Breaking Down my 1990 Lexus LS400: What's the Deal?

"DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!" (daft-ryosuke) 04/20/2019 at 13:02 • Filed to: None

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For those who aren’t acquainted yet, yesterday I picked up a new project/daily: a 1990 LS400, for which I paid $650 for in total. I’m on day two of ownership and I have to say, I absolutely love this car. But, it’s not perfect, not by any means...but I’m going to make it perfect by the end of it.

So, what all needs to be done? What’s the plusses and minuses I’ve found so far? What’s my plan for this barge? This is my post to lay it all out to you all.

The Good

Considering the age of the car, I have to say, a lot of the mechanical components still run and drive just like they did when they were brand new. The 4-liter all-aluminum V8 still starts up every time, it still has absolute gobs of torque to spare, and it makes highway driving an absolute breeze. The suspension is also still full of life, soaking up bumps, holes, and railroad tracks with such suppulent ease.

I have to say I most certainly lucked out in terms of overall condition of the car. The paint has a lot of the original luster still in it, the interior is relatively clean except for minimal wear and tear, and the lights have no cracks or fades, all of which are things that you’d usually find on a car of this age.

Finally, I really appreciate the driving style of this car. It kinda just floats down the highway, but it still feels semi-planted to the road. The steering is extremely loose but it still handles a corner decently well. Also, I’m really starting to become addicted to the 1UZ’s subtle rumble. It’s kinda just there but it makes highway pulls all that much more sweeter.

The Bad

While I said that the overall condition of the car is acceptable, there are a lot of problematic areas that I can see on first glance. For instance, while I love the 16 inch wheels that the previous owners had installed, they are scuffed in a couple of areas. Also, the driver’s door two-tone grey portion on the bottom is mismatched to the rest of the car, and although AutoCheck cited there were no major accidents, it’s easy to tell it’s either been re-painted or replaced in the past.

The biggest niggles in my book are the mechanical issues that still have yet to be sorted. Here’s what I’ve noticed so far:

There’s a slight noise at startup that kind of sounds like a starter is going, but I’ve talked to other owners and they say it’s nothing major and just needs a tuneup. I know the starters on these are difficult, so I may just go ahead and get it replaced early on just for peace of mind.

There’s a very very light power steering fluid leak that you can only notice if you lift it and take a look at a small drip coming from the front end. It’s so light that it barely even pools up on the ground when the car is at rest. I’ll get to this eventually, but considering the light nature of the leak, I’m going to leave it alone...for now.

The tape deck is broken. I think the catch that accepts the cassettes is misaligned, or perhaps the spools that actually plays the tapes is broken. I have a feeling the previous owners tampered with it when they installed the aftermarket CD changer (which this car doesn’t have anymore, but the receiver module is still installed). I’m going to break apart the radio and see what I can do...worse comes to worse I’ve already sourced a factory replacement.

The odometer is broken, as well as other instrument cluster gauge needle burnout issues, which are both extremely common issues for these cars. I’ll probably send it off to be refurbished in the future.

These are just the top of the list, frankly, and I’m sure more issues will show their ugly heads over time. But I think it’s safe to start with what I know first. Im also taking care of basic maintenance issues I know these cars need, such as the timing belt, and of course oil changes, etc.

So, what’s the plan for the future?

I’m not exactly sure. Of course, I want to own this car for as long as possible, and keep it running for that long. But I’m not sure how I want to go about doing that yet. So far, I have two possibilities.

The first would be modernizing the overall vibe of the car. My idea of modernization would be installing some new wheels from a newer model Lexus, updating the lighting with more modern, safer fixtures, installing an updated radio head unit, etc. etc. I’ve had a lot of people say they’re interested in this idea, but others have objected, saying that it’ll take away a lot of the charm that this car has.

My other idea is to restore it back to stock form as best as possible, and make a Radwood show queen. That would require a lot of cleaning and repairing of the already established parts and such, but it would definitely make for one of the cleanest all-original LS400s out there...well, mostly all-original.

So, that’s my dilemma, and my list of things to be done on my latest acquisition. Of course, I will keep Oppo updated as things go on and as I slowly make my decision. But this is where we stand for now.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 13:06

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+1 for restoring it and making it totally rad

ToyotaFamily > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 13:10

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Throw a set of these on. I’m like 90% sure they were offered as an accessory. 

Cash Rewards > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 13:17

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VIP build, just to watch OPPO burn

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > ToyotaFamily 04/20/2019 at 13:22

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I’ve been trying to find some but most websites act like they don’t exist in this Bolt pattern 

ToyotaFamily > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 14:03

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You gotta dig sometimes. https://www.croooober.com/en/  i s an awesome place to start, lots of cool JDM stuff. There’s also people on Instagram who sell a lot of hard to find parts. 

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Cash Rewards 04/20/2019 at 15:48

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He’s far too sensible for that. However, I’m not. We’ll get there. 

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 15:53

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I say dead stock. Because just look at how perfect it looks in front of the little church. 

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 16:40

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Have checked out BeatSonic? They have a BT module for that car I believe. You might lose the tape deck audio to use it though.

sony1492 > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 16:51

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I would make it nicer, t hose front brakes can be replaced with much nicer calipers from a 99, 18" wheels, lowering springs, new head unit, better lca bushings. Ect.

Also what exactly is the odd noise?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 18:12

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We need to do yearly class reunions of all the Oppos who bought cheap cars for the year and see what fleet we have at the end of summer/early fall or something. So far we’ve got my Fiero, K-roll’s 924 Turbo (technically bought last year but now he’s finishing it up nicely), your LS400, and Miss Mercedes’ two wheeled fleet + whatever else can pop up on chicagoland craigslist.

I’m sure I’m missing a few more.

Ltuned66 > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 18:57

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That power steering leak might end up taking out the alternator, also the power steering vacuum valve is a common issue on these. 

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > sony1492 04/20/2019 at 19:17

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I’ve yet to find a proper explanation other than just showing it to people through video. It’s kind of like a loud grinding noise but it doesn’t exactly sound like metal grinding metal.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Ltuned66 04/20/2019 at 19:18

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Thanks for the tip, I’ll move that up on the priority list then.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 04/20/2019 at 19:19

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Thanks for the tip, I’ll take a look. The more I look into the tape deck thing, the more it looks like I may have to replace the head unit, so I might as well look into adding as many creature comforts as I can.

Photophill > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 21:34

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Yoooo. I JUST picked up a 97 ls400 coach edition this past week and I already love it. I'm updating the lighting and cleaning the leather interior now. Next I have to replace the the 35% tint with new 35% tint. I feel like this tint is the reason that the leather is in such good shape. Good luck with yours.

RagingSkooma > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 22:23

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Keep it totally stock with proper maintenance . It is the best the way it is. Will last you a very long time. Headlights don’t fade on these UCF10 or 21 , btw, because they are glass.

RagingSkooma > ToyotaFamily 04/20/2019 at 22:25

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The problem is those wheels are absolutely atrocious compared to what is on them now. I've seen plenty with them. 

Better than blessed. > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 23:13

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I own a 1990 Lexus LS 400 I had it almost 13 years second owner original engine and transmission these car built perfect I replaced my starter 12 years ago it cost 720.00 dollars 5 and half hours of labor it’s probably higher to fix now. Get the same starter that came on the car it will last long time my starter was on my car for 17 years

kmoney > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 23:15

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Fix that PS leak. It drips riht onto the alternator and you will be replacing both if you leave it.

Cheri > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/20/2019 at 23:39

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Love my ‘93, drives tight, very fast, quicker with the ect on, lol . I tell my friends it’s like driving a fast couch with formula- one steering ! She all black leather interior, phone, 6 CD changer in trunk, nice stereo and the gold lettering . Had to replace my wheels also, went with Koing, hard to decide, took a month of sundays . Still only 195,000 miles on her. Paid $125, the cost of licensing. They really are a sleeper car. You got a great car. 

Blackninja > Ltuned66 04/21/2019 at 00:43

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Te power steering leak cost me 3 alternators. 

Jonny Obnoxious > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/21/2019 at 09:43

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W elcome to the club. I fell into a 94 and now I have 5. 3 projects and 2 for parts.

Jonny Obnoxious > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/21/2019 at 12:58

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Welcome to the club! I have 5 in total, but these are the 2 I care about.

Top: 1997 Coach, going to be a show car. Bottom: 1994, non- TRAC, going to weld a diff and drift it out.

Never heard of RADwood before now. Do they appreciate cars with lots of update mods? I’m going for a “90s gangsta update” style on the 1997.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/21/2019 at 13:51

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The alternator sits below the power steering pump (know this from watching Smoking Tire ). So if the steering pump fails, you get liquid going into the alternator.

Larry Phillips > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 04/21/2019 at 16:58

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Standard Ford, Dodge, 5 on e.5 bolt pattern with metric nuts. I run 20's on my 200w LS430. Third LS I've owned