Few Ls400 questions (1990-1994)

I'm looking into buying a 1990-1994 to use as a daily driver, and then maybe to move onto a few mods from there, but I have a few questions first.

How is the stereo quality on the stock car? I'd assume it would be quite good as it is a higher end car, but you never know.

Out of a 1990-1994 which would be the best year to buy in terms of things like average performance, issues, and average mpg?

Did the cars ever come in solid black?

I'd also love any other information you feel that I should know or links that I should read, thanks for anything I can get!

Sean

Sean welcome to the forums, Id be happy to answer a few of your questions.
 
I was VERY happy with the quality of my stock stereo but i suppose thats a matter of opinion isnt it?  Ive since put in a newer aftermarket deck and noticed a nice improvement in overall quality. So if I were you i would recommend that for your mod list if you enjoy your tunes.
 
 
in the 90-94 years i would stick with the 93-94 (ucf11) over 50 changes were made from larger brakes and wider wheels to a digital odometer etc. for a complete list check out this site:
 
[URL]http://www.lexls.com/info/lsgenerations.html[/URL]
 
scroll down to evolution of the ls series. also on that link is a bunch of tutorials for matienance if your a DIY guy. 
 
Yes solid colors were offered including black.
 
Id also like to warn you to look out for the LS's most common problem while shopping. blacked out LCD screen where the temp/time is displayed, very common but not a horrible fix if you know how to sauter. if not you can pay someone to do it for you.
 
any other questions please feel free to ask.

Yeah I'm 16 and looking into one as my first car, I can do almost ANY work I need on it myself as I take man auto classes that add to around two hours a day and our teacher will work on anything with us to be sure we do it right, so DIY is no problem.

Thanks for the help man, I was looking at a 93, sounds good.

What average price can i look at for rims like SSR viennas?

Will insurance kill me as well, even if it is on my moms plan?

I loved my 1990 LS, but Brandon is right stick with the 93-94 as you get the bigger brakes and a few updates.
 
Watch out for:
Power steering pump leak, the P/S pump is located above the alternator and when it leaks it drips down the alternater making it a two not so easy repair.  
The car will have a whining noise if the P/S is leaking, sometimes just topping off the fluid works, but if replacing the pump doesn't fix it there could be a more costly repair...look below.
 
If the power steering pump fails even after replaceing, the rack and pinion has to be replaced.... sucks , I know I had to replace mine.
 
LCD screen on the climate control was mentioned $200 for this to be done by a professional.  
 
Other than that, I cant remember anymore...the LS is a rock solid car.  Good Luck finding one.

Awesome thanks guys, anyone know much about insurance for them?

In regards to insurance, i'm not too sure if the car itself will be the determining factor. Since you are a new driver it may be high but not as high as trying to insure a 2dr.

It would go on my moms insurance til I move out of the house.

Hey Sean, welcome to the forums buddy.  Sean is a good guy guys.  He usually doesn't ask idiot questions as you noticed and is an honest kid.  I've known him from other non-vip related forums for a while now and he never came off as a smartass kid, punk, or a dreamer.  Anyhow, good platform choice Sean and as a few others stated I'd also look for a 93-94' and the insurance on a 4 door will be less, but the V8 kind plays the scale a bit.  Being that you'll be on Mom's insurance it shouldn't be too bad.

Not to mention since you are a new driver it'll probably be high as well even if it's under your mother's name and she lists you as a driver. Welcome to forums and awesome choice of platform.

shit, regardless its gonna be up there because lexus is in a "different class" according to my insurance company 21st century.

i have 21st century.

Kinda good kind of bad, my dad works for an insurance company (Liberty Northwest) and they use to give him a 15-30% discount, but they removed that for some reason, totally sucks, but its still cheaper than normal.
 
All I'm planning on doing is lowering and getting new rims (Most likely SSR Viennas, 19"), with quite a low and aggressive stance.
 
How much does the lowering affect handling?
 
If I added extra rear camber what would that do to handling? It looks ballin but is it recomended for a daily driver?
 
How would stretched tires affect things like that and who can I go to to get stretched tires put on?
 
Oh and last question for now, rolling fenders, If I wished to do this I have lots of friends with experience with it (Mike im sure you remember Maikeru from PCF), would I need to repaint?

Hey I didnt see you're from the Northwest...  :smiley: 
 
When I had my LS I had it lowered on JIC SF1's , the old model without the dampening adjustment , but I tell yah the ride was nice and gave the car a more "sporty" handling.  
 
Shawn and I tried rolling the rear fender of the LS and that quarter panel is thick as heckers, somebody mentioned that it is 3 to 4 sandwiched pieces...hehehe.
 
There's a few LS400 owners here that have added camber to thier cars so I might ask them about that. Most hail from Hawaii, so ask away. :)

Washington FTW! Haha.

I guess I'll ask around to see how the camber is, thanks for the help so far guys!

[quote=Sean P.;95446]
 
If I added extra rear camber what would that do to handling? It looks ballin but is it recomended for a daily driver?
 
How would stretched tires affect things like that and who can I go to to get stretched tires put on?
 [/quote]

Remember sean that lowering creates camber naturally, Camber wont affect your handling to the point that youll notice (lowering will).  However since your in highschool and (i would guess) on a budget I wouldnt recommend camber, youll eat through your tires faster and youll have to flip em about every 7k miles.  I dont know much about streching tires but I would guess you could get any mom and pop place to do it for you. I DD my ls and Ill tell you its much more suited to be a commuter stock :smiley: The more I mod it the more of a hassle my commute becomes lol

Eh, but the cooler you look, I'll prolly just get rims and lower it a little.

[quote=Sean P.;95514]Eh, but the cooler you look, I'll prolly just get rims and lower it a little.[/quote]


Oh dont get me wrong, I wouldnt go back to stock for the world!  with modding comes alot of hidden expenses :smiley: but in the end its totally worth it.

A mom and pop shop can stretch the tires for you.  A moderate stretch is fine for daily driving.  Nakang tires are recomended since they are cheap, 340 threadwear means they last, and they stretch nicely.

By mom and pop do you just mean any ol' shop? (Sorry for my stupidity :P)

[quote=Sean P.;95446]Kinda good kind of bad, my dad works for an insurance company (Liberty Northwest) and they use to give him a 15-30% discount, but they removed that for some reason, totally sucks, but its still cheaper than normal.
 
All I'm planning on doing is lowering and getting new rims (Most likely SSR Viennas, 19"), with quite a low and aggressive stance.
 
How much does the lowering affect handling?
 
If I added extra rear camber what would that do to handling? It looks ballin but is it recomended for a daily driver?
 
How would stretched tires affect things like that and who can I go to to get stretched tires put on?
 
Oh and last question for now, rolling fenders, If I wished to do this I have lots of friends with experience with it (Mike im sure you remember Maikeru from PCF), would I need to repaint?[/quote]

wow you got the load of questions... good though... most of your questions were answered so... camber wont do much for handling, itll just wear out a bit quicker than usual. my car is stretched, and max cambered... here take a look.... i got about -4.8 degrees of camber at ride height, maxed. as long as the toe is within spec (mines is right on the dot) you'll be just fine. 

as for rolling and pulling, i rolled and pulled the f*ck out of my rear quarter panels as you can see. still rubs a bit for to fit 19x10 -2, i gotta go in there and hammer some things out...

heres mine at ride height
[IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/calitri808/DSCF1148.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/calitri808/DSCF1571.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/calitri808/DSCF1575.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/calitri808/DSCF1576.jpg[/IMG]

Hello Sean P. Im Currently 20 Years Old And I Have Been Driving For 2 Years. When I First Got Insurance For My Car It Was Up The Hole. If I Went Full Coverage It Would Of Been 2400 A Year. So I Just Went Fo Liability Since I Rarely Drive My Car Which Cuts To Down To 1200 A Year. I Am Currently Insured Under 21 Century. I Drive A 1995 LS400. Gota Love Car Insurance Rake You In Fo Your Money Haha.

great info Ray.... btw Sean what widths were you thinking about running?..