What would you do if you were an SC buyer?
06-27-08, 07:37 PM
#1
What would you do if you were an SC buyer?
This will be my first SC. I've had 3 Toyota products since 98 but never an SC.
Anyway...I want to pick between 2 that are just around 8 grand. Sorry, I can't justify spending over 10 grand on a car that is over 10 years old now.
Car 1 ...96 SC300...97K miles, one owner, all dealer serviced, 90K service not done yet, mint interior, few dents in the body, no accidents, ....bascially your run of the mill SC300.
Car 2...98 SC300 168K miles...two owner, dealer serviced by owner 1, private mechanic owner 2, has everything except navigation and mark levinson sound, OEM chrome wheels, flawless body, mint interior....and the current owner put new tires on it in late 07 when a major service with new T belt, water pump, tune up, etc.. was done. The car just needs oil and gas for 30K miles.
The short answer would be car 1 is better cause fewer miles trumps all. My brain says buy car 1 but I am very attracted to car 2 because it seems as if it is in a class much higher than car 1. The color combination (black with chrome wheels) looks very bad a** and the car seems to ride better. It is probably all in my head but car 2 seems like it is loaded while car 1 feels like a base model....granted a lexus but still base feeling.
Anyway...I want to pick between 2 that are just around 8 grand. Sorry, I can't justify spending over 10 grand on a car that is over 10 years old now.
Car 1 ...96 SC300...97K miles, one owner, all dealer serviced, 90K service not done yet, mint interior, few dents in the body, no accidents, ....bascially your run of the mill SC300.
Car 2...98 SC300 168K miles...two owner, dealer serviced by owner 1, private mechanic owner 2, has everything except navigation and mark levinson sound, OEM chrome wheels, flawless body, mint interior....and the current owner put new tires on it in late 07 when a major service with new T belt, water pump, tune up, etc.. was done. The car just needs oil and gas for 30K miles.
The short answer would be car 1 is better cause fewer miles trumps all. My brain says buy car 1 but I am very attracted to car 2 because it seems as if it is in a class much higher than car 1. The color combination (black with chrome wheels) looks very bad a** and the car seems to ride better. It is probably all in my head but car 2 seems like it is loaded while car 1 feels like a base model....granted a lexus but still base feeling.
06-27-08, 09:53 PM
#4
This is car 1...VERY clean and a great buy had I not seen car 2.
This is car 2...it looks even more gorgeous in person.
Also worth noting is that the red one was owned by someone who bought it just cause it was a Lexus and they liked how it looked and the features it had. They pretty much drove to the dealer and handed them the key to do everything.
The black one was owned by an enthusiast that knows all about cars. This guy did minor upkeep himself but from what I can tell he did not use ghetto engineering and use shortcuts on things.
I think car 2 will require new struts around 200K miles just from useage. That looks to be the most expensive repair that is anticipated.
Car 1 will need the 90K service as soon as it is bought.
This is car 2...it looks even more gorgeous in person.
Also worth noting is that the red one was owned by someone who bought it just cause it was a Lexus and they liked how it looked and the features it had. They pretty much drove to the dealer and handed them the key to do everything.
The black one was owned by an enthusiast that knows all about cars. This guy did minor upkeep himself but from what I can tell he did not use ghetto engineering and use shortcuts on things.
I think car 2 will require new struts around 200K miles just from useage. That looks to be the most expensive repair that is anticipated.
Car 1 will need the 90K service as soon as it is bought.
06-27-08, 10:02 PM
#5
How much are you going to spend on each?
Personally, I would go with the 98; smoother transmission, VVT-i motor, gated shifter, updated leather (softer + more comfortable), autodimming rear view and sides, updated projector lens, updated cluster + console lighting, updated body, etc etc...I can go on for days...You can't beat all the subtle changes on the 98+; its often overlooked and can never be substituted...
Go with the 98+ regardless of the miles...VVT-i is smooth as silk!!
Personally, I would go with the 98; smoother transmission, VVT-i motor, gated shifter, updated leather (softer + more comfortable), autodimming rear view and sides, updated projector lens, updated cluster + console lighting, updated body, etc etc...I can go on for days...You can't beat all the subtle changes on the 98+; its often overlooked and can never be substituted...
Go with the 98+ regardless of the miles...VVT-i is smooth as silk!!
06-27-08, 10:05 PM
#6
Car 1 is in much better condition that your average 96 SC300 with pretty low miles. Not your run of the mill SC in my opinion. Car 2 does look more updated and pretty much is in the same condition as Car 1. If you are willing to look past the mileage I would recommend Car 2. Also if you can get it for less that $10,000, then the price is definitely right. A couple of things I love about the SC is that the majority of them had very few owners. Im the 3rd owner of my 93 SC that was originally from Florida. Also these 2JZ motors were definitely the best designed motors Ive ever seen. If taken well care of you can probably run it for up to 600k miles. Good luck!
06-27-08, 10:09 PM
#7
Both are priced just shy of 8 grand and are from private sellers.
The red one is being sold by a guy that lost his job and is leaving town soon. He is motivated to sell so he might even take 6.5-7 grand if I made an offer.
The guy with the black one will not budge much from 8 grand because he is not in a hurry to sell it. I think he said he wants something with better gas mileage but he likes the SC a lot and wants the right buyer to take it home for a good price cause it has been his baby since 02. To him the car is a family member.....the red one's owner thinks of his car as just a hunk of metal that rides on rubber.
The red one is being sold by a guy that lost his job and is leaving town soon. He is motivated to sell so he might even take 6.5-7 grand if I made an offer.
The guy with the black one will not budge much from 8 grand because he is not in a hurry to sell it. I think he said he wants something with better gas mileage but he likes the SC a lot and wants the right buyer to take it home for a good price cause it has been his baby since 02. To him the car is a family member.....the red one's owner thinks of his car as just a hunk of metal that rides on rubber.
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06-27-08, 10:11 PM
#8
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CAR TWO Black one 
Honestly, if i were to buy one, i could care less about mileage...
I like the updated scs'
when it comes to the engine, it's endless, if you know what I mean... so, mileage
is not a factor for Toyota engines (built to last).
Honestly, if i were to buy one, i could care less about mileage...
I like the updated scs'
when it comes to the engine, it's endless, if you know what I mean... so, mileage
is not a factor for Toyota engines (built to last).
Last edited by sc3lovely; 06-27-08 at 10:15 PM.
06-27-08, 11:32 PM
#11
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I wouldn't look too much at mileage in your decisions. The jz engines are bulletproof and from what it appears, these cars were well cared for. If anything, high mileage goes in your favor in negotiations. It's really up to you. A 96' can always be converted to a 97'+, though it can cost quite a bit. On the other hand, if you prefer red over black, there's not much of a choice there. I'm a sucker for red cars, so I'd go for the 96', but its really up to you. With the 96', you'll probably need to replace the timing belt (around $500), which usually gets changed every 90k servicing (at least for the SC400, I'm not sure if the SC300 uses a belt as well). For the 98', I would worry about the struts. I had to replace the shocks/struts on my old 98' Corolla and they cost me $350 each.
06-28-08, 12:55 AM
#12
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damn both cars are clean, but if it was me i'd go for car 2 for many of the reasons stated above like the new improvements here and there and the car seems as though it was really maintained by the dealer or another shop as long as the work was good done to it i'd go for it.
