so i got a new toy...

[Rob_LexusTech]

had been hunting a black/tan 90 LS400 for awhile and didnt have many results. the very few i did find were clapped out beyond hope, or weird colors and options i didnt want. realizing theres no such thing as a perfect 1990 ls400 these days for any reasonable amount of money, i started looking at the hoopties, and even then i didnt find many at all. well, till last weekend. she isnt perfect by any means, but she is a 90, she is black on tan, has most of the accesories ive been looking for, although alot of them dont work or are barley functioning, but it starts first crank, has a very strong engine and transmission, and can still lay some serious rubber.

im finally at a point where i can afford to take on a restoration project. i have a modern reliable car and a little money in the bank to put into it, and ill be restoring to original, not doing the stupid slam/stance/vip crap. just a solid clean original LS400 is what she will be.

 

[RAL]

great find! ... enjoy bringing her back to what she once was ...

 

[Levi]

Great project. I too have been hoping to undertake such a project since I saw this one pic.

But there are waaaay too many young timers I like, another Lexus being the SC300/400. What a lovely (no-grill) coupe!

One youngtimer I am seriously considering is the 2nd gen Honda CRX. But here in Europe they are very rare and very expensive for what they are (old car). Almost of them are cheaply modified and many have rust, yet they are pricey. In fact any Japanese youngtimer is hard to find here in Europe. And Land Cruisers too, as there are more Patrols.

 

[Rob_LexusTech]

so lets start with the basics. she has atleast 250k miles. odo stopped working in 2004 going by old records. it was in constant use since then, so its probably closer to 400k im thinking.

here are its faults..

ac blows hot air. was told it needs a lower discharge hose and just has a freon leak but dont really believe it.
drivers window stuck up
tilt away steering column is stuck and grinding (easy fix ive done a few already
transmission shifts hard and sometimes wont go into 4th, and flashes o/D off
engine is smooth and strong, doesnt smell funny or burn oil, but rattles bc it needs a valve job
power steering is out
suspension is really wore out and has alot of play in the wheel -this concerns me
multiple bulbs out
stereo is and isnt working. cd player lights up but unresponsive, and cassette deck wont load a tape. 3 of 4 door speakers are blown, subwoofer is basically dust.
power locks dont work right
passenger door wont open from outside
front seats and center console armrest are shredded
side swiped or mildly t-boned at some point. drivers side doors are a little banged up and someone did a terrible job trying to pop out dents
sunroof seal is totally deterioated but doesnt leak


havent checked Tbelt yet but assuming its bad, but since its a non -VVTi ucf10 ill drive it till it snaps then replace it


good parts..

cluster is perfectly functional woth no burned out lights or flickering needles -almost impossible to find these days
sunroof and other 3 windows function like new
back seat looks like it was never sat in
lots of newer parts under the hood. all the main hoses are newer
has a newer master cylinder
not missing any trim. its all there
trunk doesnt leak. nice and dry
original complete tool kit
original spare and all the other titbits are there
headliner was replaced -who does this that doesnt love their car?
engine is VERY strong. floored from a dead stop it smokes the tires for a block
dash is like concrete, but not warped or cracked
original rust free central florida car. not a speck of rust
starts the second i bump the key.
starter was replaced at some point. sounds new and has no grinding or wurring
lots of service records till 2004
2 owners. im 3.



basically the car was very much loved and looked after the first 25 or so years. then thrown to the wolfs and hooned to death for a few before i got it.
it stops starts drive fine. has no problem driving at all. doesnt overheat and can probably drive anywhere.

the pick-n-pull yards are going to be my new favorite places to spend my days off. lol

 

[Gecko]

Congrats!

 

[mikeavelli]

Wow what a pick up!

 

[krew]

Great starting point for a rebuild! I had a '94 in Alpine Silver Metallic, and it's the reason I started this website. Drove it from 2006-2013, when the power steering pump leaked onto the alternator and I found out the steering rack needed to be replaced.

Are you going to repaint? I would go full-black.

Excited for you, man!

 

[mmcartalk]

Congratulations, and good luck on the project. The original LS models, with perhaps the sole exception of undersized brake rotors that tended to warp, are better than the new ones in a number of ways.

 

[Ian Schmidt]

Nice find, looks like it should be a fun project. I was always surprised at the concept of "a rust-free Central Florida car" given you can take I-4 either direction out of Orlando and find the ocean within 50 miles either way, but it's totally true.

 

[Rob_LexusTech]

Nice find, looks like it should be a fun project. I was always surprised at the concept of "a rust-free Central Florida car" given you can take I-4 either direction out of Orlando and find the ocean within 50 miles either way, but it's totally true.

the Orlando area is unique. its just close enough to the beach where you can have your toes in the sand in a half hour, but just far away enough to A, not get ocean rust from it, and B, isnt tropical at all like alot of florida and sits at a higher elevation then the coastal areas, especially considering what part of central florida you are in. head 20 miles W or NW of orlando you hit lake county, with hills, red clay, and doesn't even look like florida. but yes, because of the climate here, rust really isnt an issue at all. however, there are other dangers. it is insanely hot, hottest part of the state with no seabreeze, and is super muggy. feels like you are swimming in pea soup when you walk out the door. because of this, although the bodies dont get rusty, the interiors practically melt, dry out, crack, distort, and fall apart unless kept in a garage constantly. the weather stripping also dry rots, and most of these cars have damp trunks and leaking sunroofs, and water is worse than rust. guess its a trade off.