Getting back into LS400 ownership.

[mrdoofa]

Hi guys,

Been a very long time since I’ve posted on here and I hope everybody is keeping well.

I’m thinking about getting back into LS400 ownership, I’d like a nice mk4 example, prices seem to be all over the place, what seems to be the going rate for a decent mk4 these days, what can I expect for around £4K? I don’t want to spend too little and get a money pit but I don’t want to be ripped off either!!! Condition and service history as always is more important than mileage on these. If anybody knows of any decent ones for sale to fit that criteria or has any other advice I’d love to hear from you.

TIA.

[Razor61]

If I was looking I'd consider the LS400's for sale below plus others on AutoTrader/Ebay etc.

MK3

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125361778907?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=HYP7LJr8QT2&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

This one below was the first LS400 I looked at 3 years ago and I should have bought it then but at the time I decided on a MK4 instead and deemed this one too expensive. Things have changed since though. At the time the condition was great, what it's like now though is a different matter. I am thinking of having a look myself cos its close to me.
I ended up buying a MK3 anyway and now have a MK4
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206116697154?advertising-location=at_cars&atmobcid=soc5&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=LS 400&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&radius=1501&sort=relevance

There are quite a few MK4's on Autotrader ranging in price. There is a Black 2000 MK4 which looks great, however I suspect there may be rust issues on the rear inner arch/s. Bubbling where the rear wing meets the trim, as in the pic below, or the main one which is on the other side where it meets the bumper are tell tale signs of this in my experience but it may ok. Only way to check is to remove the boot liners both sides and look at the inner wings or stick a camera in and look.

 

[Malc]

Chatting with my son-in-law the other day about the lifting of the lacquer on one side top edge on mine .  he's a very very professional and competent bodywork preparer and sprayer of classic and other high-end cars .....  he's amazed the Lexus finish has lasted so well, very complimentary BUT amazed was the word ..  most cars would be showing these signs or very much worse at 27 years and 239k miles young 

Let's not forget, it's a car made of metal that rusts ......  and whatever we can do as owners to help prevent it happening, short of cossetting the car and never using it .......  rust will prevail to some degree ..  we must expect the inevitability of an " end of life " approaching methinks .....  whatever else we may wish for to happen with our cars

NOW, the other point he told me was that no matter how much " newness " he can impart to a car's bodywork and paint .  the rust WILL emerge again at some stage .....  as night follows day methinks

Malc

[Razor61]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

Let's not forget, it's a car made of metal that rusts ......  and whatever we can do as owners to help prevent it happening, short of cossetting the car and never using it .......  rust will prevail to some degree

Absolutely agree, cars will rust, that is a fact and is expected. Main problem is 'where' the car is rusted or corroded for me.
 

[steve2006]

Reading this made me think.........If you kept a car in a pure nitrogen or other inert gas atmosphere would it still rust?

[Malc]

35 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

rust?

is from a reaction of a ferrous metal and water  ?

Malc

[Razor61]

Definition of rust that I found is below, I was interested to know what causes it and it then follows that measures can be taken to stop it. Probably no practical measures can be taken on a car that is used in the UK though🤣

Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. 

[steve2006]

So if you put a wet car in a large plastic bag filled with nitrogen it wouldn’t rust because there is no oxygen present.

I’m going to try it with a piece of sheet steel and CO2 welding gas......I could be rich 😀

[mrdoofa]

I’ve found one for sale on autotrader, it’s up at £4k, it’s done 156k miles and has had some considerable suspension work, ecu capacitors, new alternator and tyres amongst some other things. The cambelt was changed in 2010, not sure what mileage, the guy says the only thing that doesn’t work is the electric aerial. He also says if he gets the asking price he’ll MOT and service it too. What do you think?

[cruisermark]

This Mark 4 is in very good condition and was for sale locally for £3995 by a small trader

However it looks like someone saw some value in it and has bought it and price it further up:

(3) Marketplace - 1997 Lexus LS 400 | Facebook

[Cotswold Pete]

1 hour ago, cruisermark said:

This Mark 4 is in very good condition and was for sale locally for £3995 by a small trader

However it looks like someone saw some value in it and has bought it and price it further up:

(3) Marketplace - 1997 Lexus LS 400 | Facebook

Although I wonder if they bought it and saw the price of petrol getting scary, and are also seeing if they can make a few quid.

A long way to drive from Yorkshire to give it the once over, but based on my 8 years of owning a Mk4, I would buy another one in a heartbeat (but would be poking for rust in rear arches, and checking the bushes on everything as 100Km miles - and age - is when they are needing some attention.

[cruisermark]

Here is my old mark 4 for which I sold is 2012 for 2k - it had about approx 80k miles on it and was totaly standard:

(1) Marketplace - 1998 Lexus LS 400 | Facebook

[Malc]

30 minutes ago, cruisermark said:

Here is my old mark 4

wonder why the reg no. changes in the piccys  ............ ?

AND more importantly for Steve .....  if you just put the car underwater permanently with zero oxygen I think it might not rust either .....  the oxygen is the prime catalyst with the water and ferrous stuff .......  hence metal bits and bobs on sunken ships can seemingly last forever ......  unlike wood that rots ........ so save your nitrogen for summat more useful ..  get a big pond and immerse your car, but permanetly in there ...... now then, wot to drive eh !

Malc

[royoftherovers]

9 minutes ago, Malc said:

wonder why the reg no. changes in the piccys  ............ ?

AND more importantly for Steve .....  if you just put the car underwater permanently with zero oxygen I think it might not rust either .....  the oxygen is the prime catalyst with the water and ferrous stuff .......  hence metal bits and bobs on sunken ships can seemingly last forever ......  unlike wood that rots ........ so save your nitrogen for summat more useful ..  get a big pond and immerse your car, but permanetly in there ...... now then, wot to drive eh !

Malc

lack of oxygen didn`t stop the Titanic from rusting eh Malc ?

[Malc]

12 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

didn`t stop the Titanic

PROVE IT  

look, ........ I did my "O" level physics back in the last century, probably only shortly after Titanic sank ............ Einstein hadn't long passed either ...........  wot would I know eh ! 

Malc

[BigBoomer]

Water has dissolved oxygen in it. What do you think fish have gills for? 🤣
If you submerge steel in deionised water then the rust will be minimal, but it will still rust over time.
Submerge steel in salt water and it will rust like crazy.

To prevent rust what you actually need is a dry, oxygen free environment, but there are issues with those too as the rubber parts still degrade with time (due to outgassing of volatile organic compounds) and become hard and brittle.

Personally I never saw the point of doing so. The whole point of a car is for it to move and be used. A garage queen is a waste of design & engineering. I admire what they do at places like Brooklands where they try to keep all their vehicles functional and used.
Drive it, enjoy it, and fix the bits that break down over time. That is the best way to keep a vehicle alive.

[Malc]

3 minutes ago, BigBoomer said:

Drive it, enjoy it, and fix the bits that break down over time. That is the best way to keep a vehicle alive.

ABSOLUTELY  100%    ..........  and deal with the rust as it becomes an issue for the car to safely function ...  otherwise allow her to just " bite the dust " rust and all

Malc

[tiny0158]

Hello Martin

I have an LS400 for sale on Autotrader at the moment it's LPG converted

I've sent you a pm with my contact number if you want to chat

Tim

[Malc]

12 hours ago, mrdoofa said:

What do you think?

get him to fix the aerial ..  if he can't, well, kill the deal .......  get a car that fully functions 

OR  MAYBE

I have a brand new Lexus supplied aerial in it's plastic wrapper in my boot ......... Mk3 .  will that do ?  ...  Highest Bidder wins but min £28,000 please ......  I hear reliably that I'm the last person in the world with one 

Malc

[Tulpen]

Or.......if the aerial electrics work but the problem is the insert.......go to Toyota and get one for a Toyota Camry of the same year. They are the same part.

How do I know? I took my 400 through a car wash with the aerial extended - twice!!!!!!

 

[BigBoomer]

17 hours ago, Tulpen said:

Or.......if the aerial electrics work but the problem is the insert.......go to Toyota and get one for a Toyota Camry of the same year. They are the same part.

How do I know? I took my 400 through a car wash with the aerial extended - twice!!!!!!

 

Yet another way that the 430 is better than the 400 

[Tulpen]

1 hour ago, BigBoomer said:

Yet another way that the 430 is better than the 400 

Oh......you're brave. As I type this, Malc will be making an effigy of you and preparing to stick pins in it!!!!!

[Razor61]

On 6/23/2022 at 3:32 AM, mrdoofa said:

I’ve found one for sale on autotrader, it’s up at £4k, it’s done 156k miles and has had some considerable suspension work, ecu capacitors, new alternator and tyres amongst some other things. The cambelt was changed in 2010, not sure what mileage, the guy says the only thing that doesn’t work is the electric aerial. He also says if he gets the asking price he’ll MOT and service it too. What do you think?

Looks really nice and definitely worth a look. Cambelt done in 2010, will need replacing due to age in my opinion along with water pump.
If you do go and look, check the rear inner arches from inside the boot for any signs of rust etc. See pic below for a clue on where to look if you don’t know already. From looking at the pics of the car it doesn’t have tell tale signs of rust in that area.

 

[Spock66]

22 hours ago, BigBoomer said:

I admire what they do at places like Brooklands where they try to keep all their vehicles functional and used.

Yes and the village blacksmith can keep a 100-year old Model T running with just a hammer and a screwdriver.

Today's generation of high tech cars will be just static objects in museums of the future, the electronics will be dead with parts that are unobtainable, unless you go down the road of updating with newer tech.

[Malc]

On 6/24/2022 at 3:00 PM, Spock66 said:

Yes and the village blacksmith can keep a 100-year old Model T running with just a hammer and a screwdriver.

my 90 year old Triumph at the Newmarket car show yesterday was probably the oldest car there .  by a smidgen ..  and the local blacksmith hasn't been near my car at all .  far too much teccy stuff on it for that 

and he's probably too expensive anyway what with lots of ££££zilions  of gee gees  to look after and keep in truly " fine fettle "

Malc