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Hey all! So I finally became an owner of a LS400. I've been searching on/off for almost 4 years! I finally found a 1st gen in great shape. It is a 1990 1 owner California car with 140k mi. Color is black jade with gray interior.
What got me were the maintenance records. All records from 1990 at Lexus dealer. Timing belt has been done twice, coolant system done, PS pump, and regular maintenance on time. Older gentleman kept up with it pretty good. There are some items that need taking care of though: suspension, motor mounts, seeping passenger side PS rack bellow.
Here are a few pics after a good washing. The paint is in great shape. Some webbing in sun but will tackle that with a buff and wax. Cheers!
Nice find and welcome to the club. That certainly is low miles for the year. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Looks like your patience paid off and you were able to get exactly what you wanted. Plenty of information on the site and remember search is your friend.
Beautiful car! As Legender said, it looks like your patience definitely paid off, especially with the miles, maintenance records, and overall condition.
I will be interested to see how your car looks after the buff and wax. Some of my panels have had light webbing since I bought my car, but I've been too hesitant to buff them out of fear of burning through the clearcoat.
With a good quality polish and good orbital buffer you can easily polish out those swirls. Just take your time, follow the directions. I've done a few cars now and it's been a huge improvement. Just make sure you do the polishing after you've done the clay bar. Nothing cleans the surface like a good clay bar session. Plenty of youtube demos on this.
Yeah I've buffed many cars so quite familiar. The paint is smooth already on the LS so it won't take too long to clay. I plan on taking it slow and starting with the least harsh compound first. Take it from there. Plan on fixing suspension issues first. Gathering parts as we speak. I've come across parts that are discontinued, so in the process of searching for replacements-OEM preferred.
I will post some pics after the detailing. I need to purchase a new paint thickness meter. Not sure how thick the paint is on these cars. My BMW is considered to have hard paint and it really took some hard work buffing out scratches on it.
Thanks guys! I'm loving it so far. My daily 100 mile commutes are racking up the miles. It is super comfortable and just easy to drive. The best is how silky smooth it is when I'm entering freeways or when I'm passing others. So far, I've changed the oil, replaced suspension struts/shocks, and engine mounts. The trans mount would have been replaced as well but the part was delayed. While the shop replaced the struts/shocks, they noticed a bubble in the front brake line. It was about the size of a nickel. So they replaced both front brake lines from the caliper to main line and did a brake fluid change.
All parts were OEM. The shop said that I'd save money to use aftermarket and that it's a waste of my money to use them on a car this old. However, I see it as worth the investment. I plan on keeping my LS for a long time. The engine mounts and struts/shocks were original so I think almost 30 years for an OEM part is worth it. The car idles super smooth and quiet. You can't even tell it's running. It's awesome! Next up: trans mount, figuring out this clunking noise when braking & turning over light road bumps, and the antenna mast. The antenna stopped working last week.
Thanks guys! I'm loving it so far. My daily 100 mile commutes are racking up the miles. It is super comfortable and just easy to drive. The best is how silky smooth it is when I'm entering freeways or when I'm passing others. So far, I've changed the oil, replaced suspension struts/shocks, and engine mounts. The trans mount would have been replaced as well but the part was delayed. While the shop replaced the struts/shocks, they noticed a bubble in the front brake line. It was about the size of a nickel. So they replaced both front brake lines from the caliper to main line and did a brake fluid change.
All parts were OEM. The shop said that I'd save money to use aftermarket and that it's a waste of my money to use them on a car this old. However, I see it as worth the investment. I plan on keeping my LS for a long time. The engine mounts and struts/shocks were original so I think almost 30 years for an OEM part is worth it. The car idles super smooth and quiet. You can't even tell it's running. It's awesome! Next up: trans mount, figuring out this clunking noise when braking & turning over light road bumps, and the antenna mast. The antenna stopped working last week.
Congrats on your good purchase as these are fine automobiles. In regards to the clunking noise, I'm pretty certain that it's coming from the torn bushing(s) in the strut bars and/or lower control arm (LCA's) bushings so check there. Once confirmed & to save money, you can buy the OEM bushings & press them in. These are fairly good size bushings so you'll need a hydraulic press or find a shop to do it for you. I bought mine & it paid for itself in 1 use.
Congrats on your good purchase as these are fine automobiles. In regards to the clunking noise, I'm pretty certain that it's coming from the torn bushing(s) in the strut bars and/or lower control arm (LCA's) bushings so check there. Once confirmed & to save money, you can buy the OEM bushings & press them in. These are fairly good size bushings so you'll need a hydraulic press or find a shop to do it for you. I bought mine & it paid for itself in 1 use.
Thanks Superfast1. I will look into those. What brand did you use and would you recommend them?
Update: Transmission mount replaced today. It took me about an hour from start to finish. Not bad at all. My vibrations at freeway speeds are now gone! It feels great. The old mount was original and had busted. It was wet all around the top of the mount and screws. I'm headed for a 4 hour road trip next week so I wanted to get this done before freeway driving. Next up strut bar bushings.
02-18-18, 11:06 AM
New LS400 Owner wpics
