My Take On The 98-2000 Ls400

[SKperformance]

Well i bought my car last year as some may remember with about 260 000 km and it now has almost 290 000 km. It had no oil leaks , did not burn oil or have any other mechanical issues.

It was Lexus dealer maintained before me for all its maintenance.

Since buying it i have (list of things done and basic costs, most are free as i do my own work and have many friends in the business plus my personal pile of junk/stash parts)

Replacement of parts for age/damage (needed to be done) $520

Right side mirror $230

both corner/fender lenses $150

right fog light $60

fixed hid leveler on rear suspension arm free

replaced old battery/engine grounds free

replaced battery with an optima yellow free

fixed jammed trunk lid lock free

Serpentine belt squealed $80

freshen up ( things to add that youthful look ) $430

both front door upper hinges P.I.T.A.!!! **anyone else change these beside me** $80

repainted the front grille to freshen it up free

fixed stone chips free

bought new floor mats $50

removed over 30 dents/dings (P.D.R.) paint less dent removal from previous owner $300

ground down and removed rust build up around trunk weatherstripping free

Maintenance (had to do sooner or later) $740

Changed the oil twice to motul $200

replaced diff oil to motul $60

replaced all plugs to NGK iridium $20

added a K&N filter $40

nitrogen in the tires $20

new PBR brake pads and drilled rotors $250

brake wear sensor for rear $40

OEM Lexus graphite coated blade inserts $10

new bulbs for the buttons seat heaters/vsc/headlight washers free

sea-foam through intake every other month free

rust proofed as it will always be from now on $100

Performance additions/modifications (not needed ,just wanted to) $7000

Intake modifications free

changed the rear exhausts to L-sportline $400

removed rear Y and resonators (borla 2-1) to reduce turbulence and free up some power and gas mileage $200

wood shift knob and steering wheel $150

clear front parking lights free

all interior bulbs to Leds free

added white Leds to corners and dummy light beside fog light $30

3000k HID's bulbs to headlights $60

4300k HID's full kit to fog lights free

20 LED tower bulb turn signals with load resistor to flash normally $10

chrome handle on trunk lid to close $20

dynamat trunk lid free

2-way paging alarm system $500

rims and tires $3000

amp cap and a sub ,removed stock sub from shelf $1500

JIC full coilover suspension $700

XM radio roady XT kit free

Made taillights all red except when signal is illuminated free

4 sonar rear parking sensors free

PIAA bulbs for city lights and rear license plate $10

fog light mod to turn on without headlights $15

Things left to do (not sure what i am really waiting for besides money and a job)

MODS $2600

Paint/install my L-sportline body kit ,eyelids ,3 piece spoiler $1000

repaint hood and fenders $500

flare fenders lip $100

Build roof spoiler free

tint 50% mirror all around including front windshield $300

clear bra front end $400

stainless steel braided brake lines $100

window visors from Japan (OEM Toyota) $200

Repairs $420

rear parking brake shoes $150

parking brake shock (already bought it but now don't need it ) $60

left rear 1/4 taillight cracked $150

clinking on right rear suspension ???

right rear caliper seal on piston ripped ???

possible bad front strut rod/bars (they hold the lower control arm axis with subframe) $60

a weired battery draining problem that sets off my SRS light occasionally, could be linked to the fuse bus beside the battery that is open underneath and is susceptible to corrosion,the only design flaw with this car)

***Drive to lexfest in Atlanta with everything finished this September***

So far i have spoken to numerous professionals at Toyota head office and Lexus dealerships who have all come to the conclusion unanimously (off the record) without any bias from me. the 98-2000 is not the best LS ever made for reliability , not even the best Lexus ever made but the best Toyota product ever designed. I find it hard to believe but all of these people are going on one thing alone and that is that they never see common issues with these cars. they only have issues if not maintained otherwise it is the most reliable Car to get if you can find one in good condition. Mine was a nice car that was well maintained but it vanity needed and still needs some work to make it perfect again.

So as you can see for a very high mileage (too me) car that drives and is reliable as a 60 000km version this is a shining star. If you are in the market to buy an LS400/430 stretch or save some money and pick up a 98-2000 UCF/21 it is the best car for the money. The gas mileage is only bad for the first few months until you get over the 300 lbs of torque under your foot.

Why i made this post was i spent 3 hours changing the upper hinges as they were worn . It was a major pain in the !Removed! as you have to practically remove the fender and headlight as well to access the 2 bolts holding it to the frame. Now that i think about it i have hardly done anything much to this car as far as repairs that have to be done or you are not going to be driving.

[falciott]

Hi SK, congrats on all the mods and future mods, but let me ask you this: how are those paintless dent removals? Do they completly disappear, or can you still see a hint of them? Do they have to remove the interior panels to do that? I have a few as well, not a top priority, but eventually I wanted to get to it, so I haven;t even asked around. By the way.. 100 bucks per oil change with Motul? That must be the Rolls Royce of oils!!

[Gumart1]

That's an AMAZING list SK. Congrats on all your efforts. Any new pics? This may be a dumb question but how do I convert KM into miles?

"So as you can see for a very high mileage (too me) car that drives and is reliable as a 60 000km version this is a shining star."

I couldn't agree more. That is why I just bought another '98LS! Yep, I couldn't stay away. I may go down as the guy on the forum who keeps buying and selling these, but it is a learning experience for me and I have to say it has given me a good perspective on a few things.

First, mileage has significance but is not NEARLY as important as maintenance and driving habits. And second, even with neglect, some of these cars still hold up very well! My new '98 has 233,000 miles. It is black with tan leather and chrome wheels and Nakamichi, but no NAV, HID or wood steering wheel/shifter. The previous owner bought it CPO with 42k miles and was a dental equipment salesman. He averaged about 45k miles each year for the last 4 years! He had a terrible maintanance history and did NOT go to the Dealer. Many people would walk away from this, but I've driven too many to know the good from bad. It drove like a dream, better than my last '98 with 100k miles. I've been driving it for a couple of weeks and have no immediate problems other than needing brakework. No leaks to be found and I just drove a tankful and averaged 25mpg exactly. I agree that these are the best years visually and mechanically (If you remember to change the timing belt before it breaks).

[akewlguy]

Wow you did alot. Car must look great. Did you have someone repair all the minor scratches and nicks?

Well I guess that sucks that LEX FEST is down south. Good for the country boys and Florida fish. One fact is when you go down south there are a lot less LS 400/430s. Maybe there is more IS?

[oohryry]

Man I should would like to know where you got your fog lights for 60 bucks. My left front one is blown out from a crack in the cover when something hit it.

[SKperformance]

falciott

Thanks, also the PDR does not remove any panels and takes about 2-20 minutes a dent. It all depends on who does the work and if they are anal or not but most shops will keep going if you really want it perfectly flat. i have gone for 3 appointments so far and 90% of them have been taken out. I am in no rush and they are giving me an unbelievable deal . As most shops charge about $100 for the first and $25 for each additional. They are also removing a large dent from where an 18 wheeler hit me a few weeks ago on my quarter panel. If you have them and want them removed it is worth the money. Most shops are Mobile and will come to you for the same price. Also when it is done the car can go from looking OK to WOW that looks like a brand new car. If is funny how much the removal of dents can change the whole look of a car. BTW motul is like the "Lexus " of oils as it improves my mileage and power greatly at every oil change , so it is more than worth it. It also can go for extended drain schedule as it holds up amazingly well compared to other synthetics. I change it every 15000km.

Gumart1 ,thanks also here is a conversion table

http://tdiclub.com/misc/conversions.html

So my 290 000km is 180197 miles , I think i might buy a 2000LS one day as it has folding mirrors and brake force distribution as the only changes.

No major new pics that i like,sorry.

akewlguy most of the scratches where removed by polishing it , i still have a few and have filled all the stonechips so they are less noticeable.

Down south has a lot more LS's than up north to me as it has a large retirement demographic. They tend to like big cars that are comfortable . The only reason why Cadillac is still around.

oohryry i got my foglight from ebay , you need to keep looking and you can find one. How much is it for one from the dealer. Mine was not bad it just had a hairline crack . I was going to keep it and just get the clear bra put over it so no one would be able to tell anymore.

[92silverls400]

Had a dent on my left front door of my 00 LS400, dealership had the dent pulled without taking inside door panel out. it was a sub contractor who did the job for the dealership. NO MORE DENT! No charge from dealership, because dent was noticed by me after picking up car, service writer did not argue with me, told me to bring it in on a friday, and they will take care of it. AND THEY DID!

[oohryry]

If I can recall the dealer wanted 280.00 for the replacement of the fog lights.

[SKperformance]

Here are some new pics from the meet the other night ,with me and a friends LS.

[Dust]

Both look very nice. I still cant believe your car is 180.000 miles looks incredble, that black also looks nice but for 98 I think silver looks more rich.

[SKperformance]

What is funny is the 2 cars are almost identical.

Both are 98 LS400's with black interior which is where most similarities end for options. I refer to the pair as ying and yang.

I have JIC coilovers he has cut springs ,which caused his suspension to bottom out so much that his airbags set off destroying the seatbelts with them as well as previously bending his frame which buckled at the corners of the sunroof as well as cracking his last windshield

I have a moderate drop that provides me with a nice stance and a very drivable /usable height

His is very low and scrapes on every bump bottoming out at every bump but it looks amazing to me driving and parked

I have OEM paint he has aftermarket black paint

I have no tint and he has a very dark one including the windshield

I have Y-pipe exhaust upgrades he has an X pipe

I have only and amp and sub he has that plus a car computer

I have cleared corners yellow headlights and hid fogs ,his is the exact opposites

I fix every possible problem has has vsc ,srs and abs lights lighting up his dash

I have 20's he has 18 's as his 20's cracked again

I baby my car ,he beats on it like a wild donkey

[SW03ES]

Frankly, his doesnt look right to me. The paint job is terrible (orange peel), its filthy and the blacked out trim looks like he did it himself to a Civic.

Yours is much classier.

[falciott]

Frankly, his doesnt look right to me. The paint job is terrible (orange peel), its filthy and the blacked out trim looks like he did it himself to a Civic.

Yours is much classier.

I concur! I'd take yours over your friends car anyday.

[SKperformance]

So would I , the paint looks worse in person and the whole car is just beat up looking . Even though it has a very evil look you just start to feel bad as you get closer to the car as you could see its potential if it was just done right.

[blake918]

Even though it has a very evil look you just start to feel bad as you get closer to the car as you could see its potential if it was just done right.

I agree! I like his ideas (his car is too low though); his execution of those ideas on the other hand needs some work! He should have just waited until he had the money to do it right because it would have been a very nice looking car--kinda like an unmarked FBI car or something. haha

SK, great write-up! Your car is looking great too! I'm not sure that I agree that any one year LS400 is better than the other as far as reliability is concerned. After they hit that 9 or 10 year mark, they all seem to have the same issues with bushings, oil leaks, starters, a/c, power steering system, lcds, etc. It will be interesting to see how the 2.5s age! Wow, that's going to be a nice little drive for you to come down to Atlanta for Lexfest!!! :o :D

[SKperformance]

Thanks , the idea of the UCF21 being better is from a new in warranty and still dealer maintained point of view. It has the least amount of replacement parts ordered and least mechanical breakdowns. This also compared to the newer LS430 which has more electrical bugs. So none of this info is from a bias of neglect as there impressions where from newer ones still.

I like to drive , hell i drove 3 hours to go to a damn beach with my wife this weekend. Last year was D.C. for Lex Fest so this should be good . My wife now realises it is close to Florida and wants to go hit a cruise for a week as we are that far already.

[blake918]

Thanks , the idea of the UCF21 being better is from a new in warranty and still dealer maintained point of view.

Ahhh, ok, makes sense now! ;) We should recruit some LOC members to really make a showing at Lexfest this year.... :whistles:

[SKperformance]

oohryry

Here is a link to a drivers side one which you need ,it is labeled as a passenger side one and is going for $80 , i think the seller has mixed up either which side it is for or it is a reversed pic.

good luck.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Lexus-LS-400-98-00-Pass...1QQcmdZViewItem

[GRAND_LS 4]

oohryry

Here is a link to a drivers side one which you need ,it is labeled as a passenger side one and is going for $80 , i think the seller has mixed up either which side it is for or it is a reversed pic.

good luck.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Lexus-LS-400-98-00-Pass...1QQcmdZViewItem

I really like what you did with your car… while modded, it looks very clean and simple. Love the wheels… only if they were staggered.

In addition, like how the headlight washers set off the headlights like that… so how effective are they? Are they high-pressured? Do you get a lot of overspray on the windshield after use?

I saw ONE Canadian LS down here in Florida… black… looked very nice.

[SKperformance]

Thanks grand, The wheels are staggered 8.5 wide (255/35-20) +15 mm spacer up front and 9.5 (275/30-20) out back.

I don't use the headlight washers other than to show them to people who ask them about them. They do work well when it is lots of dirt and snow outside but i try and not have a dirty car to need them. Its pressure is the same windshield ones. If i am moving then it does have some over spray but not much.

[GRAND_LS 4]

Thanks grand, The wheels are staggered 8.5 wide (255/35-20) +15 mm spacer up front and 9.5 (275/30-20) out back.

I don't use the headlight washers other than to show them to people who ask them about them. They do work well when it is lots of dirt and snow outside but i try and not have a dirty car to need them. Its pressure is the same windshield ones. If i am moving then it does have some over spray but not much.

Oh yeah, I remember now. Very nice.

[widowmaker03]

SKperformance,

Where did you get those rims and did you go with OEM floormats or generics?

[SKperformance]

The rims are discontinued ,OEM floormats only.

[widowmaker03]

Too bad on those rims. They look great!

Where can I get OEM floormats for $50? Best I seen was on Ebay for around $90.