dada786

Hey guys, im a new member in the forums but have kind of been lurking them for a while now. I own a 98 ls400 black on black and havent really done much to it yet, the key word being yet.

My small list of mods:

• 20% tints all around
• Smoked out tail lights and side makers (not very happy with this)
• 6000k HID's in low beams and fogs
• Wiring done to make fog light switch independently operational

My list of problems:

• Mechanic says theres problems with the suspension
• Had to buy a new alternator and baterry still seems somewhat tired
• Passenger side window motor is very weak
• ***missing corner lens for passenger side fog light***(no junk yards have it and its kind of expensive straight from Lexus....

I understand these are very small issues to most people but I have kind of been stuck on this for a while...

My goal for my lex is cliche, a VIP ucf21 and nothing more... I know there are vendor directories on the site but I cant seem to find decent body kits for decent prices... I dont necessarily want to go very far in investments but my main wants are

Front + rear bumper + Exhaust
Sideskirts
Staggered rims
Air Suspension system ( which ive researched being anywhere from 2000 - 5000 dollars....im still a newbie at this...)

If anyone can help out or give some guidance as to where I should go or begin, I would appreciate it more than anything... The whole reason I joined this site is because I love the unity aspect and well im basically lost so help would be awesome

Thanks and sorry if this wasnt the place to post this

trukn1

Welcome. Looks good for what you have done so far. Lets address a few things,,,,

1. Suspension-- gonna need you to be ALOT more specific here in order for us to start helping and let you know what needs to be done.

2. Alt/Battery - Trust I just went thru this struggle myself with my 92 and it was not kind to me. Was your alt remaned? How many cold crank amps on battery? You may have gotten a bad remaned' alternator (if this applies). I just went thru a rash of them. Finding out that most places will rebuild them, however the voltage regulators are never touched and in alot of instances this is the problem. Also is your Power steering leaking? This is on e of the biggest prime alternator killers.

3. Pass side motor- could be result of the battery/alt issue. fix that first. May not necessarily be bad

4. Corner lens - no junk yards, then Ebay(for the budget minded) may be your best friend. Also check the LS400 classified forums here. Someone may have one to sell.

LOL,,, this is ALREADY quite a sizeable investment that you have listed, but nah,, you dont want to go far. Anyway,,

Bodykit- there are a few places. You need to establish what your budget is for this. Also the LS400 classifieds, once again,can be a good source.

Rims- Budget? Look? Fitment? Size? offset? These things are ALL gonna affect what you do in the way of pricing. You can search for the "Wheel setup" thread in the advanced feature and see what some have done already. Again, for the budget conscious, the Wheel Classified section here may help.

Air suspension- You really are not gonna find one cheaper than that, unless you get one used from someone, and I would be even be leary there. Universal Air suspension is probably gonna be the cheapest alternative. You are still looking in the neighborhood of $2K tho.

Wanderson

How old is your battery? Has it ever completely discharged? That will seriously shorten the life of any battery. When you say the battery is weak, are you seeing any indication the battery can't keep up with your load at idle (lights dimming or stereo amps not pulling enough current) or does the battery not seem to be turning the motor as fast on startup? Either the battery is bad/weak or it's not getting enough current. If you haven't already done it, make sure the battery posts/terminals are clean, as well as the connections on the alternator.

o2 jockey

well you're off to a great start with a nice chassis. once you get the mechanical part sorted out id save up for suspension. figure out what fits your budget. im also in the market for air suspension but still debating whether to go air runner or uas. if you've searched it, its the most debated topic. not sure if you've found vipstyledcars.com yet but thats where im still learning a lot about wheel fitment and air rides. its a good place for VIP info.

Woozy

Welcome to the group. Im pretty new here also, and I can tell you the help I have recieved has saved me 1000's of dollars.. Great Place!

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

nice looking 98, just follow trukin1's advice, and be more specific about your problems and you will find plenty of help here.... some that works... some that dont, but it is free..

ALSO check with craigslist.org to see if anyone close to you is parting one out.

Welcome aboard...

dada786

Hey guys, sorry for the reply delay, ive been at work all day. First of all I would like to thank all of you for the positive feedback and the warm welcome. And a special thanks to trukn1 for the extensive review of things. Heres a what I got off your analysis...

Before that, Wanderson, your input about the battery is probably right on the dot, the battery is fairly new but the car does take a bit to start up. Also, the thing about the terminals is that I do find myself getting out to tighten then up constantly. I know the terminals or plugs, whatever theyre called, have been an issue since the fact that they still slide around eventhough theyre tightened all the way. Also, I have a sound system pushing 2000 watts to 3 alpine type R 12's, which doesnt help the cause... I guess im looking to invest in some terminals and a capacitor for my sound system...

Back to trukn1...

Suspension: as of right now, when i turn my steering wheel, it make a loud THUMP sound at a certain point, the half a$$ mechanic that i went to says its the shocks... but thats the only issue ive had with the suspension region... Oh and my ball joint did give away at one point and the car dropped to the floor which was an amazing 2000 dollar repair including fender + paint and yada yada...

Alternator: i see.. well im not too sure about all the specs on it but the radiator may be leaking... I havent given much attention to that region but I know i can take a look at it

Window motor: it actually does a weird thing i may add, when i pull on the switch for the auto window to go up... the window stops itself at about 75% of the way up then returns back to 50%... it doesnt completely close until i keep the switch held... this still a motor thing right? i mean the windows mad slow

corner lens: ive been up and down ebay through like 200 pages, still havent taken a look at the classifieds you speak of though, ill take a glance at work...

Body kit: this isnt very important to me and ive looked around ALOT, didnt know they were THAT expensive... i mean ballpark is like 3000...wooo no sir.. not for me, maybe sideskirts but then those wont match the stock bumpers...if anything ill probably paint the entire body a new coat of black, getting rid of the two tone as well..

rims: not too sure about rim terminology but all i know is I have my sights on some decent 20 inch black staggered rims... im a 5 soke kind of guy, maybe 10 if they still keep the star shape...and oh i was considering 18's since i live in chicago and potholes are a way of life here... so i could fit a decent amount of tire around them... but anywhere from 18" - 20", eventhough if i do end up getting the air life suspension, im thinking 18's would look better, kinda want the car to sit on the floor. by the way $1000 for rims + tires is where im at budget wise.

air suspension: im pretty happy with the investment being around 2k for the suspension... i know this sounds kind of newbie but would the one where the car only goes UP and DOWN, be cheaper than the one that has a different toggle for each wheel? if u know what i mean...

Jockey, yeah ive been to that site, poked around a bit but havent really gone into depth...im looking forward to wandering that site while at work... hopefully ill learn a couple things or two

Once again, thanks alot for the welcoming guys, and hope to hear from u guys soon

95lexsc300

let me know local lexus junkyard here has couple ls400 98,2000 parting out decent price.

Maxx941

iTrader: (1)

Wheel choice is critical to overall theme and look. Staggered set will probably cost you more than the budget you mentioned.

dada786

Do they ship? All I need is the fog light corner lens... And maybe the price on the tail lights since I hate the fact mines are smoked out...

dada786

I don't know how exatly to narrow down what best fits a look. Like I am very much into the VIP look but as you know my budget isn't the best.... at the moment im lookin towards an all black look for my car... somewhat hoping for a blacked out or murdered out look..like a shadow rolling down the street(i knoe its corny) ..nd I have seen many staggered rims that fit my budget... Its just that I need an experienced eye to tell me what's the best fit... Budget is 1000-1500 for rims and tires