Need help! To buy or NOT to buy...1998 GS400
#32
it took me almost three years to finally find the combo(clean white gs430/tan/navi stock) i wanted,i also passed up quite a few good deals,remember if it's for you it'll work in your favor.
#34
If u find a car u like don't worry too much about the price, the car is worth what your willing to pay for it. If the car is $12,000 and u want it, then it's worth it if it makes u happy. IMO.
#35
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: ON
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello everyone!
I found this one:
http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Lexus/GS/...howcpo=ShowCPO
What do you think ???
I found this one:
http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Lexus/GS/...howcpo=ShowCPO
What do you think ???
#36
Driver
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello everyone!
I found this one:
http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Lexus/GS/...howcpo=ShowCPO
What do you think ???
I found this one:
http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Lexus/GS/...howcpo=ShowCPO
What do you think ???
#38
Pole Position
iTrader: (6)
Looks really good and clean. Price isn't bad for where you are. About 21, 700 km a year on average. That's pretty good. Has all service records and two sets of tires. Get it checked out and buy it. Offer $5,000 if nobody else has made any offers. They should settle in around $6 - $6.5 thousand. If you can get it for that price, that would be great. IMO.
Engine and tranny will be solid for several more years to come, but at that high miles you will need to make sure all the other areas of the vehicle are still in good shape, particularly the suspension.
Then of course, there could be other things related to higher miles that you will have to factor in: wheel bearings, burning oil if a seal has gone, starter rebuild, that sort of thing.. Minor issues, but it comes with the territory. There's a reason many people ditch their cars after the first 4-7 years, they just can't deal with the minor things that need TLC as cars age.
#41
Driver
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That is just cosmetic. Offer low and get it fixed. Shouldn't run more than a couple of hundred to fix. Make sure to check under the trunk lining for any rust also.
Last edited by portcityplaya; 09-13-12 at 06:15 AM.
#42
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: ON
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So I got it down to $6000 , what worries me is high miles 278,000 KM (174,000 miles)
car was only services at Lexus dealer on scheduled intervals, synthetic oil and has all records and looks immaculate inside and out , I just wonder how long this motor and tranny will go for...?
Timing belt was done at 155,000KM so I guess it is due very soon or am I wrong?
And that bubbling spot on a quater panel is bothering me...
I guess i am just waiting for reassurance and your experienced opinions to pull the trigger...lol
It is my first Lexus experience so please be patient with me.
Thank you all very much !!!
car was only services at Lexus dealer on scheduled intervals, synthetic oil and has all records and looks immaculate inside and out , I just wonder how long this motor and tranny will go for...?
Timing belt was done at 155,000KM so I guess it is due very soon or am I wrong?
And that bubbling spot on a quater panel is bothering me...
I guess i am just waiting for reassurance and your experienced opinions to pull the trigger...lol
It is my first Lexus experience so please be patient with me.
Thank you all very much !!!
#43
Driver
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If it has been dealer maintained you shouldn't have any problems. Yes it is close to time for a timing belt but for $6k in that condition is pretty good where you are. I have a 2000 GS with 270000 miles on it and the only thing I had was a oil leak but that was my fault because I use to be terrible at getting oil changes in suggested intervals. I went almost 8,000 miles on more than one occasion and I rarely got stuff done at the Lexus dealership. On occasion the Toyota dealership but very rarely at a Lexus dealership. Ask them if they are willing to have it looked at by a Lexus mechanic. You would have to pay for it of course. It also depends on how much you drive and how long you plan to keep the car. I drive about 15-20,000 miles a year with minimal cold winters but brutally hot summers. Again, I think it's a good deal and any thing cosmetic, as long as there isn't a lot of rust elsewhere is ok and fixable. This is just one man's opinion though.
#44
Pole Position
iTrader: (6)
Don't worry about the engine and tranny, they're solid, especially if they followed the maintenance schedule.
Timing belts should be done every 100k miles/160k km, so you have another 40k km left before needing to do it again. I don't know what you're average use is, but could be as much as 2 years away before you have to make that investment.
For the qtr panel, it's impossible to tell without seeing it. See if you can have a third party body shop inspect the rust and determine how much repair it would need. It could have more hidden rust on the inside that you can't see, and being on the east coast, rust is always a major concern.
Timing belts should be done every 100k miles/160k km, so you have another 40k km left before needing to do it again. I don't know what you're average use is, but could be as much as 2 years away before you have to make that investment.
For the qtr panel, it's impossible to tell without seeing it. See if you can have a third party body shop inspect the rust and determine how much repair it would need. It could have more hidden rust on the inside that you can't see, and being on the east coast, rust is always a major concern.
#45
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: ON
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Owner is going to do complete Safety Inspection and emission test at Lexus dealer before selling it to me also...
See attached picture for quater panel rust spot....
See attached picture for quater panel rust spot....