2000 Toyota Celsior UCF31 jdmvip's & Lazina's

[jdmvip]

Yeah, we have the 1jz-gte vvti in ours. Ours is also pretty rare as it is full leather and black woodgrain. It is hard to import and have them inspected, as there are no equivalent headlights in NA that you can use to replace them. I heard that the previous owner of mine (from him), paid a significant sum of money to someone to pass it through without needing to do anything to the lights. Apparently the inspectors are getting more restrictive on the headlight testing. *shrug*

If you can find one already inspected and insured, thats the best way to go for sure.

I think you have my phone #, feel free to message me on Whattsapp, or add me on facebook and it might be easier to communicate that way.



Cheers,

Awesome spud I am very impressed by Verossa. I will try to Whatsapp I don't really have any social media.
Feel free to stop by here more often

[jdmvip]

Just a quick update but the issue in the rear is the following. Back left has lost all its oil and back right has had the lock nut totally back out (thread got stripped!). I'm fairly certain I know what caused all of this. Basically the suspension was like rock hard especially in the back with very little travel. It's way too much for our rough roads and potholes and I suspect that's all it took over the last few years (even had a bent rim on the front right after a crazy pothole on the highway). I think it also comes down to the weight and geometry of these types of cars combined with stiff damping settings on the RS-R coilovers. In comparison on Aristo JZS161 V300 I had Teins which did fine but they were also much less stiff.

What do you guys suggest for suspension? I am strongly considering going KYB or OEM with some aftermarket lowering springs like Tanabe or RS-R. Plus side is that we'll get a luxury ride back again and I think the rims + suspension would thank me for it but the minus would be no height and damping adjustment.

[rhdgc8]

I ran KYB before on my old 2002 bugeye back in the day. I really liked them, and they won't break the bank.

[jdmvip]

I just checked and for a set of KYB shocks alone it would be about $450-$550 then I would need upper mounts and that would probably add about $200 so we're talking about $650+ and I would still need springs. Springs from RS-R or Tanabe are about 279-355 USD so there is about ~$900 USD easily.

So I happened across the TEIN Flex Z series for the LS430 and they are now on sale for about $760 and have a lifetime warranty and they are made in Japan whereas the cheapest Chinese "OK" ones I read about come from Megan and BC for about $850+.

https://www.tein.com/products/flex_z.html

So I'm really leaning towards TEINs it seems to make the most sense at the moment they would cost less than the KYB setup and still retain adjustable height and damping. I had some TEIN CS on my Aristo V300 and they were really good.

[rhdgc8]

Well Tein is defiantly a good brand I have them on my 92 Civic for over 10 years with zero issues. I bought the same setup for my GDB but only thing is I have issues (clunking) with the set on my Subaru and they won't come good for it. They want me to pay to have it shipped back to them to see if its a manufacture defect, if it is they will replace it but if not there is nothing they will do. So my car would be held up for god knows how long and likely won't be a manufacture defect so I will be out my money for shipping as well. I didn't bother with any of it I am just driving them. Oh and the coils were not even a year old haha... so I dunno.

I would be up in the air on them honestly. I think there new stuff isn't meant to last as long as it use to.

[jdmvip]

Thanks for the advice this makes me wary of the new TEIN then. I did see lots of complaints from years ago about some new line. TEIN claims to have improved or fixed things as of now but I'm not sure. They also claim lifetime warranty (at least here https://www.carid.com/tein/flex-z-co....html#warranty but can't find any details on their own website) but when e-mailing then they are calling it a 1-year warranty and they mention the same thing you did which makes me more worried lol. The warranty should be for failure but they say "defects" so the hassle and risk of having to send your old shocks/struts in is a risky if they decide not to honor the warranty. They say you can purchase another one in advance but for how much?

I'm really on the fence here. At this rate it may be easier to just have the RS-Rs rebuilt (waiting on a quote from RS-R).

TEIN's response:

Our coilovers carry a 1 year warranty against manufacture defects. If for some reason the damper fails within the 1 year, it will need to be sent in to us for further inspection. If it is found to be defective then at that point we will go ahead and discuss some options. We can send you a replacement in the meantime the original single damper is getting inspected but you will need to put a deposit on the shock. If it found to be deemed defective, Then we will just refund you the money or the shop you purchased the shock from.

https://www.carid.com/tein/flex-z-co....html#warranty

Tein products are covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty, during which its products are warranted to be free from defects in material or workmanship. This Warranty does not apply to any products that have been subjected to misuse, mishandling, misapplication, neglect (including but not limited to improper maintenance), improper installation, or alterations. The Warranty is granted to the end-user and applies to products which are purchased, installed, and used for the purposes for which they are originally designed. This Warranty covers defects arising under normal use and does not cover malfunctions or failures resulting from misuse, abuse, neglect, improper installation, or incorrect maintenance. During the Warranty period, Tein will repair or replace, at no charge, a product that is defective in materials or workmanship. Tein reserves the right to either repair or replace a defective component at its discretion and reserves the right to substitute an equivalent product under the terms of this Warranty." more details on - https://www.carid.com/tein/flex-z-co....html#warranty

[jdmvip]

Anyway I did ask TEIN for more clarification about this and found their website no longer seems to have any claim of warranty and a lot of unfriendly stuff:

https://www.tein.com/warranty_policy.html (nothing here)
https://www.tein.com/service/index.html

After reading this I'm less confident.

No exceptions will be made for the statements listed below.

• As of June 1st, 2011 TEIN USA, Inc. requires prepayment of all overhaul services and return shipping fees prior to any work being performed. With this effort we hope to reduce any downtime that you, the customer, may incur. • Repairs must be sent in with an Overhaul Agreement Form completed and signed. It is highly recommended that repairs be packed properly to avoid any missing or damaged products/parts. TEIN USA will not be responsible for damaged or missing products/parts during shipping to and from the customer. Damaged parcels will be refused. No Exceptions • Dampers are recommended to be sent in disassembled to avoid a disassembly fee of $20 per damper. This $20 disassembly fee per damper is an extra charge that will be credited towards the total overhaul amount. If the Overhaul is cancelled after the damper has been disassembled for inspection the damper will be returned disassembled. If you would like all of the components of the damper to be inspected, include the disassembled parts/ pieces in the box. • Dampers that show signs of heavy damage (e.g. Bent Piston Rod, Broken/Bent/Cracked Lower Bracket, Heavy Oil Leak, etc.) will be subject to a $20 Pre-Inspection Disassembly Fee per damper. This fee and labor is used to determine if the damper can in fact be rebuilt or not. After the Overhaul is finished, the $20 fee per damper will be credited towards the overall Overhaul Fee. However, if, after the damper has been broken down, you, the customer, decides to cancel the overhaul, or if the damper is determined to be unusable/irreparable by the TEIN Technician, the $20 fee per damper will not be refunded. Upon request the damper can be returned to you, the customer; however it will be returned assembled without gas or oil. • Type CS and RA dampers must be sent to TEIN Japan for overhaul procedures. International shipping charges will apply. • Warranty inspection/ repair products must be sent in with an original receipt with purchase date. Warranty inspection results will be based on the findings/ data of the TEIN Technician. Any products sent in for Warranty inspection without the appropriate requested paperwork will be considered a standard overhaul until the correct paperwork is provided. No Exceptions. • All shipping charges are the responsibility of the sender. No Exceptions. Warranty inspections/ repairs will only cover the parts and repair labor of the damper. • Overhaul Base Prices do NOT include external or internal damper parts. Needed external replacement parts will be determined at the time of inspection. Needed internal replacement parts will be determined at the time of service. • It is the customer's responsibility to contact TEIN USA if there has been no initial reply or response regarding the preliminary inspection, as well as serviced items.

[rhdgc8]

Ya honestly if I were you I wouldn't purchase Tein. I would try and find a company that has better warranty. They will make up every excuse in the book not to send you out a new strut or give refund. I was on the phone with them for over a hour arguing about my situation.

[jdmvip]

+1 I decided against it because of the quality issues you mention and non-existent warranty in practice.
I've also put up Celsior for sale: https://forums.jdmvip.com/threads/91...s-Lexus-LS430)

[jdmvip]

Hey guys so after nearly 5 years of ownership I sold Celsior earlier this year but it will be surely missed.
It was a super reliable, comfotable car and the only real mechanical problem was that one of the VVTi valves went bad but it was a simple fix and replacement. The O2 sensor went bad but I didn't get a chance to replace it but otherwise it was just regular maintenance with brakes etc..

I'm hoping to a nice example LS460 next year once the become available in about September 2021!