MadMax96

I think I'm really digging the color... at first I wasn't sure. It seems that all of the LS's for sale are black, silver, or that beige/gold color. Nothing wrong with those - just too common!

The seller said more than half the people who called weren't interested after they found out it was green and that it didn't have the Nakamichi stereo... their loss!!

Got the go-ahead from my wife to let me get rid of my '02 Maxima. The lease ends in a few months but at this point I wanted to cut my losses. I probably would have had to do brakes and with the factory warranty ending next month (39 mo lease) who knows what else I would have been burned with.

Went to Capitalone.com and got a car loan approved in about 2 minutes and the check is being Fed-Ex'd and will be here tomorrow.

Now to the good stuff:

Found a 1999 LS400 in green with grey interior with the wood steering wheel and HID headlights. 115k miles and ALL service taken care of. The guy has all printouts proving what was done (trans every 30k, and all the major services done at the Lexus dealer). Every aspect of the car is near-perfect... including the way it drives (not a surprise though eh?) Even the wheels don't have a single mark on them - they look perfect. No door dings or scratches on the paint either.

The owner has the title in hand so it should be a smooth transaction.

His asking price was a very reasonable $13,900 but I got it for $13,500. Score!

Another thing that he mentioned is that the display on the stereo (non-Nak) went out (a common problem that I've read I think) so that's already been replaced with a whole new stereo while under his extended warranty. I guess they already replaced some strut bushings or something in the rear as well. So I'm pretty sure I should be good to go for quite a while.......

Looks like a great forum you guys here - I don't think I could own a car (or motorcycle) without resources like this!

Here's a pic - sorry it sucks, but it's all I got for the moment:

Sweet - that means it'll probably continue to go down. Around here (chicago burbs) the best I've seen is 2.19, 2.29, 2.39 for reg, mid, and premium respectively.

Thanks for the info. It's a bummer that they aren't cornering lights - it's a very nice feature to have. Some American cars have had them since the 70s at least. Even my '89 Thunderbird had them.

That mod looks easy enough to do too.

Might be picking up a '99 LS400 (keeping fingers crossed). I test drove one today and noticed that it has these lights that are on the front sides of the bumper, next to the fog lights.

I thought they might be corning lamps, but they didn't come on with the turn signal (with or without the headlights on).

I asked the owner and he had no idea...

Any idea what they are?

Thanks........

I think the wheels look worse than that interior. The steering wheel cover, however, takes the cake. Did this guy used to drive a taxi???

MadMax, I'm trying to get your PM ability turned on early. Do you have an email address you don't mind posting up here in this forum that I can contact you at?

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No prob - mfredendall@yahoo.com

Black really wont be any harder to keep up than that blue really, Lexus black is single stage (no clearcoat) and its really easy to polish out and make look sharp.

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Hi: That Black Lexus for 13,000.00 is a steal. Ask the owner to what Lexus dealer or where did he do the maintenance. Take the VIN # out to the Lexus dealer and ask them what maintenance has been performed in the car. If he did not do it at the Lexus dealer he should have some documents, buying a Lexus with neglected maintenance is a risky proposition. Timing belt change very important see if it was done or if it is needed. Oil change in the car is at 5,000 miles. Make sure the owner tells you what has gone wrong with it in all the years he had it. That way you have an idea of how good or bad he was with the car, the interior should look with little use besides the driver side.

It is very important that you do a Carfax title check, many bad water damage vehicles running around from LA and other parts. If all that is clear you can go ahead with it. Read the forums on the most common problems, in addition to the ones given in this thread. The detailing we have many experts and I say experts in the products and cleaning techniques on how to keep your paint like new. They showed me the Magic Eraser, great product to clean about anything and inexpensive also.

When you get it change the air filter to the K & N clean the Throtle Body, they tend to carbon up a lot, and clean the PCV check the hose for sludge. Take it to Autozone and do a battery check, making sure the battery is not going out.

Wash it take it for a long drive get some CD's and some ole cassettes also if you have them and like a great dinner that is never heavy and leaves you neither not full but not empty wanting for more, that is the LS Experience. Is like meeting the other love of your life!

C. PR

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Not sure if I'll go for the black car because he said the maintenance wasn't done. But I did find this one: Green '99 LS400

and the owner got back to me saying it has had the timing belt done and he has all records. He also said it has the Xenons, but no Nakamichi (no biggie). I think I like the color scheme (not as popular, which is good), but I might have trouble convincing my wife of it. The price on this one seems very reasonable as well.

What it comes down to now is if Nissan can work something out for me to get out of the lease. Hopefully they can work something out better than just paying for the car in full since I've had so many issues with it.

Well good news for me - called up the insurance agent and a '98/99 LS400 will only run me about $10 more a month. Score!

As far as the earlier 98 models go - is there a build date range to avoid?

It looks like I can get a little better finance rate on a '99 so if I can find one in my price range I might just do that.

I saw this car on eBay (might still be on there because it didn't sell)... probably the sweeeetest color I've ever seen. I've never seen this on the road.

Prepare to drool: LS400

Black is a bit tough to keep up, but check out this deal I found: '99 LS400 for sale near me

Edit - found out that he's the 2nd owner and that the 90k service has NOT been done. Not something I'd want to deal with anyway...

MadMax96,

How much are you looking to spend

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I've seen some 98 LS400s for $15k-18k.. I'd like to keep it under $17k if possible. I'd like to keep my payment as low as possible (who wouldn't?)

Thanks for all the great info guys....... from what it seems, the Nak stereo is nice, but nothing outstanding or worth holding out for. I think most of the LS's I've seen in the classifieds don't have it. My current Bose system seems weak compared to my previous car's setup - two 12" subs with a 450watt amp along with a Pioneer CD/MP3 headunit. I pretty much know that NO factory audio system will pound like that. Hopefully the stock system with an Infinity Basslink will suffice.

I've been spoiled with my HID lights... but if I have to give them up I will if it means I could end up with an LS on my driveway.

I've heard air suspension is costly on pretty much any car, don't need/want that really.

The tips about the motor/tranny mounts is good stuff as well as the 90k maintenance. Mucho appreciated.

Another thing I've noticed in general with the LS is that even on cars that are over 10 yrs old - the leather is usually in near-perfect shape.

Thanks for the warm welcome.............now if I can only get out of this lease a little early I might be riding in style sooner than later. :)

Matt - Where are you located exactly? I am in Deerfield so we're probably neighbors. I do own a '98 and a '91LS. Welcome to the forum! Feel free to e-mail me at mphecht@hotmail.com

Also check out the threads at te top of the LS page. They are a great source for info.

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I'm in Round Lake now, but grew up in Lake Bluff and currently work in Lincolnshire.. been in/around Deerfield all the time. Small world eh?

How do you like your '98? Did you buy it new or used?

I did see the pinned threads above and they have some good stuff... but didn't answer all of my questions.

Hey guys, great forums you got here. I've been browsing these forums for a few weeks now and I wanted to ask some questions about the 98/99 LS400s.

My lease is about up on my 2002 Maxima SE. I've always loved the LS400 since I drove a 1st gen (early 90s). I'm hoping to be able to pick up a 98/99 and had some questions about what I should look out for.

I have looked/searched a bit and didn't find my answers... please feel free to link me to threads that have already covered these answers.

Why a 98/99? I know that year had several improvements including the 5sp auto and a bump in horsepower along with exterior enhancements.

Is the Nakamichi stereo worth having? I have the optional Bose (Blose) system on my Maxima - it sucks. It's also been replaced 4-5 times because of known issues...keep getting refurbs, big hassle. Also, the sound isn't anything special. I know sometimes it's worth just getting the base model stereo and doing my own headunit/speaker upgrades.

I really like the HIDs on my car - weren't they optional on the LS400? It appears to be part of an option package (w/ the stereo?)

I've also seen some LS400s with and without the wood steering wheel. Looks sharp - is that worth having?

It seems that cars with near or over 100k miles aren't anything to be afraid of and that I should probably look out for some normal wear & tear items. I'm pretty mechanically inclined and hope I can handle stuff like that myself instead of paying the stealer for it.

Thanks in advance - looking forward to the feedback from you guys.

-Matt

02 Maxima SE

99 Suzuki Bandit 1200S