LS400 'build'

[hockeyedwards]

I hesitate to call it a build as it will be slow and I am annoyingly picky when it comes to mods and may end up not doing things listed below but I do want to update the car tastefully, just thought I would stick my ideas down below and all comments critical or constructive are welcome😛

Currently looking for aftermarket wheels, not looking for anything 'lexus' want to branch out and get something a bit mega, seena few mild dished wheels and nice chunky 5 spokes, but if the wheel looks right I would consider anything, suggestions/ pics welcome!

Want to lower the ride height, but short of coilovers (£££), can't find any reasonable alternatives, links again welcome if I've missed something!

Someone took the time to convert the headlights to HIDs which now look hilariously different from the dingey side lights, wonder whether I should convert them back and upgrade both bulbs, just upgrade the side lights or get a new kit and start from scratch, any thoughts on this?

I think the tailights have to be brand new as they are mint from what I can see, but thinking to 'update' the look slightly, links welcome for ideas and I'd likely sell the ones on it to someone who may need them. Also would like to update the front and side indicators to clear housing, but can't find any (or not looking in the correct place)

Need some OEM bits to convert the bad boy pink air filter/ intake back to stock or at least something less ugly, and want to go back to twin exhausts as this has been converted to a single with silly droning muffler on but again I would imagine an eBay game or get a custom one made?

Any other tasteful mods anyone recommends with pics/ details also welcome, sometimes you don't know you want it until you see it! I promise it isn't going to turn into a full on gangsta mobile 🙂

[rich1068]

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. I've recently had a car clear out and I'm just running the LS. There's basically nothing that needs doing so unsure whether to do "other things" to it like you or buy another little project like the Saabs and GS were.

I would ditch the aftermarket HIDs. Not a fan. On mine I just put whiter sidelight bulbs in and now they match the colour of the main beams. Had a chat yesterday with a guy from Japparts on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/jappartsltd?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 and he might be a good source for the OEM bits you need. I'd recommend Tony Banks for an exhaust but Hampshire is a long way from Leeds.

And tasteful mods? Antimacassars and curtains surely? 

[hockeyedwards]

Had an Abarth 695 Biposto Record that made way for a project and I was after a 'classic', I think the LS is currently in the 'future classic' and quite happy to keep the GSF on the road whilst I tinker with the LS. I will check out that eBay page thank you! I would agree Leeds is a smidge far 😛

I am focussing on getting her a little more road worthy, rear discs, pads and sensor have been ordered as they are shottttt. Will potentially get the car up on quikjacks over the coming weeks to have a good nosey around and ordered what is required. Still waiting for a pack of history from previous owner that I have a small suspicion is imaginary!

I guess tasteful is subjective, trying NOT to turn it into a chav-mobile. One idea I have was to convert the interior dated wood effects to grey to update and match interior colour, also need a new displays for climate control as it is very blank, not sure whether to take it out, keep it and put in a modern headunit...

[steve2006]

I think I still have a cat back OEM exhaust around if you want it, stainless steel so will never rot but will need collecting and a good clean as left outside.

If the climate LCD back lights have gone I can fix those.

I dark tinted my rear clusters but most people go for clear replacements, they used to be around $150.00 a set but now fetch hundreds secondhand.

[hockeyedwards]

What would you charge for said OEM exhaust, not sure if I should go aftermarket to release some of the V8 without being antisocial?

I am going to strip the dash out at some point and will double check what the issue is, if I can't resolve myself I would appreciate the offer of fixing 🙂

[hockeyedwards]

So i've taken a punt on these bad boys, Japan Racing JR32. Couldn't find any LS pics, so apologies for the S2000 (still a nice motor). Went for 18's to not go mental and hopefully make a modest stance with lowering the car a smidge.

[rich1068]

You didn't waste any time 

[hockeyedwards]

I struck a deal with the old owner, his part of the deal was returning the wheels so new ones had to be 'sorted' asap, also my mind was going numb from looking at wheel pictures for the past week haha!

[hockeyedwards]

Finally had a dry-ish day to get the car up. Wheels arrived yesterday so great timing if you ask me. Seems that some components have been replaced for steering and suspension at some point but need a more indepth inspection to know exactly what. Rear looks untouched so that made need some TLC. Anyway... mock up pic followed by wheels fitted. She needs to get lowered now!

[rich1068]

1 hour ago, hockeyedwards said:

 

Lets off road!

[hockeyedwards]

Prepare for a picture dump, was allowed to spend the day fiddling and the weather was in agreement. Fueled by music and tea, had a good root around!

So the HID's are gone, they were cabled tied to within an inch of their life into random areas in the engine bay, got annoyed and just cut them out... All replaced with much brighter bulbs and all the tails light cluster are LED's £££

Played a game of follow the wire, someone has chonked a hole in the centre console 😞 and that lead me on a goose chase and to hilarious amounts of cut and tapped up unused wires which I presume someone used for previous mods. Didn't entirely work out what the switch did as it wasn't connected to anything... but did light up when pressed, exciting!

^The journey as it unfolded and a lot of splicing has been done at some point, I am not a vehicle sparky by any means, so decided not to cut anything that was attached to something, but and gonna need to try and sort out wtf went back on here, any hints are welcome, probs need to look up some wiring diagrams/ routing guides to sort it.

^On another wire journey found this chucked up behind the passenger footwell, a lot of cut wires that were just taped up again but one did lead across to a handfree mic on the drivers side!

Now onto some of the uglier stuff. There has at some point been water leaking into the boot or still is and someone has previous decided to silicone everything, boot seal, tail light seals, the nuts that hold the tail lights in place... further investigation required but I presume age related seal problem?

Found this which I dont know what it is, didnt have time to remove yet, but the top is broken and was taped up to weatherproof-ish it, was tucked in engine bay on passenger side and some of the chopped and taped wires did lead to it from passenger footwell, remains a mystery for now 😄

Have some white marks creeping onto the corners of the windreen (3 out of 4), presume water ingress or something growing?

There is clearly some fluid leaking underneath/ behind the power steering resevoir? Hopefully the pic shows it, was tricky getting my phone in the space

Think it is safe to say these are both shot... 😆

Front bumper has clearly had a tough life, corners are cracked and warped from lots of pulling and random fasteners have been used to hold it in place, including 2 screws ontop of each other. Need to find or maybe repair the silver trim that goes around the bumper as it keeps coming off.

Any pointers or where to find replacements for ANY of the bits I've mentioned above? I am a serial eBayer but unsure how reliable/ easy it is to find parts. Already sourced rear discs and pads and brake sensor cable. Have my eye on some coilovers as lowering springs seem elusive and trying to find original mats appear impossible. Santa is gonna have a long list this year!

 

 

 

 

 

[hockeyedwards]

Why are random pictures attaching themselves to the end of the post and I can't edit them off?

[BigBoomer]

That cut open thing looks like an alarm system to me. Has rechargeable batteries so it's gonna be something like that.

[hockeyedwards]

[hockeyedwards]

 So boot lid lights do not work except for the reverse lights 😕 lent my tester to a friend but did a quick bulb swap and that wasn't the problem, but odd that the reverse lights work but the one sat across from it in the holder does not? The tail light failure seems to be on the dash too. Also are the lights above and below the central stip meant to work or just for show? I've attached a video of me cycling through the lights to hopefully aid what I mean 🙂 

[hockeyedwards]

3 hours ago, BigBoomer said:

That cut open thing looks like an alarm system to me. Has rechargeable batteries so it's gonna be something like that.

Correct, took it off this morning and it had a Lexus part number on the reverse, an alarm siren is what google tells me 😄

[BigBoomer]

So the only lights that work on the boot lid are the reversing lights.
That sounds like either something is not connected correctly, a problem with the ECU that controls the lights, or several blown bulbs.
Apart from the boot lid problems, the brake lights seem to be only illuminating half of the section below the indicators.
I also didn't see any fog lights. Did you turn them on during the video?

Sorry, mine is a facelift 430 and the tail lights are somewhat different (and LED).

[hockeyedwards]

So all the bulbs had been replaced with LED's and I did some bulb swaps to check if any had blown, all good.

I ended up unplugging everything, cleaning connections, swapping out fuses and that seems to have sorted the problem, but the tail light failure dash light is still on 😞

Got a friend of a friend who's a auto-electrician coming to look at some other wiring that I couldn't work out wtf it did and check some other bits and pieces, so will pick his brains about that.

[hockeyedwards]

Black Friday 15% off weakened the blow of purchasing coilovers! Hopefully going low over the weekend if weather permits 😄

[hockeyedwards]

Well I balls'd up, forgot to retrieve my jack and stands from previous borrower... so I have kepyt myself busy, ordered and collected servicing parts, oil and pollen filter, alongside a chug load of oil for a change 😄 also i've managed to locate the names required to accurately search for the climate control bulbs that are prone to blowing, ordered a bunch of LED's from a UK site and just going to blanket replace them all. Still struggling to get the LED screen for the climate control unit. Busy week ahead, so probs not much to change until next weekend. Dark evenings are boring.

[hockeyedwards]

Finally got the HSD's installed, few swear words, penetrating fluid and many cups of tea required 😄

Think the front stance is spot on but rear might be a smidge too low, gonna let it settle for a week with a few trips up and down the street and then adjust accordingly!

Got a new centre console, climate control unit and OEM intake and air box which once cleaned up will go on. Gotta see to the leaky power steering and shot AC condenser, which I also acquired from the same breaker!

[PSDK_92]

What specs are the wheels? 

[hockeyedwards]

14 hours ago, PSDK_92 said:

What specs are the wheels? 

Japan Racing JR32 in white, 8.5x18 ET38 🙂

 

[hockeyedwards]

Got rid of that awful pink air filter and fitted the slam panel intake and airbox back in its rightful place 😄 gutted I've lost the extra 10bhp though...😆

[rich1068]

Bonnet struts from SGS are well worth it too 

And fyi if you want to complete the OEM look there's also some moulding that goes here...