The Mighty Highlander

[Tortoise]

I've used the starter tap before with some success.

It didn't work this time, but I didn't try it with the key turned, I was by myself.

[dkazzed]

How are things? Did you get the starter replaced yet?

[Tortoise]

Yup!  I had it towed to my shop on the Monday morning just before 9. By 11 they called my saying it was ready to go. $500 all in.

Two weeks ago as I was driving into the office and one of the rear suspension links/arms rusted out. If I drove it over 25 km/hr the wheel entered into a death wobble that shook the entire car.  I was able to nurse it into the shop and they replaced the arm and a bushing and it drives great again. The other side did this late last summer so I knew what to expect. 

It's now driving better than ever (the new bushing took care of a clunk) but I think age is starting to catch up with it.

[RRocket]

Yup!  I had it towed to my shop on the Monday morning just before 9. By 11 they called my saying it was ready to go. $500 all in.

Two weeks ago as I was driving into the office and one of the rear suspension links/arms rusted out. If I drove it over 25 km/hr the wheel entered into a death wobble that shook the entire car.  I was able to nurse it into the shop and they replaced the arm and a bushing and it drives great again. The other side did this late last summer so I knew what to expect. 

It's now driving better than ever (the new bushing took care of a clunk) but I think age is starting to catch up with it.

One of Toyota's all time greats.

[Tortoise]

Agreed. It's in remarkably good shape for spending it's life in a salt belt.

A good example of the quality is there's zero rust under any of the window trim pieces.

It still has so many original parts. A/C, Rad, Power steering pump, etc. The list goes on.

[dkazzed]

I hear you on the age. We briefly had an 04 Sienna that was fantastic for summer road trips, but we made a decision with the long list of deferred maintenance and wanting to cut down to one vehicle.

[kd]

Cool that you are still driving this!  They are indeed a tough and well built vehicle.   

I planned on keeping the GS-350 for a while longer but in early March the drivers side muffler fell off while my wife was on her way to a concert with a car full of friends, and the weather was nasty that night, of course.     She had to pull off to the shoulder of the highway and wait for me to show up.  I got them to the show, if a little late, but that didn't go over too well, so we figured it was about time to get rid of it to give her piece of mind.