I Paid Just £850 For My Lexus LS400, The Car That Redefined Luxury (Luxobarge S2:Ep1)

[@todayshorse]

Thanks for being kind to my late father's Lexus. Since he passed its been stood for far too long. I drove it myself twice to southern Spain and it was flawless, and all the trips my father did in it. Excellent video, looking forward to seeing what you can do with the old girl👌

[@bobmcl2406]

So, how was the ride quality back then? Any ideas what might have changed?

[@todayshorse]

@@bobmcl2406 yes, someone fitted BC coilovers to the front. Who why and where I'm unsure, although a garage in Spain did look after the car, it only came back to the UK for MOT. As to why a full set wasn't fitted I'm at a loss, dont recall my father doing it - he was pushing 80, so maybe they were a alternative to unobtainable lexus parts in Spain if it cracked a spring or somthing. They do have adjustable soft/hard settings.

[@markbriggs5531]

I think I recognise this car. If it is who I think it was, I'm sorry to hear your father's passed on - he was always very kind and friendly at The County Bowling Club. Did he also have a wonderful Armstrong Siddeley?

[@todayshorse]

@@markbriggs5531 no? Not to my knowledge - must be someone else! I'm unsure where he got the Lexus, I think it was Coventry way on. Possibly a farmer?

[@2702simmo]

Love this motor Simon Made up it’s on this channel

[@iancroston1928]

IF the leak came after the bump check the door membrane is still intact (remove door card). If it is could possibly be door seal but wouldn't be my 1st call. Open the sunroof and pour water down the drain tubes (in the corners) and check it runs out, usually behind the wheel arch behind the splash guard. Some cars have them drain into the sill. Also check the drain holes on the pinch weld of the sill. I used to be a windscreen fitter for most of my working life and spent a lot of time finding leaks to disprove leaky screens.

[@Number27]

Thank you Ian,. Will check this out and clean, thank you!!

[@wurlycorner]

Exactly all the above, was going to be my recommendations also. There clearly is some damage to the door seal (can see that on the B pillar around shoulder height) so that should be changed anyway as well as the door alignment being sorted, but I wouldn't put that as my first choice for cause of the leak into the A pillar footwell.

[@iFreak]

At 12:25, You can see hole on the top of that area. There is a rubber seal that comes there and your vehicle is missing it. This could cause all water on wet road to enter your trunk and cause a massive rust and electrical issues in future. Better get it fixed. Put the circle rubber seal there.

[@jerzywoking1699]

In 2014 Ibought a 1994 model with 225,000 miles on the clock, which was immaculate inside and out. The leather was in perfect condition including the drivers seat bolster. The one owner before me left bottles of Gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner. The stereo was very good too. Only issue I had was a 250k the starter was playing up-either fired up immediately or had to turn the key 6 or 7 times before the starter engaged. The Lexus dealer wanted £££'s to replace the motor (it sits in the V of the engine), but I found an Lexus trained independent who knew a shortcut to change it quickly. Great cars, wouod love an LS600 next

[@crgmrgn]

Check the drain(s) from the sunroof, it will normally exit into the front wheel arch region, bet its either bunged up and overflow is following the tube path and dripping inside or its come adrift and just leaking into body cavity and hence cabin. Simple fix/investigate before you start chasing bdoy fitment issues.

[@aspectabove]

Yep

[@Number27]

Will check that, thank you! Thanks 🙏

[@aspectabove]

@@Number27 I solved it by getting a cable tie to prod the gunk in the drain tubes. Then, I slowly poured water from a sports bottle into the surround to flush through the tube. I was amazed how much crud come out. Be gentle though as it's easy (at least on my car) to dislodge the drain pipe to the drain point. Be sure to give it a good mush up to break it all up rather than a shove the block deeper in the drain. There's usually one on either side at the front so it drains on gradients. Good luck Jack.

[@JonesThePhysics]

@@aspectabove agreed. Jack, some sunroofs have drains to the rear too, often draining to the rear wheel arches. If you have compressed air, try that.

[@ryanmccormick2150]

Honestly Jack 190k miles is not much on a big Lexus/Toyota motor if and it’s a big if it has been maintained correctly, oil change every 5k gear box service every 50k or so if that happens they can and have gone to and past 1 million miles bud! They are truly amazing cars if cared for. Looks like another cracking buy for the money 💰. Your channel is in another league Jack👍

[@solsol1624]

Love this series of cars Jack. I have read, not sure how true, that Mercedes delayed the w140 after seeing how refined the 400 was. Re the water ingress, if it's not the door check for blocked drains in the a pillar, scuttle area. Only reason to saw this is it's a known issue on my w123 so maybe common to all cars sine most basically constructed the same. Good luck with it!

[@Gruxxan]

high mileage isn't necessarily a bad thing, it means it's been very reliable and been maintained to get to that mileage

[@g0fvt]

Friends were cynical about me buying a high mileage used car, I defended my choice by saying "it knows it's way around" I put another 100,000 miles on it and it cost me a pair of front struts (under £100 the pair from a 6,000 mile car) and a few normal consumables like discs and pads. Also a starter motor, cheap motoring...

[@drdanphd]

I have a BMW X5 2003 4.6 with 300.000 miles still going strong had it from new

[@philtowle4683]

Just depends if and when the maintenance stopped.

[@nikonordman7624]

My car has over 300 000 and certainly has not been maintained in the last 40 000 km

[@Gruxxan]

@@nikonordman7624 then you should get it serviced

[@thatguy6207]

I have had one of these for 25 years now, runs perfect and looks new inside

[@swisscarguy]

Interesting, a couple of years ago I went to look at a very similar car here in Switzerland (down to the same colour). It had 340'000km and turned out to be absolutely shot to hell as it had been used as a Taxi. The seller wanted 4'500 Swiss Francs (~£ 3'300 back then). After walking round thr car a couple of times and me rummaging in the glove box and the trunk, the seller asked me what I was looking for. My reply: " The 5'000 Francs in cash that must obviously come with the car considering the price you're asking." Needless to say, I did not buy that car. 😬 The water ingress could be completely unrelated to the door. Clogged drains from the sunroof would be my first guess. The large door gap in the lower cladding is actually supposed to be like that. Otherwise, the rear door would rub against the front door when opening. Also, the cam belt on the 1uz-fe needs to be changed every 100'000 miles or every 10 years. It is a bigger job, but on average only needs doing once a decade. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Number27]

Thank for watching and for your comment! The Swiss Lexus must have been terrible!

[@johnmandragon4830]

@@Number27 Yep, definitely check all the drain holes. When I got my LS460 I spent hours poking and blasting all the crud out of the drainage channels and holes. The detritus just kept coming and coming and coming, it was endless.

[@slasher9883]

Yes i think Swiss Car Guy is onto something re sunroof drains. I had a Merc W210 that used to dump a bunch of water into the interior every time it rained. Turn out the sunroof drains were so rusty that they completely seperated from the sunroof frame. That was the final straw for my W210 ownership (have owned plenty of other Benz models since though).

[@Czechbound]

Samcrac just solved a water ingress issue on one of his machines. It turned out that the final piece of the drain hose had kinked. He rigged up a zip-tie to straighten it out. Here's the video : kzbin.info/www/bejne/pn3Oi4N3e99mb5o

[@andrewpreston4127]

"... These LS400's. There's something about them... " Certainly is. The thirst. Reminds me of what they used to say about Jensen Interceptors, with the Chrysler Typhoon engine. 'Pass anything, except for a petrol station'.

[@neilwalsh4058]

Love that you're trying to work thro all the cheap luxo barges and looking forward to your adventures. I started the same 12 years ago with a W126 500SEL and loved the experience of so much for so little. Had 3 more of them , 2 XJ40 Jags, a, 5.3 V12 Series 3, a V8 XJR, and 2 W140 S classes. Most I paid for any of them was £1500, absolutely staggering value for money. I think your LS400 is more of a comparison to a W140 Merc than the model of S class you've just sold. Your mate looked happy with it too, he should he's just bought a very cheap lump of pure luxury 👍

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Nice video. Always liked these cars. Looking forward to the video series. Keep up the good work.

[@Gruxxan]

check under the carpet/upholstery in the front footwells. might be flooded and water ruined some module hidden under there. the drain for the sunroof probably kinked or blocked and that's where the water comes from

[@justinjoyit13]

Could be the sun roof drain- if it is blocked it could be coming through there. The drain comes down the A pillar usually and the water may be tracking down that, or where it goes through the kick panel to the wheel well, there could be a leak if the pipe has a bend and a join.

[@paulbarker5179]

Had one myself for 4 years. Changed the cambelt myself but did have a fully equipped garage with a 4 post lift. Big job. Since then I've had 2 LS460's All 3 cars were and is fantastic. LS400 still my favourite

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Fine, fine cars. Didn’t like them when they were new - I thought they were trying too hard to be an S-class, but I really appreciate the quality, and the understated styling. And those seats and dashboard! Pure 80/90s Japan! Lovely. I’d have this over the S class any day…….!

[@timcrow5162]

The drivers seat can definitely be repaired, even with missing patch of leather. You just need the right specialist so don't give up on that.

[@Number27]

Yep but it’s the cost… I’ll look into it!

[@KevinSimpson_576]

The easiest and cheapest way to repair the seat back bolster, is to get a scrap of leather, tuck it inside the rear so that it sits flat on the foam and is bigger than the hole, get some contact adhesive and glue the patch to the inside of the leather.

[@gkkes]

Original timing belts were supposedly kevlar, indestructible. US dealers created the 100,000 or 10 year advisory, so the kevlar belts were removed for much inferior belts, thus creating unnecessary costs. Clean out the sunroof drains. Strimmer plastic works well. I'm driving my second LS400

[@Number27]

Will check this thank you!!

[@alexandermorton1432]

The offside door is definitely out of alignment but the passenger side looks fine. The large gap between the front and back door is due to how far the rear doors open. I owned an LS400 (christened ‘the sofa’) for the best part of six years with very little mechanical trouble except for the suspension. The ride was all over the place and was fixed with new dampeners and springs. The interior LED displays also started to disappear and Lexus wanted a small fortune to replace them. I found an eBay shop that fixed them for a fraction of the cost.

[@jeandibb4111]

Amazing motor in the LS400 - cross bolted 6 bolt mains makes them bombproof and highly tuneable 😉

[@dadahmmya]

Regarding the Speedo/Tacho, if it's just the needles not lighting up they can be fixed. They're basically mini fluorescent tube lights and if there's a tiny crack in the conductor on the back of the needle they stop working. Common problem. You can fix by removing them (carefully!) and painting the rear of the needle with conductive paint. That's what fixed mine anyway.

[@autoavids]

Very nice find. I've owned a few and while they were all reliable they just didn't have the "joie de vi·vre" of the other luxo barges. Still a quality car.

[@Number27]

Umm I think I know what you mean!

[@gerrymcdonaldno1]

I think you've got a good one to build from Jack. I'd much rather swap out bits of interior trim than sort bodywork. Especially on these. Replacement panels for rust repair seem to be non existent. Rockauto seems to hold more mechanical bits for these than anywhere else. If you're doing suspension tweaks I hope you have good spring compressors. The springs on these are comparatively humongous to the small MX-5s and Clios I was used to 🥵. Looking forward to the updates!

[@nachvidyarthi253]

I ran a 1998 ‘R’ Lexus LS400 up to 235k miles (bought at 2 years old with 30k miles). Still the best car I have ever owned. I think your drivers door needs to be re-aligned and perhaps a new rubber door seal to resolve the leaking water. Nothing significant. Agree that you need to find a replacement drivers and rear seat to replace the damaged interior. A used leather interior for the whole car might be better all round.

[@jackcollins156]

Maybe clear the sunroof drains as they might be responsible for the leaking

[@darcycuttlefish3981]

100% agree. Very common cause of footwell water.

[@andrewgruber1032]

Hi Jack. Check front sunroof drains up top. Also check electrical connectors in left side kick panel for water. I am a Lexus tech if you have any questions.

[@EngineerLewis]

So you found one of my favourite saloon cars! Enjoy and once the suspension is sorted it will provide a wonderful drive!

[@danmoney9932]

Enjoyed the sf2 intro! Blocked sunroof drain for the leak. 👍

[@melwebb8485]

Looking forward to the Luxobarge series

[@grayfool]

Possibly the best car Lexus has made yet. Or maybe the IS-F? We ran a later Mk4 2000MY LS400 for 13 years and enjoyed every journey. It had about 165,000 miles on it when we sold it (to emigrate) and still ran and drove very well. It had a few more toys than your slightly earlier one. Touch screen, self levelling headlights, that sort of thing. Shame your leather wasn't better protected. Ours was unmarked. Has the windscreen been replaced? That could be your leak. The ride should be very good. Maybe check all the rubber bits and that you haven't got a broken spring or seized damper. I hope you enjoy the car. We loved ours.

[@alanbellwood3902]

I'd go with blocked drain on the scuttle panel or doors having just detailed a couple of old sub 1k Lexus, Lexi? As for the seat get a scratch doctor repair kit. Basically glues what is there to a hessian back, fills the gap and colour over it. Not factory but done well looks 97%

[@Number27]

Thank you!

[@craigrobertson7938]

This is what is so good about this channel. People helping out where they can. A proper community.

[@nickdavis8467]

Really excited by this as I have a Lexus LS430 just a couple of years younger than yours, looking forward to seeing what you do with it. Nice One `thumbs up`

[@jonathangalloway6796]

I love the road that your going down buying the old luxury cars! With a sprinkle of your other goodness.... I've an A6 Avant c7 but would love a cheap A8 lwb or an S class. Good to get your views and opinions. Stay cool bud from sunny Belfast

[@ar568]

Forget the ferraris and lambos, this is really interesting content. I've often thought about buying similar cars for this, using them until the MOT runs out and just selling them on. I love older cars.

[@Gruxxan]

blocked/kinked sunroof drain = water ingress = flooded footwell = water-damaged ECU module hidden under the seat... probably

[@shannondudley3757]

Quite often water in the footwell area comes from blocked or crimped sunroof drains. BMW are famous for it. Love the car Jack. Look forward to its transformation.

[@adriancahill1642]

Just watched the Mercedes 303 upload and now into your Lexus LS400 one. Great idea to buy and review luxury barges. Would really look forward to a BMW 7 series and XJS. Thanks for posting these and giving armchair mechanics like me some really entertaining videos.

[@Lot76CARS]

Jack, for £850 you can’t go wrong, you could break it for more if needed. Cars in this segment are such awesome value, can’t wait to see how this progresses👍

[@chrischarman1043]

Dying to see this Jack, have for many years toyed with the idea of buying an early but low mileage Lexus because of their reputation, but never managed to persuade myself it was a good idea. Always bought something more ‘interesting’ instead. Top work, Chris

[@MikeMacful]

Looking forward to this series, especially as I just bought a Lexus for £900 as a new project (ironically)! IS250 in my case, though… Suspension will be a combination of shocks (no surprise) and bushes - these things eat them and it throws the ride way off! Better anti-roll bars will also make a big difference too.

[@GRfourfun]

Good luck with the project Mike, lovely cars.

[@MikeMacful]

@@GRfourfun just hope the engine issue that made it so cheap is what I suspect… or at least top-end related. If it’s bottom-end that’ll be… Interesting 🤨

[@GRfourfun]

@@MikeMacful how many miles and 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[@MikeMacful]

@@GRfourfun Thanks! 183K - I suspect fuel sensor and possibly just coked up (not in a good way). Easily sortable.

[@danhoppy5517]

My dad liked big Rovers before he shuffled off this mortal coil, but he always looked enviously towards the Lexus, especially the early ones.

[@hl236]

Dat intro tho! Honda, FIGHT! Subscribed!

[@bobmizen1]

Great purchase Jack, I had one the same year but a facelift model with 6 CD player in the boot and sat nav. I preferred it to my LS430 which I owned at the same time (for our chauffeur business). Thanks again for sharing your experiences. Regards, Bob M. South Wales

[@Number27]

Thank you for watching Bob!!

[@TomYearley]

Great idea for the luxo barge series! Can't wait.

[@peteb3091]

Been really enjoying your videos lately mate, keep it up 👍

[@OlaCurtius]

Check the drainages for the sunroof. If those get clogged it will leak into the cabin.

[@Landshark928]

Hi Jack, what a great purchase this 90s super Toyota! The front always reminds me a bit of the Toyota Crown. Changing this rubber doorseal will really help I guess, over time they get hardened and a tiny gap will transform your car in an aquarium on rainy days. Good luck!

[@RevLexus]

Lovely Lexus! (also love the name SUMO) I daily a SC430 and I agree the V8 in Lexus are very smooth. I look forward to seeing more of this on your channel!

[@markbriggs5531]

I really enjoyed this and look forward to seeing more. With regard to that driver's seat, there are upholstery specialists that could perform a repair - there is one in Southampton I have used in the past and I was very pleased with the result, if that's of any help. Keep up the excellent content!

[@okgo8315]

That looks like a great car, excellent. The leak is prob the sunroof drains, but A Smoke machine inside the car will show where the leak is. I learnt this from Ed on Wheeler Dealers and it worked a treat on my sisters Freelander. The smoke was coming out from around a rear light cluster...... yes, most odd, but i fixed it. 👍🇬🇧

[@Telecaster4959]

Toyota cars in general suffered from water ingress because of the blocked sunroof drains ... it is a good idea to see if they are blocked ... as for the suspension/ride check the arms on the suspension top and bottom ...they are known to wear and seize up and squeak... The engine is bullet proof as long as you change the cam belt every 100000 miles ... The dash is cathode Ray tubes for the dials and I suspect there is water or damp behind the dash (you said when it warms up it comes back .. I was involved with Lexus when they first came out in the UK...in fact I drove one of the very first LS400s distributed to Lexus dealers as I worked for Toyota as a parts manager... I used to supply parts to a company who worked on these cars to bullet proof them and lengthen them by 18 inches ... I loved the marque and still do

[@FFVoyager]

There is a moment in a William Gibson novel (perhaps Neuromancer, Count Zero, Burning Chrome? Can't remember!) where the character notices a Lexus up on bricks. It was an allegory on the time and and how we would end up in the future and it seemed so unlikely back when I read the book in the late early 90's - but here we are in the future and here it is!

[@Scala598]

I'd check behind the door card to ensure the weather seal is intact and door drains are clear. Iirc the engine is non-interference too so if the belt snaps, it's not the end of the world. Do like a Lexus, looking forward to this series.

[@markyamaguchi9571]

We have the same car color to. It has close to 300.000 miles. Still running strong considering we really haven't taken it in for regular service until something comes up with it. But it's a great car.

[@lp9280]

Lexus is in class of it's own, recently my friend had gotten mk1 LS400 for free from a family an elderly family member and it is more or less same story - you call still go around the world with the car because engine is strong, but overall car would require thousands to put right (and I don't even mean Lexus dealer prices, that is in parts alone). Mileage is absolutely non-issue provided it was maintained and had basic things like oil changed. I myself had Lexus IS250 for long time and at 200k miles it has most of original parts, I mean I replaced anti-roll bar drop links, A/C pump and lower ball joints in the front, Xenon bulbs - that was all, the rest of the car was all original from the factory and no issues whatsoever. And LS400 is magnitude of times more reliable than IS250. Lexus are not really that bad with rust to be fair, little bit in rear arches because of stone chips, but apart of that they are not really bad, apart of that not much goes wrong with these cars. Wood fall of if left in excessive heat, but could be glued back, suspension is solid, but part are expensive - so for example rear shocks are like £600 a piece, sure they last 200k miles, but when you getting car for £900 with 200k miles, there will be loads of parts to replace. The key difference from German cars is that parts last forever, but they are expensive and in UK are very hard to find. Most of the time you will have to get parts from US. But there are plenty of good areas e.g. electrical side never goes wrong and generally speaking nothing ever goes wrong to the level of leaving you standing on the side of the road... passing MOT is different story, but Lexus are darn reliable. Water coming in is most likely sunroof drain being blocked, especially if it is passenger footwell, if it would be leaking via door seal then the door itself would be wet. If you ever need help you can always visit UK Lexus owner club forum, which is by far the friendliest forum on the internet and has a lot of member ready to help you with any question.

[@PompeyMatt17]

couple of things with the leak...sit in the car with a torch and have someone spray the door with a garden hose.. water droplets will show like little diamonds...another trick I learnt..and it worked for a boot leak on my Skoda..put three slices about 2 inches long about a foot apart with a Stanley knife in the door rubber. Counter intuitive I know but it works !

[@PRG888]

I reckon the windscreen is where the water is coming in... love this series, keep it coming 🙂

[@stephanmurphy909]

They were and still a great cars as a car valeting buissness owner I remember when they came out and had valeted them you knew you had a car there sheer size they were different from others like the mitsubishi sigma Opel senator mercs they were bigger with a clean up and a few bits you will make a lovely car out of it there are companies that fill the leather re paint it I be looking forward to your progress

[@virgilrytaar9083]

XJ6!.......I can't wait, I bought an ex police 2.9 manual many years ago. A real oddball, cloth interior. I'm sure someone told me it was a Getrag box, it was wonderful. You have to try and find one. XJ40, I was ridiculed for buying the SOHC 2.9, but it was peanuts and never went wrong

[@AlienLivesMatter]

Most people have no clue mate. It's always the cars everyone overlooks for presumed reasons that are the best.

[@grahamsalmons2027]

Love Sumo! Easily the best project yet (well except influenzo which is a gold mine of content!). Can’t wait to see how it works out!

[@ada-ey3xd]

Definitely check the sunroof drains. As someone else has mentioned they have a drain that goes in to the arch so if the drain is clogged it will come in to the car around the drivers footwell. I’ve actually recently watched a video with exactly the same issue on a car of this age but a different make.

[@ebutuoyYT]

Watching this with interest, to see if a LS400 or later variant can be run on a reasonable budget.

[@steve83803]

As previously mentioned the sunroof (Lexus call it a Moonroof!) drains are the usual culprit for water ingress, they are visible with the sunroof open and thick strimmer cord does the job for unclogging. The front struts appear to be adjustable aftermarket items which may account for the suspension issues. The dash lighting issue generally affected the earlier models and not the series III but can be repaired. As usual the torch is missing from the tool kit.

[@mobip949]

Cambelt service includes tensioner, idler and water pump. Possibly rotors, caps and HT leads too. Expect to pay around a grand.

[@anthonyhawkins9239]

As quite a few have mentioned, sunroof drains have to be top of the list 👍, well built Toyota, lacks soul.

[@Number27]

Will check this out and clean, thank you!!

[@craigrobertson7938]

Looking forward to this series massively. Be interesting to do a 50:50 on the seats to see how clean it comes up. I’d be interested in it once you have finished with it.

[@GordonNicol]

Great video/content I like these old luxury cars you feature! How much would the Lexus been new?

[@johnandrews3568]

Jack, water inside could be from a blocked sunroof drain. Easy fix to blow them out and they typically block at the top, not down the pipes.

[@patrickdelahunty7231]

Check the sunroof drainage for blockages. They can and do leak when the drains get blocked by insect nests.

[@davidgray5583]

Mate. I am a fan and love your vids but if you have time to set up cameras , you have the 30 seconds it takes to clean the snow off the rear window.

[@doktoruzo]

lol...I was going to say this but I didn't want to upset Jack. Pet peeve of mine when you see people driving around and haven't cleared their windows. It's dangerous and lazy.

[@davidgray5583]

@@doktoruzo Jacks a nice bloke. Pretty sure he will not pull a Liam Neeson and use his special set of skills …

[@doktoruzo]

@@davidgray5583 . ha,ha...yeah

[@kins749]

Nice. I've got an LS300, the engine is so silky smooth, no rust, everything works. But the sunroof did leak and make the floor wet, it seems Lexus's (Lexi?) of that age like to leak.

[@bispal]

You amazingly brilliant fantastic lunatic! Good work Jack, I can't wait to watch this 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Number27]

Thank you Paul!! Let’s see how this one does..

[@pomelodrive21]

You can try smoke test in the the interior of the car to see were the air leak is around the door. Buy party smoke machine very cheap on online and this can help. Lovely car always, looking forward for the contents.

[@malcolmmorton989]

When I worked at Rolls Royce ( Pre BMW ) in Crewe , they had one of these for assessment. I remember us struggling to tell when the engine was running , it was so quiet from the inside.

[@stuartd9741]

Funny isn't it. A major upmarket brand accessing a Toyota lol. Thou the guys at Toyota always do stuff properly. Reliability is always first rather than being built to a cost as alot of other manufacturers seem to do...

[@Ballterra]

707,000 kms on my LS 430 and still going strong very quiet only a few very little rattles big thing is DO preventative Maintenance, my mechanic just laughs shakes his head at the mileage and how it keeps going. Mind you he does great work.

[@stuartd9741]

Wow that's impressive. Thou the secret is preventative maintenance.. There are some (US) videos here on YT of cars doing 80k miles without an oil or service... Quite shocking really.

[@johancoetzer2165]

When I saw that it was a Lexus, I assumed that it was going to be boring. Just one episode reporting on how wonderful it was. I was wrong. Looking forward to this series!

[@SLR-hn5yy]

The leak can be from the sunroof and the passages being block to drain down to the ground. You can clean the drains with some whipper snipper cord etcetera.

[@2702simmo]

Love these Lexuses so I’m excited to see it on the channel I’d often thought about buying this off Simon a couple of times

[@samcourt6228]

Sun roof drains could be causing the water ingress assuming a similar system to cars like a VW Golf. That doesn’t look to scabby really, love the fact that it’s on hearing aid beige as well. Can’t believe how much you’ve changed appreciating wafting over steering feel and involvement! 😂

[@dawnnadir]

I love this LS400. Please bring this car back to pristine condition!

[@pauln0371]

My mates dad had 2 LS400s one after the other after driving Saab 900s and Audi 100s for years. He loved them. First one was the Original and then a Facelift version and finally a LS430. He then moved onto the RX 4x4. He was a true Lexus convert. Enjoy and all the best sorting out the issues Jack👍👍

[@Number27]

Thank you Paul!!

[@slasher9883]

How timely, I was looking at an old Lexus as my next project car. Though here in Oz they hold their value a bit better, maybe due to rust not being such an issue. That engine is fantastic, always thought it would be great to swap into an FJ40. Watching this with great interest!

[@andrewgruber1032]

Rust by windshield could be your leak. Soapy water around wind shield and use compressed air sound inside windshield and look for bubbles on outside

[@JamesJohnson-sh9yz]

I bought an R reg MK4 in Jan 2020 for £700. I've just treated it to a full service, cambelt and water pump. Whilst it's there it's having new ball joints too. All parts from Lexus direct.

[@WheelchairWonders]

I'm a die hard Lexus fan and owner... please check the sun roof drains to make sure they are not blocked.. That often causes the wet footwells.. (Phil - Lancashire)

[@g0fvt]

Air suspension leak? Could be riding on the bump stops. I am sure you will get it cracked, wonder if the door hinges have been deformed by the side impact?

[@caeserromero3013]

7:03 I see what you mean about water in the foot well. It's Evian, I believe 😂

[@jonathanphillips3257]

The water ingress could be as mentioned previously here coming from the sunroof drains. Worth checking out to see if hoses are blocked, perished or even become disconnected and water traveling down door pillar...

[@TZ18XJ]

I second your diagnosis.

[@Number27]

Will check this thank you!!

[@superthierry1]

£850 that’s a bargain..great find..Notice lot of Toyota switch gear too brilliant 😎👍🏾

[@GRfourfun]

Just about run in for a Lexus. Loving this Jack. Lexus ISF with the performance 5.0 V8 417bhp engine in the states with over 350k with no issues whatsoever. Im on my second ISF, zero issues over 5 years with the first and I expect my facelift to be the same. If you want reliability you buy a Lexus.

[@Number27]

Thank you and enjoy yours!!

[@ewanturner4381]

This looks a beauty. I love LS400s, almost as much as those black leather driving gloves you're sporting 😁. I have some very similar which always come out this time of year 🥶👍

[@Number27]

Hey dude.. they’re not driving gloves… 🤣 just gloves!

[@greggraham2642]

Get a 98-2000 LS400 with the updated VVTi 1UZ and the 5 speed auto and it will have better running gear. A black interior holds up better from what I've seen. Refresh the suspension and you'll have a great cruiser. Actually just get a 98-2005 GS400/GS430 with Bilstein shocks and it will run circles around the LS400.

[@cheaptp]

Dashboard needs recapping, on this variant usually 2 small caps that cause that backlight fault. Pop the dash out, use a hairdryer and freezer spray to work out which ones it is. It’ll cost pence to sort out and would make an interesting video for anyone who owns one of these. 15 years ago I was fixing 5 of these dashboards a week for main dealers.

[@stuartd9741]

Another interesting buy. Never driven one of these. Will be Interesting how this fares with the Merc. I'm sure an upholsterer would be able to fix the seat thou a complete seat may be cheaper. As everyone had said. The sunroof drainpipes maybe be blocked. Thou maybe the water is leaking under the front windscreen scuttle area and has leaked on the instrument cluster and thus shorted it out? To me these Lexus always had a bit of an identity crisis. Neither regarded as upmarket enough to compare to Merc, Jag's, BMW, the same affliction that effected the VW Phaeton. Plush but always regarded as an "VW" I nearly purchased an entry level 3.5 V6 Phaeton few years ago bulked at the running costs Was only 3.5k on Autotrader.. May be another luxury barge option if you can find one.. Trying to keep up Jack been pumping them out lately. 👍

[@greggraham2642]

Check to see if your shocks are adjustable. It looks like they might be. If so, dial them back to soften the ride. Hopefully theirs some adjustment to do so.

[@johnmandragon4830]

Yes Jack, yes yes yes. Love this car and love this series.

[@Easytiger007]

Mine was R reg…,put that 1uz V8 engine in kit car…..,great fun too in something as light as Elise.

[@Fatspurios]

I remember seeing something about a leather repair kit on an old hot rod garage of the roadkill offshoot about seats looking a bit worse than yours. She's a beaut.

[@chrisdunkley8055]

Excellent review, your battery clamp is in the wheel well of the spare, part of your mot fail if you don't reattach it, look for severe corrosion in front of the rear wheel, most Toyotas suffer in that spot, lovely cars, seem to be more expensive than the ls430 for no apparent reason, good luck.