Any Advice On Buying A Ls400 Please

[chips229]

HI there everyone,looks like youve got a great site here.I hope to have plenty to say (all good i hope) about a LS400 which with all your help and advice will see me buying a good healthy one.Ive got my mind on a series 2,ive spoken to a LEXUS main agent and they say to look for broken rear springs,check the condition of the front upper and lower ball joints,they said the ball joints are £300 each to replace,also to listern under the bonnet for a sound which sounds like the exhaust is blowing,which is a cracked pipe and is 5 hours labour to fix,and check to see when the cambelt was last changed.I really really cant wait to buy a LS400 after waiting years and years for the prices to come down to what i can afford (yawn).I dont want to sound fissy,just ive had so much trouble with other cars in the past so i really want tobe clued up and know what to look for before my heart runs away with my head.MANY MANY THANKS if you can give me some more hints or tips :D :D

[Steve]

hi mate

Some good tips there

What is your budget for an LS400?

[chips229]

PS i have read the posts about problems etc,how much in the uk is it to have the cam belt changed at a garage,and how much trouble is it to change the belt my self.

[chips229]

Hi there Steve,im looking at two LS400 over this weekend,ones a series 1 for about £3000 and the others a series 2 for around £3500

[GreyBeard]

if you're worried about a few hundred here and there on ball-joints, and other bits and pieces, don't buy an LS400 - the parts are a kings ransome, the labour is usually £50/hour non-franchise garage and up to twice that at official lexus places. they were a richman's motor when they came out, and they still are, just a bit lower down the pecking order.

having said that, i lavish TLC on mine, way beyond what is sensible, and enjoy the look, feel and presence of it - but i still run an escort to take to the shops, dogwalk, council tip, etc. and with parts and labour that are a pleasure to pay for, at about a quarter of the cost of the lexus.

just go in with your eyes open AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T OPEN THE BONNET OR YOU'LL LOSE YOUR HEART FOREVER!!

[chips229]

Hi Greybeard,thanks for the honest advice,i dont mind spending abit on motors,i just want to get my self a good one.To be honest i want something new after owning (on my second) a vauxhall Senator 24V for the last 9 years,the first one was very little trouble,but the one i have had for the last 2 years has been nothing but trouble,having put a replacement engine(by myself) over the last 2 easters.Yes thats 2 engines in the last to years both went just before easter.Im getting worried shell i buy another engine now so im ready this time.

[chips229]

ive looked at buying most of the jap stuff and the LS is the one for me.My boss had the series 4.A very nice car but more than i can afford.The series 1 or 2 seems the right sort of prices allowing me some money left to keep or get it up together.

[Steve]

I would imagine the series 2 being a batter car.. any faults or niggles with the series 1 would have been fixed in the series 2.

Also upper and lower arms can be replaced using non genuine parts from the states. So there is not too much to worry there.

I like the LS myself!

[chips229]

Thanks for the support Steve,so what so them stt go like,my mate got a tt supra 6 speeder very nice but not much room for the shopping and he uses a van for his running around.The LS 400 would be a everyday car for me so i feel it would be a good all rounder.

[flotsam]

just go in with your eyes open AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T OPEN THE BONNET OR YOU'LL LOSE YOUR HEART FOREVER!!

Oh don't be so soppy!

It's only the best and quietest V8 in the world.

[paulydude]

Dude.

Welcome to the club. Owning a LS400 makes you feel a million dollers! I own a 92 Mk1 and it runs as smooth as the day it was made. The engines are bulletproof and ARE THE BEST V8 in the world. Make sure there is a FSH and receipts for all work done. I had my cambelt changed in Dec 2003 for £220.00 at Lexus Norwich (which I thought was good value). The parts can cost an arm and a leg but the internet is a wonderful thing. Buy your parts from America and they cost a fraction of the price. IE full set plugs £35.00, PCV valve £0.54p set HT leads £56.00.

At the end of the day it is a luxury car and the running costs are high but hey,

WHAT A TOOL.

Good luck DUDE :D

[Steve]

The soarer v8 uses the same engine.. i drove one the other day and was a very nice car

chips.. soarer has a bit more room than the supra, holds lexus class and ride and is not far off the performance of the supra TT either.

[chips229]

HI again,im getting abit confused,been looking at the LS400s for sale on the net.Ive looked at the link on this club site explaining the difference between the 4 models,but the pictures are from the front on the site for mk1 and a side profile picture for the mk2 on some adverts the cars look like there is a clear indicator lens then the headlight and a spotlight next to the grile on H,J,K,L,M,N. so i take it thats the mk1 and 2s.The mk3 seems to have a clear indicator and then a bigger head/spot light in one glass from 1995 onwards.i know the adverts many not have the right picture for the car they are selling.how can i spot if the car is a import againest a uk car.The only clues from the series link are the tyre sizes mk1 205,mk2 225.and the wheels look different but again the pictures are from different angles.does anyone have the same profile angle shot of mk1 and mk2 and mk3.?

[Steve]

imports will have a square plate on the back

not many imported LS's anyway

[chips229]

Steve,my mates 6'8 tall so theres no leg room in the back of his supra,his is putting out about 400bhp,hes let me drive it half a dozen times now in the last 18 months,he keeps uping the bhp so its even quick the next time i drive it.ive already been banned for 2 weeks last year in my 24v so i think the LS will be quick enough for me :D

[Steve]

mark II has a 0-60 of about 7 secs... not bad for such a big car!

whoops those GS's! and IS200 lads

ok apart from the bottle fed blokes and those with wind pushing devices!

[ColinBarber]

whoops those GS's! and IS200 lads

I can beat that!

[Steve]

oh yeah.. sorry colin!

[chips229]

i was going to look at a ls400 up near london,he gave me the reg number over the phone ive just done a check on the RAC web site(very useful will put the link in the next post for every one)and its a 1994 with 6 other owners,im begining to worry abit because the current owner only registered it in december last year,so hes only had it 2 months,what must be wrong with it to sell it already?.they only have lexus history to around 107,00 and they say they know the last 2 owners,having sold it to them both(must have traded it back in with them)but have serviced it there self for the last 3 years etc.does it sound abit fishy?

[Steve]

if you are unsure then dont buy it mate... use instinct!

[chips229]

after looking at one of the recent links the 1994 ls400 with 160,000 uk car which was advertised at £4000 and over the phone he dropped it to £3250 sounds abit to good tobe true.

[chips229]

http://www.rac.co.uk/myrac/vehicle_data_check/

[Steve]

thats intersting

only thing is it doesnt work for imports or if you have changed the plates since manufacture.

[chips229]

oh well cant win um all :)

[Steve]

i have been using it on some cars on auto trader.. quite interesting as I like to see how long the last owner had the car for

I spotted one car with almost the same reg... one was 229 and the other was 332... almost identical reg.. same colour almost same mileage... rare find

I would like to try the service history check when i am ready!