Micah.Berry

dcfish,

The following is a tutorial on Club Lexus: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls400/450071-diy-engine-and-transmission-bushings-replacement.html

I'm curious on Billy's before and after driving impressions. Billy, is this the car on which you changed both motor mounts? I don't recall if you've changed the mounts on both of your LS's.

I am looking to change mine in about 2 to 3 weeks when I change my oil and tranny fluid. Looks fairly simple based on the tutorial above. I get a very noticeable vibration in the floorboard and seat when driving 80. What's odd is that the vibration disappears and then comes back, which I can only attribute to movement on the bushing as I apply throttle or go up and down hills. It's weird, but the slight misalignment of the drive train makes sense to me. I'll start with the transmission bushing and work from there.

Micah

Just got back from a 1100 mile road trip yesterday night, and the V1 saved me 3 times. I use the large "L", though at this point, I don't recall what the different settings mean. Just for reference, the V1 chirped once on Ka band, and that was about a mile before I got to a speed trap in IL. I was running with a Mercedes, and once I got the chirp, I stabbed the brake. The Mercedes went on, and got nabbed. Illinois troopers didn't have much tolerance for speeding. We weren't going that much over.

I've been interested in the K40 radar detectors, but I've never spoken to anyone that had one. I find your experiences very interesting!

Micah

I agree with Turboomni on the thrust of the VVT. I was reminded of it on Saturday night, when I pulled into a lane, checked my rear view and saw that the Tahoe that was way down the road was approaching me RIGHT NOW! I mash the gas to the floor, and the "little" 4.0L V8 punted the LS down the road. I rarely use the acceleration capabilities of the V8 - I bought it because it was smooth. But I like knowing it's there if I need it. My only complaint with the 5 speed is that it seems a little "confused" as to which gear to be in when I'm going at parking-lot speeds. Not really even a complaint, just something that I've noticed.

He also makes a good point on the common parts that will need to be changed (assuming that normal maintenance has been completed).

Don't finance an 11 year old car. Most banks that I know won't do this unless it's a collector's car (think vintage Ferrari and the like) but those are fairly specialized transactions. You're on the right track - wait for the right one to show up. It will. People move this cars on for many different reasons. You can score a well kept one at an excellent price if you are patient. While you're waiting, be sure to continue to save. If it were me (and it was when I was shopping...) I would pay a little more for a well documented LS than one without.

Good luck!

Micah

Pay cash. Sell your Z, and buy what you can afford. There may also be some nice other cars out there (Accord, Camry) that you could get while you save up for your next LS. Also, the price may be a bit high on the 99. I thought that I paid a bit much for mine. 113k miles and I paid $8900 at a Toyota dealer (with records). My thinking that I paid a bit much comes from my readings here and on Club Lexus where purchases of 98-00 models float in the 6500-8000 range, may be with a little more mileage--but not much if at all.

Keep searching. Be willing to travel somewhere. I see you're located in Tulsa, and I seriously thought I was going to buy a 98 there (it sold). I bought mine in Kansas City. Don't settle!

Micah

Glad that you got it working, and just as much - that the dealership didn't charge you for the find! Very nice of them!

Micah

Whoa... Thanks for writing up your experience with the poly bushings, Billy! I now know to avoid them and go with OEM. I'll need to look up your post regarding the replacement bushings you bought from Park Place. Off hand, were the bushings you purchased from Park Place the OEM rubber ones or poly ones? (I suppose they'd be OEM rubber).

Thanks so much,

Micah

Just my opinion, but I'd pay a little more for a well cared for and documented example. You certainly don't want one that you're going chase problems (and throw money at). It's an 11 year old car at this point, so there's plenty that could be wrong with it. But knowing that there are some things that will probably need to be addressed, like suspension parts, motor mounts, fluids, and so on, then you could have a really nice car that will last you years. I have a 99 and enjoy mine very much. So far, I've reconditioned the seats, used scratch X to take out numerous scratches (which I'm still doing), changed the power steering fluid by pumping and refilling every day or so and a couple oil changes. Not difficult work, some of it is a little time consuming. I overpaid for mine... Sigh. But, I'm happy with it.

Good luck - be patient! A good one will turn up soon.

Micah

Looks like a great road trip! Glad you made it back safely!

Micah

How did you like your 430 compared to the 400? I like my 400 very much! And I'm in the planning stages of replacing the rubber suspension bits and the motor mounts. I'm looking to do this myself to save a little money.

I'm curious to know if you're going to do the rock chip repairs yourself!

Micah

I know that you said it was the rear door, but read this:

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/body/fdoorpanel.html

Which should give you a good idea as to how to remove the panel.

Hope this helps!

Micah

I'm curious as well... New post, Landar?

I agree with Landar. If airbags are deployed then there could be significant damage, to include the frame. As I recall, airbags are set so that a parking lot bump will not deploy them.

I hope that you're okay! How are you after the wreck?

Micah

Nice! Congrats on the new ride. +1 for Valentine One!

M Khan,

Are you planning on doing the work yourself? From my reading of your original post, most of the work was completed by mechanics/dealerships. Is the car exhibiting any kind of odd noises (though I see where you wrote that in 110k miles it's given you no issues)? Does the suspension make odd noises going over bumps? Fuel filter and differential oil changes should be on your list to change. There are write ups on how to do these if you're going to attempt these jobs on your own.

Looks like you have a fine driving machine based on your description. Enjoy!

Micah

Thank you thank you thank you! I have two keys, but was wishing for a third just in case I can't find mine and my wife's at work.

Micah

Beautiful car, Mr. Powell. Congrats on finding another in one of my favorite colors! I'm sure with your expertise, you'll figure out what the issue is with the tilt.

Micah

I'd like to throw my name in as someone who would enjoy the pictures / write up. That way, Billy, you could "supervise" while your nephew did all the hard labor.

Micah

Oh - a Flex orbital would be great. Right now, I'm saving for my wife's grad school tuition, so a good orbital will need to wait for a while.

Thanks again!

Micah

Steve,

Thanks for your reply! I've read through many tutorials here and on the Club Lexus forums, taking me from absolute zero knowledge base to something a little higher. Some I've learned additional info after my original post. Meguiars has a nice video tutorial. I'm thinking on the Lexus, I will work by hand. It dawned on me today that I could practice paint repair on my clothes dryer, which has tons of scrapes. And if I burn through the paint using the rotary, no big deal.

My wife has some pretty deep scratches on her car that I'm also going to repair. But truthfully, I would rather burn through the Lexus paint than screw up her car, and I DON'T want to screw up my car's paint!

$90 is an excellent price!! I'm going to guess that billydpowell replaced the pads/rotors himself. Badams are you planning to do the same or are you going to have a mechanic do the install. The labor and parts upcharge will affect the price.

Micah

Hi there!

I’m definitely a noob to detailing, but I think I’ve come to the right place! I’ve done a good deal of reading, and expect to do a lot more.

I have a new-to-me 99 LS in black with a gray bottom, it’s one of my favorite color combinations. When I got the car home and in the sun light, I noticed a lot of little scratches by the door, and on the trunk deck lid. Seems like the previous owner might have used the trunk as a spot to put her purse and then dragged it off the trunk once she got her keys. I understand that this black color doesn’t have a clear coat on it. Most of what I have read involves using a compound to level out the clear coat for light scratches. There are also very small portions of the paint that look as though they are hazy.

I would like to bring it back as much shine as I can! Here are my questions:

1. For the black non-clear coated paint, can I use a gentle swirl remover on a rotary?

a. What would the suggestion be on a pad to use?

2. For small scratches where I can see white (which I assume to be primer), I can apply some touch up paint, but I would also like to get the end result as close to factory as I can. I need to get a good tutorial on how to do this. Does anyone have favorite websites they would share?

3. Forgive my noobiness, but am I correct in that claying non-clear coated paint has the same benefits as claying clear coated paint?

4. For paint haze, product recommendations (Megs Ultimate Compound?)?

Thanks so much for the advice. I’ve learned a lot just reading the forum!

Micah

Thanks, Cduluk. I have some light scratches on my recently acquired 99 LS, and my wife has a large, deep scratch on her car that has always bothered me. I'm still learning what I need to do to become a "scratch remover." Your method sounds very do-able!

I have read that my black upper/gray lower Lexus does not have a clear coat on the black portion. I'd guess that the procedure you used for your clear would work for the paint, substituting touch up paint instead of clear. I'm going to do more reading before I attempt.

Thanks!

Micah

If I pay attention, I can sense when the transmission shifts. It is a very smooth shifting transmission. Based on my readings here on the forum, the transmissions last a long, long time.

Mine doesn't shift as smoothly as the CVT transmission-outfitted cars that I've been in. CVTs don't "shift" when driven normally. But for non-CVT cars, the LS is as good as it gets in my experience. Mine's 11 years old with 113k on the odometer. I can't imagine how much smoother an LS430 or 460 would be. Wow.

As far as redlining goes, my understanding is that the engineers designed the shift points to keep damage from occurring. As stated earlier, I would not lock it in gear and run it to the fuel shutoff. The LS sounds good at full song, I have to say... But you can't listen too long without having a visit from the local state trooper(s). :whistles:

Micah

No problem on the mirror. I would like to help others the way I have been helped! I still haven't found a mirror, but I haven't been searching lately. It's a cosmetic flaw, and I'll replace it eventually, but we had some powerful storms roll through my area that have taken my attention from the LS to my house. Though, I have the itch to get new Lexus floor mats. The ones that are in there now are Wal-Mart cheapos. They're smaller than the foot well, so they slide around.

Micah

Just guessing - Could it be the ABS system self checking itself? If you were to back into a parking spot, do you get the same noise when you leave pulling forward (clunk)?

The ting sounds like something may be catching on the self cancelling blinker. But, again, I'm guessing.

Micah