Nomad's Lexus GX 460 - aka - Land Cruiser Prado 150

Comment below what light location you find most useful. A little extra lighting, especially off to the sides can be fairly useful offroad. I didn't want tall ditch lights that blocked my view during every day driving so I found some lower profile dual LED lights to try out. 5th Gen 4Runner light brackets were cheap on the jungle store. Easy install and easy to mount lights.  I purchased a premade wiring kit since it was actually cheaper than buying a roll of wire alone. The wiring was straightforward with a small slit in the wiring boot to get into the cabin and a few crimped wire ends. I purchased a dual switch for future light expansion and installed the wires according to the diagram.  That's where my only issue came up. The switch did not work. I tried a few different wiring configurations, chased some wires with the Multimeter, and even tried the basic switch that was originally included in the harness. The basic switch worked but not the Toyota style switch. My la...

Full size roof rack mounted, a time consuming DIY My goals with this rack: DIY, full roof size, able to stand on, as low profile as possible, can connect to stock rails and be quickly removable.  The heavy duty cross bars I made work fine for hauling beach items and lumber from the 'Depot. I was planning on making a fairing to eliminate the little bit of wind noise and adding flat platform material to it. The larger issue I ran into was they were not long enough to support a full 8' sheet of material, leaving the front to bend down toward the roof, and the curve of the roof track made them uneven for a flat cover.  Reality is I felt the itch to do a project and weld more. I want a solid platform to mount items to that are odd shapes or heavier, like max tracks, an awning, or a spare 5 gallons of gas for offroad excursions in this thirsty truck.  But really, who doesn't want to look like they are on a safari, rolling curbs in the Target parking lot? After looking at severa...

Spend $1300 on wheels? Spend another $1200 on tires? No thanks. Not this guy... I tried the Rust-Oleum Metallic "Oil Rubbed Bronze" paint to see what it looks like. Figured I'd share what it looked like. It does a good job of looking like some of the other bronze wheels available but I actually preferred the satin black. OEM Sequoia wheels, poorly painted when I picked them up  After replacing my JK Wrangler with this  GX460  trying to make it more of what the "Land Cruiser Prado" was made to be in all other countries.  It looks ok from a distance but thick paint is sagging in areas. Yes, this has way better tech, a better engine, more comfortable interior, quieter more powerful engine, and more, that the Jeep JK didn't have, but it lacks in the looks department (and, as Jeepers say ad nauseum - no removable top or doors).  After chemical stripping. The aluminum surface is perfect So I want less "Latte Lounger", and more "Capable Cruiser"...

Do you prefer drawers or a flat cargo space? Leave a comment below. I revised the rear setup to give me more options and storage here: https://nomadsgx460.blogspot.com/2022/08/more-versatile-rear-storage-drawers-3rd.html I won't be using the 3rd row electric seats so I pulled them right away. 127lbs of associated seats and brackets gone! Heavier than I thought!  I also removed the large class IV hitch which was another 85lb or so. With 200lb less weight in the rear and 6 inches lower trunk floor I have something a little more useable and versatile.  In order to finish it all off I built a cargo floor with locking tie down points. I used much of what I had available and only bought what was necessary.  The silver you see is two layers of my favorite -budget- sound deadener which is "PEEL N SEAL" window seal. Look it up. It's only $20 for a roll of foil backed butyl. It deadens the resonance of the steel panels. Same as Dynamat. I used two layers as I heard some more ...

I was going to build a tailgate table until I saw a 24x12 Jeep table for only $35 on ebay.   Well, it was certainly worth a try at that price as the wood and hardware would certainly be more. I could modify it a bit and gain the ability to strap molle bags onto it to store important items. Part of my trunk redo is to make organized storage for little things I like to keep in the back, tools or supplies, first aid etc. I could manage with a smaller table for the cost savings. I did buy a rivnut tool from Harbor Freight for $25 but I wanted one for a while and can use it on other things. This might also be a good size for GX470 doors. I was surprised at the quality feel of the table when I got it. Stronger than I thought it would be. I figured I may need to weld stiffeners etc.  The table is designed to be able to have molle bags strapped to it, and then fold down, but this would leave the straps on the table top. Not good. I flipped the table upside down so the flat surfac...

 Just for fun I decided to figure out a way to add Paracord Grab handles to the Lexus GX460.  Is it an essential mod? No.  Does it solve a problem? No.  Is there a good reason to do it? Yes! Mods = fun. My method is completely reversible if I don't care for them or need to put it back to stock.  Problem 1: When the factory handles are removed there are odd shaped holes left behind. I measured then modeled some finish plates to mount the handles to. 3D printed a set and will see how they fit.  Problem 2: The factory uses clips in 3/8" x 3/4" square holes to attach the stock handles. This makes it tough to just "bolt on" another option. I had to get creative in how to mount them. I settled on what I hope is a simple/strong enough design. A little garage time whipped these up. Inserted into the hole is a 1"x 3/8" drilled and tapped tab. A "C" shaped spacer is then entered into the hole to position and clamp the tab to keep it from spinning behin...