1993 Lexus LS400
Discussion
I fancy doing a road trip through Europe next month - good excuse to buy another car too. I wanted something more luxo-barge than sports car and something reliable too. I saw a GS300 advertised online and I'd never really thought of that so started a but of digging around online and eventually found myself reading an article about a LS400 with 900,000 miles on and the quest to get it to the 1,000,000 mile mark I then read a few sources stating the Federal Aviation Authority had approved a plan for the Ls400 V8 to be adapted for planes and tracked down an original source showing it not be an internet myth. It's also used in speed boats.
Having let the internet pollute my mind I decided that a decent car should therefore be able to manage a 2000 mile round trip to Europe if I found one in suitable shape.
Online stalking of eBay, GumTree and AutoTrader began. The LS400 had Mk1,2,3&4 models - the Mk4 looks quite modern and is the quickest of them all, but it also has a touch screen sat nav from 1997 and I thought having a 18 year old computer at the helm might just more trouble than it was worth - especially when I read a replacement from Lexus was £5500+VAT! I wasn't really that bothered though, I was more interested in finding one that had recently had the cambelt & water pump changed (advised every 60,000 miles / 10 years) as that tends to come in at around £500 - £700 with parts and labour.
I saw a few potentials online & spoke to a couple of sellers but nothing really got me excited until a 1993 Mk1 popped up for sale five miles from work. I headed over there to take a look and it had one owner from new with 85,000 miles (the family predominantly lived overseas), 18 main dealer stamps and the cambelt service completed three years ago. It had no MOT though. However, a deal was done and after adding one lightbulb it also had an MOT
Those are the pictures as purchased, great condition overall - a wheel refurb, polish and a couple of bodywork touch ups should be all it needs to tidy it up. It will go in for a full service next week and get a once over to make sure it is ready for the road trip.
Mark
Having let the internet pollute my mind I decided that a decent car should therefore be able to manage a 2000 mile round trip to Europe if I found one in suitable shape.
Online stalking of eBay, GumTree and AutoTrader began. The LS400 had Mk1,2,3&4 models - the Mk4 looks quite modern and is the quickest of them all, but it also has a touch screen sat nav from 1997 and I thought having a 18 year old computer at the helm might just more trouble than it was worth - especially when I read a replacement from Lexus was £5500+VAT! I wasn't really that bothered though, I was more interested in finding one that had recently had the cambelt & water pump changed (advised every 60,000 miles / 10 years) as that tends to come in at around £500 - £700 with parts and labour.
I saw a few potentials online & spoke to a couple of sellers but nothing really got me excited until a 1993 Mk1 popped up for sale five miles from work. I headed over there to take a look and it had one owner from new with 85,000 miles (the family predominantly lived overseas), 18 main dealer stamps and the cambelt service completed three years ago. It had no MOT though. However, a deal was done and after adding one lightbulb it also had an MOT
Those are the pictures as purchased, great condition overall - a wheel refurb, polish and a couple of bodywork touch ups should be all it needs to tidy it up. It will go in for a full service next week and get a once over to make sure it is ready for the road trip.
Mark
You're not the first PHer to go this route and you won't be the last. Mine (a 2000 Mk4) has now done 11000 trouble-free miles since buying last year. A few small niggles (bonnet gas struts, coin tray stuck due to not quite being deep enough for £2 coins!) MOT tester used to work at Lexus and was very pleased to see it sail through.
BTW, those early engines are non-interference, so if you're shedding you can skimp on the cambelt; if it goes, it's not terminal. Just embarassing.
Mine (a 2000 Mk4) has now done 11000 trouble-free miles since buying last year. A few small niggles (bonnet gas struts, coin tray stuck due to not quite being deep enough for £2 coins!) MOT tester used to work at Lexus and was very pleased to see it sail through.MHT223 said:
I fancy doing a road trip through Europe next month - good excuse to buy another car too.
Which is exactly why I bought mine. We were supposed to sell it after we got back, and revert to our city car for the daily. But we decided to keep the LS and now it's just done another Euro road trip. A very stress-free way to get just about anywhere. Next year it'll take us on another wine hunt to the south of France.BTW, those early engines are non-interference, so if you're shedding you can skimp on the cambelt; if it goes, it's not terminal. Just embarassing.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
danjama said:
I have a strange desire for one of these. Do they make a nice noise?
They do if you chop the exhaust off.
I looked at a Mk3 that had a "slight blow" when cold. The slight blow was so un-Lexus-like it was embarassing. The V8 engine is so muted that the 'loud pedal' isn't. Maybe the V8 Supra owners know how to make a bit more noise?
Another LS fanboy chiming in here, I have had two. My 1997 MkIV has been brilliant: minimal maintenance costs, perfect reliability, all the toys, more-than-adequate performance, tolerable economy. I sometimes wish it was louder and handled better, but it's meant to be the sensible, comfortable grown-up car in the fleet!
I don't know what I'd ever replace it with, other than an LS460
I don't know what I'd ever replace it with, other than an LS460
There seems to be a common problem with exhausts on the LS:
http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/71222...
Some people get it welded, some replace with a custom system. Opened up I'm sure it would sound pretty mean, but as standard it's pretty muted. Suits me tbh, I got it as a motorway muncher - I've already got two cars that make a lot of noise.
http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/71222...
Some people get it welded, some replace with a custom system. Opened up I'm sure it would sound pretty mean, but as standard it's pretty muted. Suits me tbh, I got it as a motorway muncher - I've already got two cars that make a lot of noise.
LS400 with modified exhaust and 5 speed gearbox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AsWG41Bc_k
1uz is a great sounding engine IMO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AsWG41Bc_k
1uz is a great sounding engine IMO
Another lexi fanboy here, I thought about LS for decade, as luxo-bargain-barges is my natural habitat, but always were other funny cars. And still "not-yet" as we dont need V8 barge at the moment, for sure (I am good in this, but even I could not rationalise LSa as leisure car for 5ft tall wife 
) - but I said at last f-off, lexus or nothing, so we get old GS300 (mk1) two weeks ago, really SOTW, and we are very happy too. And similar "problems" like LS - too quiet, enough power, probably even better handling than LS, probably a few less gadgets than LS, and INCREDIBLE quality at all, even after decades and 100k miles.
) - but I said at last f-off, lexus or nothing, so we get old GS300 (mk1) two weeks ago, really SOTW, and we are very happy too. And similar "problems" like LS - too quiet, enough power, probably even better handling than LS, probably a few less gadgets than LS, and INCREDIBLE quality at all, even after decades and 100k miles.gareth_r said:
earch for Soarer V8 or SC400 videos. Same engine, but more likely to be made a bit louder.
Oh i've considered Soarers many times in the past, but would struggle to take the V8 over the twin turbo 1jz. Now wondering how much lighter the Soarer is compared to an LS400...
EskimoArapaho said:
The really interesting Soarer is the UZZ32 model, also V8. Not sure if any of the LS400/Celsiors ever had that tech.
As far as I know, they never repeat this "engineering excercise in insanity", as people called UZZ32. Year ago was one on Autotrader, with not bad price tag for 600 (or so) items limited Lexi series, and I thought and researched a lot, and decided NOPE. I am good on DIY, even crazy electronics, autotrannies and so on, but to keep UZZ32 running as should be, you need maintenance skills, and parts, and money like for fly-by-wire jetfighter, not like for oldie V8 coupeEdited by Boni on Saturday 11th July 17:47
I had a V8 Soarer a few years ago and although it was a lovely car to drive, the fact that they are now old and failing in many ways, keeping them on the road is becoming a tough and expensive exercise. Cannibalising other versions from scrap yards seems to be the way forward in repairing them, as you could only really get spare parts from Japan or Australia, and even they were running out. There seemed to be at least two blokes around the UK who had breakers services for these cars, so when you needed parts it was trips to them or ordering from them to get things fixed, although the more industrious out there were finding ways of fixing the electronics inside by replacing components.
I can however confirm that to make the V8 sound a bit nicer you can chop the back boxes off and replace them with a straight bit of pipe (the previous owner had done this) and you'll unleash more noise. When at full chat it howled almost like an F1 car, so sadly didn't have the roar of a lazy V8.
I can however confirm that to make the V8 sound a bit nicer you can chop the back boxes off and replace them with a straight bit of pipe (the previous owner had done this) and you'll unleash more noise. When at full chat it howled almost like an F1 car, so sadly didn't have the roar of a lazy V8.
I've got a V8 Soarer.
Like has been said parts are becoming hard to come by, but the factors can get most service items.
Mine has a stainless straight through exhaust, with only 2 small mufflers on the back.
She's properly loud!
I paid £400 for it, with an MOT, and all I've had to do is one lower arm bush and general servicing.
It's reliable, comfortable and best of all goes like stink for such a big car. It doesn't handle too badly either.
But that noise! At full chat, she sings...
Like has been said parts are becoming hard to come by, but the factors can get most service items.
Mine has a stainless straight through exhaust, with only 2 small mufflers on the back.
She's properly loud!
I paid £400 for it, with an MOT, and all I've had to do is one lower arm bush and general servicing.
It's reliable, comfortable and best of all goes like stink for such a big car. It doesn't handle too badly either.
But that noise! At full chat, she sings...
I had a '93, but the fuel costs were killing me so I replaced it with an X Type. The Lexus was great though, extremely smooth and quiet, a few passengers even asked me if it had stalled when we were ticking over at traffic lights. It also felt very well put together, not a single squeak knock or rattle at 22 years old! I've heard the newer models are actually less comfy/quiet. It's time to grab these whilst they are still (relatively) easy to come by.
I had some free time on Saturday so thought I'd dig out my under used machine polish and get to work 
This is my first proper attempt at removing swirl marks, I didn't go too OTT in terms of cutting intensity but got rid of a lot of the lighter marks.
The front and rear bumpers need paint really to get them up to standard.
Here's the pics;
Before
During
Finished
This is my first proper attempt at removing swirl marks, I didn't go too OTT in terms of cutting intensity but got rid of a lot of the lighter marks.
The front and rear bumpers need paint really to get them up to standard.
Here's the pics;
Before
During
Finished
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