Hello everyone,
I just purchased a 2003 LS430 with 201k miles from copart for $1,900 with just a little side damage. I went to pick it up today and found it has brand new tires too! I drove it home from Philadelphia to NYC, and I am completely blown away with how refined this vehicle is and how well it drives. I've heard so much about it from youtube videos and this forum but I didn't think it would be this good! Also, I plan on giving this car to my father for father's day this Sunday, and I'm just graduating HS tomorrow!

The problems are as follows:
Coin tray won't stay closed
Gas door won't stay closed
Driver's door lock doesn't work
Cluster says "Brake Wear"

If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated! Here she is after I restored the front headlights today. Also, does anyone know about the gold on the Lexus emblem?

 

 

The only solid advice that I can give that I have experience with and hasn't already been addressed is the Lexus emblems. My car originally had gold emblems front and rear, but the previous owner had painted over the gold with black paint. Naturally, after god knows how many years, the black paint was coming off the emblems and looked awful. I wasn't too keen on gold emblems on a black car with black tinted windows, and all other body trim being silver, so I ordered all new silver emblems from parts.com which is a website that sells only genuine Toyota/Lexus OEM parts sourced from Lexus and Toyota dealerships across the country, but at quite discounted prices compared to what you would pay from your local dealer. I got new "L" badges for the grill and the trunk, "Lexus" and "LS 430" badges for the trunk... total $107.34 plus $12.88 shipping. For $120, I was very happy. I don't know if you have time to do this, I want to say that they arrived in the mail in just a few days... definitely less than a week and they were very easy to put on.

*disclaimer this is not an ad and I am in no way affiliated with the aforementioned website

 

Sharp car and looks like it has a PA inspection so you could sell it down here...(flip)

The first two issues sound mechanical...many of us had to replace the cup holders because the arms break off, I would imagine the coin tray is some sort of mechanical device similar in nature....gas door not sure but must have a cable that releases it, any click sound when you pull on the release switch?

Sounds like you need a new door actuator (very common problem), and likely a brake sensor needs replacement (and pads, or pads were done without the sensor--a Raybestos etc. is in the $10 ballpark, do not use genuine Lexus which is around $75...)

Nice car! For that price I'd just drive it...

 

Brake sensors are like $7 on ebay, its just a wire that gets broken to trip the sensor - very easy to replace if it was never replaced.

There are also a few things you should think about too. Trunk and Hood struts replace - they're about $25 per set.
Hopefully the other things are repairable in place. These are WELL built cars so try and fix the component (connections/fuses etc) before you rip into things.

The other thing to know is the timing belt needs to at least be verified. Its the one critical thing you should keep an eye on maintaining.

 

I'm thinking at $1900 paid for the car, if not DIY, then not worth the timing belt (cuz it's $700 min. to around $900 at a shop)...but if DIY worth it...if this car drives 18 mos as is, and gets sold for $1k? that's winning.

 

Even though he paid peanuts for the car doesn't necessarily mean it wouldn't be worth putting the money into it. Sure, there's a very slim change it may not last many many more years for him to see a return on the investment, but a very great chance that it will last many many more years. It may have been very inexpensive to purchase, but he got a whole lotta car for the money.