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Long time reader of the forums, first time poster.. wanted to thank everyone for everything i've learned over the past year or so.. i'm glad to say that thanks to this community, i have finally decided to pull the trigger on an LS400 as my first vehicle.
As these vehicles aren't exactly abundant in my area, i wanted the community's opinions on a potential prospect.. pardon me if this isn't the appropriate way of going about inquiring, and please point me in a better direction if it isn't.
Seller is asking $5500, car has 165k on it, timing belt/water pump last done at 115k, has had synthetic oil changes every 5k for it's lifetime. No leaking under the car, AC freezing cold, all displays are in good working order, and most of the front end suspension has been recently replaced, along with some other things including :
- Upper control arms (L/R)
- Ball joints (L/R)
- Strut rods (L/R)
- Front brakes
- PCV valve
- Air filter
- Cabin filter
- Rear axle carrier bushing
- Repaired the Nakamichi system so it outputs to all speakers again
Seller is also including some new parts that haven't been installed yet, such as OEM motor and transmission mounts, KYB rear shocks and some other things.
My only concerns, as the vehicle is about 2hrs away from me, are the wheel well rust, which, if only surface rust i can easily clean up, and that the vehicle has been primarily serviced at indy shops and seller doesn't have complete receipts for the services. The seller has been very honest, upfront and helpful throughout all of my questioning and encourages me to request as much as i need from him, as he recognizes this is going to be my first car and wants me to be satisfied with my purchase.
I have included some photos below.
If you were me, considering the scarcity of them here, would you take the two hour trip to go take a look at it? Between the visible rust, scratches and unknown history, might i still have something dependable on my hands? I'm happy to put a little coin into her over the coming years.. i just couldn't justify 2-5k annual maintenance costs on it. Appreciate any thoughts at all, even if you think i shouldn't be looking at an old LS as my first car.. Thanks in advance for anything.
Judging from the interior & how it looks on the outside, it appears to be well kept. These cars are very reliable & considered world class automobiles in their time even to today's standard so it's not going to nickle & dime you to death on the maintenance. 165K miles on an 18 years old car is less than 10K miles/yr & these cars can go for 300, 400K+ miles if you take good care of them. If you really like the car then I strongly recommend you to drive there so you can take a look at it in person. If everything checked out then negotiate w/ the owner a bit & pull the trigger before someone else steal it from you. Best of luck.
The rust on that quarter panel would be a deal breaker for me. It's beyond surface rust at this point, and would need mouldings removed and sections of metal replaced to do a proper repair.
You can look into a Rust Encapsulator, if you want to try stopping the rust without having to fully remove it. You will have to chip off the loose paint, though. Check out this video:
I think you'll love the car. It's the right spec in the best color (IMO) and is in FANTASTIC condition - even considering the rear rust. The number of cars I've seen with torn and abused leather hurts me.
I paid 6k @ 120k miles so I think the price is fair considering he replaced a lot of the suspension and has parts for more. Mine was "as is" with winter tires. Given the age of the car, the suspension is something you would need to address to keep the ride quality clean. After 20 years the bushings and various components will need to be replaced, maybe even the strucks and shocks too.
Seldom is the rust you can see all that is there.. If it were my money, I would pass.
I looked for months and months for my 2000. Even in a city of 5 million like Phoenix, I had to go to SoCal to get my car.
I paid $3,400 and it is in good shape. I did have to do the TB service, but my total cost at this point is about 5 grand with nary a major maintenance in sight for years and years.
Being from the warmer, drier states, I'd never consider that with rust on it. Your situation is different.
As for the price... you're in the range of clean LS430s with the same mileage down here so seems a little high.
But... that may be the going rate in your part of the country.
Here in Texas, trucks normally demand a premium. Lexus, not so much.
It does look very clean and if you can get the rust under control it may indeed prove worthy.
Just know that any older vehicle will require some time and money for maintenance and repairs.
At 230k miles I now need to replace the transmission pan gasket.
Like Eddie.. I ended up about $5k in after all was brought up to standards on my 1998 LS.
This one does have a lot of 'new parts' which should be considered.
I have never had to deal with rust..... and would not want to start now, on my first car... I am 84 now and have had 13 different LS400's for my wife and me.
usually bought them 2 at a time, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, (five of them), and now down to one.... 222600,
SO: I suggest finding a lifetime southern car, and take a trip to get it, and get to know it on your way home..
4000$ should get you a good one.. (use carfax and stay away from repainting [ wrecked ] and count the owners)..
Hoses are nothing to worry about. Cheap and easy fixes. Electrical is always the biggest scare but if it works it works.
Mines almost 30 years old and the wiring is just fine.
Agreeing to disagree, here. The volume of wiring, vacuum hoses, metal lines, sensors, and relays is exponential compared to cars from let's say the 60's. Simplicity is why you still see cars from the 60's on the road. And wow the cost of all those replacement parts! If one were to assume continued reliability of an LS400 for another 10-20 years with mere simple maintenance, then he is in for a disappointment. LS400's will require a lot of repairs in the near future due to age. Give it 5 years and you will almost never see one on the road. Just my two cents.
Agreeing to disagree, here. The volume of wiring, vacuum hoses, metal lines, sensors, and relays is exponential compared to cars from let's say the 60's. Simplicity is why you still see cars from the 60's on the road. And wow the cost of all those replacement parts! If one were to assume continued reliability of an LS400 for another 10-20 years with mere simple maintenance, then he is in for a disappointment. LS400's will require a lot of repairs in the near future due to age. Give it 5 years and you will almost never see one on the road. Just my two cents.
I disagree.The Lexus was built to beat the world,and that standard was applied throughout the car.For comparison,My 2001 Jetta was a horrible electrical nightmare and after 6 years every smog test involved CEL and getting it repaired. Not to mention all kinds of electrical faults throughout the car ownership.Looking at my 1998 LS400 it failed smog once.New spark plugs and a throttle body cleaning fixed it and it hasnt failed since.
After the Jetta (tranny went at 110k) I swore never again a computer car.After reading the reviews of owners of the LS400 I was convinced electronics can be done and made to be reliable,just takes MONEY and a will to beat the world.Both were applied to the LS400.The rest? Hoses fail,rubber fails,its what they do.Lexus or not.
I would pass. He's asking $5,500 for a car with rust? NO WAY. Take a one way flight to AZ or CA and find a car with no rust for the same amount or less. Drive it back and make a nice road trip out of it.
That rust on the rear quarters will cost you a lot to fix in the near future, since it has already begun and may be worse underneath behind the fender liners.
I can understand why its tempting giving your situation and location. But seriously they are a bunch in the Southwestern states, with zero rust, for that same price or less.
07-18-18, 04:29 PM
Is She Worth Taking A Look At? 2000 LS400
