Newbie1

Great reputation.

Agree about OEM. A big part of the LS400 ride quality depends on the low spring rate. Only OEM will guarantee this.

The LCD dimming is nice, but they all discolour and die.

Looks nice. Near side front lower trim is out of line with the one on the door. These things do move with time but I'd want a good look at that part of the car. Do DHP cars have different rear anti-roll bar bushes from non DHP, due to the larger rear anti-roll bar?

The basic drive train should be fine if oil and coolant have been changed regularly. The suspension is another issue. Air suspension on high mileage cars is a ticking bomb. Unless ball joints and bushes/arms have been replaced, some work will be needed there. Proof of suspension work is a good indication of how well a car has been looked after, as many an LS400 (at least) will drive nicely even if the suspension is past its best. I recently replaced the ball joints on my 99 LS400 which had 65k miles on them. The ball joints looked fine with good boots and no damage, however on removal I could move the joint too easily and it was clear it was not up to spec. It would have gone much longer until an MOT failure, however.

Up to you really but when I replaced the VVTi solenoid and oil control valve on my 1JZ the Toyota parts came to about £150 from Toyota Celica Breakers. I could have used third party but for such a sensitive part of the engine I went OEM. That solenoid has done superlative service in your LS400. I'd treat it to the OEM parts, even if the car is not worth much. Peace of mind.

Finger's crossed on the ECU. If your mate can get them to work then there is a good bit of work out there for older Japanese cars that other ECU places won't touch.

Doesn't it demonstrate the converse? The rear seat passengers can affect the driver's temperature by virtue of adjusting their settings. The 430s sold in the UK were pretty much the C F spec Celsiors, which were purchased in Japan for people to be chauffeured in. Perhaps this has something to do with why rear seat passengers have control.

My MkIV brakes are silent at all times. New Toyota discs, pads and shims about 3k miles ago.

Those 1JZ (straight six) VVTi turbo Crowns and Chasers go for good money as a lot of the drift and VIP/lowering scene guys love them. They have an excellent engine; relatively fuel efficient and peak torque at 2400 rpm makes it feel like a much bigger block.

Best of luck. They are good value and front wheel drive which is interesting.

Get a compression check done as those engines have a history of head gasket issues. GM learned a lot from Toyota's 1UZ but not quite enough...

Original factory mats? They'll clean up.

Indeed, Denis. Quite the bargain. The ad has the ring of a fastidious owner.

Guess you've checked that there is nothing metallic in the cente console like coins etc. That set mine off. I just lock the car with the key which does not set the alarm. It is unlikely people will break into the car and the immobiliser will stop them going for a joy ride. I

I suspect the white two-tone is affecting the sale. Better looking in a darker colour.

Lovely car. I have to say I prefer the warmer glow of old style interior bulbs.

It is great, isn't it? Based on the same platform as the GS and probably the world's longest running car model along with the Corvette! Until 1989 they were still building them with body on ladder frame. Unfortunately, my wife does not like the look of it at all so I will be saving for the Celsior...

Looks to be a very good deal. Been there a while so you could knock them down. I have inspected a Soarer there and it was immaculate. Thoroughly professional outfit from what I could see. Pity the Celsior comes with leather and not the much nicer wool trim. Just with those low miles I would want a good look down the oil filler cap to see if any sludge is present... Edited to add: have a look at the boot shut line when viewed from the rear right-looks a bit out of line to me. I would want to see the Japanese auction paper to see if this is a repaired vehicle.

Very nice 2003 Toyota Crown Majesta here in London with 70k miles (equivalent to the LS430 in the Crown line-up, but with the older 4 litre engine and 5 speed auto, which might be an advantage if it doesn't have the transmission/coolant issues.) More features than the LS430, too, with a heads up display and a few other bits and pieces: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201712282302135?make=TOYOTA&model=CROWN&logcode=p It is not far from me so I would be happy to take a look for someone on here who is interested. They are lovely cars and have more leg room in the rear than the LS430 due to a different petrol tank arrangement.

I suppose others have noted how the price of a good 400 now exceeds that of a decent 430. The 400s have hit that bottom point in the cycle where they've been broken for engines and run into the ground and the ones that are being held onto are being looked after.

I don't disagree that the LS400 has design faults but UCAs, LCAs, transmission mounts, brake pipes are all normal wear and tear. VVTi solenoid, cam gear and oil filter are 100k mile replacement on other Toyotas of this era (just did it myself on a 60k mile VVTi 1JZ Soarer to be safe but they last longer on the UZs.) Failure of moisture barriers in doors is common with any 20 year old car (yup, had to do them on my Soarer, too.) This is not to bash 430s (which I have never owned) and the same normal wear and tear applies to 430 air suspension struts. They've always failed on Toyotas starting at 60k miles or 10 years (in the Crowns, Soarers, Centurys etc I've seen over the years.) Trouble is, I've seen two instances where brand new replacement struts fail in short order. Seems the spare parts age and perish just sitting on the shelf. Can't beat shocks and springs!

You make a good point when considering the price of the car on ebay referred to by messi. I've often thought that if you are serious about getting a nice example (me, one day, permitting), a late model UCF20 Celsior from Japan would be a good bet (but the type B model without air suspension and Jap sat nav; ok, you lose the rear seat package but gain peace of mind.) Different diff ratio but you could swap a UK diff into it.

Never put silicone anywhere near pedals!

Took about 10 minutes to wire in an aux on my LS400; circuit diagrams are available out there and I just intercepted the line in into the amp under the driver's seat. Hooked a bluetooth receiver with suppressor into that to connect my phone to. Can still use all other inputs and best thing is the volume control in the factory head unit works. Some interesting wiring from Lexus. I guess the 430 must also have an amp under the driver's seat.