The Lex

Hi fellow Lexus owners. This is my first post. I just picked up a '93 LS4 with 72k mi, Jade Black, prem sound (no cd, no nothing) on ebay. I ran the VIN at the dealer and the car is clean, great maintenance. This is just a cruiser sedan for me. I don't plan on doing wheels/bodywork but I would like to do some "mild" upgrades to the stereo. The biggest prob is there is NO CD! I need CD! Also this thing is a big vehicle and I'd like better handling. So, a few questions for you experts:

1) There are lexus cd changers for sale on ebay. Can I just purchase one of these and add it to the car. I'm sure I'll need to buy some sort of Lexus expensive wiring harness. Has anyone done this and is it just too difficult/pricey?

2) Option 2 is to just purchase an aftermarket cd/mp3 deck and do a mild upgrade to the speakers

3) Has anyone managed to add an aftermarket cd changer to the premium sound Pioneer deck?

4) I'd like to swap out the rear sub with a JL free air sub. Will this run ok with the factory deck/amp?

5) SWAY BARS - I've seen Eibach/HR lowering springs for better cornering, but this is a CRUISER for me and I'd love to go the sway bar route instead as it doesn't affect ride at all. My Tahoe has big ol aftermarket bars and tires and I can take corners with a lot more confidence than when it was stock. So has anyone done this upgrade and is it even avail?

6) How much handling improvement did you notice with the Supra Strut bar?

BTW, I posted a pic of my car on the LS photo under "The Lex". Thanks and sorry about so many questions!

D.K.

Hi, I bought my LS 400 last month and am in the same situation as you are in terms of the no CD. My solution may be to buy this:

http://www.digisette.com/index.html


The digisette. I can download all the songs I want on my computer, then copy them over to this Digisette and play them through the existing cassette system in my LS.

As a bonus I can plug in the headphones and take it along for running, bicycling and so forth. Let me know what you think.

The Lex

Hi D.K., thanks for the tip. The digisette looks like an interesting idea. Only thing is it's kinda pricey at $260 and it doesn't allow me to use my cd's of course. The reviews state that the sound quality is not all that great and the transfer rate is slow. If you want to keep everything stock and want a simple solution though, it's a great product!

Have you inquired about purchasing a used Lexus cd changer and adding it to the LS4? I would think the most difficult part is getting and running the wires.

My gut feeling is that just replacing the sub and adding a digital source would give great returns in terms of sound quality.

D.K.

I have thought about buying a used Lexus changer from ebay and then adding it. However the thought of the wiring and installation turns me off. I guess I don't want too big of a headache. What does concern me is the reviews your speaking about. Where did you see those? I thought digital quality was suppose to be exceptional. I'm not too particular, if it is as good as the std cassette sound it would be fine. But I was hoping the quality would be better than the stock cassette system.

Thx....

The Lex

D.K., here's a link to the review I found:

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Ha...o64/index.html

There are a couple of issues with getting a used cd changer. First of all, I don't know if the premium vs Nak systems use different changers, and if they're interchangable if they're different (Iwould doubt it). Then there is the cost of the wiring harness itself. I don't even know what the part # would be otherwise I could call the Lex dealer and ask about price.

Unless it's a straightforward deal, I'm more likely to get a cd deck that has mp3 capability. You can find those online for $250. Add a changer for $200, and the JL sub for $170 or so, and you've got a pretty simple budget system. Only thing is you might have to factor in the cost of a new amp/amps if the factory one is not compatible with the new deck. Heck the car isn't worth all that much anyway so I don't feel like dumping a ton of money into it. If I could just add the cd changer and sub to the stock system, that would be ideal.