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Time To Let Go Of My Mk1 Gs?


nonamecc79
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Whats up fellow lexus people, I need some advice with my current mk1 GS300. I've fallen into a state where I do not know whether its worth keeping and spending money on, or letting it go. It a 95' M reg standard model with 95k and service history up to 74k. Since I've owned it, the only work that I have done to it is a back-box delete, and oil changes every 5k. Problems: The body work has a few dings and scratches; the back windows don't work; the cup holders are broken; the CD changer doesn't work; the front left lower arm bush needs replacing; there is an oil leak; some of the LED's on the dash don't work.

Now baring in mind that I only paid £300 for it, is it worth pouring in more money to fix up the issues and run low level boost? My intention was to turn it into a highway cruiser/ tourer, but considering the costs to do this, would it not be better to start with another base? My alternatives were a 3000GT, an e39 540i, or an RX8. A BPU 3000GT will run around 380 at the crank but parts are harder to come by. An e39 will cost a lot to boost but the v8 sound is gorgeous. I've already own two rx8's but at the time I was in college and never managed to pull enough money to work on them.

I have have been offered to swap my GS for an FTO Tip/auto Mivec. Are these any good or should I avoid it??

I love my the noise the 2J makes and the interior is nice on the MK1 GS. It doesn't get as much attention as my supra which sucks, but oh well.

What do you guys recommend I should do?? My initial budget as of this moment is about £1500. Should I trade her in for something else or stay pure?? Any advice or encouragement is appreciated!!!

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will all depend on your budget, type of power you looking at, where the car will be spending most of it time i.e. on the street, motorway or at the tracks and what you would like to be 'seen' driving in.

As you already aware the Gen1 GS's have the potential since they share pretty much the same engine parts as the Twin Turbo version used in the Aristo V300 and Supra so the potential is there. £300 for the GS was a bargain so long as the engine and gearbox are still in good health, the other issues are just cosmetics which could be sorted out thats if you willing to put the money into it.

the 540i is also a good base to start. its a v8 with almost 290bhp but as you said it wont be cheap.

3000GT are quite old and rare so you will have to look hard for one in good condition.

RX8's also have potential so will boil down to if you want something practical aswell in terms of space.

but for high way cruisers it will boil down to two if i had to choose from your list.. which is the GS300 or 540i. so next will be how much power you looking to get out of it and how reliable they will run once boosted. also consider if its worth just getting the E39 M5 over the 540i or alternatively importing a Twin turbo Aristo from Japan and tuning it further.

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Thanks for the reply guys I appreciate it!! I'm not too keen on the shape of the 1st gen IS and they seem to be very common (is200's that is).

My initial target from the Gs is about 300 at the crank. The gearing on the 4 speed is very long which is where the N/A suffers. I would also like to keep the auto and I'm aware that they wont last long when you push over 350 at the wheels. It will mainly be a daily drive but I will use it for weekend drives and I wanna use it to go on a Euro tour.

To achieve this I wanted to use a small turbo at about 5psi with a side mount cooler and an AEM ECU (worst case scenario an SAFC). Most of the NA-T Builds I've seen all aim for high power outputs so the turbo's in those builds might not work well for me. I assure you that I will not want more than 350 at the crank as it will be daily driven.

I've had the car looked at by a friend that's a mechanic at longlife exhausts and he reckons the car is in good nick other than the lower arm bush and the oil leak. I've recently done an oil change and put in Shell Helix h7 and a Crosland filter. There is no rust or rot on the frame and the stock suspension is decent. He said he'd be able to sort me out with a deal on a downpipe and the intercooler piping so that should help keep costs down.

The main problems I have picked up on are the lack of parts for the mk1 GS (not engine parts, body/interior bits). I'm jealous of the fact that the US has better support for aftermarket stuff. Also the mk2 has much better support here in the UK. Most mk1 builds are on US forums. The only place I can find aftermarket support is on the US eBay site.

This is why I'm in doubt about the mk1 Gs. The fact is that the alternatives are already more powerful @stock and have a bit more support. I suppose if someone can help me get through the dilemma of obtaining a suitable turbo and manifold then I'll be able to gauge how cost effective the setup will be compared to the competitors. Thanks in advance!!

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if 350 bhp is your limit then might aswell settle for the 540i as its close to 300bhp from factory and being a larger displacement V8 engine, it will take Intake, Header, Exhaust mod very well which could free up some more horses maybe 15-20bhp which might take it to around 310 maybe 320bhp which is close to your target of 350.

alternatively, opt for the GS430 rated as 280bhp but most guys in US have had theirs dynoed and it actually makes around 300bhp at crank. same intake header exhaust mods could also be done for this which could bump out put to around 320bhp taking it close to your target. this will also have 5 speed gearbox and VVTi as opposed to Gen 1 GS300.

one advantage of going NA instead of Turbo is no Turbo lag and also you wont have to be replacing turbos if and when they go which keeps cost down. on the road, there might not be a lot of difference in performance between 320bhp and 350bhp car if they are of equal weight. who ever has better gear ratios, and an efficient gearbox which wont loose a lot of the crank horse power from engine to the wheels and flatter torque curve will come out on top.

so if the car does not necessarily need to be a Turbo the GS430 will be your best bet and might also work out cheaper to buy and run in the long run compared to going NA-T in a GS300 unless you aiming for 4-500bhp+ then i'll say go NA-T GS300

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Thanks for the quick reply!!! I've looked at gs430's but the cheapest I've seen them is £3.5k+. Plus in theory a 4.3 v8 would drink more than 3.0 off boost.

I think I can go NA-T for a lot cheaper than that. I've done a bit more research on T4 turbo's and the only reliable ready made manifolds are from XSpower. I'm not too sure about their turbo or oil lines but they can be replaced or I can just opt for the manifold and downpipe. Weighing in at just under £800 is set that includes pretty much everything except for an ECU and intercooler piping. I believe i'll also need some screw-in o2 sensors for the downpipe.

I'm really sorry I turned this into an NA-T thread!!!! xD After a few hours of hardcore research, I feel a lot more confident with sticking to the Gs. The only thing holding me back now is the regret of not buying a twin turbo GTO!!

BTW how do I increase your rep or give you a thumbs up? Your advice has been great and despite my choices I well and truly appreciate your recommendations!!

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alternatively, opt for the GS430 rated as 280bhp but most guys in US have had theirs dynoed and it actually makes around 300bhp at crank.

The GS430 was officially rated at 300bhp in the US - seems it was tuned differently to the UK models.

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