Looking for a nice LS400 or LS430

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

After a disastrous experience buying an LS430 from a dodgy dealer, I'm looking for a nice LS400 (preferably mk4) or LS430, if anyone's thinking of selling, or knows of a good one for sale. I have a maximum budget of £5k, if that's a realistic figure to get a good one.

 

Thanks

[Malc1]

Oliver hi and welcome to LOC

Can you tell us more about your prior Ls430 experiences please ...... so members here can avoid them/him and the car in question please .....  Regn no. whatever would be useful

Thanks and welcome

Malc

[cruisermark]

1 hour ago, HeWhoDareaRoy said:

After a disastrous experience buying an LS430 from a dodgy dealer, I'm looking for a nice LS400 (preferably mk4) or LS430, if anyone's thinking of selling, or knows of a good one for sale. I have a maximum budget of £5k, if that's a realistic figure to get a good one.

 

Thanks

"Razor" might be selling his soon - he has done a huge amount of nut/bolt level maintenance on it - lots of info and photos on this forum:

 

[Razor61]

This one looks decent, not a mk4 but it looks very good. Registration number not visible or in the advert which would put me off a bit but it's a case of asking the seller for it.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306299063054?advertising-location=at_cars&atmobcid=soc5&fromsra&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=LS 400

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

27 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Oliver hi and welcome to LOC

Can you tell us more about your prior Ls430 experiences please ...... so members here can avoid them/him and the car in question please .....  Regn no. whatever would be useful

Thanks and welcome

Malc

Hi Malc,

I had a thread on it on another site, but the gist of it is that the car had a load of faults (some dangerous) and had to be assessed by VOSA who I think took action against the issuing MOT place, but not the dealer: Advice on used car bought from dealer - Page 1 - Car Buying - PistonHeads UK

 

I actually had the corrosion cut-out and remedied, put new discs and pads all 'round, along with new tyres, hub and a caliper, so I can use the car now, but my wife doesn't trust it and won't really drive it. It still has a few issues like needing an air con compressor, leaking radiator and occasional VCS light. 

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

25 minutes ago, Razor61 said:

This one looks decent, not a mk4 but it looks very good. Registration number not visible or in the advert which would put me off a bit but it's a case of asking the seller for it.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306299063054?advertising-location=at_cars&atmobcid=soc5&fromsra&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=LS 400

That does look nice - definitely worth contacting the seller. Thanks. 

[Malc1]

Oliver, what is the regn of the Ls430 you bought ?

Thanks

Malc

[Malc1]

2 hours ago, HeWhoDareaRoy said:

That does look nice - definitely worth contacting the seller. Thanks. 

But sadly he's changed the original wheels to Mk4 style .  sad really, messing around with a Mk3 

Malc

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

13 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Oliver, what is the regn of the Ls430 you bought ?

Thanks

Malc

It's DX54 YRL - black with black leather. I still have the car and it's now roadworthy, but there are too many niggly bits for me to get around to fixing, so thought it cheaper/easier to look for a better car.

[Malc1]

50 minutes ago, HeWhoDareaRoy said:

niggly bits

niggly bits don't seem to affect the MOT status so.........  I'd think very seriously about keeping her ...  tiny mileage for a car that can cope with 5 X that with ease and good maintenance too

Malc

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

36 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

niggly bits don't seem to affect the MOT status so.........  I'd think very seriously about keeping her ...  tiny mileage for a car that can cope with 5 X that with ease and good maintenance too

Malc

Well it needs a new A/C compressor and condenser, so that was £2k quote to supply and fit. Also has a slow leak to radiator which I guess is £3-400 to supply and fit, then investigate random VSC light, handbrake still not great and it also needs a master key as that wasn't supplied with the car. Car is on 140k miles, so not super-low, even for a Lexus. I'm guessing £3,500 to fix that little lot! 

 

Also, time isn't on my side as I'm really busy and we're supposed to be driving over to Europe in a few weeks and my wife isn't keen on taking this car!

 

Do you know of any good Lexus specialists in Kent?

[cruisermark]

5 minutes ago, HeWhoDareaRoy said:

Well it needs a new A/C compressor and condenser, so that was £2k quote to supply and fit. Also has a slow leak to radiator which I guess is £3-400 to supply and fit, then investigate random VSC light, handbrake still not great and it also needs a master key as that wasn't supplied with the car. Car is on 140k miles, so not super-low, even for a Lexus. I'm guessing £3,500 to fix that little lot! 

 

Also, time isn't on my side as I'm really busy and we're supposed to be driving over to Europe in a few weeks and my wife isn't keen on taking this car!

 

Do you know of any good Lexus specialists in Kent?

Ive just google your reg (after reading your post on another site) and it comes up and ex LOC members car which has been converted to coilovers in the past

 

[Malc1]

whereabouts are you in Kent ?

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

14 minutes ago, cruisermark said:

Ive just google your reg (after reading your post on another site) and it comes up and ex LOC members car which has been converted to coilovers in the past

 

The coil-overs were something that VOSA pointed out and wasn't divulged to me by the dealer when I bought the car. Not a big deal as they seem OK, though I would have preferred a more compliant ride. Looks like the car was someone's pride and joy once - not sure how it came to be in such a sorry state.

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

1 minute ago, Malc1 said:

whereabouts are you in Kent ?

Margate!

[Malc1]

there's definitely no-one in the Thanet area that looks after Lexus ..  I lived in Herne Bay area

My previous guy, Rob in Margate, who looked after my Ls400s over 20+ years has given-up car servicing etc .............. he was MY specialist and did fantastic for me

I'm beginning to use another over here in Queenborough on Sheppey BUT I know I'm his one and only Lexus client .......  he's treading carefully and so far is GREAT

I know of no-one specialising in Lexus in Kent .  and you're in the far-flung corner in Thanet too

Malc

[HeWhoDareaRoy]

1 minute ago, Malc1 said:

there's definitely no-one in the Thanet area that looks after Lexus ..  I lived in Herne Bay area

My previous guy, Rob in Margate, who looked after my Ls400s over 20+ years has given-up car servicing etc .............. he was MY specialist and did fantastic for me

I'm beginning to use another over here in Queenborough on Sheppey BUT I know I'm his one and only Lexus client .......  he's treading carefully and so far is GREAT

I know of no-one specialising in Lexus in Kent .  and you're in the far-flung corner in Thanet too

Malc

Thanks Malc, yeah we're stuck over in the corner here in Margate! It's rubbish here for buying cars, too. 

[kbj149]

I bought this the other day, not sure I'm getting along with it, mainly due its massive size around town .. I'd consider selling it for sure.

[Malc1]

K  are you saying that coz it's LPG'd that makes it ULEZ compliant rather than not due to it's regn age  ?

Thanks

Malc

[kbj149]

10 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

K  are you saying that coz it's LPG'd that makes it ULEZ compliant rather than not due to it's regn age  ?

Thanks

Malc

Hey Malc, nope I mean size in terms of its barge like proportions! 

[Malc1]

But your advert says it's ULEZ compliant  !

Malc

[kbj149]

8 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

But your advert says it's ULEZ compliant  !

Malc

It is! My issue isn't with the ULEZ or anything like that, its the literal SIZE of the vehicle being navigated around very small streets where I live - proportions! 

[Cotswold Pete]

1 hour ago, kbj149 said:

I bought this the other day, not sure I'm getting along with it, mainly due its massive size around town .. I'd consider selling it for sure.

It can take a while to get used to large barge feeling, I live in the sticks where some lanes are just wide enough for an LS, and have driven around Bristol, Cardiff, London and Birmingham no problems.  Having traded down to a Merc 350 I would say the LS length is not  that much more but enough to make you think it is too big.

My wife hated driving it even though she has driven transits and Shoguns, so maybe give it a bit more time, though an LS around town does drink petrol which is why if I was a city dweller i would be thinking more along lines of hybrid

[Spacewagon52]

4 hours ago, Cotswold Pete said:

It can take a while to get used to large barge feeling, I live in the sticks where some lanes are just wide enough for an LS, and have driven around Bristol, Cardiff, London and Birmingham no problems.  Having traded down to a Merc 350 I would say the LS length is not  that much more but enough to make you think it is too big.

My wife hated driving it even though she has driven transits and Shoguns, so maybe give it a bit more time, though an LS around town does drink petrol which is why if I was a city dweller i would be thinking more along lines of hybrid

I agree, it is the width rather than the length that is more of an issue. The fuel consumption in urban driving can be eye watering. On a good run (over 20 miles) on motorways or A roads it is very acceptable for a 4 litre V8 in my opinion. You need to compare the LS400 with and XJ Jag of similar vintage to appreciate the difference in quality and economy..

[kbj149]

39 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I agree, it is the width rather than the length that is more of an issue. The fuel consumption in urban driving can be eye watering. On a good run (over 20 miles) on motorways or A roads it is very acceptable for a 4 litre V8 in my opinion. You need to compare the LS400 with and XJ Jag of similar vintage to appreciate the difference in quality and economy..

Its an LPG so should be pretty good, cheapest near me is 0.797 p/l and I'm hoping that I'll be able to almost double the supposed mpg, I'll keep an eye on my distances and receipts