Topic: Some Noobs build a Lexus

My best friend and I have been toying with the idea of Lemons and been eyeing cars for a long long time.  Bidding on CoPart, browsing local tow auctions, and clicking through BS on CL.  We agreed that an SC400 was the car we wanted.  Well, getting one for a lemon price, is tough anywhere, especially in the Midwest.  Lost a couple of wrecked ones on CoPart and towlot auctions.  So, we started looking at all 300 and 400 Lexus'. 
    Couple weeks ago, I was on Craiglist, thumbing through the cars in my second office, and dug up one that was 2 weeks old.  Ad basically said, abandoned salvage, no keys, nice interior $800.  So, I texted the guy.  Said he still had it.  I got busy and wasn't too interested in it; I never texted him back.  This week, I saw it again, and decided to bug him again.  He told me he went ahead and forked up $275, to got get security flashed and had a key cut.  He said it runs and drives and he's going to relist the car.  Now I was more interested. 
    So, I'm thinking I can get it for $800 and make the price work (we'd already researched used parts on eBay, and decided we could get it going within the limit). 
    Early Sat. morning, we drove to Missouri, to meet this guy at a repo lot.  We go out back, and he's excited to show us how good the engine sounds.  He pops the hood, hooks up a jump box, and tries to start it.  Nothing, then horn starts blaring....  I look down, and see that he hooked it up backwards......  An hour and a half later, we've gone through most of the fuses in all of the 4 or 5 boxes and found a bunch blown.  One was the 150 amp alternator fuse.  I tried to pull it out and all the plastic came, but not the metal part of the fuse ( I now know that it's bolted in).  So, I bent what was left of the fusible link, then bent a washer flat on two sides, and pressed/wedged it in there.   It turned over, but never fired.  We told him thanks, but we were done, and left.
   Several hours later, he messages me, says it's running (sent video of it).  We thought about it for another hour or so and asked what his bottom dollar was, if we came back.  He said $650.  We drove back to Mo.  Started it up and drove it around the block.  It was making some BAD noises from trans/console area; lots of grinding sounds.  Along with that, almost every dash light was on.  But, it seemed to shift/run smooth enough.  It just sounded like the back of the tranny or driveshaft was going to let loose.  We offered $500 for it, then I drove it home, grinding and moaning, on it's cracked 12 yo tigerpaws...

Stay tuned for more, from Team Lex Loogie......

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WK4JA9vhz4H54mSlII-ALSeUvfZK5aqnmpmE47u6xx7E3sQHyIbL9fX8zOmJ3tQ1W683diVBjSGW2qVXS3odgi96BC84zpkyq2QUv4k12UFVBshcpGzOwPFq0NyzxotF0adwui6h3fBJ2l_HxTFvRCHD5oOt1CpGGgSjXcbV_r2CmSVawrKPd7dzyWB79QiicGZDGYdO4VHd7vYhfiJADfATF2I3FYe2dyjVxvEbQJhYF9h7A8zBiA5lqlK-QxhfqpsH9wh3TZwLhTfS6ojvIDFdClIkbVgeCdvIH5HSLcNkHOuD0CdhyGrmEG9aYJO1nI0AKQeZAcR-mQ5cVeIVTNDs1lAvZWojlNDq1yQFSloPlONuEnMka2-zOydpxy5_IN465bRXfMvrGXn4rFw3JDxH7_Ds1tTtiFbvRrZBh5kf7PUQViVNf-dV6YU5xKnN2p8SVcBv6_TMuS-I-ebe3C8cFUnyGim3RkegpEh1bKnI2j3Yu43q4ZBBra1ySZFAdQVBXkeJlbEfr7KpkWf3shpoGGecDEmp0yAZ1dK40OySuKDIGNbLNJpccA8J3sHQp8Pyy0kKz1XfcnDjj8PGm2gi8YuMs4v-XOdNcU55juaCOfrjigqZupC5bxGCH-qHwDo_i5jvZ-w6KeEcrGzVbMLRqYmqP36OV9IS5ScUZ8HmCDsIaFFeUseQLPv9JibbgFfYOJcH-NSEZ9OuXaU=w1251-h938-no

Re: Some Noobs build a Lexus

Thanks for getting the thread started.

HPT here we come!

Time to break out the sawzall and dry ice.

Anyone needing a nice black GS300 interior?  Need to finance the suspension rebuild.

Seriously though, really excited, drag raced for 15 years in a 56 Victoria, not enough corners, looking forward to something other than straightaways.

Re: Some Noobs build a Lexus

Turns out all the noise was something I wouldn't have guessed.  Someone bottomed this car out in the past, and smashed the exhaust up into a heat shield, that happens to be under the driveshaft (big driveshaft tunnel on these cars).  So much better than a driveshaft or transmission issue!  I'm sure that smashed pipe is holding some ponies back too.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Lp73PholLXLZXGDp8h4w8_FZpEm69aHOxJzsCjLNlcEJUfspaTrbm7U5CYTC6bVbR9D5z_xU5pMjtyiG-yAcVqWQL1uK8eUlci9c2M4-JU0AaZBk5HYJV-YPTJB8nDDD02cXPouq0A8Ws9eqvxEUewnpbLwskwXLIRNwyyfjO9DcNWQGqNJ5m7c07n-K85LPzeZoPylu5ggPhWxN8H0saMmLEIk3cJVxX-QYZFDKJyiGYzolK69ys6_6d7FxC5RAMncFADJUNMb9OECF6FhhYBlGUKD-HXYkMVrV7_0amhPo3NiL3-sz73KCN-_4ndq3nhqEPcYjIwzex8jPgu-3-T7AWoYGL30JfKZAX1gL7d3m6gB1iZxyAYUxCOx61ejlB-Ngn5BSD4O-afFpx12m_XwrEj5gK_PrNoYDt9eHWw2wBD1KdCWdqNR6Z2VLIzwCytX78Maxhigyz-pQteOaYtQS6Af4XwOGx5__DmF_ZlBubK2SyYRuItNcDQql3b28-UDZbwLJl-aB10X3ucGJEJBxjpb4kYqqUGySbP_hNN5pFcbsCTeqG3sJ_4heXQATDgYU7NotWMb09EAgcQn3oqQXC_QDEUqVbamNG1-A10J63NH6-6Kj0ptNE3MpblAww_g1GYqiw9xsRb-VXBO2N9aM323wSKdzEafx0IhgA9APYOHV1UUsLwwA11DNlunajpERdUjY40Uiwtt5N3Q=w1228-h921-no 
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nY9H0Ns12e0mjSMngD1OYqiMS0CDt6BwIyat-_G1Slob-st_wQdYywgaOrceKzV6JLG-p0yAKW60ZYNTEp1QlhNyK6kT38WO_uhbr_vvTsyl7ShCsyh9k3LAmuGl6S4PDAs1cE3KZzdYLiowRv3twBUbpCLuNLJnYjkRQ5elL-TnkcaEE4L_Jrk-jDI9QaYTexn78gftVeFSrGMB4_vgjCN6Q1CsUiCbrhrw5rS6kEzvbjYPTRf0CBvGyGd2PF141y3zG8hjKyRbUoGbxnriBmYLy25PQpTusoGOp-9-c3zNzRGcOVUCt8LBbXqrul7cuVNFURiUKKJeQWL2uHxMMxYeU4pRqAUUmu0GBfHbcrtQE_qYSG4lb0yWqE8-us9YPdPNMbLVU9e6PD791nbVLgdIua1jpnNCHNL00Sfhsyni12jliEQhFtypY1zM_Cp33mSsdOwNeD5Hyb4IMx0tXH575HlUiunwjbd5IHorwrOxikoErImYQRpFmBMviG901I1NxicgRNUjYKcK10uH-11DHpep_Fje7OGZ-cee5wGSHULQGgUikzH-zsOijAJJLbrfan4YmqPo01GqSTMeHWCm19MVjiwv6uyzG8eHFB8hKMaIeVgsTVl-edJq11eYk47Li56nSx0WQpHl3xIO7iEBAXQiY6h-U3t-73b8QW9ahiOriADcMPPl7OMLjmqjmG0Pu2xHSzXc9iuCkVo=w1228-h921-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EzDCWhQj0UtVRLDn0j4nQboxWdwHoPkf5UmSgmXQKqCRPJ1GDxQfB6yCHZWo8rC3QWwBHcj8JZD6Mf7QMeKs_ULKTavxIu0pJxntP8wdaDplEDy70kBha26RwVu0HD14bsrlXa6bwJtiOx-klu9ZCa1IJofscN0uEu4B5nC0spOnqHFMtI2u-gW2V6qCW02NSKiPg_g8dYrGfYRo4gSzKDueTQeKEBgMNtG91tQHYZrRHQxmC15CLevYBXFc_K5CnNtEoAHT5lZ8zrfkQn4IVWepPz91xHZIsMG3Egev_vTv5vOPXtQc-OgwNDiJWlPNr3tKJjrIm5HrLXxGuHTuUwTfQ-1Acz-DErnbtECxL9UhRHoGiczklSff1OrYrVtPmwlTCYLt285BMTQzpmg97gbvtEa_feXK4zSAlMy_gy9kNa53TAV8RToTwm1E3KgkVWcvkYElAFoPWN1nJ-8qlc13NvHnAe8qZasjOOZ4Yu_w71kZvuO01AvVYBfyVWNGoufmVvJfgzHlHAJTR2LjiKwcHw3bG2ept9sium6DIbMdfYJ5k_w0m59vPD56hmIsjJujlxjmfCq7cQtFeZ9k3PXOsyBmgi5E8Fe-zRxW8RwT-U330_uba_MXfKrjnydpVUafmDUt7ciKwdySdjBQbacQEXC7BTyx3tFGvuZkM5W8VSVuJg9KpiiZKmH-UtS1Us-inZWZPOYMj57t280=w691-h921-no