I'm so happy you all love this GS 400 as much as I do :). I love hearing your personal stories involving this wonderful JZ/UZS160 platform. Couple things: 1. I've returned the wipers back to their "normal" setting. Thanks to all of you that gave instructions on that! 2. Lower ball joints are happening next. Let's hope the wheels don't fall off in the next couple days. lol. More to come on this car.

Topher, you just bought yourself an underrated gem, man. These older Japanese luxury sedans are so underrated and solid for what they were. Lexus to Acura! They don't make them like they used to! Total throwback and nostalgia of a car, man. Some minor work done and she'll remain solid for a long time.

These give you a smoother ride than hundreds of 2023 sedans, let alone the luxurious interior for its time.. timeless gems. I miss mine.

FIRST: Drop the transmission pan and turn up the line pressure dial. That stupid old gearbox needs all the snap it can get. Source: I owned a 1998 GS400. Got hit two years ago, rest its soul.

I've had a 98 GS 300 since 2020. I often think about selling it because it's not the v8 and it's not really goodlooking, but I just can't bring myself to do it because this car has been so good to me. No other car has ever treated me as good as this car. Everything works, all the time. Engine and transmission are as smooth as it gets.The ride is comfortable, the AC is cold, the stereo is perfect. The car is so hassle free, it's crazy to think that it's already 26 years old.

My dad custom ordered a 2000 GS 300 when my mother worked for Toyota back in the late 90's. It was gold over beige like this one. It was spec'd with the Nakamichi system as well as HID headlights. Finding a 300 with these options is ultra rare (go ahead and try!) but I will never forget riding home in it after the delivery. The fresh smell of Lexus interiors back in ~2000 is unmatched. It felt soo incredibly premium I still remember it to this day. Beautifuly built and engineered cars.

The wipers have 2 positions: winter and normal. Yours are in the winter position. You simply manually pushed them down by hand to go back into the normal position.

I’m the original owner of a 1999 GS400 which is identical to what you acquired with the gold trim kit and sans the dealer-installed cellphone. The engine is amazing: so smooth and quiet yet endless power. With an intact exhaust system you only hear a whine as the engine spools up. No vibrations through the floor or gas pedal. Weak spots include the HVAC servos and the power door lock actuators. You have acquired a real gem which will provide years of enjoyment.

Congrats and good luck. Seems like it will be a keeper once you get the suspension fixed. Engine sounds great too! Very curious to hear how it sounds when you get the exhaust.

Just bought a ‘99 gs400 with 110,000 miles 2 weeks ago. Stoked to see this video. Love mine so far! Hope you enjoy yours

Loved the comparison you made about how car guys differentiate between a leaky exhaust and a proper exhaust when terrorizing the neighbors ;) Great video all around!

This was my second Lexus. It was 99. I drove it for 8 years. Picked it up in 2009. It ended up going to scrap yard with 450k miles. Had severe rust, and several cracks in the frame. To this day, it’s the greatest car I’ve ever owned. I actually have several promotional materials framed from when it released, including the famous ad where it says “something wicked it coming. The fastest sedan in the world” …. Which is actually true. Lexus held that record for 5 months until BMW introduced the M5 for that particular year. Also, make sure get the ball joints changed and make sure they’re OEM, for some reason they’re very finicky. My 400 ball joint snapped, and so did the one of my wife’s 300. Infact, everyone I ever knew with that gen GS had they’re wheel break off😅

This is a gorgeous ole gs400 I remember the host of my wedding engagement party in 1998 had a brand new one in the garage at the time. He gave me a full tour. I thought it was soooo futuristic with the front and rear tail lamps as well as the sunken gauges on the dash. It was super cool back then! Nice repair and I love the newer wheels ! Great job!

That is an excellent car. Had one for 15 years - no problems expect for 1 starter at 160,000 miles. Megan rear sway bar was my only add on and it changed the car into a different better handling performer. I own a ISF with the 5.0 now and I like the gs400 better. 1998-1999 only since those had the steering wheel shifters. I think 2000 had the buttons too. I think you'll enjoy this the most from your collection.

I COULD not believe how fast this car is when I first drove one. The engine feels like it’s wants to leap out of the engine bay when you hit the gas. So a great car man with timeless looks

Beautiful specimen right there. You hardly see them ... hell, you hardly saw them when they were new. And this one's a beauty. I tried hard to get my hands on one, ended up "settling" for a '95 LS. And by the way, you have what is probably THE best tape deck ever installed in a vehicle. Go educate yourself on NAK and what that name means in the cassette world. Damn fine sound system in general, you'll get fine sound through one of those little cassette adapters (and the CD player of course). Not much needs to be said about the drivetrain you have there. If you don't know already ... ;)

My friend in high school had one! So many good memories in that car! Pretty quick, reliable, and roomy!

The unanimously agreed upon maintenance thing for the 2gs platform is to get the front lower ball joints replaced!!!

When I went from a UZ series engine to the UR in my two LS all purpose highway cars, I was surprised at the change in engine character. The 3UZ like the 1UZ felt torquey. With the 6 speed in the LS 430, it felt like Lexus had actually achieved what Rolls always promised - adequate power - even if it wasn't something designed to wring out. The 1UR matched with the sportier version of the 8 speed was much happier to run up the rev range. Having also had a supercharged 5.0 Jaguar between those two cars, and having driven a range of other NA V8s, I still think Toyota made the best NA V8s I've driven. The 1UZ was certified for aircraft, which is probably what the person was referring to. I'd say that 3UZ is the one I wish I still had. Hope this car treats you right. I would recommend that you put an LS430 with the 6 speed and an LS460 with the regular 8 speed (not the Sport Edition of the 2010-2012 range) side by side with this and compare. Really good powertrains on the whole.

Before I even watch this video: I've been recently thinking a lot about your GS300 from many moons ago, and it has made me want to pick up a GS400. It's getting to a point where it's easier to find an E39 540i, though... Excited to watch this one! Edit: I really didn't realize that was only 3 years ago. Everything post-2020 has felt so weird...

The paint on yours is mint! Just picked up my second GS 400, but unfortunately the paint has seen better days. Got two in the garage now so I can drive one while I work on the other. I love these cars. Also, '98 babies!

A good friend of mine had the same car when it was new. Back then it was one of the fastest 4 door sedans around. I couldn't afford it at the time and instead opted for the more reasonably priced ES 300. I eventually was able to afford a new 2005 GS 300 a few years later. To this day, that was one of my favorite cars. Best of luck with it.

yes! my man! happy new year and welcome to club GS! you scored big time with this one take care of it on these awful MI roads 🤙

I had a 400 and recently ended up with a 430, similarly from copart with a dent in the fender, with a winning $300 bid. You're clearly knowledgeable on these and you got a nice one with the Nakamichi, loved that sound system.

Always loved the timeless styling! Definitely take it on a long road trip since that's what the GS was built for. Congrats!

welcome to the 1uz family! bought my 96 sc400 last year for 3500 with 193k miles and its the best car ive ever driven. ill never sell it so manual swap and widebody coming soon.

I also have a 98 GS400 in Cinnabar pearl, I've had it for 5 years and it's one of my favorite products from all of Lexus/Toyota (I worked at a Lexus dealership for 6 years and have driven almost everything they have made). Killer reliability and surprisingly fast for their time. Cam seals is probably the most expensive thing it will ever need. If you ever have a mystery front end shake that comes and goes, its the front calipers.

I miss that engine. I had a 98 LS400 and that engine was so great! Also, it's one of the few car engines that could actually be certified for use in an airplane too.

you crack me up. "An ashtray for..... ashes".. And a "nakamichi" stereo... haha

Lexus are such classics especially the 90’s ones, so quiet, comfortable, smooth, quick, and ultimately refined

Great video. Brings back great memories…. I had a white pearl ‘98 gs400 w/ navigation back in the year 2000. I added a cold air intake & it sounded amazing. I loved it….

Love the gauge cluster!. My classmates mom has a black model when I was in 9th grade. I was obsessed!

Thanks for uploading, I was thinking about owning a 1st gen LS 400 in the future. I wanted something oldschool, reliable with 80s/early 90s styling.

Now this is the type of review that you will see me watching, compared when you review high in cars. Btw your sub acct went up fast, from 3k when I start watching you to almost 30k. And we want to see at all, road trips/modifications/cleaning/cost of living with a 25 years old car/gas money...everything

thanks I really loved that tour ! I have an aussie toyota avalon 2005 (1mz-fe) v6. don't know if same as here (australia) but tyres are generally considered throw away items if more than 8 years old. Might be worth checking the tyre age (on your lexus) via the tyre codes including the spare. The engine on your car sounds in very good condition. I do 6 month oil changes myself but then the 1mz-fe I have is known to produce a bit of engine sludge. happy driving !

My father had a somewhat similar '01 GS 430! His being a black on black, and it looked slick. He retains the opinion that it was the best car he's ever owned, as (according to him) it felt like a little luxurious rocket. Had to get rid of it as the previous owner didn't take care of it too well, but he loved it for the time it was his daily. Hope you get great use out of that GS, man!

Wipers have two settings, a winter and summer. In winter, you physically shift the wiper so they sit higher. In summer, you push them back down to hide them, best feature lol

This exact year and Lexus model has always been one of my favorites! I was born in 98’ ! Great choice! Congrats.

Buys a RWD - "I'm all setup for winter with this thing" 💀

I suspect front sway bar end links (cheap to replace) are causing some or all of that clunking in the suspension, I know that sound well. My '98 GS400 has been through 2 sets in 230k miles. Some of that is due to many gravel and rocky back forest roads in the Smoky Mountains (Only 1 set of ball joints though so far) Good luck with the car, looks really nice!

Those are sweet cars. Good luck with it!

Awesome car, I used to love the GS400 and especially the SC400 and SC300 with the manual. Nice find.

Love the glow on the dials

Dude. This is cool!

Fantastic car, I remember driving one back in the day and being blown away at how smooth, powerful and responsive it was. It wasn't as fast as the similar MB or BMW, but damn if it didn't glide down the smoothly and have a sweet sonorous V8. Great pick.

I used to have some Lexus and I really missed that one ! Congratulations!!! VERY VERY RELIABLE CAR

Great vid thanks for sharing

I always love GS instrument cluster ..... just love it

Excellent car. Thanks the review.

Congratulations Topher on your new purchase! I wouldn’t mod the car too much. Keep us updated on the progress of the updates! Hopefully it will be a decent car and experience for you! She’s the same age as you. That’s decent! Happy New Year from the Heartland! Mark in Iowa.

Yeah the late 90's and early 2000's was a very memorable time for enthusiasts. Cars were rapidly getting better and some exciting rivalries began to emerge. The fast sedan is commonplace now but was a novelty then. I very much remember getting my monthly Road and Track in the mail and comparing stats of the GS400, 540i, E420, S4 etc. The GS400 was a real street fighter and not a car to be messed with. 300hp was a big number in those days. Sometimes I wish I could go back to 2002 and live there forever. Enjoy!

You need a 7th car because it’s a GS400 😂😂😂 Love that you went with the OEM look. Loved my GS 400 but really love the GS 430 I currently own thanks to the ECU flash that is available to bump the power and shift points. Easy cars to repair. Cheers!

I’ve got a lot of cars from copart that I made my daily, and almost all of them were such good cars and ran flawlessly. I did get screwed over once where I had to part out a Cobalt SS Turbo to make up the money I spent on it. Had 40k miles but they stuck the bumper back on and listed as front end damage when it was destroyed on the undercarriage. Took a chunk out the LSD trans

I have an sc400 and experimented with a few setups. I recommend removing the 2 mufflers and 2 resonators and installing a Flowmaster 15150S 2.5”resonator. It isn’t a muffler like the stock resonators but more like a 1/8 wave resonator(J pipe). Sounds like straight pipe but quieter and without any drone.

I have a friend who’s got a 2002 GS300 and it’s a little beat up now (he’s a little careless and he’s had a few accidents) but ever since he got it I’ve always liked it. When it was clean and undamaged, it was a sweet car. Really wish I could get one. Still, I’m really happy with my 05 E320, a competitor of these cars!

The wipers are on snow setting you can just push them down and they’ll go back in place :)

I owned a 98 GS300 and did the Aristo 2JZGTE swap. Kept the motor stock and just ran exhaust and intake. It wasn't crazy fast, but I had enough power to gap a buddy's e36 m3. Don't really miss it but it was nice for the time.

i had one of these in 2017 with a few parts that made it pretty quick. i miss it very much.

My friend had one of these back when new. His was a 98 and had the wooden steering wheel but he also had navigation,maybe it came as a package because I remember seeing a two other GS400s that my friend group had and both were 98 with navigation and wooden steering wheel. They looked so good but I was to love in with the E39 540i so I had two of those then two e60 550i’s

The 1uz was aircraft certified and i came so close to buying one several years ago but it had 250k or so on it and had a laundry list of suspension problems my younger self was not equilped for or finalcislly able to deal with so I passed unfortunately

This video is awesome, I have a 2013 GS 350 AWD and I love it!

Спасибо большое за видео! Ракурс съёмки просто шикарный! Чётко виден и спидометр, и тахометр. У других обзорщиков вечно панель приборов не видно.

The wipers are in “snow’ position so the defog vents can heat them. Just push down on them and they’ll pop into normal position.

thank you so much for pushing down the headrest i wouldn’t have been able to finish the video if you didn’t 😭

Always loved the GS400! 👍

Beautiful. A true classic

So cool Got this video recommended cause I been watching some maybach videos what Haha And you got a new video Im gonna check it out rn

Proper machine. Good find.

Happy New Year! I was wondering if you had said you purchased a GS or GX in the TX video haha. Thought you were going down the other Topher's route!

God I love this timeless Lexus design

9:24 People with the IS300 do entire steering wheel swaps from later Lexus models too. It was going to be my next project before I sold my 01

oh man... really missed that car. So fun and especially interior.. white back grounded indicators.. it was a fantastic car!

some light 40% tint would look good on this! Nothing too dark, just enough to compliment the paint and provide some shade!

I picked up a Lexus 2004 RX330 AWD I use for the same purpose. I take it to places I don’t take my good cars to. It only has 44,789 miles on it maintained by an older woman at a Lexus dealer. It has become the family favorite! Lol

Sold my all original 1998 GS300 about a year ago with 107K. Same Cinnabar Pearl color with tan interior. Miss that car but simply wasn't being driven and sat in the garage too much. Great cars! Enjoy yours.

That is a nice ride. Rear wheel drive. No traction control. Perfect drivers car.

I've had Tanabe exhaust, excellent quality and great sound. Not loud but just enough that you hear it.

Very cool! I’ve been searching for a JDM version of this car either the Crown Majesta or Celsius both with the 1UZ. Looks like a nice ride!

I like these cars. Very well balanced so they drift good. You didnt once use the shift buttons on the steering wheel. They really make the car fun and are unique to the gs400.

I would love to daily one of these, love them

Congratulations, great buy

Love the green dials.

What a gem ty for saving it

Love the dials

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS

The dealer I work for was sending a 99 to auction and I was so tempted. Prob could've gotten it for 1500-2000, just don't have the room sadly. Even had the Nakamichi sound system and HID headlights.

12:52 that vririri is the sound of an old grumpy Japanese man 😅

l used to own a GS 430. I loved that car. I used to commute in it. Regrettably, I got rid of it because I put a lot of miles on it and it needed a lot of work. You bought a gem.

Try out the down buttons on the wheel! If there are buttons behind also then maybe you’re lucky to have got manual mode! There are some vids of people using manual mode on this generation GS which is crazy to me.

One of my favorite Lexus models

I'm sucker for 1uz sound, man got an awesome car.

The 1uz was FAA certified to be put in aircrafts, truely a remarkable engine

i like it, I was going to buy a 2013 GS350F but not looking at these.. love the car. what camera do you use for the driving videos.

RWD car for winter certainly is interesting!

Those rims look amazing!

I've always wanted one of these. Specifically a 99-01. I have a 93 SC400 so I know how well these things drive.

Really nice car, I've always liked these

That rev sounded good 👍🏾 😮

Damn i miss mines. Really thinking about getting another one

get that front end suspension work done soon, ball joints love to go out on 2nd gen gs's and destroys your fender in the process lol beautiful car though. and your wipers might be in "snow mode" you manually grab them and force up or down to hide in the cowl