How do I convince my parents to let me buy an ls400 (1999). They are scared off buy the fact that it is a lexus

How hard is it to replace the timing belt and water pump?

It's a Toyota, with a 1UZ.
Get them to look for reliability ratings and shit.

lexls.com/tutorials/engine/timingbelt.html

I definitely would not start wrenching with a timing belt job. It's a solid weekend of work assuming you do it correctly.

I would also say if you're going to do the timing belt service you should go whole hog and also replace the starter while you're balls deep in the engine.

Those are the three big things that an LS400 has to do. Starter, timing belt, and water pump. Everything else is honestly kind of trivial.

I'm in the exact same boat as you, except in my case it's a GS300.

Show them some reliability ratings.

Or pitch for an IS300.

Get a job you millennial shitheap.

But gs300 is 6k for a good one. Anyone should be able to afford that. Just look for one past 80k kms and you won't have to do the water pump

I feel you. My parents didn't let me to buy anything non-SUV and stick transmission. I got a 1997 Forester I sold later on.

Don't think because it's reliable it's inexpensive to repair
Going to assume you or anybody in your family is not mechanically inclined or this wouldn't even be up for debate

Starter is under the intake manifold, bout a thousand bucks parts and labor. Power steering leaks are common leading to premature failure from your alternator. It's a well built car, but 20 years old. Things will fail and they will cost lots of money you probably don't have or you wouldn't be shopping for a $3500 Lexus

Hell my GS had a $1400 brake master cylinder unit and Rear upper control arms $800/ea
This was for parts only mind you
My AMG was less expensive to fix

Junkyards nigga

> paying money for other components containing 20 year old rubber
Shit we may as well have a shit part exchange program

I know this is Veeky Forums and people are poor, but it's these kinds of decisions why you'll remain poor

>it's these kinds of decisions why you'll remain poor
Does not compute.

He means make a better investment, or if you're going to DIY then do it right the first time. IE no junkyard parts that'll have you shopping for parts a year later

>buy used brake master cylinder unit for 50$
>buy new brake master cylinder unit for 1400$
The choice is clear to me. Even if the used ones will break every 3 months (which is very unlikely) it still makes more sense to buy them.

They're $300-500 even used and it's a common point of failure
Not so much the cost more so the fear of losing brakes when you need them the most

Holy shit, it actually does cost that in USA. Yeah, sorry, I guess it does make sense to buy new parts for you then.

Owned my 2007 IS350 for just over a year now and I've literally done nothing but change the oil. I'm sure things might be pricey WHEN they break... but I'm still waiting for that to happen. Lexus' for the most part are pretty damn solid.

Didn't Matt Farah from TheSmokingTire have an LS400 that went over 1 million miles?

nigga what? LS400's are like the most reliable car ever. just look up the story on those and tell them.

toyota basically went full on retard and built them like tanks, making them so solid, the contestants shit their pants.

Lexus was found to enter the luxury car market and the ls400 was the flagship, they made almost no money out of the first ones, since they were so over engineered. there are so many examples of these running ridiculous amount of miles, matt farraralaradingdong's has literally a million on it. and everything works, fucking everything.

the only problems are the electrically adjustable steering column and the air bag suspension, but that was an extra anyways.
oh and get one of the gold series, with the dope nakamichi stereo fuk yeah boiiii

the best old car you can get, really they hold their value for a reason

durrr muh million mile Lexus
That's a UCF10, OP is looking at the facelift UCF20 with vvti
Huge difference

Huge difference but still really fucking reliable.

OPs parents are awful they're scared of arguably the most continually awarded luxury brand in terms of quality and reliability...

Came across this ad.... wth is he talking about?

"These cars had an issue with the trans going out at the 150 to 200k mile mark and this one did go out but it was rebuilt 10,000 miles ago and it was done right and was rebuilt with the upgraded parts to avoid the failure that is known to happen to them."

its an auto so its gonna be shit regardless. not like you can drive a boat like that fast.

Would you actually want an LS400 with a manual? Come on now.

No but a dual clutch would be perfect

There is some good advice in here skimming through but I'll just say Lexus and Toyota brands in general are among the very top of the list in cars that owners spend the LEAST amount on through annual ownership.

Basically the opposite of German cars.

Kinda funny all the newest drivers will tell you how good VWs and Audis are if they come from rich families lol...

If its your first car get a cheap Corolla or Camry. After fucking it up and learning to do you own oil and brakes and shit THEN get a car of your choice.

Where are you?

I don't trust people that talk like you. You sound like you're trying to sell me a phone plan

I've driven a DCT F80 M3 for a few weeks at a time and an LS400. I would not want a DCT in an LS400.

The torque converter is needed to smooth out the delivery at low speeds. A lockup torque converter auto would give pretty much all of the benefit.

DCTs are very jerky at low speeds. Coasting at low speed you will feel every downshift as the transmission keeps the engine from stalling and maximizing dfco.

Probably nz

My dad has been a car mechanic for 25 years and he said I can't get a fucking 1996 ES300 because it has "too much computer stuff that'll break." Hold me Veeky Forums

Convince? Just tell them it's a toyota. If theyre scared of the v8, show them stats related to how unbelievably bulletproof reliable it is, or how underpowered it came from the factory. I've got a gs300 and it's a glorified shiny toyota. Hell, I would've bought an Avalon but I like the looks of the GS better.

Also it came with the Mark Levinson audio package and I dare say it's the best factory setup I've ever heard

The 7 speed in my a6 is not jerky at all at low speeds. Quiet and smooth like the 5 speed in my 98 LS. Thing is, it shifts much much faster and obviously has much better programming for the shifting as its 20 years newer but I think the point is, in an average family car, a dual clutch transmission can be made to operate smoothly even at low speeds

>claims to be in college

>can't spell 'by' correctly

Pretty sure you're just a really dumb 16 year old.

Are you actually autistic?

He's full of shit, avoid. Trying to cover up lack of care/abuse in the maintenance department

Maybe the M3 is more performance oriented but in my experience I can feel the clutch engagement without fail. There's always a slight noise as you take off and it sounds like a light thunk.

Once you get going it's smooth, but it's not 100% smooth and quiet. The average Lexus owner would lose their shit if their car made noises like an M3 or GTR.