PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

repainting panels is just fine provided the shop does quality work.

The vin won't register because most sites are geared towards US vin numbers. Euro and US standards are slightly different.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl...nts_of_the_VIN

spirtnoye

Well I probably won't be taking it to get touched up from the shady place down the road. I'll be doing some research on the best place to take a car to get a few scratches touched up. Luckily for timing belts and whatnot, there's a Lexus dealer here in Stuttgart, so there's that option. There's also the auto skills center on base which has experience with Lexus models as so many Americans buy both Lexus and Toyota cars in the states and bring them over with them. Should be easy to keep it well-maintained.

dicer

I have never ever seen a quality repainted panel on an LS400, and it is not always the quality of the shop, its the products they use. I have a car that someone repainted the trunk lid, it blistered in the first freeze last year, some quality there. I have one with a repainted driver side front fender same blister effect and other giveaway imperfections, like how it faded more than the factory paint. And another one with sanding scratches and inclusions in the paint as well as different shade from fade out. And no shop normally ever paints just one panel, its almost half the car to blend. Just don't do it on a good factory paint job. Keep the scratches is a better option. If the scratch is to metal then touch up paint it. If its a light scratch in the clear then maybe it can be buffed.
If it was mine I will not repaint a whole panel part unless it has major damage like crumpled up etc.

aptoslexus

Paint blistering seems more a question of bad technique, but painting is definitely a can of worms.
I painted my front bumper cover a couple of months ago. I naively thought I could repair my damaged bumper and blend in the paint by just painting part of the bumper. I bought enough paint to paint half the bumper. Well of course the paint didn't match the paint already on the bumper, so I bought another can which didn't match the first can, then got a third that didn't match either. All with the same paint code at an auto paint specialist. Then I went to Napa and had them try to match the paint on the car. He couldn't do it. Or rather, he said he could but I would have to leave part of the car with him so he could sit and try to match the color. I opted to just paint it with what I had. Now, it came out looking pretty damn good after I cut and buffed it, but it doesn't match the cladding on the car exactly. Still looks 1000x better than before though.

dicer

Blistering above the primer is caused by 2 things. Either water born paint that didn't dry good, or water in the air system. These are not chemically caused blisters, it didn't show up till a freeze, and when water freezes it expands and makes a blister. Also there is osmotic blistering where paint will soak up water and blister, an unwaxed or sealed paint under a wet car cover will do the same. The whole lid was not blistered just an area of it.

Next time try to get a body shop to mix and match for you, probably won't be cheap though.

qha_vn

no speed limit in Germany autobahn is a great experience you may want to try with your ls400. I did 210 km/h (max speed limit) with a mercedes e class. welcome to the club.

spirtnoye

The speed limits do lift from section to section but it's never for a very long stretch of highway. Even so, the unknown speed cameras might get you. I rely on the locals to slow down by the cameras and that strategy works quite well. They slow down all of a sudden, you slow down.

As far as the paint goes: I'll ask around and see what people have done with scratches and whatnot on their cars here. If it's all horror stories, I'll just leave it for now and make a decision later on. A few scratches aren't ruining the way it drives.

Also, I've seen some of the VIP interiors people have done to their cars. A co-worker saw me looking at them and got it into his mind that he wants to design front and back seat trays for the car. While I'm not completely against this, I also don't want to install anything that can't be undone. I'd like to keep the car as stock as I can. It is a classic. Have any of you guys done anything like that?

dicer

Please keep it like it was off the show room floor, some day it will be appreciated more if you do. No non factory holes, except for dealer radio installs. Add all you want except paint and holes or rolled or messed up sheet metal. That car is in top shape it would be a huge shame to mess it up. Find a junker to do mods to. With low miles and super good shape I'd keep it in a garage. If the scratches go to metal they need paint on them even if through the clear touch up with clear. Look at all the good purchases noted on this site, no one brags that they got a scraped up underside, messed up VIP. If that is what is desired buy one that has already had that done. Sell the good one to me .

spirtnoye

Well, like I said, I wasn't completely sold on it, just thinking some of the interiors look alright when they aren't over done. I don't want to do anything that can't be undone, so probably nothing installed that causes non-factory holes. I have found a few examples of decent factory radios, I just need to pick one. With the anti-theft features, do I need a code to re-set it or will it just be plug and play? Anyone installed a factory radio after they've thrown away the crappy aftermarket ones?

spirtnoye

Couple of photos from the lunchtime break!

LSduke

Hi spirtnoye!
are you living in Wiesbaden? Nice car and good idea not to mess to much with aftermarket things. That's just the way i act with my UCF20. I even looked for OZ- rims for the summertime, which were sold by lexus as original spare part in the late ninetys. Little crazy, but i like it stock!

spirtnoye

No I'm in Stuttgart. Which reminds me, I need to get over to vehicle registration and get Stuttgart plates! Yes it's a good car for the area and it doesn't draw too much attention, which I like.

LSduke

Yes it's pure understatement. I bought mine end of february and did some 15 k kilometers since then, and i did not realize any other LS400 on my journeys. Lexus has some exotic touch here in germany which i like.

spirtnoye

They really do, and not like when someone brings over their F-350. Plus, trying to drive those things downtown would be a nightmare. While the LS400 is a full sized sedan, it's easy to park and drive around downtown, which is always a plus.

dicer

So what is that reflector or light on the rear part of the front fender? That's not a factory item that I know of unless its just for the Europe market. The driver side front wheel is on the wrong side and turning back wards.
Radio's so far I have not had one with the security set and you can disconnect and reconnect power with no problems. If you do get one and security is set and since its top secret on how to clear it, you would likely need a bill of sale to prove you bought it, and then a lexus dealer can clear it for you, I've read some may do it for free and some charge 100 or so.