LowriderUK

An iPod/iPhone connection is the best thing to do IMO. You can tap in between the CD changer and amp, therefore retaining ALL stock functionality. Flick a switch and you have your iPhone input to the amp with great quality. The wiring is hidden under my drivers seat, run up into the centre console and hidden from view.

Cost me circa £30 in bits.

I've seen that mod, you tap into the signal wires and use a relay and switch to change between the changer input and the mp3 player input.

I might get around to doing it at some point.

That's the one, its on Clublexus. I would highly recommend it! Changing CDs all the time is a chore. And tape converters are terrible sound quality

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. If you have a decent quality tape adaptor, then the sound quality is only minutely reduced from the CD changer.

I prefer the wire tap method for purely aesthetic reasons.

An iPod/iPhone connection is the best thing to do IMO. You can tap in between the CD changer and amp, therefore retaining ALL stock functionality. Flick a switch and you have your iPhone input to the amp with great quality. The wiring is hidden under my drivers seat, run up into the centre console and hidden from view.

Cost me circa £30 in bits.

I've seen that mod, you tap into the signal wires and use a relay and switch to change between the changer input and the mp3 player input.

I might get around to doing it at some point.

As already advised, if you've got a Mk 3 or 4, you can't 'simply' upgrade your factory stereo, as the system is 'pre-amp', meaning the headunit has no internal amplifier, and instead runs a signal to the amp under the front seat. All aftermarket systems run amped head units, so won't be compatible with a pre-amp system. The only way is to completely bypass the stock system, run new wiring from the aftermarket head unit to the speakers, and you'll also lose the factory subwoofer.

Yes its very nice but you have told everyone and his dog what your reg is and were you live,be careful about that ,the international register is useless if the car goes for illegal export in a shipping container after it dissapears on a crane lorry from your front drive.

What utter scaremongering nonsense.

Do you also cover up your numberplates when your car is on the drive, or parked on the road, or when you are out driving? After all, the public can see the registration there too.

I'm not entirely sure what you asking, but if you are worried about 'blowing an airbag' it is impossible. The system will stop inflating the bags at a pre-set pressure, this has no relevance as to whether the car is on it's wheels or suspended in the air.

Can you not get an adapter lead to convert to standard fitting?

I've not done a Lexus, but I know they are available for many makes, including Honda and Peugeot, and just plug in to the car lead then to the standard after market ICE fitting.

MkIII stereo systems are 'pre-amp', therefore a standard amped aftermarket headunit will not work. You can fit an aftermarket head unit if you run new wiring from it directly to the existing speakers, but you'll lose the factory sub as this only works on the pre-amp circuit.

If this was the last Lexus in the world I wouldn't buy from him. There are plenty more out there.

Mike

That statement makes no sense whatsoever.

Nice to see we're still pulling apart eBay adverts for cars we have no intention of buying in here...

For goodness sake, stop being sheep and read the Legislation yourselves before all panicking and writing to your MP.

Here is the actual Annex which details the test and the failure criteria. There is nothing in there which will stop you from continuing to modify your cars the way you have up until now.

http://eur-lex.europ...(51):FIN:EN:PDF

The Ace has caused widespread panic without being in possession of the fact, which has kneejerked everyone else to cry wolf.

This is current

But the EU is proposing more stringent standards I'm still sifting through the proposals as they are dull and writen in a very bureaucratic way .Writing to your MP will do nothing as rules that come from Brussels have to be implimented. The UK government have no option.

No, what I have posted is NOT current, it is the full text of the 'Roadworthiness Test' as detailed in your original post.

For goodness sake, stop being sheep and read the Legislation yourselves before all panicking and writing to your MP.

Here is the actual Annex which details the test and the failure criteria. There is nothing in there which will stop you from continuing to modify your cars the way you have up until now.

http://eur-lex.europ...(51):FIN:EN:PDF

The Ace has caused widespread panic without being in possession of the fact, which has kneejerked everyone else to cry wolf.

So not only content with pisstaking LS400 for sale threads, we've now strayed out of the topic area and started elsewhere.

Quality of content has really slipped in here, I would have hoped for better from you guys.

Consider me heading back to Club Lexus.

Exhaust problems are a bit of a concern - I've read that it's cheaper to get a new one built with stainless steel - would these tuned mass dampers be applicable to a stainless steel replacement or would they only work with the original parts? i.e would a stainless replacement be noisier as a result?

The Lexus LS is still on record as being one of the most over-engineered car in history. The tuned-mass dampers do not effect noise, they were designed to reduce vibration caused through the exhaust from a running engine from transmitted back to the vehicle body, but in reality you'd be hard pressed to notice the different whether they were there or not.

I would like to know why we the tax payer has to supply him and others like him with such an expensive car. I am sure a Ford Fiesta would have got him to and fro to work just as easy and certainly cheaper for us over burdened tax payers. If he didn't wont a Fiesta then go and buy your own car but a Fiesta is all the tax payer is going to supply.

Mike

Perhaps because he was a CHIEF CONSTABLE? Do you expect the chairman of your company [if you are employed in such a manner] to come to work in a Mini? No, of course not. Are you also going to complain about the wages he is paid, because he could easily 'get by' on a £35k per annum salary? After all, that's paid by the taxpayer as well! He's worked hard at his job and is suitably rewarded. Public services get supplied company cars at knock down rates anyway, and besides, with a valuable company car, he will be paying MORE tax back into the system, than if he had a Fiesta.

Honestly, it's like your not allowed to be successful anymore, because everyone will bemoan of the things success brings. Maybe we should all aspire to work in Tesco stacking shelves...

They wont fit without adaptors, as the LS460 uses a 5x120 PCD whereas an LS430 uses 5x114.3. Without knowing the specs of the OEM wheel, I cannot advise whether they will fit or not after using adaptors.

Nothing wrong with that Lexus at all.

Sure, I'd change the colour as I hate flip paint, and it needs lowering a good few inches, but other than that it's right up my street. It's been customised in the vein of the Japanese VIP/Bosozoku scene, and I think you'll find there's many, many more LS400/Celsiors looking like that than there are LS400 owners on this forum!

Removing the two rear resonator boxes makes hardly any difference to the exhaust volume at all. Some MOT testers may fail you for 'incomplete exhaust' but this is being overly picky and strictly speaking it should warrant a fail [An incomplete exhaust is one where sections are missing in the middle. If it has a beginning and an end, and everything inbetween is sound and secure, it can't be 'missing'].

Here's mine with the rear resonators removed, before I extended the pipes out to finish in quads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCdQPOHCrw8&feature=plcp

Such a good point about low profile tyres.

Great if you want to track your car, but for comfortable wafting about on our great British pothole and speed hump infested roads you can't beat proper sized tyres.

My Lexus rides almost as good as stock on MeisterR coilovers and 245/40R19 tyres.

My money would be on exhaust heatshields also.

Must we continually have these threads?

You find an example of every marque and model where someone has over-estimated the value. Quite simply, the car with either sell, or it won't. If it sells, the Seller is quids in, and the Buyer hasn't done their research. If it doesn't, the Seller will realise their price is too high and lower their expectations.

Would you honestly be upset if you took home that LS400 for £4k, other examples notwithstanding? Wouldn't you still feel it offered a lot even for that price?

These threads just smack of "OMG, look at this idiot", and I thought we'd be above this kind of thing.

I think your understanding of science is very flawed.

If the IQ was a quarter of the weight of the LS460, and had a quarter of the engine capacity, but gave the same MPG, then it would be the same efficiency as the Lexus, as the engine capacity/weight ratio of the two remains the same.

But actually, the IQ gives twice the MPG as the LS460, meaning it's twice as efficient as the LS460.

But, it's even even better than that, as the IQ doesn't weigh a quarter of the LS460, it weighs just under half [1929KG vs 860KG = 44%, to be precise], so in fact the IQ's engine is almost four times as efficient as the Lexus.

Of course, I've massively over simplified this for clarity, as engine power is expinential of capacity, so four times the engine capacity doesn't equal four times the power, but the basic math is enough to demonstrate how it works.

Whats your opinion on lowering springs, dropping it 1". Will it ruin the ride?

I have a set of barely used Tanabe lowering springs. It drops a fair bit more than 1", but still easily cleared the biggest of speedbumps, and was barely any stiffer than the Lexus wafty ride.

This is with the Tanabes fitted, bear in mind I'm running 19" wheels!

Here's a rear shot showing the clear/red lamps

I've actually tinted the fog lamps red on mine, usually the clear section runs all the way across, and you use red bulbs in the fog lamp sections.

Don't bother with the LED lighting, I'd go for the non-LED clear/red clusters instead, like I have on mine.

Not sure which 'splitter' you are referring to, but I find unless you are going with a full aero-kit [rear lip, side skirts, front and rear bumpers], then the LS400 doesn't really suit 'add on' bodywork styling.

Clear side repeaters can be found in the UK, as they are the same as for Mk1 Toyota MR2s.

The trouble with debadging is that only some of the bootlid badges are held on with adhesive, some have pins which go through holes in the bootlid. This means you either have to get the holes filled in and the bootlid repainted, or only take off some of the badges, which leaves the symmetry a little 'off' in the rear.

The Wheeler Dealer episode where they did an LS400, they fitted those IS200 wheels without issue, plus I've seen several LS400s wearing IS200 wheels.

However, you're going to need bigger tyres as they are far too small a profile to suit the bigger LS400. You'll end up with hilariously big arch gaps, those wheels will look lost!

If you can deal with front window only, then Team Heko do them for the LS400.

Euro28,90 plus postage is about Euro15,00 as I've just bought a set for my Honda Civic.

Very good quality, service and well packagked.

http://www.e-heko.com/en/Marka/LEXUS/

UCF20 shocks [Mk3/4] are slightly shorter than UCF10 shocks [Mk1/2] but have the same mountings.

How long is a piece of string? Not sure what your 5x100 was intended to represent, but if you are referring to the wheel bolt pattern [more commonly known as PCD], then the LS400 is 5x114.3.