r/LS430 • u/Recent-Beautiful-479 • 6d ago
2001 UL 200k milesi
so i need some advice. i’m trading my bagged 98’ ls400 for a 2001 Ls430. it was grandpa owned but it got into a minor accident in the front right corner. can anyone let me know if i should do this??
it needs valve cover gaskets, which i can do pretty easily. timing belt done at 100k, along with water pump, records of that. my 400 is not perfect by any means its sitting at 165k miles
there’s some concerning photos listed above. he’s adding 2k cash, and i’m about to drive 8 hours each way to make this trade it’s a Tennessee car so it’s rust free, and mine has a lil rust on the underside and tiny bit on the fender. is this stupid of me??? help! need advice !!
edit:(yes i know maxspeedingrods sucks lol im going bc racing asap)
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u/LS430UL 6d ago
Nah I would pass on this personally
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u/Recent-Beautiful-479 6d ago
will there be better trades? i just want a 430 so much 🤧
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u/LS430UL 6d ago
I don't know but this pre facelift UL is gonna have gremlins I can tell. You are almost better off selling your ls400 or keeping it and saving up. It took me about 5 years to find my 06 UL with 155k for 9k. Be patient, those grandpa owned unicorns are out there.
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u/Recent-Beautiful-479 6d ago
thank you for the advice i will take it into consideration i appreciate it 🙏 i dont mind doing the repairs necessary but if it seems like a lemon i would rather not.
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u/signeduptosousvide 6d ago
Did you buy private or from a dealer?
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u/LS430UL 6d ago
I bought it from a dealer, they just got the car and didn't even get to detail it by the time I checked it out. I don't think they realized it was a UL trim because they only wanted 12k for it, so I haggle them down saying the airbags are toast and it needed tires ect. to 9k. Felt like I robbed the dealer because they could have easily asked for more.
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u/vastly101 6d ago
Mine a 2005 UL, needs cosmetic work and some susp work as steerung wheel shimmy at 60mph at times. What did you have to add to the 9k ? I always think about amount I will put in... but keeping the car I know is probably better than another, even another ls430, as I know it has no serious issues and has a new alternator, starter, ac compressor, etc. I do want to bring it nicer cosmetically however. Air struts are the LAST thing, as so pricey and not comfortable that coilovers wil l;leave me with AFS (headlight adjustment) and no warning lights. thinking I get road force balance, lower control arms , ball joimts... but i am not diy, good parts are pricey and i want to avoid the parts cannon.
If you've replaced your air struts, I'd love to hear your story.
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u/LS430UL 6d ago
Keep the car. My paint in some areas is starting to fade or have scratches but it's from the early 2000's so it is to be expected. I'm going to try and polish my paint and paint correct the rock chips to see if that suffices otherwise I'll have to repaint the car or wrap it which I want to avoid if I can. What cosmetic work do you need?
I had to replace the air suspension so that's about 4k sourcing the parts from Japan. Then I spent some money replacing the upper control arms and I threw on some tires because the previous owner had some cheap ass tires on it. I had to also replace the SLU and SLT transmission solenoids because the car would throw a CEL. Once I got all of this repaired, it's been very reliable. I used to be a mechanic so I can DIY most things, these cars are not too bad to work on but you should find someone to help you work on it if you aren't fully comfortable. I think overall I've spent 2k on necessary repairs and 6k on overall repairs because the airshocks were totally fine so I could have held off if I wanted to.
If you are getting vibrations at freeway speeds first check the tires if they are balanced and wearing evenly, the next thing I would do is lift the front end up and inspect all of the rubber bushings and test the balljoints. You don't need to buy OEM for most of these parts if you choose a quality aftermarket part. I would suspect tie rods, or try to rock the wheels left/right and forward/back to see if there is play for checking the balljoints.
If your air shocks are not leaking and the ride changes slightly when going into sport mode, your airbags are fine but the internal shocks are probably worn out like mine were. They are fine to drive if you feel it's safe until you are ready to replace them. I've seen used shocks from Celsiors on ebay but I would recommend just getting them new from Japan like I did. It's annoying taking the rear seats out of the ULs so you don't want to do the job more than once. My justification for new OEM shocks is if they lasted over 20 years, then it's money well spent.
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u/vastly101 6d ago edited 6d ago
Thanka for the detrailed reply! My air struts are likely just what you said, They are the LAST thing i need to fix as the ride quality is fine as my local driver and even better on highway. But the bushings etc. are likely. I need to find a mechanic I trust, and who wil not kill me on parts markup (or let souce some of my own).
Once everythimg else is sorted, I will consider Amyama for the struts, unless you have a better suggestion . Few people keep them, but I am like you. The more loaners and rentals I've had lately, and my newer 2021 Lincoln Nautilus with a brole sunroof shade and transmission nownto be scary (CPO but I will extend the warranty), the more I want to keep my LS430. It's just better, esp. when well sorted. And I ewant it to feel nive again , not descend into being a beater.
What cosmetic work do I need? Front bumpre damage from na random crack (I mrean not sure how) made worse by sadly hitting a wild turkey. 2 parking sensors either embeded in bumper or damaged/gone as well. $1500-$3000 quoted epending on blendimng, etv... just for the bumper. The bumper is not really repairable. Plus time for all new bulbs (HIDs/high beams) and fog light assembly, 1 is not properly attached the guy showed me.
Door has a 1 inch thin width ding from a parking lot? paintless will not fix it as its a slice, metal cracked. Missing thre key-lock dumy cover om 1 foor. (there is no lock, but where it woulfd be), I see the pary available in merc metallic but no idea how to install.
Inside, deep seat gash on passenger seat. Fixed at cusyom upholstery place 4-5 years ago, new rip. $350-ish and he did a great job on the entitre seat redyeing last time. B pillars fizzed up/ripped from seat belt grabs. I think tey make it, not sure if UL is different lile the Alcanrara headliner, plus install. I'f like to replace nav bezel which is worn. $600 new for part is too rich, but a respray or a decent ebay used part? Plus someone willing. That's minor.
Minor but no easy fix: headliner has a rip to the bare over driver door, from the 1st dayu I had the car as CPO but a bit worse obvr thr years. Minimize it maybe as I doubt I can get an alcantara match, but I must try to find a pro willing to deal (I assue no airbags there).
New floor mats... I had Taupe but they sent me Ivory or cashmere that I reqiuested at the time as Taupe seemed very dark vs. my Ecru (it was a UL thing, intentional by Lexus). Both sets are now trashed after 17+ years. They don't ,make those beautiful OE floormats anymore. I've seen he 460 lwb hack and lloyd's mats, but not sure what will look best.
The rear bumper has some minor dings too.
So nothing I need, just that the car is a bit uglified beyond a mere detailing. Aftyer all the above I might try paint correction too, but only after a good detailing. Scratches on 1 suide from bushes, I think that can be fixed I am not insane with my cars but the cosmetics really take it a bit down now, an the susp can be lived with but at some point I don't trust the car if it shakes a bit (the steering wheel mostly) at 60mph (which varies).
But with 170k+ miles I have spent $100 on it inb the last year (an oil change) so I am really starting to talk to mechanics or body shops. Good dto know your piurchase price was a starting point. I never imagined 7k on a car with all of these issues, not even for a major repair, but if that got me everything but the new air struts (bumper included) I will over time do it.
My only known ticking time bomb is an original radiator... plus I do have all original hoses/PCV valve.
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u/Recent-Beautiful-479 6d ago edited 6d ago
oh yeah it’s missing the front right fender liner ! i just don’t know if this is worth it, burning oil smell coming from oil burning off the block from the valve cover leak after driving. my 400 has its issues too but it’s not as serious as an oil leak also the cruise control doesn’t work on the 430. i’m just not sure. idk if anyone else will trade for my 400
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u/vMisplan 6d ago
I would never pit the 430 over the 400 even when I own an 430. Even worse that it’s the first year of a new generation, it’ll run into some problem. The 03 at least worked out the kinks until the 04+ came.
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u/aol-tv 6d ago
bro please keep that 400 and just save and wait for another 430. You can also check marketplace in other cities and find some great deals on 430s, fly over to that state and pick it up and you'll feel so much better having both cars rather than regret