School me on the LS.

LaserSVT

LaserSVT

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Alright, curiosity has gotten the best of me and I would like some knowledge dropped on my noggin. Yeah I play around with you LS guys but most of you know I am just playing and that I really dont have anything against the cars.
Did some research and found I really like how second gens are equipped. As we all know, the search function sucks so a few questions I had I cant find answers on and after going back several pages I figured I would pull my stupid questin card. :lol:

I am just interested in second gen V8 LS cars. I like the cooled seats and dont want to deal with a hydraulic cooling fan.

So here are my questions:
1. Is there any decient gains to be had from exhaust and intake mods?
2. I assume there are no off the shelf tunes and it needs to be dyno tuned?
3. What are the major things to look out for on them?
4. Why do so many have cat issues?
5. Can a factory NAV system be a plug and play ordeal on a car that only has the 8 speaker 6 disc setup? I realize the amps and drivers are different but can the deck and nav unit interface with the lessor system?
6. How good is the THX system? IE if I dont want to add a system is the THX system significantly better then the 8 speaker system?
7. Why are you so fanatical about your LS? I mean what makes it so good? Fast, handle well, comfertable etc etc.
8. What does the Sport pack give you?
9. Besides body stuffs, what does the LSE have over a regular car? Isnt it the same as a fully optioned car just with one more letter in its name?


I think thats it. I had a 2000 LS V6 as a demo car back in 2000 and it was alright, kinda slow. Other then that I have only driven an LS V8.... 2002 I think... for about a mile. It was kinda haggered and made noise so I wasnt impressed but going through the picture thread here I see many good looking ones here.
 
First fastmark now this! What is becoming of the world?!

1. Yes, minor gains in power for the 2nd gens but the biggest gains are in sound. Those two mods really wake up the silent V8 in these cars.
2. The SCT XCAL 2/3 can be used to load custom tunes into out vehicles. Premade tunes can be purchased for Torrie at fastpartsnetwork.
3. Coils, plastic cooling components, leaking valve cover gaskets, tranny solenoids are the big ones.
4. Cat issues stem from failing coils causing misfires. Failing coils are generally a direct result of leaking Valve cover gasket.
5. Not sure. I know it was difficult to adapt an aftermarket nav unit to work with the 10 speaker THX but Andrizzle did a writeup on the "hackstall" he did.
6. THX is superb for a stock car sound system. Bassheads may want to add a dedicated subwoofer but the stock 6x9s give plenty of impact.
7. Well in my opinion the LS is a jack of all trades, ace of none. It has enough power, but nothing extreme, it has excellent handling, but it's not a drift monster, has very nice styling, but it's still an entry level luxury sedan, has an adequate interior with plenty of creature comforts but isnt filled with blinking gadgets on every panel to tell you your heartrate and crap, and probably the most important factor; due to depreciation this whole package can be had on the cheap.
8. Stiffer shocks, no chrome bumper trim, different wheels
9. I dont believe all LSEs are full optioned. It's just a styling package.

You will find that a gen 2 V8 is going to be miles ahead of a 2000 V6.
 
lasersvt said:
alright, curiosity has gotten the best of me and i would like some knowledge dropped on my noggin. Yeah i play around with you ls guys but most of you know i am just playing and that i really dont have anything against the cars.
Did some research and found i really like how second gens are equipped. As we all know, the search function sucks so a few questions i had i cant find answers on and after going back several pages i figured i would pull my stupid questin card. :lol:

I am just interested in second gen v8 ls cars. I like the cooled seats and dont want to deal with a hydraulic cooling fan.

So here are my questions:
1. Is there any decient gains to be had from exhaust and intake mods?
2. I assume there are no off the shelf tunes and it needs to be dyno tuned?
3. What are the major things to look out for on them?
4. Why do so many have cat issues?
5. Can a factory nav system be a plug and play ordeal on a car that only has the 8 speaker 6 disc setup? I realize the amps and drivers are different but can the deck and nav unit interface with the lessor system?
6. How good is the thx system? Ie if i dont want to add a system is the thx system significantly better then the 8 speaker system?
7. Why are you so fanatical about your ls? I mean what makes it so good? Fast, handle well, comfertable etc etc.
8. What does the sport pack give you?
9. Besides body stuffs, what does the lse have over a regular car? Isnt it the same as a fully optioned car just with one more letter in its name?


I think thats it. I had a 2000 ls v6 as a demo car back in 2000 and it was alright, kinda slow. Other then that i have only driven an ls v8.... 2002 i think... For about a mile. It was kinda haggered and made noise so i wasnt impressed but going through the picture thread here i see many good looking ones here.
Click to expand...


1. The biggest improvement will be sound but you can feel the gain a little bit. I never dynoed my stock ls, but when I had the stock piping, resonators, and flowmaster, I dynoed it, then went down the street to get 2.5'' pipes with mandrel bends, x-pipe, and 2 maganflow mufflers install. I then went back to get it dynoed and I gain about 8whp and 11ft-lbs.\


2. When you buy the sct tuner, they come with a tune for the ls, but most get a tune from torrie at fastpartsnetwork.com and are very satisfied with it. You can also get a dyno tune, that would be your best bet but torrie's tune is really good also.

3. I would say coils and tranny issues. Coil's are a very easy fix to do yourself, tranny you can still do yourself but it will take longer than chainging out some ciols and plugs. DCCV is also a big one.

4. I wasn't aware of so many cat issues, but I would guess there are a lot of people that drive it with bad coils or misfires for a while and damage the cats. Coils going bad quickly is common so I wouldn't be surprised that this leads to cats being damaged.

5. The nav system is not a plug and play system for the non nav equiped LS. If you dont have the nav, its very easy to add an aftermarket nav. If you do have the thx nav, it is a lot harder. Most prefer going aftermarket for nav since the stock nav seems outdated for todays tech and having the 6 disk makes it easier to swap in an aftermarket.

6. I have not heard the non thx system, but the thx system kicks butt! When I check my car out in the lots, I turned the radio on and was very impressed with it, I still am today.

7. rwd, geat looking car, comfortable, luxurious, american, v8(although small, still a v8 :D), handles great.

8. Not sure if the gen2 have a sport pack.

9. LSE is an apperance package. It has all red tail instead of 2 toned, lse bumper with round fog holes, lse grille, different side skirts and rear lower valence that are color matched, color matched license plate surround, lse wheels, LSE badges instead of LS badges, and an lse lip spoiler.
 
Funny how all the Mark guys bash the LS and all of the sudden LS becomes a hot commodity.

Laser, welcome aboard man.

I would either go for a 05 with a Sport package or 06 model year. I believe 06 was the only year where they all came equipped with the Sport package.



To answer your questions:

What does the Sport pack give you?

Sport package comes with a oil cooler, bigger sway bars and firmer shocks.

How good is the THX system? IE if I dont want to add a system is the THX system significantly better then the 8 speaker system?

Yes, it is. THX gives a very pure sound quality and shakes the windows off the car. But, not to say the non THX system sounds bad. I have non THX and i am very satisfied with it.

Why are you so fanatical about your LS? I mean what makes it so good? Fast, handle well, comfertable etc etc.

It's got a lot of soul and characteristics of a high end European performance saloons - BMW, Benz etc. It was designed by Helmut Schrader, a German engineer.
For the money, you can not buy another car that looks as good and offers that well balanced performance. And, of course the luxury.
Also, it gets good gas mileage for what it is, if you are concerned. I drive very hard and average 17.5mpg.


Lastly, when you look at my sig doesn't it make you say " ooo wwweee ya good lookin' (;)
 
It's funny how ppl talk about how bad the gas mileage on this car is. My LS gets the best gas mileage of any car I've driven since early 2002. lol

Since then I've driven a 1987 Crown Vic, 1989 Town Car, 2000 Crown Vic, 2005 Navigator, and none of them came close to the LS. To me its a breath of fresh air. Even with the premium gas upgrade, it still doesn't come close in fuel costs. My car in 2001? A Mazda 626... not very proud of that one.
 
05 LS8 said:

What does the Sport pack give you?

Sport package comes with a oil cooler, bigger sway bars and firmer shocks.
Click to expand...

How do you know it has the "sport" package? My car was described as Sport by the insurance company. Is that the same thing?
 
Im not saying I am gonna buy one. I was just curious. I cant find any decient Marks that are not insainly priced so I thought I would check second gen LS prices and see they have come down a lot since last checking.
 
05 LS8 said:
Funny how all the Mark guys bash the LS and all of the sudden LS becomes a hot commodity.
Click to expand...

I have nothing against LS cars. I just don't care to own or drive one. Totally wrong platform and powerplant for me. To each their own. There's guys on this forum that would rather drive a 98 Caddi Deville over a Mark VIII and I personally think they have mental issues. I don't frequent that section at all. No 556hp CTS-V, no care.
 
I think because most guys just jump on the bandwagon without even giving the car a chance. I have yet to meet anyone who has driven one that has not liked it.

The handling really is that good. No its not a 4.6 but its got some power. I could not find a comparable car for the price. I would have loved to get a marauder but there were none when i was looking. And they dont have as much luxury as LS's do.
 
Elemino said:
How do you know it has the "sport" package? My car was described as Sport by the insurance company. Is that the same thing?
Click to expand...

If you have leather steering wheel, leather shifter knob and double seven spoke wheels. I am sure there are other variations, but i don't know about it.

KStromberg said:
I have nothing against LS cars. I just don't care to own or drive one. Totally wrong platform and powerplant for me. To each their own. There's guys on this forum that would rather drive a 98 Caddi Deville over a Mark VIII and I personally think they have mental issues. I don't frequent that section at all. No 556hp CTS-V, no care.
Click to expand...

lol I agree on that. I would never own a cadillac regardless.

BlackLS06 said:
I think because most guys just jump on the bandwagon without even giving the car a chance. I have yet to meet anyone who has driven one that has not liked it.

The handling really is that good. No its not a 4.6 but its got some power. I could not find a comparable car for the price. I would have loved to get a marauder but there were none when i was looking. And they dont have as much luxury as LS's do.
Click to expand...

100% right. I had the LS same time the Mark and as i started to know the LS and drive it more often, the first thing came to my head was "why didn't i replace the mark with it sooner"

Although i do agree the 4.6 is a lot easier to modify, but i drove a Marauder and definitely not a nimble car. Ls would have no problem getting ahead.
 
BlackLS06 said:
I think because most guys just jump on the bandwagon without even giving the car a chance. I have yet to meet anyone who has driven one that has not liked it.

The handling really is that good. No its not a 4.6 but its got some power. I could not find a comparable car for the price. I would have loved to get a marauder but there were none when i was looking. And they dont have as much luxury as LS's do.
Click to expand...

Very similar to my situation. I was looking at Marauders too, but the price on them is outrageous for practically no performance gain stock vs stock when compared to the Mark VIII. I'm 6'5" tall so I cannot fit in cars of a smaller stature, and I still rub the headliner slightly in the Mark. I recline the seat all the way back at the track with my helmet on and my arms are fully extended. I'm not trying to act ghetto, that's just how it really is. LOL

I'm doing a coil conversion and anticipate much better handling over the airbag suspension setup. Maybe it will handle like an LS? I guess one never knows. :D

I just helped a buddy do the fuel pump/filter on his newly purchased LS. It's defionitely way better than the VW Passat he was driving but I think he has issues with his ball joints because the thing rode like chit over bumps. Lots of clunking goin' on.
 
^ I had done conversion in my Mark and won't be anything close to what the LS offers. It will handle better than it did on airbags, but you will loose the ride quality.
Also, what i had found with the coil conversion, during high speed turns or lane changes, i always felt the car would respond two seconds after you turn the wheel.....a little too late for my taste.The car isn't built for it, where the LS has very sharp steering.
It goes right where you point.

I have to say, i am surprised you don't own a LS. You would be more comfortable in it, since you are tall. It does have more leg and head room.
 
05 LS8 said:
^ I had done conversion in my Mark and won't be anything close to what the LS offers. It will handle better than it did on airbags, but you will loose the ride quality.
Also, what i had found with the coil conversion, during high speed turns or lane changes, i always felt the car would respond two seconds after you turn the wheel.....a little too late for my taste.The car isn't built for it, where the LS has very sharp steering.
It goes right where you point.

I have to say, i am surprised you don't own a LS. You would be more comfortable in it, since you are tall. It does have more leg and head room.
Click to expand...

Wow. I didn't know that about the LS or maybe I wasn't paying attention when I rode along in my buddy's LS. I guess ya learn something new every day. :)

I pieced together my suspension setup in hopes it would trump other cheaper conversions. I've spent nearly $800 on the setup, so hopefully it is twice as good as a mushy Strutmasters conversion. I tried not to be thick-headed on the topic and took advice from some of the guys out their running high quality conversions.

For a big car, the Mark VIII is cramped on the interior. When I had my Town Car as a winter driver, going from the Mark VIII to the Town Car was like going from an elevator to a gymnasium. LOL
 
We own these cars and put up with the issues they have which aren't all that bad for a reason.

Just can't get the same feeling from any other Lincoln out there. All Lincoln's out right now share sheet metal with another ford. The LS is unique...its fords twist on a Jaguar S-Type.

And the platform the LS is based off is no joke. Still used today in the Jaguar XF. Which is a damn nice vehicle.
 
@lasersvt i hear you on that one in miami they overprice cars funny thing is when you start to ask questions about the cars they dont know :q:q:q:q
 
Laser just go get one you wont be upsett for any reason trust me i bought one on a split second decision just because liked the look and even though it needs minor chit ive never loved a car so much in my life. I seriously wash it once a week every monday just because i love it lookin and sittin pretty. i have a gen 1 and i love the stock system i just have to figure out how to throw my subs in there they seem a little big
 
Uh, you all do realize what I drive right? The car that the LS is chasing. The daddy. The BMW.

I was just curious about some stuff. Not sure I would be happy with an LS after the 740i M-Sport. Then again I may like it more. Guess I should play with one.
 
LaserSVT said:
Uh, you all do realize what I drive right? The car that the LS is chasing. The daddy. The BMW.

I was just curious about some stuff. Not sure I would be happy with an LS after the 740i M-Sport. Then again I may like it more. Guess I should play with one.
Click to expand...

I will gladly trade you. ;)

The LS is a "bang-for-the-buck" sort of car. Compare what you can get in the BMW arena for the same $10k that can get you a nice LS, plus the fact that the LS is comparatively rare.
 
JoshMcMadMac said:
I will gladly trade you. ;)

The LS is a "bang-for-the-buck" sort of car. Compare what you can get in the BMW arena for the same $10k that can get you a nice LS, plus the fact that the LS is comparatively rare.
Click to expand...
Uh, no. Now look we all know I have called the LS a Galant from time to time but thats only cause they do look like one from the rear. At a distance I easily confuse them. That being said the LS is not a bad car.

So keeping in mind I am not an LS hater dont take this as anything that its not. The LS is NOT a rare car. On my way home from work I see no less then 6 of them. Thats not including the 4 on my street or the three in Sapperfires parking lot. I often joke about it with my friends "Oh look, a rare LS!" cause I see more of them then Honda Accords.

An E38 is a MUCH more rare car. I know of two in all of Waco and have never seen one near my shop area. People all the time comment how they never see a car like mine.

Now for $10,000........ my car was $8000. And not to boast or anything but I have one of the nicest examples in the country. Car is near flawless if it were not for my headliner starting to drop in the rear.
I can get one thats a couple years older and may need a little love for under $4000.


I also understand that the LS is more on par with a 535i or 528i and 5 series are much more common vs the 7 series.




All this came about because I really never drive my 740i and they dont like to be left alone. I realize the car is worth a little more then I paid and I can use some more HD tools at my shop cause we do A LOT of 1 ton to 2 ton trucks here. Need a bigger trans jack and a few other goodies.
So I was thinking if I sold my car and bought a few grand worth of tools and bought a $5000 car to replace it, what would I get? The BMW has spoiled me cause it does everything well and with pizzaz. The Mark is the only car that comes close in the comfort and layout department. Problem is a nice second gen Mark has gotten kinda expensive. Hard to find a nice example under $5000 now. Which is weird cause my last 4 really clean Marks were each under $4000. :(
So I started to look at LS cars again because they have some nice features and are kinda similar to what I drive now. The other reason is when searching for Lincolns online I have seen 3 03+ V8 LS cars for $4500-$5500 that were pretty nice looking. All three say they need cats and one needs tires but other then that they look really good. So I was toying with that idea. Guess I need to put some miles on one to see if I do like the newer V8 versions or not but from a features and looks standpoint I am leaning towards one.

I do want the THX system though and only one of the LS I saw had the THX setup. Thats why I was curious about the changeover.
 
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