Hey I'm new here. I just recently got an 1990 LS400 with 124xxx miles which I bought for $800.00. Today I just bought the full tan interior of another LS for about $100.00.(seats, door panels,dash board,ceiling panels, speakers, etc.) Pretty much anything that was tan, I got off the other car. Also Im going to be a daddy so thats why I got this car. I love it.

Bads:
-Fog lights didn't work(realized that one of them was broken and the other was disconnected)
-Steering wheel does not adjust down
-AC fades away after a few minutes

Goods:
-Paint still looks good (A diamond in a ruff) *pressure washed after sitting under a tree for a year or two
-Motor runs strong
-Mobile phone in center console??? I dont know if thats good or gay? Its not like the service for it works.
-And that I only got it for 8bills is VERY GOOD.

Pics will be up as soon as I can.

 

93 LS400 w/ 185k. Black on black. Paint is good, but needs a good polish and buff. Interior is a 7/10 w/ driver's seat crack/tear and misc leather blemishes. I plan on refurbishing the leather myself though. Good mechanical shape, but needs tires.

I bought it as a 2nd car and paid $2700

I plan on restoring the thing to pristine condition doing all the work myself. That's why I'm here

It beats the crap out of my 95 240sx that's for sure!

 

I paid... TOO MUCH! In December of 2007, I paid $3200 for this car (1991 LS), then another $300 for shipping from middle Georgia to northern Tennessee, then about $500 in sales tax, so say $4000. It had 208K miles, had a slight vibration and needed engine mounts.

It has 216K now, still runs and drives like new, but the slight vibration is now a bad vibration, as the I assume that the engine mounts are SHOT and new ones with labor is gonna run me about $400. Parts about $230 and $150 labor. (I know a Toyota/Lexus tech)

Other current needs are a leaking PS pump (I think internally and externally) and a potentially failing alternator, as my "brake" warning light is occasionally illuminating (more often than not). Someone said this is an early sign of a dying alternator (but its been doing this for months!).
LCD is blacked out (suprise huh? lol), power antenna works, but grinds. Some of the other typical LS problems I have seen, this one is still OK for now. No bowing center dash, A/C still blows cold, ALL needles and dash lights work fine (although this year the left hand side of the cluster is initially dim when its really cold out for a few seconds - maybe a sign it will soon fail?). Otherwise, its a nice car to be as old as it is.

 

Just got a 1991 LS400 delivered yesterday. White with gray leather, 125k, trac, nak and air suspension. Very nice cosmetically, but runs rough. No engine codes stored but has noisy lifter, steering rack leak and blacked out LCD. Got it from Lexus of Dayton who sold it originally and did most of the maintenance. Will do some prelim stuff (filters, seafoam, etc) and hopefully will pass inspection. Paid $5k.

 

Nice car! That looks like mine, but mine does not have the air suspension, traction control, CD player or heated seats. Just the leather and sunroof option.

If yours has 125K, its not even broken in yet. That is ultra low mileage. Since such low miles and rough running, is it possible that it has been setting and not driven for awhile and maybe it needs new gas or a general tune-up? LCD blackout is common... mines shot too. Steering rack leak is common too, but at 125K, I would not expect it, but I guess its an age thing rather than mileage. Thankfully, I do not have that problem yet.

 

Thanks. It may have been on the lot for awhile, not sure. Good point about the gas, it came with almost a full tank- I need to run it down and fill it fresh. The air filter and PCV valve were dirty when I replaced them so a tuneup will be necessary. I bet caps/rotors/wires and plugs would do good for the car. I'll know more when I get it inspected, hopefully this week. Took it for a drive this morning and apart from the roughness, car rides like a dream.

 

Yes, my old LS400 (a 1990) had a miss at idle on test drive. The dealer replaced the spark plug wires and it ran like a dream. I would start there, as well as new fuel filter, oil change/filter, etc.

 

Bought my 90, for $4000, had 66,700 miles on it, pristene inside and out, just missing center caps on the stock chrome wheels!

Perfect condition, couldn't be happier!

 

Good to see you back

 

Thanks man, been busy, need to get a damn antenna for my LS........otherwise love it!

I'm always lurking here too.

 

1993 LS400 Dark metallic grey
Mileage when purchased: 86,000
Mileage now: 106,xxx
Houston, TX
Body is about 9/10
Asking Price: $5000
Purchase Price: $4000

Maintenance Done:
ECU Repair
90k maintenance
New tires
Transmission kit replacement
And normal oil change

Maintenance Needed:
Power steering
Gauge cluster not lighting up
New speed sensor
My antenna won't go down
New tint, starting to bubble

Hey j-stuff, where'd you get your gauge cluster fixed at?

 

Bought my 1993 LS400 for $7000.00 in 2001. Had about 165K miles on it. Interior was a 9/10. Car ran excellent. Still running great after 7 years and interior is still great! I purchased this from a Lexus sales rep in Tustin, CA (So. Cal.).

Here is what it looks like currently...



Now it's time to move on and I'm selling it for half what I got it...wheels are now gone though.

Chris

 

1991 LS400 Black with gray bottom
Mileage when purchased: 15x,xxx
Mileage now: 15x,xxx
Kailua, HI
Body is about 8/10
Asking Price: $6000
Purchase Price: $ straight trade with my 92 300zxNA

Maintenance Done:
PCV valve change
aftermarket air filter
Transmission kit replacement
And normal oil change
fuel filter change
coolant drain and fill
sea foam tough the brake booster

Maintenance Needed:
new paint would be nice, lol
brake pads, rotors
spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor

 

Bumping an old thread, kinda like my official hello to the LS400 forum.

1993 LS400 246k miles. White on silver exterior, tan interior. No trac, no air suspension, no phone. Gold package emblems and chrome wheels.
Purchased early April 2011 of Craigslist.
Car purchased in Torrance, CA.
Registration expired Jan 2011, car was placed on nonop, asking price of $1700, bought for $1300.

Sold as is, mechanic diagnosed as having a bad ECU, said car would drive 8 miles then die. Purchased and had AAA tow it home.

All original body panels with matching vin, front bumper scuffed on passenger side, cracked corner lense, later found pass headlight had crack underneath and bracket is broken. Couple dings, nothing major, ding on hood from being closed onto a tool? Body paint in good condition, rear bumper needs repaint, has cracks in paint and missing lower silver paint. Driver tail has condensation.

Some small tears on driver seat, small hole in armrest, pass seat has small tear, steering wheel flaked as is shifter ****, interior was dirty, carpet ripped in multiple places on driver side footwell. Driver seat belt doesn't retract all the way all the time, passenger side ditto plus the power adjustment motor seems weak. Some interior trim (ie wood switchplates) have come unglued. No floormats.
Mostly complete tool kit and untouched looking first aid kit. Spare looks new as well.

Tach needle doesn't light up completely, clock/temp LCD blacked out, mirror has splotch/stain, front passenger window switch rolls down but not back up. Driver side door lock actuator motor bad, antenna doesn't work, came with a generic key, no remote. Battery dead, car was sitting for who knows how long- had it tested at autozone and it came up bad, still under the 3 year warranty but I didn't know the purchaser's ph# to get the warranty.

~$50 for a junkyard ECU and I've driven more than 8 miles without it dying, have 2 junkyard ECU's and the original "bad" ECU just in case. Power steering made an awful noise turning left but a flush seems to have fixed it.

So far I've purchased/done (in loose chronological order);
New hoodshocks off ebay
New battery from Costco
Junkyard rear pass side door sill, one on car was ding and dented
SC430 wheels
2 ECU's from junkyard, just in case
Rear view mirror from junkyard
3 floormats (sans driver) from junkyard
Pass front seatbelt from junkyard
New positive battery terminal from dealer
Ebay strut tower bar for shts and giggles
Service manual cd from ebay
Cover for obd diagnosis port from junkyard
Rear cig lighter faceplate/assy from junkyard (one in car was scratched/gouged)
Bought new key with transponder chip from Sewell, cut, on closeout. Transponder chip has different form factor, does not work with current control box in car, will junkyard shop this weekend.
Bought and shampoo'd black interior carpet, from junkyard in better condition than original tan carpet, mended minor tears on front pass side footwell, not sure if want.
2 new motors for door lock actuator from ebay
KYB GR2 shocks new full set from ebay
Flushed power steering fluid with atf, lots of crud and what looked like improper fluid. Rack and pump appeared to be leaking but do not seem to be anymore with proper fluid in place, fingers crossed.
New power steering return line, old one disintegrated upon removal.
Chrome Lexus grill emblem from junkyard
Chrome antenna trim from junkyard
Seafoamed
Kerosene into crankcase, idled for 30 min, oil change with Wix filter and synthetic oil.
Passenger headlight from junkyard
Corner lense from junkyard
New Wagner thermoquiet brakepads from Rockauto, fluid flush. Pad wear sensors disintegrated upon removal.

Knock sensor CEL read but hasn't come back, prob due to old/bad gas/sitting. Still need to install a lot of those things on the list as well as address what I believe to be an EGR pipe that's leaking. Going to pick up a headlight bracket and some other things this weekend at the junkyard, hoping to have it buttoned up somewhat by father's day. Timing belt and waterpump are probably overdue as well as some other deferred maintenance by previous owners, will address in the coming few months as funds allow.

 

1991 LS400 With 153K Miles. Currently Primer Original Color was Dark Walnut Pearl. Tan Leather Interior. Traction Control, Coil Suspension, Had Gold Package with Chrome Rims. Had Gold Emblems Replaced With Black.

Got a copy of Lexus Maintenance and Lexus Replaced Engine At 80,000 In 2007.

Bought at $2100

Body 7/10 (Because of Paint)
Interior 8/10

Maintenance & Changes

Fixed RPM Guage
Spark Plugs
Motor Oil
Transmission Fluid
Fixed Exhaust Leak
Resonator Delete
Put 2007 Solara Rims
LED Interior
HID Headlights

More To Come.