Hi, I have been reading about these old cars and they appear to be some of the best cars by far ever made, I was looking at getting a 430 and I know they are a much more luxurious but I actually prefer the looks of a 400 better from what I have seen.

I found one a 2000 with 120 thou on it for 3500 hundred and the dealer just got it in on trade and claims it is really clean. The Car fax checks out clean but from looking on the net the silver ones look the best IMO from pictures I looked at so should I keep looking for a silver color or could this white one be worth picking up because of price even though the color may not have as much beauty pop.

Any input would be great, I can spend double that and get a 430 but I was looking on the net and some people have dressed these up to where they really look sharp even though it is not a 430 .... Thanks!

 

My absolute last choice would be black.What did I get? BLACK,because it was a really good one.

If you can get the VIN #,go here and look up the cars service records.FREE! That will tell you,and us here,on how to advise you.Many very wise folks here to help you out.

https://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/home

 

Thanks.........

 

Many variables in condition and service. Generally I would suggest a new model like the 430's. Took a brief look and saw that the headroom is a bit more in the 400, 38.9" vs. the 430 at 38.1". Our friend at 6'7" has to lean over to sit in the car. Not very comfortable except with the seat reclined back which wouldn't be as conductive a driving position IMO. If it is good, they don't come up as frequently so get when the opportunity presents. The 430 being newer brings better odds and interior options.

 

I went and registered at Lexus and according to them they have not seen the car since 2004 and it did have a steering collum motor replaceded for the tilt wheel and the mileage was 40 thou at that time. The report did not tell me the options on the car. Thanks for the help big time.....

How much more is there to go wrong with a 430, I have seen a few 400's that really LOOK GREAT!

 

You know the 430 also has great reputation as a well built,reliable car.But beware,IIRC its the 430 that had a couple years of melting parts in interior?Avoid those.Folks,correct me if I have the wrong LS there.

400? Defines the genre of a luxo car of its era.I think its beautiful.Only debate here is which ones,the early or late models.

Miles on the 400 can be deceiving.You can find a sub 100K car that needs all kinds of maintenance due,then find a 200+ K car thats had just about everything done.So if well maintained dont let the miles scare you,it may be the better car.That was hard for me to wrap my mind around,especially in a computer car.My Jetta at 100K,owned from new,was a computer/wiring/sensor nightmare at that time.

Sounds like you arent in a hurry to buy.So wait until the beauty with the excellent service history drops in your lap then jump.Thats my story,I wasnt ready to buy and one just fell in my lap.245,xxx or so miles,but great service history,$2500 dollars later and Im the Lexus fanboy.GREAT cars,as wife says,you keep it running,I want this car over ANY new car,its thats nice.

I would consider a 430 too.Supposedly even nicer,but not as pretty IMO.Either LS is a winner IMO.

MAINTENANCE IS EVERYTHING! Say that 5 times.Then say it again 5 times.Unless you like wrenching,not that there's anything wrong with that,some folks do.

JD Powers says the LS cars are the best built,most reliable cars ever built.Thats some high praise.

Edit- I did some heavy maintenance today.I added 2 quarts of oil,and ran a needle thru the holes on the passenger side window spray washer and added washer fluid.Great success,I LOVE this car!

 

I am thinking about going this morning after the car, it is a real good dealer by my reading and the car looks to be real clean. Here in FL these cars are everywhere in better condition than most places. The 400 looks to be very well taken care of in the pictures and the dealer claims it is mechnically sound but I cannot find the report on weather the timing belt has been done.

I am not in a real hurry but this car just looks to be pretty good from my internet glance..... The 430 is definitely way more car and there is no camparo in that regard but for a long long term keeper on a 20 year old car less may be alot better in the long run ?

There is a 430 close to me 2003 model with 200 K and original owner all paper work and he claims it looks and drives like new and it is cheap but there is just on problem ? I don't think I can deal with the looks of that car long term. Your buying it for everything else the car represents but looks certainly isn't even close to being it.......

 

You have good insight.I agree with you,2 out of 3.I learned to listen fully to the folks here,they know these cars very well.What Ive learned.

1-They say here if it isnt proven the belts been done,on an interference engine you have to treat it as not having been done.For that matter,if no records on not being done on anything you assume it hasnt been done.So say the folks here,I think thats very good advice.

2-This is where these cars are unlike others.Its age,not miles,that define them.They are designed where,WITH MAINTENANCE,a tranny can do 500,000 miles and an engine can do a million miles.

What gets you is age on the rest.The wire connectors,the suspension parts....it isnt so much the miles (while that does affect some parts like bearings and seals wearing out) its the flat out age that defines many parts.They are destroyed just by being aged.Rather like old tires with low miles are still worn out just by age. That is the part thats hard to wrap your mind around,and so different from most other cars.

A low mile car,thats had all the age susceptable parts replaced,is the better car than the higher with the same story regarding maintenance.But lower miles,alone,wont make those suspension parts or a lot of seals or connectors any better than a higher miles car.Its age defining many parts.Yup,hard to wrap your mind around that.Its seriously counter-intuitive.

3-If the car hits you as ugly,you dont want it unless the car is strictly utilitarian,like my friend who bought the new Honda in some ugly pinkish color the dealer couldnt move so he got a really good deal.We teased him mercilessly about it,he didnt care,its was miles and cost alone that defined a car to him.To him,it was truly beautiful by his standards.

I love the sc430,to me its a 280SL but even better being a toyota product.Has classic written all over it IMO.But it carries a premium price and interior space is very lacking.Is it practical to me,I just dont know.Though I dream of a reasonably priced one with great service records.

Good luck.These are nice cars,but some will treat you better than others.Records are the key unless you are strong and capable,or can afford the work being done related to your mechanic and relationship with him/her.Weve seen folks here with low mileage cars and doing a lot of work on them.

 

There are also a lot of quirks on these cars.I STRONGLY advise you spend weeks here reading this board,I probably read 1/2 of the entire board it seemed like before I bought.Things like navigation and air suspension are NOT pluses on these cars.

Search the threads on 'Im buying a car,what do I need to know'....those threads are literally worth their weight in gold.PLEASE be patient,a few weeks could be the difference between a car you love and a monster you have to dump after big bux in a year or so.

 

I went and looked at the 2000 400 LS, it was good for the money but I could not find the service record on the timing belt plus it was not the color I want so I opted out. I like the car however, not junked up with un necessary gadgets and very solidly made for sure and everything worked as it should. I will keep looking..... Thanks for all the help...........

By the way, to me a 430 looks like an old geezer car which is not a problem because I am a geezer!

 

Some real pluses if these are done...BTW,where is everyone on this thread?

1-recent timing belt and waterpump kit,cost up to 1500 dollars depending what shop does it,about 250.00 or less if you can DIY.
2-Newer power steering pump and alternator,failure on pump can kill the alternator.
3- newer starter-another fix that can hit up to 1500 dollars.
4-Cam seals and valve cover seals-can be stupid pricey on this car for labor,especially difficult/expensive on the VVT engines.
5-Having a master key is pretty nice,surprising how many dont.
6-ECU updated capacitors,can get done by some folks for about 100 dollars,can do yourself for cheap if you are competent at soldering,lots here do that.I think its 98 on that arent as big an issue as earlier cars.
7-common obvious things like newer replaced suspension parts are a real plus.
8-Oh,a biggie.Motor mounts and tranny mounts.Again MM's are couple hundred or so each for Lexus parts,awaiting word on some folks who recently did aftermarket.Lexus claims 70-80,000 is good lifespan on these MM's.Tranny mount about 35 dollars and easy.Depending on your luck you can spend a day doing MM's,real tight fit.
9-evidence that car has had some 2 quart tranny fluid changes is real nice to see.With the correct fluid only.

 

Do the silver colored cars bring more money ? both silver LS 400's I looked at were pretty pricey...... I can get the timing belt done with parts for less than 500. I have a real good and affordable mechnic.

 

I havent noticed that.There are some real rare color/interior combo's that fetch a premium.The dark greens are pretty rare in the scheme of things,or rarer anyhow.

Congrats on the mechanic!!

 

Thanks....... I was amazed at how solid this car is built.

 

I'm sure certain color cars bring more money than others. I believe that kbb.com and edmunds.com both ask for the color when using their sites for pricing. I would have loved to have found a black 1998-2000 LS400 with chrome wheels and black interior, but I settled on a silver 98 model with the darker lower cladding. I don't care for the two tone look, but my dad always said, "No car looks good on a wrecker, no matter how sharp it is". I also never cared for the 5 spoke rims, which mine has, but they don't have a mark on them. Life has taught me well and I have stopped obsessing over the little things. I paid more for mine than what the popular websites reported it was worth, but in the end it was worth it to me. These sites vary wildly on their pricing and don't take into account the things that are important to me. This includes important maintenance issues i.e timing belt, fluid changes, time spent in areas that salt their roads in the winter, etc. Kelly (middle of the road estimates) lists prices for dealers and private party .Edmunds (lowest estimates) lists pricing for private party, trade-in, and retail. NADA (highest estimates) gives retail prices and trade-in values. It is amusing and aggravating to me that the dealer price is always more, especially in the case of an older car like the LS400. It's not like they are any nicer than what the private seller down the street is charging. Yes the dealer has overhead, but with cars this old, they either get them at auction or from another dealer who took them in as a new car trade-in. They don't know anything about the car, they patch them up, vacuum & wash them (if that) and put a ridiculous price on the windshield. Enough of my soapbox rant and back to the point. Maintenance is key here, no matter the model you decide to purchase. The LS430 does have more electronics, technology, etc, but from my studies on this site, they seem to be reliable. I have mixed feelings about the way the LS430 looks. I like the 2004-2006 face lifted models and they have 6-speed transmissions. I love the way the LS460 looks, but they are out of my price range currently. I researched this site for weeks on end before I made my purchase. All your answers are here. The search feature, though time consuming, is very helpful. I actually started from the most recent posts and went back at least 7 years, maybe 8. I saved links to all the posts I thought I might need in the future, saved them in a word document, and put them on a thumb drive. I'm very pleased with the vehicle I finally picked out. It is so well made and will flat move!