Watch High-Mileage Lexus LS430 Receive Thorough Detailing, Will Return to Its Former Glory

A well-known Toyota mechanic decided to reward himself for working hard and splurged on a 2001 Lexus LS430. When he took delivery, the 22-year-old unit was in pretty good shape. It only had a couple of scratches, scuffs, and very small dents.

However, the LS430 started showing its age when the mechanic tried to climb inside. Some of the doors were squeaking, the upholstery wasn't in good shape, there was trash left in some storage areas, the headliner was stained, and some of the polycarbonate engine covers weren't properly put where they belonged.

But the engine ran smoothly, and apart from some bad wheel bearings, the sedan rode nicely. It wasn't going to generate any buyer remorse.

However, the mechanic thought that the 3UZ-FE 4.3-liter powerplant that originally had an output of 290 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque deserved to continue living its life in a nicer body.

So, they took the car to a professional detailing shop and asked the guys there if they would be up to completely dismantle the Lexus and clean everything. The excited owner didn't want just some surface-level type of service. He wanted to make sure this vehicle was as good-looking as when it was new.

Fortunately, Chicago Auto Pros accepted The Car Care Nut's proposal and started the lengthy process of unpacking and thoroughly cleaning every little thing.

They invested nearly 150 hours into this project and discovered yet another reason why more gearheads perceive older cars to be better than their rejuvenated or completely overhauled counterparts – the sheer number of things they had to deal with revealed immense attention to detail.

But the automaker's dedication to manufacturing great cars also meant they would have to work more. But that didn't discourage them.

They started by vacuuming the larger stuff, continued by dealing with the sticky things on seat rails and other parts, introduced dry ice to make sure that every little spec of dirt could be isolated and removed from the stripped-down cabin without using water, and then focused on bringing back the shine of some of the larger parts.

After four days of hard work, the car is almost ready to return to bless the roads with its presence. The current owner plans to achieve 1,000,000 miles with it! Good luck and Godspeed! We're all for it. But they must put back everything that was taken out. It's not going to be easy, but it'll be satisfying to see it run and look squeaky clean.