Learn me 98-on Lexus GS400/GS430

I'm looking for a car to do a bit of everything - fast/fun back roads, freeway cruising, light trackday use, towing a little kart trailer, four passenger trips to Ultimate Frisbee tournaments.

A then-brand-new GS400 was the first fast car I ever rode in. It made a big impression on me. A quick Craigslist search shows that they're very cheap now.

What are they like to drive?

Anything odd about the controls or passenger accomodations?

Are they reliable and durable?

What are the main failure points? What needs tools beyond "jack, jackstands, socket set wrenches, electric impact, and multimeter" to fix or replace?

Is there a COTS stickshift swap?

Well, they have the same drive train as my 98 and 99 LS400's. There's a couple threads here on them. TLDR: Starter motors are a PITA and go at around 100K. Timing belt will take a casual weekend with jack, jackstands, socket set wrenches, and electrical impact.

Nothing relevant to add here other than that they're enough of them wrecked around here that they must be great fun to drive spiritedly.

I have owned a 2000 GS300 and 94 LS400. The GS is slightly more sporty than the LS, like how a Buick is sportier than a Oldsmobile, not that sporty. That being said, when mine was totaled in a flood, it was rattle and creak free with everything working well around 170k.

Working on the 4.0 is not bad at all. I did the timing belt with relative ease, replaced the valve cover gaskets and general tune up was all I had to do with that motor. We sold that one at 260k and it was running great. I was fortunate to not have to replace the starter. That motor had a ton of vacuum lines that were very fragile from our Phoenix heat. They were the scariest part of working on the car. A line might snap that you would have to chase and could be difficult to reach.

Reliable as gravity.Great cars. Just like the LS of that era. Most of the things below are normal for the age issues, rather than specific problems. Wear items, front lower ball joints...not cheap part wise, but easy to replace. Timing belts- VVTi V8 engines ARE interference, so make sure you replace that on time. While you've got the timing belt off inspect for oil leaks at the intake cam gaskets. Due to the VVTI gear and how it is mounted to the cam, those require cam removal to replace, but aren't so terrible you should run away.

Starters are kind of a B to do, but often don't fail till 150-200. You'll want to do intake and valve cover gaskets at that time. Keep a eye on the PS pump. They like to leak, and are mounted above the alternator. A/C compressors are stupid expensive, but don't fail all that often. Avoid the navigation systems of this era, they look hopelessly outdated, and have almost no functionality anymore.

Other than that, its a large heavy car, so don't expect it to be a corner carver. The interiors hold up extremely well, typical of Lexus vehicles, and the body's arent really prone to rusting.

Make sure the vehicle you buy has at least one MASTER key. They are identified by usually being black, with the remote built into the key. The grey key only (no buttons) is a valet key. You must have a master to program new keys. So if all you have is a valet, you have to buy a new ECM as well as the new keys to add one. This changed in 2001 (IIRC) model year to allow reflashing for additional keys without a master.

No easy manual swaps. Because the 4.0/ 4.3 was never offered with a manual trans, you'd need a custom bell housing/ adaptor plate, and figure out how to make the ECM happy without the auto trans there anymore. Probably more work than its worth.

I just built one for next weeks challenge so I have some first hand experience.

As mentioned earlier the starters are a common failure point, possibly due to its location under the intake manifold. Mine cost $115 in parts and took several hours to change. They are pretty bullet proof overall, and I would wager would be much less maintenance intensive then say a e39 BMW.

There are a couple of manual transmission options that bolt up but to my knowledge know one has ever got one to function in the car. The big hurtle is apparently the ecu which is looking for an automatic transmission. A stand alone might be your only option.

The car is pretty quick for what it is. I am hoping for a mid 14 in the quarter. The brakes are sufficient especially with decent pads.

Mine is lowered on Tein springs, with bilsteins. It rides decent but is assuredly stiffer then the stock springs. I also installed a 22 mm rear sway bar from ebay. It fit well and is quite a bit larger the stock piece.

I made an intake with a piece of pipe conduit and it really improved the sound under acceleration.

Is the car a Japanese m5, no not really but it drives nice, is fast in a straight line and is reliable as, well a lexus. It would probably be a good fit for what you are looking for.

The 430's got throttle by wire that is notoriously laggy. They also lost the "e-shift" steering wheel up/down shift buttons. They dont have fold down rear seats or even a small pass through. Might not be a big deal to you but I found it annoying.

I owned one for a few years with 125k on it and everything started falling apart, major p/s rack leak, alternator, warning lights for traction control/abs failing, maybe I got a dud, but it had dealer repair records. It drove very nice and was sporty enough, quick and got decent mpg for what it was. Parts were NOT cheap, I'd give another one a shot I guess given the Lexus reputation, it never left me stranded and the transmission was strong. I drove it in winter without a problem.

My DD is an 02 GS430. Lowered with camber correcting upper control arms in front and eccentric bolts in back. Without these the tire wear is SEVERE. AC repair a few years ago was $$$ but in FL you just gotta do it. Rear brakes are tiny and overall I feel like the brakes could be better for the weight of the car. The engine has a lot of power but I rarely seem to use it. I just like that it is quiet, comfortable and quick. If you want to go fast and corner you will want to change the drivers seat at a minimum for better support.

I love the car but for a low budget performance V8 4 door w/stick I would look for a 540i. They have seriously dropped in price.