Thinking of buying a cheap LS400
Discussion
Well, I fancy a big comfy luxury barge with all the toys (must be my age!) and I've alway liked the look of these things . . . had a look on autotrader and there are a fair few in the 1-2k region, around 120k miles.
Any thoughts on whether these things are the huge money pits I fear they might be? I am a pretty capable mechanic and not scared of electronics, and I figure that there are enough of them being broken these days that any minor component failures can be dealt with without visiting the parts department to help pay for the new Lexus showroom down the road! My mileage is going from ~1000miles per week to ~30 miles per week (finally!) so I'm not even too worried about the petrol costs, would like to keep it over 20mpg though.
I don't care about driving dynamics, performance or handling for this car, going to get a 7 for that, I just want as much luxury as possible as I have spent the last year wracking up 40,000 motorway miles in a filthy, shagged out, falling apart estate car with no fan and one working speaker and I am sick of it!
Any thoughts on whether these things are the huge money pits I fear they might be? I am a pretty capable mechanic and not scared of electronics, and I figure that there are enough of them being broken these days that any minor component failures can be dealt with without visiting the parts department to help pay for the new Lexus showroom down the road! My mileage is going from ~1000miles per week to ~30 miles per week (finally!) so I'm not even too worried about the petrol costs, would like to keep it over 20mpg though.
I don't care about driving dynamics, performance or handling for this car, going to get a 7 for that, I just want as much luxury as possible as I have spent the last year wracking up 40,000 motorway miles in a filthy, shagged out, falling apart estate car with no fan and one working speaker and I am sick of it!
dont worry about the performance, from what i've read they will hit the 155 limiter with ease.
i've heard that they are designed to do around 250k miles before its uneconomical to repair them, so high milers would not be a problem.(nb i dont mean at 250,000.1 mile it will blowup, but you know what i mean!)
i've heard that they are designed to do around 250k miles before its uneconomical to repair them, so high milers would not be a problem.(nb i dont mean at 250,000.1 mile it will blowup, but you know what i mean!)
They get to the limiter with little effort, then go no further. They are mechanically bomb proof too. Toyota went to a great deal of trouble to source components that would take 'ageing' rather than packing up just because they were getting on a bit despite not being worn out. Good choice for a cheap reliable barge.
article
except from article said:
But the LS400 has established a staggering reputation for reliability. Lexus-serviced cars with 300,000km on the odometer that have never experienced a major problem are legion; the US Lexus discussion groups are full of people mentioning cars with huge distances on them that are still operating pretty much as they were when new. Brake pads and tyres are used up with greater speed than might be expected, the alternator can cause problems, and the climate control LCD screen darkens. And that's apparently it. Oh yes, and in one case we've heard of a leaking rear main seal.
And big and heavy? Nope! No one has ever gushed enthusiastically over the car's stodgy styling, and its bulky slab-sided appearance also gives the impression of massive mass. However, one of the design intentions was that it weigh substantially less than its opposition - and it does. At 1690 - 1770kg (depending on the source) it's about the same weight as a current Holden Statesman or a VT Calais with one person on board. It's 150kg lighter than the aforesaid BMW 750iL and nearly half a tonne lighter than the massive Merc 600SEL! As for size, at 4995mm long and 1820mm wide, it's 242mm shorter and 27mm narrower than a current Statesman. In fact, it's a bit smaller all round than a VX Commodore wagon. So no, it sure ain't a small car - but it's no enormous limo either.
Nought to 100 km/h was achieved in around 8.8 seconds (some tests are up to half a second quicker) with the standing quarter mile in the mid fifteens. Top speed of the slippery laser-welded shape (Cd = 0.29) was a high 245 km/h. A corollary of the low drag and relatively small engine was fuel consumption much better than expected. The AS2877 figures were 12.5 and 9 litres/100km (urban and country figures, respectively), while typical magazine test figures were around 12 litres/100km. In comparison, a 1990 5-litre V8 Holden Statesman had an AS2877 of 16 and 9.5, with similar vehicle size and acceleration performance.
Critical in the purchase of one of these cars is a Lexus service record. Interestingly, the Lexus service book is imprinted with a special die each time a service is completed - far more secure than a simple scribbled signature that could have been added by anyone at any old time! The cars seem to fall into two distinct classes - those one- or two-owner vehicles which have been kept in excellent condition with a full history, and those that have passed through many hands, frequently have aftermarket mags and often are also blessed with overspray on the door rubbers.... Surprisingly, the prices for the two vehicles are sometimes quite similar!
The paint - which is made up of many coats - can be difficult to match (so look for evidence of poor accident repairs), while tyres of lesser specification than the original 205/65 Dunlop Z-rated ones have often been fitted. The spare wheel in the boot should contain Lexus Valet and First Aid kits, and you should (of course) check that all of the electric gadgets work.
Behind the wheel you'll find the car supremely quiet (even by current standards), powerful and responsive. The throttle travel is overly long, the steering too slow in ratio (and the wheel too big) and the seats flat and hard. But it's not a car that feels particularly big to drive, the ride is excellent and the handling tenacious - though accompanied by a fair measure of body roll. The absence of a trip computer and (on most early cars) traction control is a bit surprising, but the rest of the equipment level is as long as your arm. A sunroof and phone were options on all cars.
And the original build quality is obvious - the doors shut beautifully, the switchgear is ergonomic and precise, and the engine is simply gloriously smooth and refined...
I've got two LS 400 engines and boxes in my garage waiting to be fitted in a couple of kit cars I'm building. I bought the Lexus because of the extremely good reputation the engines and gearboxes have, see the Lexus forums worldwide, and the ease of tuning.
After stripping down the engines and checking them over I'm absolutely delighted with my choice. The engines are really brilliantly engineered ( eg 6 bolt main bearings), simple to work on, and built to last. When I bought my engines the breakers who sold me them told me that there was never any demand for Lexus engines as " they never, ever go wrong". Having stripped and refreshed two I can well believe it.
Cams are non interference, the cam belt is £40 from your local motor factors, and needs replacing every 60k,change oil and filter every 9k, and a transmision flush through every 5 years or so and they will run forever. The power steering pump can have an aptitude to leak ( actually its just a cheap switch in the pump itself) over the alternator but its nothing a good clean and a new switch wont cure.
I've got an S type as a daily driver and I'm now sorely tempted to get myself a cheap Lexus barge next time. A very much underated car I would say.
Cheers,
Tony
After stripping down the engines and checking them over I'm absolutely delighted with my choice. The engines are really brilliantly engineered ( eg 6 bolt main bearings), simple to work on, and built to last. When I bought my engines the breakers who sold me them told me that there was never any demand for Lexus engines as " they never, ever go wrong". Having stripped and refreshed two I can well believe it.
Cams are non interference, the cam belt is £40 from your local motor factors, and needs replacing every 60k,change oil and filter every 9k, and a transmision flush through every 5 years or so and they will run forever. The power steering pump can have an aptitude to leak ( actually its just a cheap switch in the pump itself) over the alternator but its nothing a good clean and a new switch wont cure.
I've got an S type as a daily driver and I'm now sorely tempted to get myself a cheap Lexus barge next time. A very much underated car I would say.
Cheers,
Tony
Kinky said:
Always worth reading Honest Johns report .....
www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm
K
Crikey, he's really struggling for things to say about the lexus!
.dave_s13 said:
Just read Honest johns report.
£2500 for a set of tyres and an exhaust system
Surely you could get one custom made for not more than £500 ???? Whatdya reckon?
Don't believe all you read on there, it's pretty good but it says my BMW Compact is not as heavy as the saloon which is wrong and it does say "Has simpler rear suspension based on E30 3-Series" which is true and the very reason why the Compact weighs more than the saloon. It also says there were no RHD "M" versions which can't be right as mine is sitting outside in the car park with full M Sport original trim (bumpers, side sills, badges, steering wheel, gear knob, 235/50x16 tyres on BBS multi spoke alloys etc) and not one piece is aftermarket.
I do agree that the LS400 is a good SH buy these days as is the Jaguar XJ, late '90s 370bhp supercharged XJR for just £5k anyone
>> Edited by Kentish on Thursday 15th September 12:31
I bought a 1992 LS400 with 60k on the clock a few months ago to use as a wedding limo - but I think we will be keeping it for some time...
Shortly after buying it though a rear caliper seized, overheating and blowing the tyre. Cheap recon calipers and non-Lexus discs were easy to get hold of though.
Only other problems have been the common darkened climate LCD which means you can't see the temperature or clock - if you want to fix it there's a guy on ebay who will solder on a new LCD for a lot less than the £800 Lexus will charge you.
Ground clearance is very low too - be carefull over speed bumps if you've got passengers in the back.
MPG varies from 20-25 depending how you drive. The 0-60 isn't that impressive on paper, but at higher speeds where the low drag factor comes into play and the weight is less of an issue it pulls quite nicely.
The weirdest thing has got to be the total silence inside. Was a bit dissapointed at the lack of V8 roar, even in a tunnel with the windows down. But there is something quite amusing about the way this car silently propells itself towards the next corner under full accelleration. It feels like you are sitting still while the scenery around you has sped up!
Shortly after buying it though a rear caliper seized, overheating and blowing the tyre. Cheap recon calipers and non-Lexus discs were easy to get hold of though.
Only other problems have been the common darkened climate LCD which means you can't see the temperature or clock - if you want to fix it there's a guy on ebay who will solder on a new LCD for a lot less than the £800 Lexus will charge you.
Ground clearance is very low too - be carefull over speed bumps if you've got passengers in the back.
MPG varies from 20-25 depending how you drive. The 0-60 isn't that impressive on paper, but at higher speeds where the low drag factor comes into play and the weight is less of an issue it pulls quite nicely.
The weirdest thing has got to be the total silence inside. Was a bit dissapointed at the lack of V8 roar, even in a tunnel with the windows down. But there is something quite amusing about the way this car silently propells itself towards the next corner under full accelleration. It feels like you are sitting still while the scenery around you has sped up!
Only things to watch are:-
1. Air con units can sometimes fail with 150k +
2. Check Rear Ball Joints, prone to wear
3. Front Seat Heaters can fail
4. Check Stereo unit LCD Display functions
5. Alloy wheels will wont refurbing (if they havent been already!)
6. Watchout for the 'Big service' every 60k/5yrs (plugs+Cam Belt etc)
7. Aim for a mk3 in preferance to a mk2 if you can (handles better)
Buy a good one and you'll be laughing how little soo much car costs to run!
1. Air con units can sometimes fail with 150k +
2. Check Rear Ball Joints, prone to wear
3. Front Seat Heaters can fail
4. Check Stereo unit LCD Display functions
5. Alloy wheels will wont refurbing (if they havent been already!)
6. Watchout for the 'Big service' every 60k/5yrs (plugs+Cam Belt etc)
7. Aim for a mk3 in preferance to a mk2 if you can (handles better)
Buy a good one and you'll be laughing how little soo much car costs to run!
dave_s13 said:
Can you LPG these beauties?
If so how much?
you can but it wont last as long by the look of it.
www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=22061
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