Time for Change!

[malc c]

Well, I've had the old girl for 8 and a half years, since she was an embassy car with only 22000 on the clock, during her first 24 years life! Now time for something else (to be decided), but someone here may like to provide a new home?

An LS400 Mark 1, two-tone grey, nice aftermarket (1-inch bigger) wheels, couple of small niggles which are beyond me, but easy with garage facilities. Been my daily, only, driver, 100% reliable, ave 22.5 mpg since purchase, now on 95000 still running sweet and looking impressive.

Not looking for silly money, doesn't owe me anything - make me an offer. Location, Surrey. Put contact on a thread reply and I'll get back to you,  Malcolm (formerly malcolmdc)

[Malc1]

Hi malc C  .  I used to have a Mk1 then a Mk2 and now a Mk3  .  for decades . Can you send me the regn no. for me to check out the MOT status please

I just might be interested in acquiring her

Thank you

Malc

[malc c]

Hi Malc 1 ! , Reg is J73PBX, last MoT Nov 2022, no advisories. I think you corresponded with me after I acquired the car years ago! Cheers, Malc C.

[Malc1]

Hi, I've sent you a message about her !

Malc

[Cotswold Pete]

Malc,

LS's are hard to give up, I had the joy for over 15 years.

Been pootling about in Merc E350 since  then, and no competition really (unless you count better mpg).

I looked at ES, GS and various Toyotas and to be honest nothing set my heart going, and only reason for Merc is a mate of mine who had to give up driving was looking for a buyer.

Best of luck in choosing your new steed

[Malc1]

13 hours ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Best of luck in choosing your new steed

chosen it seems ......  I'll keep you all posted on pick-up arrangements etc ........... 🤩

Malcolm c .  I've found our first posts about this from 2015 on here      https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/2985-fuel-consumption-question-for-ls400/

Malc

[Spacewagon52]

Wow Malc! A Mk1 400LS!

[Malc1]

an unusual choice for me for sure BUT it will take me back some 20/25+ years to my first one  J54DAP that I had for some 60k+ miles i think and much joy driving across some of Europe then too ...... 

In that time there's been much very useful comments and experiences with the Mk1 as advised on here ......  I've learnt a lot over the years and can maybe now appreciate rather more that which I had all that time ago ..  hopefully !   e.g  non-interference engine and no need to change the cambelt quite so often, the originals had a likely life of 150k miles .....  just odd snippits like that 

I'm earnestly trying to recall the pitfalls though .  I'm sure there'll be a few that I've put to the back of my mind.........  might help stave off dementia having some aged thought processes to recount ..  let's see 

I was trying to simply find another Mk3 as I'm thinking the ULEZ expansion end of this month might flush a few older Ls400s out of hiding where the owners won't want to be paying the £12.50 a day charge ......  even if it's " holed up " I'm reading..... .  whatever, I live in deepest darkest Kent where the pirates used to live and where Himmler Khan hasn't yet reached his money grabbing tentacles .

I do know of another Mk3 with just 60k miles that belongs to the London area living brother of a buddy BUT he's never likely to sell and keeps it immaculate and it's his only car and the added ULEZ charge is just a drop in the ocean to him I understand .....  he's quite prepared to pay for his comfort and luxury and reliability that goes with his immaculate Mk3  ........ a wise man eh !

Mine's got lots of dings and dents and scrapes from some 246k miles of other people's careless driving around and into me ......  I'll be keeping her of course 🤩

Our 2006 Honda Legend is ULEZ proofed and just passed it's fresh MOT so all's well to visit friends and relations in the newly ULEZ'd outer London Boroughs  ......  for now anyway

I'll keep anyone interested fully posted on all this " new " car to me

 

Malc

 

[Rabbers]

Nice move, Malc.  Congratulations.

[Malc1]

oh my !    the other half asked if the sat nav was uptodate  .....  she's quite dumbfounded I'm buying an even OLDER Ls400 to my existing zero satnav'd limo  😇

there's other threads on sat navs so i won't bore you on here  BUT we use our mobile phones for sat nav stuff .  that's ALWAYS uptodate thankfully

Malc

[Malc1]

UPDATE  .......    my " new " Mk1 sits proudly in grey with newish, not Mk1 original wheels ..  at the moment ........... popping her into my local indy Wednesday for a quick checkover and air filter and oil change whatever  .......... she drives and stops very well ........  and as I now remember from my first Mk1   25 years back, she wallows a little ( at silly high speed )  by comparison to my Mk3 and not quite up to the silly speed and acceleration, quickness, rapidity, that the engine upgrade to the Mk3 offered ( am I right there ) ? ......... 

All in all she's looking pretty smart and a great 32 year old survivor ..... 97k miles  J73PBX ........ a credit to her prior owner of some 8 years Malcolm C

I decided in the end I really couldn't be bothered with all that new fandangled electronic wizadry of a potential Ls430, 460 or 600 ............ but I still might get my Hydrogen powered Ls700 when that new big hydrogen Toyota appears in the UK and BP rollout sensible refuelling capacity in the UK too .....  years hence I'm sure 

A sensible addition to my 4ltr V8  " fleet "  seemed a good way forward right now ......... and of course she's supremely comfortable too 🤩

Malc

[dutchie01]

Malc, any pics available?

[Malc1]

Just now, dutchie01 said:

Malc, any pics available?

I'll be doing the photoshoot when my gf returns from holidaying at Centr Parcs in Holland with her family end of next week  ....  she has a much better Iphone than me for piccys and will understand how to upload them too here ......  beyond the wit of man, well me whatever 😥

Malc

[dutchie01]

Hah, the daily struggle with modern life! I already get confused with those coffeemachines able to serve coffees i never heard of..

[Rabbers]

3 hours ago, Malc1 said:

I'll be doing the photoshoot when my gf returns from holidaying …

Good Grief, Malc!  I thought the only gfs you had were the one you just bought and the one you kept.  Now you’re telling us you’ve got at least one other that doesn’t have four wheels and helps out with communications technology issues. You are making us all jealous.

 

[Malc1]

She’s very adept at all sorts thankfully 😅 

Malc 

[The-Acre]

I'll always look fondly on the MK1 LS, it was my first entry into the Lexus world. I bought it for £1,500 way back with the plan to keep it for a year before it all went badly wrong. 5 years later and many miles it was simply superb!

[Malc1]

Finding a good early one takes away all that stress and worry of trading “up” ??? to a younger beast with potentially challenging and very expensive upcoming issues ….. e.g. Air Suspension and silly things like that 😂 

Malc 

[Malc1]

UPDATE if anyone's interested  ..................  service and inspections carried out today ..........  £190 ...........

change air and oil and filter and check all levels etc and underside, brakes and calipers and structure .............. and WOW what a difference ...  she's even quicker than before and still brakes supremely well ........ WOT a car eh !

BUT he said it really must be used to keep her in fine fettle ........... I'm on 5k miles insurance .  And also on my Mk3  ...... and 7k on the Honda Legend .  heaven knows how we'll drive 17k miles a year eh !

Anyway MOT is early November and summer touring awaits  .........  thank you Malcolm C for selling me this beaut 👍

Malc

[Malc1]

Mk1 pitfalls come to mind  …… there’s just the 2

1. the leaking pas reservoir onto the alternator ….. must ensure the gaskets are sound  

2  the coolant reservoir cap rubbers disintegrate and suddenly go pop ….. a non Lexus replacement will suffice 

Malc 

[The-Acre]

On 9/3/2023 at 1:37 PM, Malc1 said:

Mk1 pitfalls come to mind  …… there’s just the 2

1. the leaking pas reservoir onto the alternator ….. must ensure the gaskets are sound  

2  the coolant reservoir cap rubbers disintegrate and suddenly go pop ….. a non Lexus replacement will suffice 

Malc 

When I had mine I had the power steering leak so I bought the part from Toyota, just a simple "o" ring but still about £2!! I did it myself, not a bad job at all, unless if you have sausage fingers! The other thing they can suffer from, and it's the only real problem I had, is the coil packs. They only have two, unlike the later ones with 8. Again, an easy job, unless the passenger side one goes, that'll take you back to the sausage finger thing!

[Malc1]

Thank you for that too 

Malc 

[Malc1]

and here I am today having just refuelled with Tesco E5 …… all rounder driving styles over 280.2 miles these past couple of weeks or so ……. 

54.37 ltrs & 160.9p = 23.47mpg 

not bad methinks for this Old Gal  4ltr V8 and just serviced 😅

Malc