Andy's LS430

[DruLS]

13 hours ago, The-Acre said:

Nice sound, as long as it doesn't affect the usual serene ride and become an annoying drone.

That was my main worry as I didn’t want to ruin the car but I can confirm it’s still nice and quiet while driving normally. It sounds much louder on camera. There’s no real droning to speak of (very slightly at about 50mph but not bad at all). I don’t even think the car is any louder. It certainly idles more quietly without the leaks. It just sounds different under acceleration. It has a deeper, meaner sound without being too obnoxious. You can tell it’s a V8 now which is what I wanted. But while cruising normally it’s just as quiet if not more so inside the cabin  

It’s exactly how I wanted it so I’m very glad. I explained what I wanted to the guys and how I wanted it to sound, picked out the tips I wanted and they built a full system quite quickly. They did a fantastic job and now I don’t have to worry about that old rusty exhaust ever again (hopefully). 

[The-Acre]

A good result!  I suppose I'm quite lucky there as my Celsior has a stainless factory system.  I've no idea why it would be fitted on the JDM model but not the UK.

[DruLS]

9 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

A good result!  I suppose I'm quite lucky there as my Celsior has a stainless factory system.  I've no idea why it would be fitted on the JDM model but not the UK.

Wow you learn something new every day. That is strange considering they don’t even bother undercoating a lot of cars in Japan. I had a VW Bora imported from Japan. No undercoating like the UK models but 100% rust free. 

[DruLS]

Well, that was fun while it lasted. Think I hit diesel or ice or something, car is completely destroyed. 

[fred81]

oh that's absolutely disgusting. sorry to see this and hope everyone is okay!

[DruLS]

27 minutes ago, fred81 said:

oh that's absolutely disgusting. sorry to see this and hope everyone is okay!

Nobody hurt, just absolutely gutted. 

[Herbie]

Oh no!

That is heart-wrenching  😭  Glad no one was hurt though.

[DruLS]

I can't afford another LS right now, just need a runaround. But I'm sure I'll have one again in the future. This was the best car I ever owned. 

[JamesIS220]

I feel your loss. Quite fancy an LS430.

Glad nobody was hurt. Are you going to save any parts like exhaust etc?

James.

[DruLS]

On 12/10/2019 at 9:36 PM, JamesIS220 said:

I feel your loss. Quite fancy an LS430.

Glad nobody was hurt. Are you going to save any parts like exhaust etc?

James.

I don't really have the time, room or equipment to start stripping it down. It's already an eyesore on the street and I doubt my neighbours would like me dismantling a car on my driveway. I'm just going to sell it for salvage, somebody could make some money off the parts. It's just a shame the back got hit so hard, otherwise I could have fixed the front end myself. 

[genius149]

Gutted for you.

Not wanting to seem like a hyena lurking near a recently killed zebra but...I could do with the small engine cover on the right hand side of the engine bay and somewhat strangely the boot opening switch that's by the petrol opening switch, not the one from the bootlid.*

If you were close enough to collect I'd ask what you wanted for a wheel and tyre - I've got an LPG tank where mine should be.

*I believe in clarity

[The-Acre]

I can't help thinking the outcome may have been different in a smaller car!

[Cotswold Pete]

Andy,

Feel for you, and been there myself, hit some diesel at 20mph while starting to overtake a really really slow truck, my Mk3 was like a drunken whale and I managed to avoid stuffing the car under the lorry trailer but smacked up most of the off-side hitting a wall and a road sign. 

My experience was ruddy scary, and nowhere near as much damage as to your 430, so must have been one heck of a shock when it happened.

As Phil says, anything smaller would have been more carnage. 

Best of luck looking for new LS when your ready.

[Farqui]

Hey Andy, it's such a shame to see that much damage especially after you had reworked it to your liking.

Thankfully it's well built and saved the occupants from any injuries, which was good to hear.

Good luck sourcing a replacement.

Cheers, Lee

[DruLS]

On 12/11/2019 at 10:08 AM, Farqui said:

Hey Andy, it's such a shame to see that much damage especially after you had reworked it to your liking.

Thankfully it's well built and saved the occupants from any injuries, which was good to hear.

Good luck sourcing a replacement.

Cheers, Lee

Honestly the crash didn't feel that bad. I had no idea how hard the crash was until I stepped out. Gutted about the car but I'm just thankful I didn't hurt anybody. I went over the pavement but luckily it was late and nobody was around. This could have been a very different story. As much as I loved that car, it's just a car at the end of the day. 

Going to be picking up a Mazda 3 later today. I just need a cheap runaround for now. Low miles and full service history so I'm sure it will do it well. But after having an LS, every other car looks depressing. I'll start saving for another LS, and try not to crash the next one. 

[The-Acre]

5 hours ago, DruLS said:

Honestly the crash didn't feel that bad. I had no idea how hard the crash was until I stepped out. Gutted about the car but I'm just thankful I didn't hurt anybody. I went over the pavement but luckily it was late and nobody was around. This could have been a very different story. As much as I loved that car, it's just a car at the end of the day. 

Going to be picking up a Mazda 3 later today. I just need a cheap runaround for now. Low miles and full service history so I'm sure it will do it well. But after having an LS, every other car looks depressing. I'll start saving for another LS, and try not to crash the next one. 

Looking at the damage you'd think the airbags would be hanging like bunting but I guess the panels absorbed most of it. And you're right, it is just a car, but really annoyingly a car that gets deep under your skin!

[DruLS]

On 12/14/2019 at 12:37 PM, The-Acre said:

Looking at the damage you'd think the airbags would be hanging like bunting but I guess the panels absorbed most of it. And you're right, it is just a car, but really annoyingly a car that gets deep under your skin!

It wasn’t a hard enough hit to set them off. It’s just a shame it did a complete 360 and destroyed every panel on the car. Just picked up a little Mazda 3 today. Quite a nice little car, as long as I try not to compare it to the Lexus. 

Hats off to Lexus though this thing still drives fine. Tracking is a little off like. 

[DruLS]

Got my eye on a couple LS430s for sale. Possibly not the best financial decision but I don't think I can stand driving this Lexus any longer. Hopefully they'll be an update soon with a shiny new car 😀

[The-Acre]

2 hours ago, DruLS said:

Got my eye on a couple LS430s for sale. Possibly not the best financial decision but I don't think I can stand driving this Lexus any longer. Hopefully they'll be an update soon with a shiny new car 😀

Looking forward to your forthcoming news!  Hard to say from the various adverts but there seems to be a few decent looking examples out there.  

[DruLS]

Also if anybody is looking to sell their LS430 please let me know 😊

[genius149]

2 hours ago, DruLS said:

Also if anybody is looking to sell their LS430 please let me know 😊

Yeah. I'll add more tonight when I get home but here's some pics. Just to add, it's had a new Battery, starter motor, timing belt, lpg reducer and a few other bits.

I'd attach more but it's not liking it, probably due to size and being on my phone.

[genius149]

It still doesn't like a couple of the pics.  It's also just had a new radiator fitted so that all important "fix" is done.

Being forced to go part-time means I'm reluctantly putting her up for sale - I'll put something in the for sale section if Andy gives me first refusal.

[DruLS]

Introducing Alexa II. 2004 with 98k and FSH. Mostly Lexus with one independent. Has a few small jobs that need doing as you'd expect for a 16 year old car but nothing major at all. Pretty good paint work, nice and clean underneath. 

And of course, 3 miles into the journey home this happened 🙄

Still trying to arrange to purchase back my exhaust and LPG kit from the guy who bought my old one. Lord knows I need it. 

Otherwise it feels good to be back in one of these. I guess I best start a new thread now I have a different car.