Like most of you guys I'm always on the lookout for cheap 1UZfe engines to keep as "spares". As I intend putting some boost into the engine in my Cobra a spare engine will be needed in the future either to build up into a low compression/ high boost combo or just to replace the existing engine should I turn up the boost that bit too much.
Someone in the Cobra club mentioned that his boss was disposing of a 1994 Lexus LS 400 without MOT ( annual inspection) or Road Tax for the princely sum of £300, and I resisted for a good two weeks until my kit car building buddy suggested that we buy the thing, break it for the engine and box and throw the rest of the car away.
Now we were told that this Lexus hadn't moved for a couple of years, the interior indeed was filthy, we were told the electrics had lots of gremlins and it had a flat battery. However, after an overnight charge the engine started first time.
Needless to say we went to pick it up, with the RAC rescue card in the back pocket. After driving it home some 175 miles at ever increasing speeds as the confidence in the barge grew it became apparent that this donor vehicle was a brilliant barge in disguise. In fact its ridiculously fast and I climbed out of it grinning like a lunatic. As the roads nearer home were clear of traffic I really thrapped the thing to see if it smoked, and to try to break whatever would break. The car just responded better and better, and my mate who was following and trying and failing to keep up commented that the Lexus just shot away like a missile without a trace of smoke or anything else untoward.
Apart from the radio and interior lights everything worked, ( it even had the original toolkit with spanners, torch etc), even the AC worked , and after we got it home we replaced two blown fuses with the OEM Lexus provided spares in the lid of the fusebox and all the previous defunct electrical equipment sprung into life, including the factory fitted boot mounted 6 disc CD player with graphic equalizer and the cassette which still had a Tracey Chapman tape within.
The tyres on the original alloy wheels were very good, the fronts almost new, the rims unkerbed although requiring a repaint/ relaquer, and the car tracked true and straight, braked extemely well and was a credit to its two former keepers one a Toyota dealer principal and the second a Swiss millionaire.
All in all we got a superior barge, that according to the full service hostory we got with the car has done a warrantied 120,000 miles , had an MOT and full service carried out 100 miles and 14 months ago, that goes like the proverbial off a shovel, that has every toy you can think of ( including heated seats, electrical adjustable steering column, electric seats with three position memory etc etc that all work ) has an engine and gearbox that are as tight as a drum, and it doesn't smoke even when being thrashed.
Next week its going in for its MOT and we will be using it as a project car, its far, far too good to break. Methinks a trip to and around the Nurburgring would be a laugh in this gift from Santa.
The only problem is that we now have to find another spare engine!
Cheers,
Tony:wave:
Someone in the Cobra club mentioned that his boss was disposing of a 1994 Lexus LS 400 without MOT ( annual inspection) or Road Tax for the princely sum of £300, and I resisted for a good two weeks until my kit car building buddy suggested that we buy the thing, break it for the engine and box and throw the rest of the car away.
Now we were told that this Lexus hadn't moved for a couple of years, the interior indeed was filthy, we were told the electrics had lots of gremlins and it had a flat battery. However, after an overnight charge the engine started first time.
Needless to say we went to pick it up, with the RAC rescue card in the back pocket. After driving it home some 175 miles at ever increasing speeds as the confidence in the barge grew it became apparent that this donor vehicle was a brilliant barge in disguise. In fact its ridiculously fast and I climbed out of it grinning like a lunatic. As the roads nearer home were clear of traffic I really thrapped the thing to see if it smoked, and to try to break whatever would break. The car just responded better and better, and my mate who was following and trying and failing to keep up commented that the Lexus just shot away like a missile without a trace of smoke or anything else untoward.
Apart from the radio and interior lights everything worked, ( it even had the original toolkit with spanners, torch etc), even the AC worked , and after we got it home we replaced two blown fuses with the OEM Lexus provided spares in the lid of the fusebox and all the previous defunct electrical equipment sprung into life, including the factory fitted boot mounted 6 disc CD player with graphic equalizer and the cassette which still had a Tracey Chapman tape within.
The tyres on the original alloy wheels were very good, the fronts almost new, the rims unkerbed although requiring a repaint/ relaquer, and the car tracked true and straight, braked extemely well and was a credit to its two former keepers one a Toyota dealer principal and the second a Swiss millionaire.
All in all we got a superior barge, that according to the full service hostory we got with the car has done a warrantied 120,000 miles , had an MOT and full service carried out 100 miles and 14 months ago, that goes like the proverbial off a shovel, that has every toy you can think of ( including heated seats, electrical adjustable steering column, electric seats with three position memory etc etc that all work ) has an engine and gearbox that are as tight as a drum, and it doesn't smoke even when being thrashed.
Next week its going in for its MOT and we will be using it as a project car, its far, far too good to break. Methinks a trip to and around the Nurburgring would be a laugh in this gift from Santa.
The only problem is that we now have to find another spare engine!
Cheers,
Tony:wave:
