When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey guys. Wanted to get some info/advice regarding a '91 LS400 for sale. It supposedly has ~41,000 miles (one owner) and looks mint with basically all of the options the '91 model had (Nakamichi stereo, active air suspension, traction control with heated front seats, etc.). Owner is a collector who claims he got it at an estate sale and is looking to flip it. I asked him for some documentation from the sale or prior maintenance or service records to confirm the mileage (just to make sure the odometer wasn't rolled back or the cluster wasn't replaced). The CARFAX shows the low mileage, although it is hard to believe the car was driven so little in 31 years. He was asking 12,900 but I feel as if this car could be had for less. It is the two-tone black color and the paint looks immaculate as well as the interior. Is there anything I should keep in mind price-wise if I can confirm the mileage bearing in mind that this is almost a thirty-one year old car? I plan to bring it to a professional mechanic as well as inspect it, looking for signs that would push me away. I am extremely interested in it because I have been wanting an LS400 for a while and I appreciate the look of the first-generation ones more than the later models, and especially if this mileage were to be true then this car would be a gem. I'd appreciate any advice those experienced with this car can provide.
That seems like pretty low mileage.....can you run a search on the vin there to verify ??
The car looks pretty good,I have a 96 that I've been driving for 20 yrs with 300Kms on it.
That seems like pretty low mileage.....can you run a search on the vin there to verify ??
The car looks pretty good,I have a 96 that I've been driving for 20 yrs with 300Kms on it.
Yes I’ve seen the VIN and the guy showed me the CARFAX and it was drive 1-2 thousand miles a month from when it was originally purchased until around 2014 and it had around 39k then. Supposedly it had 41k now. It’s just hard to believe that the mileage is so low. Yeah and the odometer can be altered so that’s why I have to be careful when inspecting it.
Let's just say the odometer was accurate. That's a lot of sitting and... not driving. 240 miles per month. Especially cars this old accumulate problems when they're not driven. Rubbers dry out, seals don't work properly anymore.
13k seems to be an appropriate price for a car like this in the "collector" market though. That's in the range that you see on BAT. But yeah do your homework.
Yes I’ve seen the VIN and the guy showed me the CARFAX and it was drive 1-2 thousand miles a month from when it was originally purchased until around 2014 and it had around 39k then. Supposedly it had 41k now. It’s just hard to believe that the mileage is so low. Yeah and the odometer can be altered so that’s why I have to be careful when inspecting it.
This owner that is selling this claiming needs some very serious proof of this otherwise I call bs lol. The trunk lid looks like it is damaged, the line is off anyways there's a gap there that doesn't look right. Plus all the gloss coating under the hood, and the interior hmmm, I would need absolute 100% verifiable proof lol, my impression is I have questions that need to be answered before I believe this. Not just a guy did his own oil changes and never verified his mileage with anyone else. A lot of insurance companies also require mileage verifications as well on a regular basis. I'm not saying he is not being truthful but...the guy needs overwhelming proof.
This owner that is selling this claiming needs some very serious proof of this otherwise I call bs lol. The trunk lid looks like it is damaged, the line is off anyways there's a gap there that doesn't look right. Plus all the gloss coating under the hood, and the interior hmmm, I would need absolute 100% verifiable proof lol, my impression is I have questions that need to be answered before I believe this. Not just a guy did his own oil changes and never verified his mileage with anyone else. A lot of insurance companies also require mileage verifications as well on a regular basis. I'm not saying he is not being truthful but...the guy needs overwhelming proof.
Thanks for your input I appreciate it. I will definitely take a closer look at the trunk lid and the gap when I see it. He gave me the CARFAX which shows the mileage and I will see what it shows on the title. What would you suggest I try attaining from the seller in regards to the mileage other than what he has already given me because he tells me that is all he has. I will definitely bring it to a mechanic prior to making any kind of offer. Could you give me some examples of your questions that you have for the seller? Thanks for all of your help.
Well, there's mileage, and then there's a bs meter, a bs meter is where you sit down and just have a one on one talk with the guy. If your bs meter indicator is ticking off the charts, well that's one indicator lol. Some of this going to boil down on how well you can read him. But you can't strictly go on that because that's not enough. You see it's not something you need to convince yourself of, its something he needs to prove to you. If he can't prove it, you have no proof. It's not easy but there needs to be documentation backing this up that you be 100% comfortable with. I can say I don't like like certain things I see, but that's just my opinion.
Ya beat me to saying the trunk lid is not right. It has the gap on the left, it looks pushed up toward the back window, on that side, and the light on the left side of the trunk lid is pushed in. All pointing towards it might have been backed into something. The dash is starting to warp above the center vents. The front rims are on the wrong sides, they're directional, L & R.
The mileage could very well be correct. Some people only drive a car like this in the summer. Check the Carfax for the dates of when any service (oil changes) was done. And if this guy got it from an "estate sale" I'd think the original owner was up there in age. The engine bay is clean enough to look like it wasn't even driven in the rain, and stored in a heat controlled garage. Although it was just professionally cleaned, (all glossy plastic and rubber) I don't see one rusted nut or bolt. You'd be able to tell more by looking at the undercarriage. If the mileage is that low there should be little to no surface rust underneath.
Also check the tires for the manufacturers date, they might be very old. Not original, but old.
This car looks a little familiar to me. I'm thinking I saw an ad for it, maybe in NJ, during my car search the past couple years but passed on it, cuz I wanted a 93-94 or cuz of the air suspension. I could be wrong, I did see alot of ads. It does seem high in price but all prices are up now.
That image of the drivers seat ends right where you are going to see the most wear lol, it's like it's just that kind of thing it's like obfuscating, purposefully leaving it out. And I really don't like when people use spray gloss under the hood to make it look shiny, to me it's a red flag, add in the trunk issue, this guy want over 12K? lol I guess....
And if you look right where that seatbelt clacks against the plastic molding on the drivers side as you're getting in, see all those scratches? lol, that's a lot of scratches .. I would personally would never buy this car for anything near what he's asking, but I am not the one considering it and I don't want to discourage you just things I am seeing.
03-17-22, 12:23 PM
Buying a '91 LS400 with Low Mileage?
