This Lexus is a legend. It is the car that hit one million miles after having spent 27 years on the road. Then, the owner sold it to one of the automotive journalists who had driven it for just one dollar. He promised to turbocharge it and blow it up on the dyno, but he eventually changed his mind.
Labeled as one of the most boring cars ever made, but also comfortable and safe, this 1997 Lexus LS 400 ended up in the hands of Tavarish. He was planning to blow it up with bells and whistles once he put a turbo on it. But then, he realized that the car deserves to live on.
The Lexus sedan has been sitting in his yard for about two years. Tavarish drove it a couple of times, but now the battery is dead, so the vehicle doesn’t run and drive.
Turbocharging is not part of the plan anymore. Tavarish got Michael Elsea on the team, because he is a Lexus expert, who doesn’t know how to pronounce his own name correctly but who worked for a Lexus dealership until recently, when he decided he wanted to make his own YouTube channel.
The Lexus LS400 is powered by a 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE V8 engine, which is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission and pumps out 250 horsepower.
Photo: 2varish | YouTube
The car traveled across the country multiple times, it has been at Pikes Peak, on Mount Washington, and must have hit a few curbs along the way, because the front end is slightly damaged. In fact, the paint on the front bumper is peeling off. The Lexus features gold badging, which is very rare and hard to find.
Tavarish, Jack, and Michael already know that it leaks oil, and they expect to find several more issues along the way. The team manages to jump-start it, and the trail of smoke that it breathes out through the tailpipes in the scorching heat is no surprise.
One million miles is the equivalent of a round trip to the Moon and one more time without going back to Earth ever again. Over the 27 years on the road, this Lexus LS400 got 16 unpaid parking tickets, a gazillion oil leaks and unexplainable noises, but it still has one of the smoothest rides out there.
In the video, it shows up carrying a pyramid of champagne glasses on the hood. It almost looks like a commercial from the 1990s, until the glasses collapse onto the windshield, and there goes the smooth ride of the 27-year-old car.
Photo: 2varish | YouTube
The air conditioning and the radio don't work. But doing burnouts in it does. The car is wearing the stock wheels, stock tires, and stock brakes. Michael is sure that the suspension has suffered over all these years, but doesn't expect to find any rust on the car.
However, once they look underneath, they can't believe their eyes. There is a hole in the floor with direct view to the floor mats. "That's patina," they joke.
The three of them have the shock of their lives. A lizard jumps off from underneath the car, climbs down Jack's head, and flees the shop. Now, they can't help wondering what else would be in there. And they haven't even popped up the trunk yet.
Everything underneath seems either too tight or too loose, while the steering rack bushing comes apart the moment they touch it. They are afraid to remove anything because – they say – now a dinosaur might come out.
They put on a new battery and reseal the valve covers and the car starts in a heartbeat. The AC and the radio started too, and they can't believe it. The compressor starts spinning as well, which is a sign that there is enough freon in the AC system.
Photo: 2varish | YouTube
And they finally pop up the trunk. That is where they find disposable glasses, aluminum foil, and cat food, but no lizard food. So the one that feed the shop was not the Lexus owner's pet.
The panoramic sunroof slides back smoothly, just like in a brand-new car. The former owner had quite a nice collection of CDs in the car, with Queen, Def Leppard, and Metallica among them. And there is one CD entitled: "This Car Climbed Mount Washington - Audio Tour."
The three of them go for a drive and realize that there must be something wrong with the speedometer. It's way behind the real speed. But the power steering, ambient temperature, and all other clocks seem to function perfectly. However, a digital instrument cluster and a head-up display might be appropriate, they think.
They also find some change in the car. Tavarish remembers he paid a single dollar to get this car and now, finds more than he actually paid. And by the way everything works on the car, Tavarish, Michael, and Jack are sure that the 27-year-old Lexus LS400 would be perfectly capable of driving cross country.
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