Anyone have a 1989 LS400?

[The Lexus Enthusiast]

Hi all, was just curious if anyone has a first ever made 1989 LS. This must be incredibly rare now right? If so how is it holding up? Was wondering since have recently started a small infatuation with 400s. Another car I can't afford or get insurance on yet of course😂 I was thinking that it would be quite fun to have a 90s classic car from the 80s! Am I correct to say that these would be on a 'G' reg? 

Alex 

[Cotswold Pete]

Check this link out, this is either number one or two

First UK LS in 2014 review

Looks pretty nice to me

[ambermarine]

Hi Alex

I owned one for 18 years which was 23 years old when I let it go it lasted another year and was scrapped mainly due to rust,unfortunately the mark 1 suffered badly from rust both in the rear subframe and the rear wings and wheel arches usually from the inside out which by the time it had come through the result was failed mot.

I should think there are still examples about and they are the original classic Lexus so I suspect collectors items.

[The-Acre]

There's a YouTube video somewhere, an old Top Gear one, it has a G reg LS400 featured in it. This same car was bought by a member from Surrey, can't remember who though but I think is was around 3-4 years ago that he posted the info on the LOC. I just checked and the MOT ran out last summer so maybe its come to the end. The reg number is G615 EPE.

[The Lexus Enthusiast]

1 hour ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Check this link out, this is either number one or two

First UK LS in 2014 review

Looks pretty nice to me

Great car and nice condition. Are the pillars really that thin? I wouldn't have thought that one would feel "exposed" in any way. At least not in the 430 but then I suppose that this is 13 years even older so perhaps by comparison? 

Alex  

[The Lexus Enthusiast]

1 hour ago, ambermarine said:

Hi Alex

I owned one for 18 years which was 23 years old when I let it go it lasted another year and was scrapped mainly due to rust,unfortunately the mark 1 suffered badly from rust both in the rear subframe and the rear wings and wheel arches usually from the inside out which by the time it had come through the result was failed mot.

I should think there are still examples about and they are the original classic Lexus so I suspect collectors items.

Shame about the Achilles heel. Would be great if someone managed to guard against the rust in advance or something and still had a pristine one today. Congratulations on your impressive ownership! The collectible factor would be a factor for me too but if there are so few already then in about 6 years or more i might well be out of luck ☹️ Just remembered that some years ago in a village near where I live was walking along and someone's garage was open on this nice little street and inside was a stunning Bordeaux ls400 non facelift, polished and everything by the look of it (it was just peeping out). Perhaps it was an 89' model. One day I should go and ask.  

[The Lexus Enthusiast]

36 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

There's a YouTube video somewhere, an old Top Gear one, it has a G reg LS400 featured in it. This same car was bought by a member from Surrey, can't remember who though but I think is was around 3-4 years ago that he posted the info on the LOC. I just checked and the MOT ran out last summer so maybe its come to the end. The reg number is G615 EPE.

Funnily enough picked up a brand new Top Gear dvd last weekend in a charity shop for £2, claims it is the complete Top Gear (on 1 disc??!!) so perhaps it's on there somewhere, haven't had time to watch it yet. 

[ambermarine]

3 hours ago, The Lexus Enthusiast said:

Shame about the Achilles heel. Would be great if someone managed to guard against the rust in advance or something and still had a pristine one today. Congratulations on your impressive ownership! The collectible factor would be a factor for me too but if there are so few already then in about 6 years or more i might well be out of luck ☹️ Just remembered that some years ago in a village near where I live was walking along and someone's garage was open on this nice little street and inside was a stunning Bordeaux ls400 non facelift, polished and everything by the look of it (it was just peeping out). Perhaps it was an 89' model. One day I should go and ask.  

I did learn lessons from the Mark 1  in corrosion prevention terms I carried out on my Mark 4 which had been kept mint by the one previous owner .I waxed the whole underside metal exposed and anywhere in the wheel arches that could be accessed.

Due to the light use and full time garaging coupled with the low mileage 19k  it was opportune timing and it as paid off after 6 years and a further 20k miles there is no corrosion on this car and it is now twenty years old.I might add that the condition of the metalwork is also due to the improvements in paint and the steel used on later models in the ls400.

Thats why it is as good as it is 17 years of development and improvement, on one model is probably a world first,unlikely to be repeated.

[DAN@ADRIAN FLUX]

On 3/7/2019 at 10:14 PM, The Lexus Enthusiast said:

Hi all, was just curious if anyone has a first ever made 1989 LS. This must be incredibly rare now right? If so how is it holding up? Was wondering since have recently started a small infatuation with 400s. Another car I can't afford or get insurance on yet of course😂 I was thinking that it would be quite fun to have a 90s classic car from the 80s! Am I correct to say that these would be on a 'G' reg? 

Alex 

Hi.

If you ever need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

[The Lexus Enthusiast]

On 3/9/2019 at 11:22 AM, DAN@ADRIAN FLUX said:

Hi.

If you ever need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

I think you looked at this a few months back? Anything changed? 

Thanks 

Alex 

[The Lexus Enthusiast]

On 3/8/2019 at 2:58 PM, ambermarine said:

I did learn lessons from the Mark 1  in corrosion prevention terms I carried out on my Mark 4 which had been kept mint by the one previous owner .I waxed the whole underside metal exposed and anywhere in the wheel arches that could be accessed.

Due to the light use and full time garaging coupled with the low mileage 19k  it was opportune timing and it as paid off after 6 years and a further 20k miles there is no corrosion on this car and it is now twenty years old.I might add that the condition of the metalwork is also due to the improvements in paint and the steel used on later models in the ls400.

Thats why it is as good as it is 17 years of development and improvement, on one model is probably a world first,unlikely to be repeated.

That makes me wonder about our LS, I put loads of effort into waxing and polishing the outside where everyone sees but as for the underneath goes I presume is taking the strain all these years later😟