Possible New Buyer, Few Questions

LS400Jim · August 3, 2006

Hi guys

I am looking to buy a LS400 (around 1992) and i am just wondering what to look for, obviously stuff like rust, smoke etc I am ok on ,

its more the weak point of the car I am after

the model i am looking at is an Auto, Import from Japan, and sadly it doesnt have leather

he says the body is very tidy but he doesnt have Any receipts for it as it was a part x and he didnt deal with it (or something like that)

the mileage he is quoting is 50k which i am VERY dubvious about, however I will view the car with my eyes and look at the bonnet, steering wheel, seats etc to maybe check the mileage

another thing i was worried about, is as its an import what are parts availability for the imports?? do the UK spec ones have pretty much the same parts as the jap spec?

dizzy caps, plugs, interior bits, filters etc ?

thanks in advance

Jim

jamesholden · August 3, 2006

Considering how many LS400's there are around I would be tempted to get one with more history.

Two problems are, LS400's wear their mileage extremely well to the point that a 150k LS400 will look as good as a 50k car from most other manufactuers.

Also, a 14 year old car with only 50k on it would probably have lots of suspension wear, furred up engine etc. For how little money LS400's are I would get a younger higher mileage car that has spent it's life on the motorway cruising around all day.

JellyBean · August 3, 2006

Don't forget that the traffic in Japan can be so absolutely horrendous that very low mileage cars are not unusual.

Alex JB · August 3, 2006

You should go and look at it but don't buy the first one you see!

I just swapped 2grands worth of celica for a 157K mile car with all toys, and that wasn't the best deal out there!

I used the buying guide on the US forum it was V helpfull.

steve2006 · August 3, 2006

Hi guys
I am looking to buy a LS400 (around 1992) and i am just wondering what to look for, obviously stuff like rust, smoke etc I am ok on ,

its more the weak point of the car I am after

the model i am looking at is an Auto, Import from Japan, and sadly it doesnt have leather

he says the body is very tidy but he doesnt have Any receipts for it as it was a part x and he didnt deal with it (or something like that)

the mileage he is quoting is 50k which i am VERY dubvious about, however I will view the car with my eyes and look at the bonnet, steering wheel, seats etc to maybe check the mileage

another thing i was worried about, is as its an import what are parts availability for the imports?? do the UK spec ones have pretty much the same parts as the jap spec?

dizzy caps, plugs, interior bits, filters etc ?

thanks in advance

Jim

Hi Jim,

Welcome to the forum.

It's a difficult one this is, I own an imported 1994 LS400 ( Celsior) which has been well looked after as it was originally company owned in Japan but this may not be the same with all imports.

It's extremely unlikely to have any service history as everything seems to disappear when they are deregistered in Japan ( You should have the original copy of this certificate with the vehicle).

The major points to look for are suspension wear front and rear, bushes,ball joints,hubs etc bear in mind these cars have fully independant suspension and there are lots of wearing moving parts.

On the same subject many imports have air suspension,very nice ride but very expensive to repair and unless you are sure new units are fitted will by now be ready to fail.Exhausts on this year are not normally stainless steel and cost over a grand to replace.Power steering pumps and racks fail.Air con is another thing to check carefully.

The milage may or may not be genuine ( mine was certified at 38,000 when purchased) and also it must be converted to MPH from KPH and should have been derestricted on max speed ( in Japan they are limited to 113 MPH).

The majority of parts are the same as the UK spec models but there are differences e.g inner rear light clusters are wider because of the US style number plates,the engine is the same as UK (UCF10) except it will have Toyota on the top instead of Lexus,discs and pads are the same and some buttons in the car are in Japanese.Cloth seats are the norm in Japan ( cooler and no sticking to them)

Also if the dealer has taken it in part ex it may be worth having a look at the log book and see if you can contact the previous owner and find out if he has any history or even why he got rid of it to start with! ( perhaps been told at the last MOT that it will need £5000 spending on it for the next one!)

Another point is many mainsteam insurers will pull faces with an import.

These are not cheap cars to run properly and return around 20 miles per gallon.

I would have a look on eBay to get an idea of prices and they are UK spec models.

Don't want to put you off as they are excellent cars but be careful what you buy even if it's a bargain price.

If you don't mind revealing, how much are they asking?

Wow that was nearly a best selling novel!!

Good luck,

Steve

LS400Jim · August 3, 2006

no problem, the car is on autotrader at the mo, its a white/grey one, hes asking £1495 for it which is a little cheap IF the mileage is at all genuine

the exhaust isnt a worry as i will more than likely get one made up however the suspension is a worry if the air suspension is a weak point on them, how can you tell if it is air/shock??

i only drive short journeys to work so i am not bothered too much about fuel consumption, its more the reliabilitiy of it more than anything, also what is the thing about the dash i keep on reading about?

thanks for the info , much appreciated