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http://www.autocarparts.com/c_Lexus_LS_400_c_Suspension/ I would say they won't interchange, simply because the jobber upgrade parts all have a different number from SC to LS. Actually here is my full thread on the 430 shocks. The other vendors I linked may have some options for your 400. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=58264 I am not clear about the othe threads having only airbag suspension info. Is that not what you have , or did the 90s come with an air shock that wasn't a full air suspension? Or did you just mean the other threads dealt with parts of the suspension you weren't replacing? :) I thought the Arnott or Strutmast stuff for the 400 was what you might be looking for.

Do you like a silent ride with extreme comfort and the status of the LS? For a used car they are still a looker. Or do you yearn for harder accelleration, road feedback and edgier handling? The IS is a very nice car but closer to a 3 Series or a G37 than to an LS. Ride, road noise, and interior finish are among class leaders but not really comparable to an LS and much less space. Just the fact you are asking the question tells me you are probably an IS guy. You have a wonderful couchlike luxury car but it's attributes still leave you wanting more. Coming from a 430 the 350 will engage you every time you get into it. Maybe you need to get the sport sedan out of your system.

That's good news. I have looked at a couple of very nice ones in Alberta dealers but for around $36,000. I have seen at least a dozen US ones on Autotrader for around 22k. No PST here but with duty, GST shipping and exchange probably 29k to my door. Did you pay a Florida sales tax?

The 04 got sold but I am pretty much thinking 04-05. I am in Canada where the prices ar 20% higher than for US models even AFTER exchange, Duty, Federal tax and shipping costs so I will probably be importing. The very best prices are for the non Navi cars. Is the 430 system really that dated? My situation is that I have a new job requiring a lot of highway driving so the LS is a good choice. I can only write the car off for three years so I have to flip it at that point for something newer. It seems easier to resell lower mileage and Navi cars. Maybe for 3 year ownership I should be looking at another car but I want something that doesn't drain me from driving. Base models do handle better than the air ride models right?

Yes I have imported various vehicles from the US. For a Viper I had to add a $150 DRL model which just plugged in.The FX35 required the dealer to wire something in and the various C5 Corvettes I simply used the cars own settings command to tell it to run the fog lights at startup. No luck searching on the 430 board but I will check on some of the others. :)

Looks like GST plus import duty of 6.1%. Is there any changes required to compy with seatbelts or daytime running lights?

Appearance wise they are kind of a wash to me but the 6 speed cars do have a rep for being speedier. Normally I will always buy the lower miled option and I pay extra for that, but I also usually take the faster car. May come down to the color :)

That is sort of my thinking since I am looking at a car with no warranty. I have no problem paying a couple thousand dollars to correct a problem but the posts I have read suggest it is a far more costly fix than that. May as well buy a car with known engine failure issues. The only problem is the air suspension is tied to all those other excellent Ultra options, cooled seats, massage and adjustible rear seats, rear a/c etc. The Arnott and Strutmaster conversions seem to be for the 400 only. Memoryfab makes a complete replacement air system that will fit the 430 http://www.memoryfab.com/products/detail_suspension_48/ for $2300 without labour. Tanabe and Tein make coilover systems for the 430 for under $1500.00 but I can't tell if this completely replaces the air ride. http://www.autocarparts.com/c_lexus_LS_430_c_Suspension/ JICMAGIC wants almost $2400.00 http://www.hopupracing.com/jicmaflviplu3.html I would assume you can disable the air ride and just go over to the coilovers since they would be kind of like what is on the non air 430 models. EDIT: Parts.com has the rear air struts for $755.00 http://www.parts.com/lexus/2005-lexus-ls-4...nsion-parts.cfm I am not sure what the single most common component failure with the air systems is but if that is the worst of it, not so bad.

I have another thread posted on buying a used 430 but because the air suspension seems to be one of the few expensive component failures I thought I would be more specific. For those who have had the failure off warranty, what was the cost of the fix? I have read that one method of correcting is to convert the vehicle back to a conventional suspension type. Is that shocks and springs?

I notice the "Ultra" models come with some neat additions, plus the air suspension which i have read may be problematic. Perhaps a "Premium" with Nav is the better choice for off warranty.

Is it worth the extra couple thousand for an 04? 6 speed auto and adaptive headlights? The two I am looking at are fully loaded with no warranty. An 02 with 67k and an 04 with 84k. $3000 difference in price. One is described as Premium with Nav while the other is Ultra Premium. Does that make a big difference? Thanks for any responses.