(Reader submission)
I would like to share my overlander Lexus Lx570 build with you and your readers which has gone a bit viral locally and internationally.
I have always been an avid 4×4 enthusiast and spend most of my time in the dunes. I’ve driven everything from Amaroks to Land Cruiser 79’s and various other brands. I came across this Lexus Lx570, which is quite similar to a 200 series Cruiser. Knowing well what this vehicle’s capability is, I went ahead and bought it. This is where the fun stared, as I had to make this an African all-terrain conqueror instead of just another mall crawling Lexus. The problem was, because it was a one-of-a-kind build and nobody has really have done anything quite like this with a Lexus, I was surely in for a challenge. After weeks of research and getting quotes from 4×4 centres in Cape Town, I was ready to leave the vehicle as is and give up. Everyone was skeptical with all the fancy sensors on the vehicle and other technicalities that needed to be overcome that I was almost ready to throw in the towel and leave the Lexus as is.
Two weeks later, while on a camping weekend with the guys from the Helderberg 4×4 club, we were discussing 4×4’s and overlanding. How does the saying go? “Sometimes something is hiding in plain sight”. Marius from EPR 4×4 Off Road Centre said he could easily do the bumpers for my Lexus. Two weeks later the Lexus went to EPR 4×4 for its custom bumpers and they did an amazing job building the front bumper, rock sliders and rear bumper. From there the Lexus went to Build Concepts for its roof rack and wood basket. Again, the guys at Build Concepts did a sterling job.
My last big hurdle was that no one makes or imports rims for this vehicle, which has very similar PCD’s to the 79 Cruiser, making it almost impossible to get right. I needed bigger rims with a more preferable offset as the track and look of the stock wheels was tucked too far into the body. Because of the vehicles weight, it needed some serious stopping power, and for this reason I had Lexus fit oversized disk brakes all around, preventing the fitment of anything smaller than an 18” rim. Tyre Life Solutions came to the rescue when they contacted me saying they had just received a set 18” Dirty Life rims and that they had the correct PCD. Then and there I had the rims fitted and the car looks amazing. I also fitted new BF Goodrich all terrain tyres to finish off the look.
Another addition to the build was a dual ARB compressor in the engine bay as well as a two-way radio. Recently I posted my build on Facebook as well as on Instagram and it has drawn overwhelming attention locally and as far afield as America and Dubai. Even Lexus South Africa has shown interest in getting involved with my built.
The guys on the 4×4 groups call it a “private school cruiser” … but we’ll see who is still smiling when we hit the dunes.
It’s a Lexus that you definitely won’t see every day!
Kobus Vermeulen
Ed’s note: Wow is all we can say Kobus, great looking project, sweet lines, rugged robust look. That’s one mean machine!
