Newbie1

Connor: did you go with the stock spring rates offered by BC? Did they come with rubber hats on them, or do you re-use the existing ones?

Yup. MOT worthiness is bare bones. OK is not good enough for nigh on 2 tonnes of rear wheel drive barge. My lower control arm bushes are worn, and it causes a juddering from high speed braking. Next on the list. The relentless pursuit of used perfection.

Loose terminology by me! OEM springs and struts are mounted coilover fashion. Common parlance has coilovers referring to aftermarket units adjustable for height, rebound etc.

BC coilovers are another option at about £700. However, you will need to specify different spring rates and valving to retain the Lexus ride quality. Spring rates can be found but as for the valving used in OEM shocks, who knows.

Aisin Type IV is another option. Gearbox manufacturer and approved by Toyota.

Whereabouts is your mechanic located? Many are not happy to muck around with pressing bushings.

I put it into 4 for around town as the box seems to hunt less and also use it for engine breaking at speed. I've really had to adjust my driving style to stay off the brakes. The throttle is much more sensitive than I initially thought and a bit of care with the right foot helps to keep the box in the right gear.

Makes sense with prices like that. Very fair.

Go for BC Racing coilovers. Specify a lower spring rate than what they provide; the stock ones are probably a little on the stiff side. Rubber top mounts included. £769.

You have to remove the door panel to refit it by be bending the lugs back behind the panel. It's an additional seal for noise insulation, I presume.

I've been out there and they do have nice cars. I looked at a 26k mile Toyota Soarer that looked like it had just come out of the factory, with no swirl marks anywhere! No pressure from them and their salesperson was actually knowledgeable about the car which was a surprise.

UK websites, which usually mislead anyway. Amayama or equivalent for no-nonsense, no mistakes parts! VIN is always the best anyway.

Could be something up with the tensioner as mentioned although they're pretty reliable. Hopefully something less serious like a new cam shaft position sensor needed. When they start to fail the signal gets reduced causing issues like you've described. If the VVTi gear is like the old 1UZFE then it should be pretty reliable, but I've had to replace leaky VVTi gears on a 1JZ turbo at 60k miles. However, you probably wouldn't get the errors that you've described if the VVTi solenoid was sticky/filter blocked/gear assembly seal worn. I'd expect a specific VVTi OBD error.

Be interested in any differences between this Celsior C-F spec and the UK delivered 430s. Sunroof, wool and cassette deck so far.

Great looking car. The leather on 430s is nothing to write home about and you will love the comfort and grip of the wool seats. And it also still has the Celsior walkman cassette deck which are often pinched during export.

Toyota wool is very durable. I've sat in a 25 year old Celsior and the wool was not worn and smelt fresh.

I also replaced the ARB bushes front and rear. Much less wallowing which passengers in the back noticed particularly. Felt more "insulated" in terms of ride quality. I bought genuine from Amayama. Can't recall exactly but with freight and duty probably came to about £150. A lot of stress through the ARB bars on these heavy beasts. Recently replaced ARB links on my wife's Celica. Old Blueprint lasted 2 years. Genuine all the way now.

I've removed 60k miles lower front arms from a Soarer where the bushes and balljoints were utterly wrecked due to lowering by a previous owner. Rear lowers same. Suspension changes need a bit of maths beyond your average modifying moron.

Changing front and rear ARB links for new Toyota parts improved ride quality markedly in my case, which surprised me. Felt much more "insulated."

Not bad prices for gen Lexus springs if the prices above are correct.

I went with dinitrol. Have not had great experience of waxoyl products. I also went for a clear coat on the underside so I can see anything nasty, which the black stuff hides.

Matt, my LS400 sounds like it's in similar condition and over the past year I've spent a fair bit on suspension work, servicing and under body protection. It was worth it because the under body was very, very clean. Most of the items you identify are par for the course for any older car. I need some paint done but it doesn't bother me unduly as the car is so damn heavenly to drive. I've formed a bond with this car, as has my wife, and several splendid driving holidays means I am saving for the paint work. It doesn't all have to come at once. As for longevity, I expect in 10 years time these old barges will only be able to be run on a classic dispensation of some sort and won't be viable daily drivers. Only the best examples will be kept by enthusiasts. If you want a top notch one, import a Celsior that hasn't seen any salted roads.

I should have said Japanese auto design cues. The embellished and textured interiors were very much a feature of, for example, the 1970s and 1980s Crowns and Gloria's etc. It's festoonery, the thing that to my mind, at least, made Japanese cars distinctive. The austere European design aesthetic has had its day.

I like it. It's a strong move away from the funereal European interiors, and back to the kind of bling Japanese cars had in the 1970s and 1980s. Like their external styling, there's a new found confidence to Lexus these days, firmly anchored in Japanese design cues from the past and present.

What spring rates did you go for?