rack (which would have to come off to reduce drag!). It does look a very very straight car at a very good price, even though I know the GX doesn't seem as pricey and sought after as the VX.
Any thoughts ?
 
I know AHC has a bit of a reputation but it really is a good system providing it is correctly maintained. The weak points are well documented and it has a bit of a fear of the unknown factor. Do a graduation test, change the fluid, get the pressures within spec and it is fine. Not only does it control the height but also the stiffness. Sometimes it is nice to waft along in comfort mode but then when you get to a twisty section just tighten everything up a bit. A 100 with AHC set to full firm is surprisingly good on a twisty section of road. I'm not saying it is a sports car, but it offers the driver choices that a fixed system cannot.
 
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joeyjune said:
http://rushmoormotor.co.uk/vehicle/name/toyota-amazon-gx-4-2d/ - this looks a cracker. Only problem is its a GX not a VX. I know there is an advantage of not having the AHC to go wrong, but I do LOVE leather and really don't like cloth seats. I have wet kids (surfing) in car a lot and always choose leather to avoid salt marks and dampness everywhere. Having said that, this really does seem a superb car. I checked the MOT history and not one mention of the word "corrosion". I would rather roof rails instead of roof rack (which would have to come off to reduce drag!). It does look a very very straight car at a very good price, even though I know the GX doesn't seem as pricey and sought after as the VX.
Any thoughts ?
Click to expand...

That does look very nice, I think auto might have been an option at the time. Usually cars driven by women, as cars do not have a hard life either mechanically or on the inside. My 03 100 series has 200K and the drivers seat looks like a 40K one, as does the steering wheel as it was primarily driven by a woman. The 90K 04 plate one I put on for someone I know ( 19 st 6'5 big bugger) had ruined the drivers seat during his ownership.
These are some of the things to bear in mind as far as condition is concerned but by the looks of that one it certainly looks better than average.
If I was in the market it would be one I'd travel to see. or ask a local member to look at.
If those roof bars are genuine Toyo they will be a good piece of expensive kit and quite useful but the VX roof rails can be retro fitted.
 
holy 5hit i just saw the price of escape seat covers! http://www.equipt1.com/item/toyota-land-cruiser-100-series-vx-front-seat-covers-grey. Maybe if I was heading to the outback, but not for a few drives a week!

Yes that GX does look darn good, the MOT history is bloody good as well. I do have a hell of a love of leather though, and the air suspension (which I am told is definitely working) is a godsend for my relative who is disabled and i often drive her to the shops and out and about each week.

Ian - thanks for that, nice to see a +1 for the air suspension which does get a hammering, but I suppose when things like that give people nasty bills it's obviously going to get a bad rap. I do personally love the idea of it, if its working of course. Just out of interest, what sort of money is it to fix if it goes wrong? thousands and thousands or hundreds and hundreds?!

Thanks Andy. yes it's definitely a nice one. I never thought of people on forum checking out a car, I would happily pay for someone to check a car for me. Don't suppose there is anyone in Glasgow? (Another car I am probably more likely to go for, but I really need a good check of the state of the underside which I can't do without one hell of a trip, but it's such good value i may just do it anyway)
 
I've checked out a few for people, not many, as it has to fit ( time/distance/availability etc). Some yays some nays.

Which area are you??
 
Does anyone know the main pros and cons of VX versus GX? I am trying to convince myself about the cloth instead of the leather. Have to factor in the fact that VXs are more sought after so probably command a better price, not that I am planning to sell but have to factor that in.
The leather is just so luxurious and I really love the ease of cleaning it when needed. However the cloth in the GX does look to have its own advantages, such as no sliding around which is something my wife did moan about in a few cars I had with leather, she is tiny and slides around a fair bit which I just find funny but she doesn't :D. I notice the manual controls for seats instead of electric which is a bit of a downer for me as I have bad back problems and I constantly adjust my seat, on the other hand in winter my ar5e might appreciate the cloth instead of stiff cold leather!
I have to say I am a bit dubious about the GX now. Done a lot of research into the business and firstly found a few very bad reviews. I know to take this stuff with a pinch of salt often, but the reviews don't sound like bad apples, more like genuine decent folk specifically recounting some bad tales of cars off the guy. The limited company he goes under is also showing as Dissolved, which doesn't bode well for warranty or problems/issues etc. On the other hand they are "approved" by the AA (for what that's worth) which I know does count for something as if the company don't honour their promises, the AA can be dragged into it as they market the company and offer their "seal" on their promises etc, joint liability almost, certainly enough to get the AA's attention if something really bad did happen, and I suspect enough to make them cough up for anything untoward as their brand was used in the marketing of this car. i might sound overly negative, but to be honest I have to confess I am. Not about this dealer, about dealers in general. I have had such a bad experience I am being ultra careful (perhaps too careful) this time round, and I am making sure there is a legit company behind the next car I buy and hopefully decent people too.
I checked the MOT history on that GX and there isn't one mention of the word "corrosion" which there is on some. Anyway, I am babbling. If anyone could give me the pros and cons of the GX over the VX (if it's not just the lack of AHC) then that would be great. And if anyone lives near Brighton and fancies doing an inspection for me (no comeback of course, just an eye over by someone independent before I travel) please let me know.
Thanks all
 
The "Trevor" off the forum is coming by mine today to pick up something I didn't use. I spoke to him yesterday on the subject of his 100 which is coming up and you could do a lot worse.
I'm in S Yorks, pretty central really.
I wouldn't let the dealers reputation put me off looking at what is fundamentally an attractive proposition, have more of a judgement when the truck has been viewed.
 
joeyjune said:
Ian - thanks for that, nice to see a +1 for the air suspension which does get a hammering, but I suppose when things like that give people nasty bills it's obviously going to get a bad rap. I do personally love the idea of it, if its working of course. Just out of interest, what sort of money is it to fix if it goes wrong? thousands and thousands or hundreds and hundreds?!
Click to expand...

The main failure points are the spheres and the height sensors. Sphere condition can easily be checked with a graduation test before purchase. Sensors can sometimes be cleaned to bring them back to life. Depending what fails it can cost mid to high hundreds to fix if you are the DIY type. Failure is not a certainty though. Purchase one that has a high number on the graduation test and a history of fluid changes and it might be good for many many years to come, providing it is maintained correctly. The key to maintenance is keep the fluid fresh and keep an eye on the pressures.

Ian
 
Isnt the fluid extracted from the spittle of mermaids and this is reflected in the price?
 
About £75 for 5 litres. Not a huge investment for something that should be done every 30k miles or so.
 
Is there a write up on maintaining and repairing the system?
my father would like to know for his 2002.
 
Ian thanks very much for this. I wouldn't have a clue where to start but my mechanic should have an idea, although I will guide him using info from here, thanks very much everyone. I am waiting for underneath photos on one I am very very interested in at the moment, superb price, MOT history looks good, Toyota service history up to 100k and good servicing for the other 50k since, stack of receipts showing all work ever done on vehicle, AHC working and even the steering column motor working. At 4-5k less than most I have looked at as the dealer needs it out of the way (for genuine reasons as explained to me yesterday, his employee bought it but can't afford the fuel costs!). Above all, I have done hours of research trying to find one single bad review about the customer service and after sales service from this dealer and all I can find is one decent review after another, and I am wise to spotting the self-generated reviews so many dealers seem to do. If only they spread them apart over the year instead of doing 5 in one week, it would be harder to spot some of them! :D
 
P.S. I am still waiting for some info from Trevor on his though, but I do need to move quickly either way
 
Even if the car goes up and down correctly on the height control button it is still worth doing the graduation test. Ideally this would be done after the pressures are set correctly but you will not be able to do this without TechStream.

Set the AHC to low. Open the bonnet and take a note of the fluid level in the AHC reservoir. You will see there are graduations marked on the corner of the tank. Set the AHC to high and count the number of graduations the fluid level changed by.

14 graduations and the spheres are basically brand new, 7 or less and the spheres are shot.
 
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