A friend of mine has a 1991 LS400 that he is selling, but offered to give me first shot at it in the next week or so if I want it for 500. It does need some work for sure, I'm just trying to figure out if it is worth the purchase or not. He still drives it (though he just bough another Nissan 240 a few days ago so not so much in recent days) Says it is drivable but annoying...

I know for sure it needs a Power Steering Pump, Rack and Pinion, Throttle Position Sensor, and I am beyond positive it needs suspension work done since he slammed it on cut springs.

I have never messed with Lexus/Toyota before, but the 500 price tag for a potential new car is appealing as I am in need of a vehicle myself ASAP since my prior car got messed up.

Any insight would be great...I just don't want to drop the money without having much knowledge on what kind of a hole I am getting myself into with it. Thanks!

 

It's a fairly easy car to work on, parts are expensive. It's also very reliable. You can also find them at junk yards to get cheap parts when needed. Try to get it for less since it's highly likely is been abused. Make sure the coolant isn't leaking

 

I wouldn't touch any car that has aftermarket body or suspension parts. If you need a vehicle for daily driving, this car is not for you - even if it is free.

 

It's definitely been through some abuse (sliding/etc.) hence the $500.00 price tag. I can't really find many LS400's in the area where I am for a great deal and I'm needing to get a car ASAP (as I am borrowing a friend's spare car for now). I'm have been trying to keep in a 4000 or less range and mostly searching out LS400's and Infiniti Q45's...or anything similar. But I have always heard good things in terms of reliability with the LS. (no emissions will be a big bonus too with a 96 and under car)

 

For four grand you might be able to find a decent 2nd gen LS400, like at least a 98 or 99 if you know how and where to look. Search the forum here, there was a thread recently on buying used.

These cars were often bought by lawyers and doctors and they are usually not interested in squeezing every dime out of you when selling it, so try to look for a good neighborhood, one owner car that was maintained regularly at a dealership (preferably in a big metropolitan area where dealers are hopefully better) with records and clean title, and you could have a trouble free ride for a very long time!

Or you can certainly get a 1st gen in excellent condition - perhaps a second owner who got tired of fixing things and now the car is in great shape...

 

I see a few 2nd generation LS's on craigslist in the $ 2000 to $ 4000 range that might be a better deal and the 1st generation is falls in the lower end of that range. Yes, spending only $ 500 is tempting, but considering another short-term investment of another couple of grand plus, buying a better example would be a better deal even if this car were given to you for free. Here's a second gen in Greensboro that looks decent:

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/cto/4180955960.html

 

I'm with Kansas - do not buy that car.

 

take the $500 + the $3500 you would have to put into this car to bring it up to reasonably reliable, and put that $4000 into a well cared for, garage kept, 1 owner, no accidents ever, 95-97 LS that can be found if you look hard.

make sure you do an Autocheck (more reliable than CARFAX) and keep the miles below ~150K

don't buy any car that has been modified in any way - you are just buying future headaches

 

This. I would also say look into a 98-00 IF you can find them under 150k miles, for the price range above. Maybe even splurge a little to a total $4500 if the deal is that (i.e. <110k miles, clean interior, timing belt/water pump/power steering replaced/in good working order, etc.). Since you're coming from a more "sporty" background, the 90-94 LS is slightly faster/quicker than a 240SX (watched various drag videos and came to that conclusion), but the 95-97 LS is a whole other beast. The 98-00 is a huge upgrade with VVT-i, and all, but the downfall of that is that modding potential (engine-wise) is REALLY limited. In other words, the 98-00 is the fastest, stock, but the 90-94 has the most modding potential. 95-97 is pretty much a gray area as far as engine mods go.

 

I'm coming from an RX-8 so large body vehicles are relatively new to me, I drove the RX-8 for almost 6 years but it had too many issues that needed resolving to be worth fixing so I got rid of it. If I go through with the LS then I definitely want the 90-92 UCF10, but anything 96 and under is great as I won't have to deal with NC Emissions. I keep checking Autotrader, local listings, and Criagslist daily to see what comes up nearby. Because I definitely want something reliable, so I need a steady drivable vehicle (though it will also be a project car too)

 

90-94 is your best bet. I'd say look specifically for a 93-94 since Lexus had probably worked out most of the kinks from the previous gen ones by the time they let these out. As a plus, you're able to get into a bunch of modding since the 1LS has a pretty well-rounded aftermarket - you have performance mods, handling mods, exterior mods, interior mods, audio mods - all reasonably priced, too, unless you're into FI. At that point things get out of hand... lol

Give this a good read and pick your poison

 

not what your are looking for necessarily, but I spent $2,700 on a 95. It is a great car, it sure doesnt look amazing but it's almost 20 years old and I am okay with that. I would sell it tomorrow for anything over $3,300 (factoring in taxes and plates and insurance(l I love the car and for the one you are looking at you will have more than $2,700 into it after the work, not including your labor.