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@Romanova , congratulations!! I watched at the end. $14k is solid for triple digit mileage. That is actually unreal that the buyer ended up being local and a little sad to see the photo. My only social media is here and LinkedIn so I cannot comment on the others. Funny about the wheels, @bradland would agree.
My suggestion if you have the time or care is to start a post and title it so it is searchable about your whole experience. I once saw a guy on Portland, OR Craigslist who had a beautiful LS400. I suggested BaT to him and he said they were a pain in the a@%! I would be curious to know how you felt.
My personal take is that you should have fixed the telescopic motor and the mirror switch, but in the end how much more would it have netted you?! Like @LILEVO has been suggesting on another thread, at some point it is the law of diminishing returns, so maybe it didn't matter. At some point those of us that love these cannot charge for love.
Mine will never be for sale, so while I watched in curiosity, I was not taking notes.
Last edited by CA2WALS430; Nov 12, 2025 at 05:24 PM.
@Romanova , congratulations!! I watched at the end. $14k is solid for triple digit mileage. That is actually unreal that the buyer ended up being local and a little sad to see the photo. My only social media is here and LinkedIn so I cannot comment on the others. Funny about the wheels, @bradland would agree.
My suggestion if you have the time or care is to start a post and title it so it is searchable about your whole experience. I once saw a guy on Portland, OR Craigslist who had a beautiful LS400. I suggested BaT to him and he said they were a pain in the a@%! I would be curious to know how you felt.
My personal take is that you should have fixed the telescopic motor and the mirror switch, but in the end how much more would it have netted you?! Like @LILEVO has been suggesting on another thread, at some point it is the law of diminishing returns, so maybe it didn't matter. At some point those of us that love these cannot charge for love.
Mine will never be for sale, so while I watched in curiosity, I was not taking notes.
He probably would have got $500 more. Enough to cover the telescoping motor and mirror switch
Buyers can be weird. They make certain demands, yet ultimately don't really care and buy anyways.
@LILEVO , 100%. Just commented similar on your dealership thread.
@Romanova , to get 8 years and 50k out of a car and sell it for what you paid?!?!?!?!? UNREAL! That is success! These were mass production vehicles. Like I mention above, the other stuff we do is 'love', and cannot really be charged for.
Last edited by CA2WALS430; Nov 12, 2025 at 05:51 PM.
This was a tough one to value. I was the $12k bid that slowed it all down until the end. Look, it was a great car and the ideal owner from which to buy a car. It came down to the extras to get it home ($1K or uncertain flights or long drive) and dialed in. Say $500 to fix the mirror, seat and telescopic wheel. Another $1000 in timing belt labor and parts that were not supplied, then a set of tires at $1K.
It took everything I had not to go higher and I still think it was a good car for the price, but at over $16K with updates, you are in the lower mileage range with a semi-current timing belt. I will continue to drive my 05 with over 200K as it just does not blink, and never leaves me stranded.
What a great presentation by @Romanova though; the unicorn dream seller.
. I will continue to drive my 05 with over 200K as it just does not blink, and never leaves me stranded.
.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I get the desire to buy back some miles but if you have a proven entity, I say ride it out. I recall my '97 Acura RL gave me a little financial heartache between 130-150k, but then around 150k went into overdrive and needed nothing abnormal for the remainder of my time with it which was 250k. I'm at 161k in my current LS and fully expecting the same result and more. 2024 was an expensive year, but that's it.
Last edited by CA2WALS430; Nov 13, 2025 at 08:34 AM.
I went to cycle some transmission fluid, the bolt ended up being put on real tight and ended up stripping going back in. Bad news in the meantime, but good news I get to learn how to replace the pan! 02, so I have the dipstick luckily.
I tend to agree. My car needs maybe front shocks next year, I bought the OEM strut mounts in anticipation. Just did trans and brake fluids and all motor mounts and big lower bushings (gS)OEM last year and it's just does not need anything. Seat leather starting to tear as the perforations, but I just added a sheepskin.
What a ride. Sold the LS for $14k with a decent flurry of bids right at the end. Buyer was local and already came by and took possession of the car. Easy transaction. Overall, I had four local parties come view the car. Kinda' sad because I let everything go with the car, all the little trinkets, brochures, stuff from Japan, all of it went with the new owner. A lot of people inquired about the stock wheels, holy smokes there has to be a market there for sourcing the 18 inch wheels because there is some demand for them.
All in all, I sold it for exactly what I paid for it in October of 2017. I got 50,000 miles out of it and put about $11k into it with maintenance, wheels, etc. She never left me stranded once.
Worst part, when I drove it last, I didn't know that it would be the last time I would drive it. Once it was listed and certainly once it was sold I didn't want to risk driving it at all.
I'll still be around as I do enjoy this forum. I'm done with the LS430 Reddit group and the toxic LS430 FaceBook group...
Thank you for being so professional the whole way! Yep that is me driving her away. Don't worry, I am also active on the RX forums and will definitely take good care of her!!! I'm still stoke!!
Driver mirror don't bother me, Steering wheel goes up and down but no telescoping but that is okay for me as I can adjust my driver seat, and Timing belt, I still got a year minimum for the 10 year "due date"
I have corrected the Trans Fluid Level
Refreshed the coolant
Refreshed the oil
The car is just a joy to drive!
Thank you again good sir!
Last edited by erapmicks; Nov 14, 2025 at 03:40 PM.
Reason: New Info
Thank you for being so professional the whole way! Yep that is me driving her away. Don't worry, I am also active on the RX forums and will definitely take good care of her!!! I'm still stoke!!
Driver mirror don't bother me, Steering wheel goes up and down but no telescoping but that is okay for me as I can adjust my driver seat, and Timing belt, I still got a year minimum for the 10 year "due date"
I have corrected the Trans Fluid Level
Refreshed the coolant
Refreshed the oil
The car is just a joy to drive!
Thank you again good sir!
NO WAY!! I love this! The buyer is here too, so you can, if you have the time, research all his posts and see the care that has been taken. Keeping it in the 'family'. Seldom do we ever to get to buy a used car where we can research this level of detail. Congratulations! I have an 07 RX350 so I make some appearances there also. Of course we will expect your full participation here with the 430-ers now too.
Last edited by CA2WALS430; Nov 14, 2025 at 04:38 PM.
Looks like my radiator finally decided to call it quit at 96k.
I was going to order the rad from RA but they are not shipping to AZ anymore 😤so I ordered a new one from Bell Lexus with the Black Friday 20% discount. I also ordered new hoses, clamps, radiator cap and thermostat. Does anyone know how much coolant I'll need to refill the system?
Looks like my radiator finally decided to call it quit at 96k.
I was going to order the rad from RA but they are not shipping to AZ anymore 😤so I ordered a new one from Bell Lexus with the Black Friday 20% discount. I also ordered new hoses, clamps, radiator cap and thermostat. Does anyone know how much coolant I'll need to refill the system?
One should get it done but having two on hand isn't a bad idea. Don't forget the cap on the expansion tank also... good to replace that while you're in there.
One should get it done but having two on hand isn't a bad idea. Don't forget the cap on the expansion tank also... good to replace that while you're in there.
Oh yeah I have that too. I bought it some time last year.
Got my radiator yesterday. Kinda disappointed that it says made in China and not Japan. Also, it came with a radiator cap. Should I use that one or the new one I got from Bell Lexus.
What's the best way to cap off the transmission lines during the swap.
