lexmoose

Noob here!

Found it last weekend and after a test drive I had to buy it.

Inspection revealed no major issue except for maybe a minor leak for one of the valve cover.

Here's a crappy pics from my cell


Front have been lightly accidented and badly repaired so that will have to be adress eventually and also lots of paint chip here and there. But overall it's clean.

Did the muffler delete mod today, the guy at the shop didn't understand why I wanted to remove the 2 mufflers and told me I would get pull over by cops. After his warning, he did the job anyway and you should have seen the guys face and mine when it started. Personally it's just perfect.


Goal with this car is to be a fun ride and my competition Sound Quality IASCA vehicle.


Things to do quickly:
Muffler delete (done)
Change the oil (engine only, others look and smell good)
Clean the radiator fins (it's fill with dust/crap)
Call dealer where car was originally sold to get history and try to find out about the timing belt
Get a real license plate on it

Ill be looking thru the FAQ and see what else I should pay attention to.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Welcome to Club Lexus and congrats on the LS400.

What do you have in mind for a media/audio system?

UNCNOR

iTrader: (1)

Never heard of the muffler mod.Please explain why It was done.Thanks.

Legender

Congrats on the find and welcome to the club. Sounds like you've already done some research and have a plan. Have fun.

lexmoose

Thanks

Basically Ill be moving my current setup into the LS.

HU: Carrozzeria DEH-P01 (JDM Pioneer DEX-P99RS)
DSP: Helix C-DSP
AMPS: 2x JL Audio HD 600/4 for the front stage and 2 JL Audio HD 1200/1 for the subs
Tweeter: Hybrid Audio Legatia L1v2
Midrange: Hybrid Audio Legatia L4SE (Might go with the L3SE if I can't fit the 4)
Midbass: Hybrid Audio Legatia L8v1
Subs: Hybrid Audio Clarus C15SW (2x 15")
Battery: 2x Kinetik HC2000

Plan is to go with tweet and mid in the pillar, midbass in the kick vented outside if possible and the 2 15 on the rear shelf in IB configuration(or underneath the shelf "ported" tru the current sub opening)

Setup is running fully active so I have adjustment capability for crossover, EQ(30band), time alignment and level for each channel.

lexmoose

Well when I got the car in the garage at the shop the guy ask me to rev the engine, he then said what's the problem I can't hear anything... I replied to him that's exactly my problem, I have a great sounding V8 under the hood and can't hear it. The guy was but that changed after removing them and started the car.

First comment was wow it sound like a V8, at that point I knew it was the last time I was going to that place...

So It was done so I (emphasis on the I) could hear the engine. It's not super loud, just enough to put a big smile on my face.

lexmoose

Thanks

This car is a first for me on lots of level (RWD, V8, luxury stuff...) so it will be fun to learn how to use and maintain it.

lexmoose

Ok called the dealer, good news is that there's no recall pending, but the guy didn't do his maintenance there so I can't get a good history of the car. So I doubt that the timing belt has ever been change...

Changed the oil today, used some Mobil 1 5w30 and the Fram XG3600 (recommended in another thread, larger size). Ill run for a few weeks with this and replace it again, the oil that came out was so dirty that I hope it will "flush" all the old crap out.

Changed the cabin air filter that was probably not been changed in the last 10 years, there was about between a 1/4 and 1/2 inch of dust/crap on top of it. Also ordered 2 hood lift while I was at the autopart store.

It's getting there

Sc0pe

iTrader: (1)

I am SO subscribed to this thread. I'm currently putting together a 3-way active front stage myself, with a possible infinite baffle subwoofer arrangement (looking at 1-2 12s, though), though mine's a little more budget friendly. Looking forward to how you tackle the LS with your install, especially the rear deck. Here is a link to a thread on infinite baffle mounting in the rear deck.

Also, one thing to keep in mind is that you might run into a potential clearance issue with your Clarus 15s, and the gas tank.

lexmoose

Cool! What will you be running for the front stage, location? I discovered over the year that the price of the equipment is not always the key to great sound, but good speaker installation is.

For the dual 15, if I don't want to cut too much metal I could simply build a baffle in angle seal under the rear deck and use the factory location as a "port". Actually this is probably how I do it first to see how it sound. That remind me I need to order a shop pack of Hushmat.

Schramm

That looks in great shape and such a low mileage LS400 is a very rare find! Hmm ... quietness/isolation is one of the LS400's most desirable attributes. Noisy exhaust does go well with a sound quality system, at least if you want to enjoy it at modest volume levels when driving. The OEM mufflers are stainless steel and will be expensive to replace. Sad.

Read the FAQ section - lots of good information. Even if the vehicle has low miles, it is still 18 years old and some things may be worn and need replacing. Rubber can dry rot and become brittle with age and heat exposure, especially hoses and seals that have exposure to fluids; fluids can pick up moisture and become corrosive if old. I recommend flushing/replacing all fluids unless you know the maintenance history. Oil, coolant, ATF in ATM and Power Steering System, Brake Fluid, Differential Gear Oil. Inspect the power steering system very carefully. The Air Control Valve on the power steering pump commonly leaks - ATF can get into alternator and intake system. The P/S return hose often becomes very hard with exposure to ATF fluid, loss of elasticity can cause leaks where it attaches to the reservoir. Also, make sure the LS400 has 97V rated tires for service load index. It is a heavy car and lesser rate tires will make the LS400 have poor handling. Most of the LS400's that I test drove did not have the proper speed rated tires on them.

The trunk is well sealed on the LS400. Infinite baffle sub will be the ideal configuration for sound quality, space, and output (horn loading effect off rear glass and parcel shelf). If you are able to modify the vehicle for midbass in kick area, I would like to see pictures of the process. It is not easy to custom machine/weld speaker mount while retaining drivability and strength of the frame - on any vehicle. You listed all high end sound equipment. Enjoy.

lexmoose

Don't worry about the factory mufflers, I've kept them

Thanks for the tips, ill be looking into replacing all the fluids and tires by the end of summer. I won't be driving it much since I will start to strip it down for the sound system install. Yes tires also need to be replaced, but debating if I keep the stock 16 or go with 18.

Ill start a new thread about the system progress soon.

Sc0pe

iTrader: (1)

For my front stage, I'm still sort of deciding, but I've narrowed it down to the following drivers:
Tweeters: Vifa XT25SC90 or the SB Acoustics SB29RDCN
Midrange: Fountek FR88EX or the Fountek FR89EX (leaning more to the '89, but still researching)
Midwoofer: SB Acoustics SB17MFC35 or Silver Flute W17RC38

As far as amplifiers go, I'm looking at the outgoing Soundstream Reference series, or the Precision Power Black Ice series of amplifiers. Currently looking at different DSP options since it'll be awhile before I look into picking up a dedicated SQ head unit.

Here's a sort of rendering of what I'm thinking of doing, as far as the locations go:

(For the tweeter, I'm thinking of reusing the stock sail panel location, and just adding onto it, to aim them accordingly. As for the midrange, I'm looking into building an enclosure, of sorts, for it out of some PVC pipe end caps, using the following tutorial.)

You could probably build a ported enclosure, and run the "port" through the OE sub opening. As for the deadening, you should DEFINITELY deaden the rear deck for what you have planned.

Schramm

Hmm... I test drove a 98 LS400 with high performance Michelin Super Sport P235/40R18 Z rated tires on OEM Lexus alloy wheels (originally for another Lexus vehicle). Handling had a noticeably sportier feel with aggressive driving. The ride was more firm, but still comfortable on the highway. Road noise was slightly higher. Wheel circumference was very close to original size so the speedometer was only off by <2% at 70 mph. However, the car still had all OEM struts and springs which are tuned for 16" wheels at 60 aspect ratio. Awesome tires, but I still prefered the OEM configuration on my own LS400. My point is that if you want to change wheel size, I think it best to also change the struts and springs to something specifically tuned for the different wheels/lower aspect ratio. You may want to research OEM 17" wheel options for the LS430, OEM size P225/55R17 with identical bolt pattern. That will only throw speedometer off by +.3 mph at 70mph. More importantly, it will open the door for more availability of higher performance summer tires, i.e. higher AA temp rubber compound and stiffer tread block design, higher speed rating options with inherently stiffer sidewalls. Keep in mind, larger wheels with stiffer suspension will increase road noise and wear tires out faster.

I see you are in QC. In MN we have very harsh winters, so I purchased a second set of wheels and snow tires. Makes a vast difference. For non winter use, I am looking for a more strict summer tire than say Michelin MXV4 all season tire. They do not even make the MXM4 in this size. Sad. Unfortunately there are very few performance summer tires available in the P225/60R16 97V rate size; still waiting for the Michelin Primacy 3 to come out in the US in this size.

lexmoose

Good drivers! Love the SB stuff, great sounding drivers at very good price.

For the mids, I would use something with a larger baffle and enclosure. I've tried different mids in tube and never had good results, they sounded nasal and with no low end extension. Never tried the fountek so maybe it could work with those, just sharing my past experience.

For my subs, the plan is to go IB but have a baffle seal to the rear deck. This way the front air movement of the subs will be between the baffle and the rear deck exiting tru the factory sub opening. Maybe this won't work cause of the restriction of the factory hole but It's worth trying since the other option involve removing the glass and cutting lots of metal...