01 Gs430 Sport - Lowdown On Good & Bad Bits.

[Lexnut430]

Hi there.

I finally got my hands on my first Lexus.

An 01 GS430 Sport.

I bought it over the net with only a relation going to see it & depending on the dealer being honest. He was!

So here's the good & bad points of here so far.

Good.

Interior is completely stinking but once cleaned will actually be immaculate.

Every single button, switch light etc works.

69k miles.

FSH.

All MOT's to back up miles.

Full Lexus Carpet mats.

Sat Nav.

Black leather with Grey piping.

L55XVS number plate came on it.

After jump start last night, drove from Henley in Arden to Carinryan boat & then another 50 miles home faultlessly.

Returned average 31mpg - see speeds below. Massively impressed.

Bad points.

Needs an aerial

Passenger side wing mirror glass

Wheels aligned & balanced

Exhaust broke clean just before Cat( a tad noisy at times, but seemed quietest between 80 & 90mph)

Needs MOT'd & taxed.

Probably will need 4 tyres but might get away with 2 at the moment.

Passneger has been scraped.

Needs a damn good buffing & polish.

To leave her mint, I think I would like to get bonnet, bumpers & two sides painted to get rid of all the silly scrapes & scratches she has.

Apparently a mother was driving it & didn't card at all about it, which would add if you seen the state of the interior.

In short she's needs a good dose of TLC & intend to do that to leave her mint with maybe a set of coil overs & a set of 19's or 20's on her with maybe an aftermarket front lip & rear spoiler.

Love to hear your thoughts.

All in all having only got her last night, I'm massively impressed, because it paid less than £1000 for her!!

[IHgs300]

Should keep you busy for a while .LOL. At least you know engine is ok, the rest is just cosmetic. Enjoy.

[Mike Hartland]

When I got my Lexus, it was the day after it was advertised and the dealer hadn't even had time to valet it (and I didn't want to have to travel another 200 mile round trip to give him time to do so). Because the previous owner was a heavy smoker it stank of cigarettes inside. Having tried various products at various prices the thing that cleared the smell - and very quickly - was a small tupperware bowl of cat litter, placed under one of the front seats. Well worth a try if yours is "stinking".

ps. I did negotiate a bit of a discount for valetting myself.

[TigerFish]

What was wrong with the aerial? The mast can be purchased seperately if the motor can be heard and it is just it doesn't extend/retract properly.

[Lexnut430]

Hi Mike, I got round to cleaning her out yesterday.

It was actually mostly rubbish that was threw out & then a good Hoover sorted the most of it.

I washed the leather with a sponge & dried it off.

I could not believe how well the interior has come up with just that. When I get her MOT'd I'll get a carpet cleaner & remove the seats & do it properly.

I just keep getting more & more impressed with how this car is turning out.

The outside definitely needs some paint to leave her mint but , it's turning out that I appear to have a real good low mileage base car to leave immaculate.

Got a wing mirror the same colour today as well as an aerial ordered from a breakers.

Getting the exhaust fixed later this week & hopefully tyres.

Getting the lend of my mates computer to diagnose engine light problem.

VSC light was on when I was driving her home, but now it has gone out, happy days.

[Lexnut430]

Aye the aerial was broke of & a big still left in it Rick.

Saw one of those replacements on eBay but got one from a breakers this afternoon.

It's all getting better & better..............so far,lol.

[Lexnut430]

Ok, so just got my mates computer to check out the engine light & it turns out the light is on because 'Catalyst Efficiency Level Low' or something very similar, can't remember.

So in my mind that means once the exhaust is fixed, which is broken just as it enters the cat, that should be problem solved.

Excellent!!

[wow300]

Basically just owner neglect then... Good car as usual :-)

[Lexnut430]

Yes Dave, total & utter owner neglect.

Can't believe people would care so little for such a good car.

I've got tyres on her now & she's going this weekend to get sorted for mot.

VSC lights come on when you start driving her but reading on here that is more than likely speed or abs sensors.

Once that's done, wheels aligned & a knock in the front suspension that should be her ready.