Spottedlaurel

Slightly delayed response here, but if the discs are generally in good order and have enough thickness then they can be skimmed. I've had this done before on a Camry where they'd rusted from standing for some time, then more recently on the front of the LS400. That was suffering shudder under braking and I was concerned it was the control arms, but happily not and I was getting nice smooth braking from speeds of well over 100mph on the track day. The skimming operation is done with the discs still on the car, it's like a small lathe that is bolted onto the hub. Not something all garages have, but maybe worth finding one that does? Difficult to quote an exact figure as I had other works done, but the skimming and new pads probably cost around £100-110.

I know someone on here has used his LS400 at a previous event, but I imagine my day of driving a Lexus was a little different to what most of you were up to this weekend: Lexus ready for the track by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr RAF Marham charity trackday. An excellent, relaxed day of driving quickly on a long, wide circuit with lots of run-off ideal for a novice like me. 140+ MPH by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr A long straight of 1.8km/1.2 miles allowed my £500 Mk3 to get up to well over an indicated 140mph :-) Beforehand I'd had it checked-over by my garage, with the front discs being skimmed/new pads fitted and an oil change. The main issue of the day was the PAS fluid getting hot, but it was fine after being allowed to cool down for a few minutes. I was manually shifting up and down the 'box, quite interesting dropping down to 3 then 2 at well over the ton but it will only change down when the rev's are right. Gave me a useful bit of engine braking that way. I hit the rev limiter several times when I wasn't quite quick enough changing up, and it was an interesting experience it going from 3 into top at 130-odd then still accelerating quite strongly. The garage had noted that the flanges between the back of the cat's and the exhaust system were rotten, and by the end of the day it was sounding rather mean but luckily they don't worry too much about noise at this event.... In total I did 156 miles out on the track and used a tankful of fuel which would normally do me for well over 300. Handling and grip were surprisingly good, probably helped by the 245-wide tyres on 18" GS300 Sport rims. There was only one bend with a mid-corner bump where it seemed to want to oversteer, if anything understeer was the main characteristic. Tyre wear was pretty good, I managed to drive home on the 18's whereas on the FWD stuff I've used before on trackdays I've had to change them. It acquitted itself remarkably well and if it passes next year's MoT I might even treat it to a cam belt change!

Here's another alternative: 1998 Lexus LS400 Mk4 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr This is the car I went to view recently, but the owner wisely decided to keep and rejuvenate with a new set of wheels. I think he told me these are by Wolfrace.

Another toy to try and discover on my Mk3 then!

That article is an interesting read. I would still like a Mk1 as a 'classic', and I do think it looks better, but as a reliable old barge to waft about in when I want to drive something more entertaining than my diesel Avensis I concede that my MK3 is a better compromise.

I'll be looking to do this soon, now my Mk3 has passed its MoT. Before I order one in I'm going to see if the one my Camry spares car will fit.

Well, I found it interesting to be able to compare the Mk4 with my Mk3. However, any possible debate as to which to own has resolved itself through two factors: 1) The Mk4 owner decided not sell, and to be quite honest with the money he's put into it I can't blame him at all. 2) My Mk3 passed its MoT today, with apparently just a bit of headlamp alignment required. I was somewhat surprised, I'd given it no preparation whatsoever, and it came as a welcome relief after my wife's 2002 Accord incurred us a rather hefty bill for an MoT and service earlier in the week. I ended up using the Lexus for everyday duties for much of the week, not ideal weather for a powerful RWD car on icy/greasy country roads but it coped admirably. Understandably I'm rather pleased that I can keep using it and will now put a little bit of effort into getting its various minor issues sorted. A bit of a wash might not go amiss: Lexus update by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Tyres are 245/40. No apparent rubbing, I doubt the rolling radius is much different to the taller tyres mounted on the original 16's.

Lexus GS300 Sport 18", with 245 wide tyres.

As another option, I rather like the 18" GS300 Sport wheels my Mk3 came with. I wouldn't have chosen to puts 18's on it myself, and I have picked up a cheap set of 16's should I need to replace them, but for now I'm happy with them: 1996 Lexus LS400 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I think some GS300 Sports came with a staggered set of wheels where the rears were even wider. Or what about these? 2001 Lexus GS430 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

I got an insert and cable for my Camry off eBay some years ago, might even still have it in the garage as for some reason I never got round to fitting it.

DVLA says 1993. Mk2 with 16" wheels? Classic just-washed look - bubbles on the drive and the bucket not yet put away! Looks like they have another one :-)

Got room for a spare one Steve? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS-400-Auto-Spares-Or-Repair-/191490536096 Strip what you need off it, flog some other stuff and keep enough of the rolling shell to sell to a banger racer - you may even end up making a bit on it?

Thanks for the comments everyone. The lighter feel is definitely what I noticed most in terms of how it drove. Mine's booked in for an MoT early next month, I'll see what happens then. The Mk3 has the bonus for me of looking more like the Mk1, although I concede a good Mk4 is probably the better car.

I know there's a thread on here for 400 vs 430, but I've been in a position today to compare a Mk4 LS400 to my Mk3 which I thought I'd share, and thought it would be interesting to see what views others might have. So, here's my current barge: 1996 Lexus LS400 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Bought last year with indeterminate history quite cheaply from a client who does a bit (well, a lot) of banger racing. Apart from the intermittent cut-out issue it's been very reliable and I've enjoyed my time in it so far. I suspect that long-term it will need some things sorting, but for now I've given it a stay of execution from the oval racing track. MoT is due next month... Last year I took some photos of this local Mk4 and had a chat with the owner: 1998 Lexus LS400 Mk4 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1998 Lexus LS400 Mk4 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr He gave me a call this morning as he's looking to sell it soon. Sadly his wife is unwell and he finds that he doesn't do the mileage to justify something so capable. Done 153k with nine previous owners, no history but timing belt reputedly done recently. Four new tyres, new battery, MoT until Nov 2015, generally clean and tidy although a few minor bodywork issues. At the price he's offered it to me that really is no great problem. As he lives just a few minutes away from work it seemed like good use of my lunch break to go and visit him and take a look. 1998 Lexus LS400 Mk4 - interior by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Compare with mine: 1996 Lexus LS400 - interior by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Not really that much different between them, just extra toys. He was kind enough to offer me a drive in it, how could I say no? Doubtless mine is in need of a good service, but the VVTi engine gave it much more pick-up low down in the rev range. Mine doesn't really come on until 3000rpm, which is a little inaccessible on public roads in higher gears (I used to find the same with my Camry V6). Do these later models have a revised auto 'box too, maybe that helps it be a little more responsive? I was surprised to find the ride a little firmer in the Mk4 than mine, despite the fact I have 18's and low profile tyres. Could it be that the one I looked at is a DHP model, how could I tell? I don't think the 16's it has are original, he mentioned putting them on to replace what it had when he first got it. He's suggested a price which is really rather tempting, were it not for the fact that: A. I already have an LS400, albeit its MoT is due very soon and it may need too much spending on it to renew. However there are options to make money from it should it fail which would pretty much cover the purchase of this new one. B. I'm hoping to buy another Datsun soon, an opportunity to get an incredibly rare model which I can't really say no to. C. I have two Camrys which need getting back on the road. In some respects I prefer the overall feel of my Mk3, so in an ideal world it'll gain a new MoT with minimal work and the Mk4 will go to another good home.

I've used RH for all my 'classics' for maybe 15yrs now. Fortunately never had to claim, but I've found them to be helpful and the policies seem good value. The LS400 was first car where I've had to pay a bit more than the usual £100-120/yr, and even then it wasn't a lot. I have another car insured as a daily driver with my NCB on that policy.

The service history suggests it's moved around quite a bit (and why not, a lovely car to do it in!). Belfast>Brighton>Ipswich then with a seller in Swansea. It's a classified ad from a dealer, so polite negotiations may be fruitful or they'll be generous on a part-ex.

A little bit more info in this thread too: http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/95281-electrical-fault/ In some respects it is easy enough to live with, but I must admit when everything cuts out on a dark country road it can be a little unnerving and potentially dangerous if it's on a bend or when other traffic is around. If mine gets through its MoT OK then it's something I'll be doing.

I get exactly the same thing on my ’96 Mk3, and as suggested it’s usually after a little while of driving (perhaps some bit of plastic gradually warms up, expands then something in the ignition switch breaks contact?). There was another post about this on here and it seemed the switch was definitely the problem. I’m living with mine but I’ve replaced one before on a Camry of similar age, it wasn’t too hard to do so should be a relatively cheap fix once you’ve bought the part and not worth spending lots of money on diagnostics to investigate it.

Good info there, might be something I have to do on mine if it looks like otherwise it'll get through the MoT with minimal grief. As another suggestion, befriend a local Unlimited Banger Racer as LS400s are popular for racing. Door mirrors and the like are the sort of thing they don't need and might be grateful to get a few quid for.

K817EUV is now for sale on eBay, apparently now owned by Allard Motorsport. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Allard-Lexus-LS400-Prototype-restored-by-Allard-Motor-Sport-/201233400178

Is this linked to the ignition switch fault that was mentioned on another post recently?

Can the need to input a code be over-ridden? When I got my '96 Mk3 back in October the battery had been flat for some time and I had to put another one on. Since then I've disconnected the battery several times for various reasons and not once has it asked me to enter a code.

Maybe the ignition switch?

18yrs old, nigh-on 900,000 miles, that's 50k a year every year, about 1k every week since new! Is it really 4wd? One of the Carfax sheets says RWD.