dj.ctwatt

Wow, this is the second LS goin up for sale. I'm waiting on delivery of my new car, and the dealer offered $3,000 trade in. If anybody can offer me $4000 or better, I will sell it to you. Please keep in mind that my car will be delivered in a week, so this won't be here for long.

It's a 1990 LS400, 163k miles, blue leather interior, moonroof, standard alloy wheels, 5% tint in the rears, 50% tint in the front. I have an aftermarket 6 disc changer in the glove box as well. I also have an aftermarket alarm installed, with two stage shock sensor, glass break sensor, starter disable, and trunk release via remote. The alarm works in tandem with the OE alarm. I have performed a "jbrady" mod to the intake as well. The paint is in excellent condition, minus a few dings, and many small unnoticeable chips on the gray painted area of the front bumper. There are a few small cracks in the clear coat on the rear bumper.

There is a small tear in the front passenger seat, and a several small scratches on the driver's seat. The rear seat is in perfect condition, except for a few stress marks at the seams at the top of the rear bench/seats.

The motor is still going strong, will all maintainence done, except a pending tune up. The Serpentine belt is brand new, as well as a recent A/C charge. The tires have minimal tread left in them. The climate controls are blacked out a la first gen LS400. The power steering pump is brand new, the alternator is fairly new(about a year).

If you are seriously interested and are in the Northern California area(Sacramento), please contact me directly at 530-400-5801 with any questions you may have. If you can manage to do the necessary maintainence, this car will easily last many years to come.

LeXuSrAcIn

Off topic but what car are you getting?? Good luck with the sale!!

dj.ctwatt

Hahahaha, if you've read my previous post you know about the IS deal. . . well I turned it down. Call me an idiot I know. I remember you had issues about maintainence costs too. I decided to go with a 5spd Scion xA(not the wheel box). Gas is killing me and I drive a lot. The IS300 is just as bad on gas as the LS400, if not worse. Insurance. . . future maintainence on the IS300. . . for my age and price bracket, a used Lexus doesn't make much sense. On other models, I can do maintainence myself. . . but a timing belt on an LS400? Forget about it! YOu have to remove the radiator, the power steering pump, the a/c too I think. . . pretty much half of what's in the engine bay. Furthermore, with the increase in gas prices, I feel constrained and limited to my driving habits. Call it supply and demand. With a more efficient vehicle I will be demanding less fuel, and will have more freedom to go as I please. Also the xA kicks butt. That thing is a lot of fun and turns heads! You see, it has that racy IS look(yes albeit a bit weird) without being copied by so many Lancer's, Altima's, Honda's, the list goes on and on. You'd be surprised at the huge crowds that can form around these cars. . . people who go out of their way just to get a peek or ask questions. I've driven my brother's Porsche and didn't get half the attention. And yes there is some negative attention, but for the most part it's good attention. I love it! And all the cool lil features you get, like OEM color changing neon cup holder illumination, OEM color changing 6 disc in dash MP3 CD changer, power everything, painted mirrors, side blinkers, (the tC has mirror blinkers that even Lexuses don't get), and the interior of this car is significantly more comfortable than the IS too! It's actually got more room! Ok, don't blast me about not being able to compare the IS to the Scion, I know it's a different league. Please don't flame, PLEASE! This is just my opinion. But as in my poll thread demonstrated. . . it's not that I'm not willing to let go of the LS, but rather I'm not that enthusiastic about the IS. The handling is good yes, not quite BMW, the engine is very lacking for its class, the general performance doesn't really live up to the aggresive demeanor it exhibits, and the interior quality and feel really feels close to the level of the Scion(good for Scion). . . it's like how that one HATED guy blasts the IS as being an upped up Corolla. Anyway, it's a great car for people who appreciate it for its virtues, but its just not my car. And I'm going to be redundant here. . . I'm NOT saying that IS300 owners are stupid either. Again, it's a great car in its own way.
So yeah, instead I will be taking the Scion xA, and will be concentrating on pimping it out to the max. It doesn't pretend to be a sports car, as it sure as hell isn't. The primary focus of Scion, I think, is to turn heads and it accomplishes that very well.
On a final note, the thing I will miss most about Lexus(besides that GREAT V8 I have/had) is ClubLexus. By far this is the best online forum I have ever been a member of. Everyone is fairly educated, and tries hard to be supportive. I don't know of any other community that is more devoted to and appreciative of their subject interest.

ClubLexus. I will miss you dearly.

LeXuSrAcIn

Damn that sucks bro. Lol if you remember.. I was going through this phase where I hate Lexus because of all the repairs, but now Im on my way to get an SC (still keeping the 7 and LS). Its sad you're leaving CL but hopefully you'll be back. Its hard to stay away from Lexus lol. You can get some real steals on higher mileage Lexus's. Have you ever thought about the TL's? Not the new ones but the older ones. They give good mileage, easily over 20 mpg. Im telling you man... once you get a Lexus you get so used to luxury cars that you dont want to go back to ordinary cars. Another thing you have to consider is safety. Lexus is a very safe company and Im sure the Scion cant measure up to the safety. If you ever are in an accident, believe me you'll appreciate the fact that you have a safe car. I remember back when I had a MB M class... this guy rear ended me with a F150, his WHOLEEEEEE front end was severly damaged ( he hit me at about 60 mph) My benz only had a dent in the back and the bumper absorbed much of the collision and broke off. Since you say you do alot of driving, it would be beneficial to get a safer car. You shouldnt sacrifice safety just for gas prices. The IS is a safe car. My friend was racing, going about 140, when he hit a concrete barrier. His whole car was messed up. PPl had to use the jaws of life on him. Miraculously he came out without a cut or bruise. Just a testament to Lexus safety. And even if you're thinking that YOU wont go that fast, there always will be an idiot who is racing in his civic and slams into you. Anyways, before you decide on getting the Scion you should take a look at safety. Good luck with you choice and keep us updated!

dj.ctwatt

You know, that was my primary concern, safety. But the xA is rated four stars all around! The IS only beats it in side impact and only by one star, as it has side airbags. But from the information I collected, the xA tested was not fitted with the optional side curtain airbags either. . . so that should put them on par, if not equal. Check out the doors on the IS and the doors on the Scion xA. . . not a whole lot different. And as it is a Toyota, build quality is excellent, meaning good crash ratings. Also, front ends of vehicles are designed to crush more severly than the rears, especially in SUV's where a cabin intrusion would most likely be fatal. So the fact that the MB did not damage much, is expected. Also, the fact that the Ford crumpled up is a good one! If front ends are too rigid, the energy from the impact is not absorbed. In fact, the leading cause of death in an accident is from the initial impact of the inside of your body(organs) to your bones. Not you and the dash board. There fore if a vehicle does not collaps on impact, your heart, liver, lungs, nuts, and brain impact the inside of your body at the initial speed of your car! You'd be amazed at the fatality rates in cars that are considered "tanks." Just for reference, there was a high speed chase in the LA area about 5 years ago when a Civic Si, almost the exact same proportions as the xA, and a Toyota Camry hit head on. The Civic was travelling 105 mph, and the Camry was travelling at 75 mph. Neither object was stationary. If you know physics you'd be able to appreciate the insane miracle that every occupant was able to walk out of their respective vehicle. So I'm saying that size is not necessarily equivalent to protection, as the deceleration rates are the most critical. So to sum up, the IS actually does not offer any significant safety advantage over the xA, unless of course you count the ability to avoid an accident by acceleration, braking, or handling, the latter of the two the Scion does just fine. On acceleration. . . it realistic is less likely to save you from a significant impact.
But back to the point, I don't hate Lexus, it's just that I can't reasonably afford to keep the car. I would rather sacrifice some luxury points, to get the freedom to not worry about gas. And for my age group, the xA looses some bling factor, but makes up for it with cool features and interior stuff. I know I know, most people get turned off by Scion, usually from the love it or hate it xB. But the xA is a real looker. I have yet to know anyone who has seen it(without knowing the brand or seen the xB) and not like the styling. And with the IS, I would dread the whole 50K-100K mile interval. It will be very pricey for maintainence. Yeah, I've made my decision and I'm sticking by it. For those who are in the market for an upscale vehicle, Lexus still is the way to go. If I were in the market, I'd go for a GS400 or an SC. And lastly I don't do used, especially high mileage. Low miles it can be a good deal, but I'd rather not take the gamble.

dj.ctwatt

sold