OBP

Your three Lexus cars have led ( will lead ) very pampered lives, especially considering you're in ND. What a stable ! I'm sort of the opposite - all my cars do serious duty either for family roadtrips or daily driver duty. I do try to take good care of them with help from great owners' websites like this though. Hope one day I will be in a position to care for my cars the way you do. Congrats on a really nice Lexus family - BTW looks like your 2008 has 6000K HID and fogs. Not sure if the 2008s came this way from the factory or not but my 2005 had 4300k HIDs and regular yellow halogen fogs. Only recently changed out my HIDs to 6000k so it looks more like yours color wise.

Lexeffect

Thank you for your compliments and kind words OBP. I do love to drive the cars, trust me I do... But when I share them all in a 'rotation', its hard to compile much mileage on any of them. With regard to the SC400, it was a gift from husband to wife. She was 58 years of age when he bought it off the showroom floor for her. She was 71 when I purchased it from them in 2010. She came out of a Mercedes Benz SL into the SC400 and never looked back since. It was gifted to her somewhat out of guilt, because he had been 'married to his job' so much of the time that he wanted to 'make things right' with her as the story was told to me... The car hasn't seen over 65mph. I was a bit skeptical at first as to the SC400's condition, (only had 3 pics posted), but to put my mind more at ease before committing to a plane ticket to Palm Springs, He assured me "Come on down. You won't be disappointed in the car!". He was correct in that assumption. They were gracious hosts. I have met the most wonderful people buying various vehicles across these United States. I suppose I'm due to 'get stung' sooner or later following this practice, but for the most part, people have been wonderful and honest. Which is refreshing.

As to the 2008 SC430... All that vehicle was to its previous owner was a very expensive 'golf cart' to provide conveyance to and from the country club. The miles certainly indicate this fact. As I stated in another posting, I've only driven the car a few miles back to my garage since I took delivery on it, before promptly throwing a Lexus car cover over it. I can only assume the headlights on the SC430 are original, as the Lexus records etc. would indicate. He was retired and I imagine he did nothing to the car other than drive it occasionally. The 6000k headlights seem to be casting an eerie glow, however, I believe its attributed to the lighting conditions etc. in the parking lot I was in at the time of the photo.

It pleases me that you are enjoying and driving you Lexus as it was intended! Many continued miles of happy trouble free luxurious motoring to you OBP!

Lexeffect

PS. I only hope the $374,000.00 spent on the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne by the previous owner of my Lexus SC430 was worth it... It may have been better spent on a Lexus LFA! To each his own...

Lexeffect

A quick glimpse of the 'offending party'... This is a pic of the actual Bentley he purchased. At the very least, he kept the same color... lol.

Lexeffect

Here are a few 'action photos' I dug out that I thought members might enjoy...The first pic is of the Lexus SC400 and the 'changing of the guard'...From the previous owner. The second pic is of one of the many luxury homes on the Bermuda Dunes Country Club. Home of the Bob Hope Classic. Only 1,762 Mile to go... This third pic is taking a little respite in Yellowstone in Montana working my way back. Managed to kill a few bugs, as evidenced on the front bumper...

Lexeffect

Everything present an accounted for in the '02 LS430 as promised by the previous owner...This second pic is the LS430 pointed in the right direction from the previous owners home to travel the 1,928 Miles to it's new home...

Lexeffect

Okay,enough of the factoids... Future pics will be of the Lexus SC430!

Lexeffect

In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger..."I LIED!" This was the last picture actually...

OBP

Yes I know what that is like though not for buying cars but rather tires and wheels. My winter set including fully functional TPMS and an older set of Blizzaks on my SC was bought from the next town over at $150 for the whole set in 2009 or 2010 and it is still providing me good service this winter. Never had to rebalance but this winter may be its last before I retire the set and cannibalize the TPMS.

And I got a killer deal on my winter rims for my MB in early Jan ( full OEM AMG set with TPMS ) from a real decent guy all the way in Colorado who shipped them to me. One quarter or maybe just 20% of retail price. With just 500 miles on them. Just to keep it on topic, the guy from CO who sold me the rims used to drive an 02 SC430 until May 2013 when his MB arrived. He did not like the OEM rims that came with the car so he got a different set of OEM rims and was keen to get rid of the extra rims in his garage. Unlike him, I kept my SC even after I took delivery of my MB. But we had a good laugh about how we had similar taste in cars when negotiating the deal. And yes, the MB is riding on new Blizzaks this winter and I am very glad for it, given how much white stuff has been hitting us in the northeast.

Lexeffect

Sounds to me like you got a heck of a good deal on your wheels and Blizzaks! They have served you well. I've heard nothing but good things about Blizzak winter tires. Nokian also produces a wonderful product. Neither of which are inexpensive. You guys have been getting crushed with systems and record breaking snowfall this year. We have been mild in comparison. According to Punxsutawney phil, we're going to have to grind it out for a while!

You should also be very proud of the fact you were able to procure AMG wheels for your new Mercedes Benz CLS for the price you did! He has to be losing sleep over that deal! I've always admired the look of that car since its inception. I saw my first MB CLS at the Minneapolis Auto Show a few years back when they were released and was impressed by the low slung sleek design. Sounds like you have a beautiful color combo!

OBP

Thanks Lexeffect. Given the forum we're in, the point I would highlight is that I chose to keep the SC with its venerable but older technology naturally aspirated 3UZ FE V8 ( same motor in your LS also right ?) even after acquiring the 4.7TT Benz. There is something very linear about power delivery in a naturally aspirated V8 which I like a lot even if it does not have the full grunt of the twin turbo Benz. The SC has become my sentimental friend which I hope not to abandon for quite a while. And there have been many good people friends I have made because of the SC too !! And this CL forum is the best place for it.

Lexeffect

Agreed OBP. There is so much to be liked about the Lexus silky smooth creamy V8, not to mention the fact I've got one more cog in the transmission of my '08 SC430 compared to my LS430 which planes the ride out even more! Unbelievable. Shifting in the LS430 is barely perceptible the way it is. It was so hard to just drive the SC430 directly home upon taking delivery of it just to put it directly into 'hibernation'. As I was topping off the tank with premium fuel at the gas station before taking it to my garage, a gentleman next to me commented how beautiful the car was and asked me how long I've owned it. (It still has the Lexus Leather Care tag hanging from the drivers headrest). I told him about 5 min! I then pointed to the enclosed transport semi rowing through gears as it drove past the gas station! Hahaha. We had a good laugh over that one. I think both you and I will hang onto these cars for years to come.

tromly

you are too kind, welcome to CL, your cars are beautiful!

Lexeffect

Thank you very much Tromly. Your Lexus vehicles are as well! I have been following you on the site for a while now, and have enjoyed your contribution!

I have to laugh at how we as Lexus owners and the rest of the club members coddle their vehicles. I sometimes wonder if we should approach this from a different angle. Being that Lexus cars are so reliable and bullet proof, perhaps we should be buying models that already have 200k+ on the clock, drive them hard, be completely cavalier about where we park them, and put them away wet and not worry about it! The end result would probably still be the same. I however, have too much respect for a vehicle to do that I guess, and my OCD will not permit me to do so either... Hahaha! Oh well, I feel that pampering our Lexus' is all part of the fun. I know I am not alone with this belief...

Could you imagine pulling up to the nearest parking spot at Costco or Sam's Club and shutting the door with your foot and setting groceries on top of the roof when you come back out? Hahaha! I don't have it in me. I could never do it...

Solman

See personally i have no problem placing a bag of groceries on top of my Lexus, provided that the bag and contents are less than 5 lbs and you place a soft pillow beneath the bag.