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well it happened. i finally found "the one". the absolute ultimate LS400.
i've had just about every ucf10 and ucf20 up till the ucf20.2. never had a 98-00 style but its the one i originally fell in love with and ive wanted a 1999 ls400, literally since 1999.
over the years, i've had opportunities to acquire one but something didn't work out, fell through, didn't have the cash right at that moment, or someone else beat me to it. well over the last 6 months ive been saving a few bucks here and there building it up to get a 99 ls400, finally.
in march i finally had enough set aside to where i could get a clean one, and the hunt begin. it had to be black on tan, nak stereo, and in perfect condition. i found 6 examples to drive, but only one had the nak and every one i looked at was either very tired or absolutely trashed, even when nice looking in pics.
as some of you know i got a black/tan 90 project car recently. yes it drove fine, but i realized my life is just too busy to have time for a project. i really wanted to restore it and was planning on keeping it well, forever, but i already have my tired ailing 95 that needs help that i've had for years, and decided that was the one i needed to fix up because its still nice cosmetically and although bad, it doesn't need the attention the 90 needed. i put the 90 up online regretfully, really just kind of feeling it out and really not intending to sell it because i still really loved it and was trying to convince myself that somehow, i would still make time for it. well, less than a day after i put it up a young kid contacted me almost desperate he wanted to see it so bad. i told him it needed work and if he was looking for a perfect worry free example, it was not the car for him. well, it turns out the kid is a mechanic who builds miatas, and had been looking for an early ucf10 as a drive-while-restore project that wasn't absolutely obliterated. next thing i knew he was plopping down $1450 cash, i was handing him the title and key, and he was off into the wild blue with it before i even realized what i had just said goodbye to. honestly i was kinda sad when i saw it leave, but i know it is going to a good home and it will be loved. then something just weird happened.
about 45 mins later i was at my neighborhood pool catching some cancer from the sun. jumped in the water to cool off and back on the lounge chair. wiping the water off my hands, lit a smoke, and started thumbing routenly through the ls400 listings on craigs, fb marketplace, offerup, and letgo. -i do this 4 or 5 times a day.. well, this time, among the sea of overpriced grandpa gold 100k examples at dealerships and 300k mile tired hoopties sitting in fields with grass almost up to the fenders, something different popped. hmmm.. "2000 Lexus Luxury car great shape $3800". sure it was. assuming it was probably another pile of poop with a rose sticking out of it, it was kinda far away, and the fact it was the wrong color, i kept scrolling. well, about 30 mins later i figured id take another quick look at the 2000 i scrolled passed earlier. clicked on it, blew up the pic, and noticed the handicapped sticker hanging from the rearview mirror... -that changed everything... make note of this for future reference, if you see a really clean car for sale on craigslist, and there's a handicapped tag in it, it was probably owned by an old person that took insanely good care of it.
the sky darkened as a storm was about to hit. i left the pool and headed home. when i got back i figured screw it and i called the number on the ad. turns out i was right. i hear an elderly "hello?" on the other line, "slow down, and speak up im hard of hearing" he said. im spoke to him for a bit asking questions about the car. he just said "come drive it you'll love it i promise". now the car was in deland and im in orlando, which is about a 45 min drive north from me. i didn't really have much to do so i figured id go take a look.
an hour later i arrived. this wasnt in a car lot, not in some weird back ally at night with shifty go-betweens, and it wasnt in the hood with choppers and gunfire in the backround. it was a 55+ gated community where every single house litreally didnt have a dropped leaf on the grass. i pull around the corner and saw the car parked in the driveway. 50 feet away? beautiful. 25 feet? beautiful. 5 feet? still beautiful. i get out of my mustang, and met the owner. a hunched over almost 90 year old with parkinsons, using a walker with tennis ***** at the tips, his name was Jim, an accomplished author who has written 4 books. he greeted me with a grin and handed me a bottle of cold water.
now, every car like this thats in immaculate condition has a story. he told me it was his brothers originally, who had recently had a stroke and passed away. he inherited it but told me it was too much car for him, plus he had mobility problems so it was hard to get in and out of it.
standing next to it, the car looked pristine. i told him i was really going to look it over and needed some time with it "go ahead, tinker as much as you want. im almost 86 years old i have plenty of time".
i spent the next hour under the car, inside the car, under the hood, inspecting every single crack and crevice. checked inside and literally everything worked. seats are buttery soft, no burned out lights, blacked out or washed out displays, the whole car looked like it had never been driven and sat in a garage with a tarp over it for the last 18 years. it was absolutely pristine. "oh, i have all three keys too! two masters and a valet" he said, "and all the service documentation as well! he handed me the key and said "hey c'mon lets go for a ride!" i told him i was going to drive it alot and i would be driving it hard here and there, he said "fine sure take your time no problem" -i drove the car 50 miles and in every way possible. heck i was NOT PLANNING ON BUYING ANOTHER LS400! THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! over the next hour i gave that car every single chance and excuse imaginable to screw up. i was looking for ANY reason to say no.but the car performed flawlessly in every which way possible. smooth as silk, quiet as the tomb, strong and confident from a hard launch, it was absolutely perfect. i looked at Jim, and he looked at me, before i could say anything he said "i told you that you'd love it." "do you wanna take it home with you?"
for one this nice, with this kind of history, that was this well cared for, i couldn't get the cash into his hand fast enough. he had the car up for awhile for $5100 but realized nobody was gonna bite. he dropped it to 3800 and i didnt even try to negotiate with him. the car was cherry and i simply wasn't going to find another one that was THAT well kept. plus the guy was super nice and let me drive the car all over hell and back and never even hinted he wasn't happy. so yeah. my first last gen LS400. Imperial Jade with 166k on the clock, religiously maintained.
Also,selling your other car you upgraded to that for 2,350. Now how in the heck can you beat that.Cashed in your karma points,the stars aligned,the rest is history. WTG!!!
Wow... Great car, great man, and a great price. I can't believe it has all of the documentation and original equipment, too. That's really rare... He sounds like a great person to talk to.
Well done! Love the pictures and your story.Update us as you get to know your car and your observations .
I never get tired of your writing, really enjoyable.
car looks great! how does this one compare to earlier LS models as far as the ride and drive are concerned? how much higher is doug demuro likely to score this version lol
Mine was similar but I had to fly to SoCal to get it. The couple selling picked me up at the airport after driving 50+ miles. We did all of this via email.
I did send them a $400 deposit with no guarantees I was not being played, but I had a suspicion these were just nice folks selling a car and I was right this time.
We had a nice visit and the car checked out and I was on my way within an hour or so after seeing.
Good story. Congrats on the purchase. Looks like ya got a good one there. Personally I'm not a big fan of the 98-00 but with that story, price, condition, and color I would have paid up even quicker then you did. Nice job holding out and shopping around.
glad you like it guys! well, whats interesting is this. 5 years ago when i was searching for my last perfect cherry LS400 (my 95 which has just about bit the dust now), it was a 6 month quest across 5 counties driving 39 different examples. i met all kinds of interesting people and had many life experiances. it was legitimatly fun and i was kinda sad when i got that one bc the hunt was finally over. now THAT was a story! everything from almost being killed in a tornado, meeting shady people in back allies in the middle of the night, being attacked by a cursing parrot, all kinds of insane stuff. i talked a little about it in this thread.... https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...00-driver.html dont know if i ever did the full blog here about that experiance. its a story worth telling so maybe i should at some point..
Sheesh,if your experiences are like mine,that parrot was a bigger threat than the tornado was.
So happy for your new LS. Now that you are with the 2000,how does it compare to the earlier ones? That extra power must be welcome.I love that steady pull when she revs her little 4 litres up the rpm scale.No muss,no fuss,just a quiet rumble kicking butt.
I also see you wanted black,for me its my last choice,but its what I got.They show every spec of dust,and pollen living in a pine forest is a yellow mess that REALLY shows on black.Had to laugh when someone posted 'black isnt a color,its a lifestyle' LOL,so very true.Whenever we go visiting its a trip thru the carwash so it doesnt look hoopty,but instead looks Mafia. I like that green I must say.
I also enjoy looking down watching Mrs driving away,damn but that LS400 is one fine looking car.And knowing it wont bring me a phone call that the car is having a problem,or heaven forbid there is a wreck I know she has a very good chance of not being hurt,such confidence in the car is such a relief.Like when she got t-boned in the 1997 Dodge truck,suspension was ruined but she was unhurt,had it been my Jeep I'd be a single man now.
So many things make this a car unlike most others.
Sheesh,if your experiences are like mine,that parrot was a bigger threat than the tornado was.
So happy for your new LS. Now that you are with the 2000,how does it compare to the earlier ones? That extra power must be welcome.I love that steady pull when she revs her little 4 litres up the rpm scale.No muss,no fuss,just a quiet rumble kicking butt.
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the parrot was living in the back of a 91 that was at some super sketchy junky car lot. car was really clapped out and had the windows down for god knows how long. DID NOT KNOW it was home to a nasty parrot!!! open the door and the damn thing about bit my ear off! started cursing at me telling me to get the **** out of his car, LEGIT.
as far as the drive, its a totally different animal. like TOTALLY different nothing like the others. some ways good some ways bad. ill explain in a bit.
My neighbors parrot in cage on front porch.A helicoptor comes in low circling house.Booboo the parrot dives to the bottom of cage and screams out "What the #$%% was that"!!!
My sisters house,visiting with her 'sweet' parrots was like the attic scene in The Birds.
I have no use for parrots.
Congrats on the find and the purchase. Hopefully it will deliver and meet your expectations. Now... just what are you going to do with all that spare time since you no longer need to peruse the want ads and apps?
06-12-18, 03:23 PM
well it happened. i finally found "the one". the absolute ultimate LS400.
