GalantVR4

Gentlemen, I think I finally found a GOOD Lexus site..yours.

This is my fourth SC. I bought it off ebay, and I don't know if I got taken or not yet..
I flew up to NYC with my 13 year old daughter to pick up the car. It was NOT what it was advertised to be..funny how some people are masters at getting just the PERFECT pic that hides that dent, rust hole, etc.
Sooo, the car needs a LOT of work body and suspension wise, but the drivetrain seems to be pretty decent. Made it the 1200 mile trip with 3 blown tires, zero oil burn, and a drivers door that is about to fall off the hinges because the hinge is junk. (see my WTB in the classified section)
With the trip, hotel, gas back, and tags/taxes I'm into the car for 3300 bucks
I've started out with worse, but after seeing much cleaner cars go on ebay for the same or less, I don't know whether I should keep or turn it..
Here's a list of the good and bad.


Here's what is GOOD about the car.
Pearl White. (I absolutely love this color)
Fresh radiator/water pump/timing belt/brakes/Brembo D/S frt rotors
3 decent ADR M-Sport rims (one was stolen during the auction)
Diazan bushings installed, but the ball joints are shot
Glass is good
Windows/locks/cruise works, remote start/alarm works
Telescoping steering wheel works
Eibach springs/Tokico struts (think struts are blown though--NYC streets)
Dash pad is clean/soft, no cracks, glove box lock works
Rear defroster works halfway decently
Pass pwr window works perfectly
Managed between 22 and 24 mpg on the 1200 mile trip.
Looks like the memory for the seat/steering etc works
Came with the original, oxidized rims and four totally mismatched tires, of which only one actually held air..the other three blew within minutes of being put on. For you new yorkers, I blew the first one in the middle of the midtown tunnel..and it was down to one lane...plenty of people willing to honk and curse, not a soul helped me change that tire though..my daughter and I did it in nine minutes flat..not bad considering it took me 5 minutes to find the "tuner" lug socket..


The BAD:
Drivers frt fender rusted lower rear
Pass fender dented and rattle canned..looks horrible
Pass rear quarter panel rust perforation visible around wheelwell
Radio missing
Seats shot (all four are junk)
Dash dead for needles, all burned out.
Temp will not adjust via switch. Will go to Auto mode, but temp stuck at 76.
(anyone had this happen? I searched for this too, not much there)
Tilt wheel does NOT work..no noise, nothing..completely dead?
LF wheel cambered in from HUGE chuckhole hit..tire had broken belts and bent rim (first blowout)
TRAC disengaged on the way home..either that or the trac button is inop..
(is this button one that stays depressed when clicked or is it just an on-off?)
Airbag Light is on
Check engine light is on (yellow)
Door panels in poor shape and woodgrain was painted black, awful job
(I honestly thought he found plastic inserts..that crappy)
Missing amp and cd box in trunk
Drivers side pwr window doing the clunkity clunk the exact same as my 88 MR2 does..what is it with toyota and power windows anyway?
Window got stuck halfway down, wouldn't go down any further but went back up fine..(toll booth of course) then miraculously fixes itself 20 Feet AFTER each toll booth.
1 missing ADR M-Sport rim, 17x7.

So, to me, I got snookered and bought a good running parts car, but I'm stuck with it..I either to the minimum and turn it or I fix it. What would you guys do? I have to do the door hinge either way, and at least get these warning lights turned off and get gauge needles..(suprised Lexus didn't get whacked with a recall for those..no gas or speedo at night (or even daytime..those things are DARK) could easily cause an accident..considering the target audience of older owners.

Anyway, I've really dug into your site..seems to be a pretty good group of people.

I build Mitsu race motors in my spare time, and I race both of mine, though last year put both out of commission due to off track excursions (my black GVR4 was on a road course, 108 degree heat on blacktop..hoosier slicks, hard off camber tight right hander, and me thinking "gee, these tires are sticking really well, lets see HOW well"..and finding out that they had just started turning to grease..flew off the track, bent the LF corner of the car UP about 3 inches, bent the bumper support 3 inches to the right on the second bounce/nosedive, and ended up in a lake..(engine off by then)
Second one just smoked its clutch.
If anyone needs any DSM parts, I'm the guy..I have a 1800 square foot shop full..four engines, turbos, fmic's, smic's, (I'm keeping my supra smic though..already in one of the eclipses) and god knows what else..have a stroker kit around there somewhere too.

Anyway, please give me your opinions on this heap..should I keep it or turn it fast? I've got a few spare sets of 16" wheels/tires off the mitsus I could slap on it..but nothing else for an SC laying around.
I can shoot you guys pics via email, but I'm not uploading on dialup..
My work email is available if you either pm me or email my home addy in my profile.

If you guys want to see how the "other half" lives, I'm on the Galantvr4.org board as beemer.. I've done quite a bit of prototyping on those cars, so if I do decide to play with this one, at least I'm not out a ton of money if I decide to turn it into a test mule..

Thanks
Dave Beem
Beemer's Racing
Tabor IA

Blizzy

iTrader: (-1)

For me, that is more crap that I could deal with...but, my car knowledge is limited. I am certain that you probably could have gotten more car for $3300. I would try to get what I could for the car and find another one. If you spend a little bit more, I bet you can get a while lot more in another SC. I have seen some CL members claiming to have spent $4200, $5000, $5500, etc to the tune of damn clean cars with very few issues.

As for this forum, I would not trust my SC advice to come from anywhere else. This is the place for sure.

574-SC300

Welcome. The car sounds like it needs alot of work. I use to own a galant VR4 and was on the galantvr4.org for a little over a year, just sold the car a few months ago to get my SC.

insomniac

Ouch, save the headache and get a local sc for a little bit more money.

bigmalik00

if you spent 3300 in total... that is not that bad. some of those problems I had (except the cosmetics) but the time with your daughter is priceless... enjoy

vince1128

33 isnt bad i'd say...but i spent 5000 on a 93 sc400 with 109k mi., perfect condition, with 90k service done....so there could be better deals around

GalantVR4

Guys, like the title says..nearly impossible to find. I work at Offutt AFB, and I did see a 300 5-speed getting new tires at the base service station, but that's the ONLY one I've seen in a LONG time..
SC's are just about as rare as Galant VR4's

Oh, for the "former" galant vr4 owner, I'm the guy, along with Mark Kaufman (aka FogDarter, RIP Jan 2004) who invented/got produced the 26mm whiteline rear sway bar..I have Mark's car now, and sadly he never got to drive it with the sway bar we worked so hard on prototyping. So in honor of him, the pass seat *shotgun* is always empty so he has a place to sit. Even when my kids are in the car, which is very rarely. He was my best friend, died from lung and brain cancer.

Anyway, the time with my daughter WAS priceless..taught her a good lesson about money. We walked from the hotel across from the United Nations building all the way to Macy's..about 5 miles each way, and spent the day wandering around the store..the thing is flipping huge and I don't think I've seen a higher salesmen/women per customer ratio anywhere. I mean you were literally TRIPPING over them. Lotsa nice stuff, but she came out of there saying "I'm NEVER doing this again". She said it was nice, but we live in a REAL small town south of Omaha, about 1500 people.. There were more people in Macy's than LIVE in our town.. She wasn't too happy about crossing six lane streets full of cars that would blow thru lights either. Plus the walk..god you'd think I had force marched her with a hundred pound pack on her back!.. And I'm 44 with no cartilage in my knees and I made it.

Anyway, they are really rare around here and command a premium price, IF you can even find one. I almost CHOKED when I saw that kid here who got one as a HAND ME DOWN. Around here, a hand me down is like my 89 Camry with 350K miles on it going to my daughter..AFTER I hit a deer..

We just got 8" of snow and I still have my SKorchers (semi race tires) on the dd VR4, so I have to go out in the snow and swap tires to the snows that I had on the black VR4..(didn't want to leave it sitting with the hoosiers on it..flat spots ain't fun!) so I can get to work tomorrow.
So honestly, I got a vacation (airfare was 99 bucks each one way..not too shabby, room was 250, but we got to wine and dine with world leaders..cool for a 13 year old kid to do) plus about 200 in gas and tire swaps on the way back, so since the original price of the car itself was 3300 (the guy knocked 700 off for the missing wheel/tire and the stereo) I thought I did ok considering I did make it home..albiet the tire syndrome.
So consider the car price at 2500.. I don't have time to part it out, so I'm thinking clean it up, new tires/lower control arms/alignment/tilt motor and dash needles and sell? I normally will not sell a car that isn't 100 percent, at least mechanically..just the way I am..I'd rather part it out than risk a dissatisfied customer..word of mouth kills you. I have a budding race shop for DSM's building a fair rep right now with me doing all the work, but I only do one car at a time..waiting list is rather large right now too, and the shop is full of my own cars. (at least until I finish the MR2)
Keep up with the advice, and if you have any linky's to fixes (I do know the dash needles and the hvac LCD), especially about the tilt motor not making even a grunt, let me know.

Also, thanks for the feedback. It seems fairly evenly split right now. If I lived on the east coast, in florida, or out on the west coast, I'd certainly sell and try again, throwing a few more bucks towards a nicer car. However, where I'm at..you NEVER see an SC in the paper..if you do, it is over ten grand, and at the lexus dealer.
Dave

1JZ300

iTrader: (6)

welcome...thats alot to read...haha

iasc300

iTrader: (1)

very true- good luck finding an sc for sale around here as well- sucks you went through all that and are disapointed with the sc- been to Offutt AFB multible times for training- want me to keep my eyes open for you?

ki_soarer

welcome dave. personally, i cannot tell you to keep it, or sell it. if you have a nice stash that you could throw at the car, then go for it. if not, sell it. at least make your money back.

as for the tilt motor, try checking the simple things, fuses, power, grounds. if that doesnt work, there are a few ppl here that part out cars all the time, so you can get one at a good price. same goes for the body pannels, fenders and door hinges are easy enough to come by here. for needles, lextech lighting will do wonders for you. you can get an LCD screen for the HVAC display on ebay for about $100. check ebay or any wheel place online and im sure you can find one ADR wheel. regulators, and radios are a dime a dozen in the classifieds. for the seats, just wait for a groupbuy from leatherseats.com and you can get new leathers for both fronts and rears for about $600. somewhere on here, there is a write-up on checking your CEL codes and also resetting your air bag light if it was set due to the cluster being out. the control arms are the worst part at about $450 each from lexus, but check arround on supraforums.com and pick up a set from a supra for a couple hundred bucks.

i think you can have it back up to par with a little bit of money and a decent bit of know how. best of luck to you. and enjoy your stay here with us.