Scribe

You've certainly been clocking up the miles, Jacques.  I've never done more than 3000 a year in mine.

Great.  They need to be introduced to each other!

Hi Martin and welcome to the Forum.  I bought my LS400 nearly six years ago and afterwards put together this advice - some of which might now be out of date or wrong?  I don't know about 430s but there are plenty of members on here who do, so don't be afraid to ask.

There are never many 400s for sale, and once you’ve discounted the ones that are too old, clapped out, expensive, or too far away, you won’t be left with many to choose from.  Good ones sell quickly so it’s important to look at as many examples as you can, otherwise you won’t be able to make comparisons.  Be prepared to travel to find the right car.  I ended up buying one from 250 miles away, and did wonder at one point whether I was mad, but I don’t regret it because I got a good car at a good price.  It’s sometimes difficult to work out what a good price is - some sellers ask ridiculous prices, assuming that a car that cost £45-50,000 new must be worth at least a tenth of that now, and in one way you can understand why; but I’ve noticed that overpriced cars stay on the market for months until they’re reduced.  Mileage seems not to matter as long as the car’s been maintained properly, but things inevitably wear out with age.  I read somewhere that younger with high mileage is usually better than older with low mileage.

Service history is a must, because they’re complex cars that need proper maintenance.  Some for sale haven’t been serviced for 20,000-odd miles, which suggests that they need expensive work. 

• If the cambelt needs changing, budget for about £450.  I think they need changing every 10 years or 70,000 miles.
• Open the bonnet before starting the engine.  If you hear a roar it could be the top exhaust manifold leaking, which is expensive to replace.  The rest of the exhaust system will probably be the original (stainless steel), which should last the life of the car, but obviously you should check for blowing.
• Starter motors sometimes fail and this is expensive to repair because they’re stuck right down in the V at the bottom of the engine.  It’s difficult to know when they’re about to pack up, but try starting the engine a few times. 
• I’m not sure how you check for it, but you need to ensure that the power steering isn’t leaking fluid.  This can damage the alternator.
• Listen for knocks or clonks over bumps.  Suspension wear is common, particularly the wishbones and bushes, but mine has got through six MOTs with a bit of wear and clonk (more noticeable when cold). 
• The CD-Rom unit for the satnav is under the boot floor.  Sometimes the disc is missing.  But it's an outdated system (street name only, no postcode) and it's cheaper to buy a Tomtom than a new disc.
• If the bonnet won’t stay up on its own, budget for new struts.
• Check whether the car has the Dynamic Handling Pack – this includes slightly lower suspension, stiffer springs and bigger wheels with low profile tyres.  This version looks better (in my opinion) but the tyres are much more expensive.
• Gear changes should be almost imperceptible.  On my car, most are only noticeable because of the rev counter needle moving. 
• Heavy braking from high speed and then keeping your foot on the pedal can cause the brakes to bind, so check for judder when braking hard.
• Check that the trim around the inside of the boot fits properly.  If it doesn’t, the boot can let in water and become damp/smelly. 
• Check that everything electrical works.  This will take time because there are a lot of toys on the car, but you don’t want to be stuck with a dodgy sunroof, aircon, lights, seat motors etc.  The heated seat elements often fail because they’re not very strong, but if you’re like me you never turn them on anyway. 
• The electric aerial often fails, or breaks off in a car wash.  Budget for about £50 for a decent replacement (I’m told that cheap Halfords-type ones don’t get good reception). 
• There should be at least two keys, and one of them must be a master (these cost a lot of money to get chipped by Lexus).  I was advised to deduct £200 for each key not supplied with the car. 
• Otherwise I think it’s just general things that would apply to any old car you might be looking at.  But do read what other guys in the Club say – most of them are more technically-minded than I am! 

   

 Good luck with your search!

I think you made the right decision, but then I would say that...  Have a good (and safe) journey home.  I can't think of a better car to do 250 miles in.

So DHP also stood for Definitely Higher Price.

My car quickly comes to temperature and the needle stays just above the mid point regardless of how it's driven.  But then the ventilation blows cool air onto the screen and face (and Gentleman's Excuse Me under the steering wheel) even though it carries on blowing warm/hot air onto the feet.  Turning the temperature up to full doesn't have any effect on demisting.  I'm wondering whether there's a separate thermostat for the screen, which is faulty, and where it is?  (As the car's now 18 years old I can't really complain.)

Congrats Steve.  That's the colour I wanted.  What polish will you be using, and do you do it the hard way or with an electric polisher?

Perhaps DHP actually stands for Directional Hole Pattern, not Dynamic Handling Pack?  Any other suggestions?

For what it's worth:

I believe so. Mine do the same - you can hear the buzz from outside while the beams adjust. They're the brightest headlights I've ever had - brilliant.

I see it was owned by 'a fine gentleman' - whatever that is.

Thanks Mike. It has been looked after but not cosseted - and it's now 18 years old. It doesn't feel its age. What amazing cars they are!

No, they're replacements - not new when I bought them but they'd never been used, so they looked lnew. It saved the inconvenience of having the old ones refurbished. I try to remember to wash them regularly to stop the brake dust from accumulating on them. I'm told you can spray them with something to help with this - does anyone know what?

Well, it's not perfect and I'm aware of a number of smallish things that need fixing, but it doesn't half scrub up well. I've never polished it - life's too short - but I've tried that Demon Shine stuff you pour on after washing. Anyway, this is just after a normal wash and leather off.

Yes, all the best, John. Please stay in touch on here - I'm sure you'll find another Lexus.

I've always thought the DHP models looked better. I gather the ride is slightly firmer and the road noise slightly higher, which could compromise two of the 400's best features, but maybe if you've never had a standard version you wouldn't notice? I think tyres are more expensive though.

One of my father's other company cars was an Escort estate which had a handprint on the paint inside the tailgate. And instead of the letters F O R D on the bonnet it had F O F D - perhaps they'd run out of Rs, or perhaps the workers just couldn't be bothered to fit the right letter.

My father once had an Escort company car which had a black vinyl roof fitted to cover up the damage done by a massive hail storm at the Ford factory (or wherever the cars were stored before delivery). No sunroofs in those days!

Congratulations on your purchase. Never driven a 430 but the steering on the 400 is ultra-light. After a while you get used to it feeling like the wheels are turning on sheet ice.

Mine? It's far from perfect. But I'll put some pics up if you like.

I agree that you should look at one or two even if you think you might NOT want to buy, because then you have something to compare others against. No £2000 car is going to be perfect.

Black cars always look dirty, while white ones don't. I think it's to do with dust.

Yes, smart machine. Looks great in that colour.

Talking of which, I was in Eastbourne last summer, looking for a parking space near the tennis courts, when a tall, well-dressed woman with blonde hair stepped out into the road and waved me to a stop. And it was her - Joanna Lumley. She wanted to know where the entrance to the College Chapel was. I didn't know, but SO wanted to be able to help her - or better still, say, 'Hop in, Joanna, I'll take you there.' I could have opened the back door for her, chauffeur-style. She also has an LS, which is possibly why she stopped ME?

John, some Mk.4s were fitted with the Dynamic Handling Pack which included different wheels (with low profile tyres) and slightly lowered suspension. (Mine is the normal one.) In fact some Mk.3s also had this - they were the two-tone green and grey ones around 1996-1997. They're supposed to feel a bit sportier but I don't know how much, or whether you'd notice the difference.

I agree about the SatNav. It's address only (no postcode) and mine tells me I've reached home when I'm still half a mile (and several roads) away. Also I've turned the voice off because the woman's a bit abrupt and scary. I'd prefer Joanna Lumley.