99YellowStang

I found a 97 SC300 auto with 18 inch rims and 99k miles on it for 11.9 and i found a 95 SC 5 speed with 104k miles for 13.5 obo? are these some good prices? and just before i start arguing with my dad that i should get one of these will i have to do anything major to these cars because they are close or past the 100k mark? anything $$$ i have to do?

lex400sc

The '97 sounds like a good deal if nothing is wrong with it. Not much needs to be done at 100k other than minor maintanence.

SupraCoup3

see if you can't work the 5sp guy off his high horse. You'll be better of with a 95 5sp because it's still OBDI & it's got the larger tranny tunnel that makes a 6speed supra getrag transmission swap a bit easier. Not that you nessiarily would... but you could. It seems common now for people to convert their front ends to the 97+ style... You can do that too if you feel so inclined.

But honestly, unless the 95 is already done up some, they're asking too much. expect about 10. Maybe I'm just cheap, but that's me

JAC JZS

That doesn't seem right that a 95' SC3 with 104k miles would cost more than a 97'(2nd to newest gen) SC300 w/99k miles, even if the 5-speed manual is rarer than auto. The 97' seems like a good deal, but not the 95'. Make sure before you buy it to get it inspected and find out about the cars entire history. Now if you wanted to add turbo then it would be easier and cheaper to buy a pre 97'(OBI) but I still would not buy the one you mentioned, find a different one. Oh and slap a warranty on it so the high mileage(anything that breaks) is not a problem.

99YellowStang

where can u get a warranty i would be VERY interested in getting one for this car, but most places dont offer them for cars over 50k miles, all i want to do is lower it, it already has rims and some sort of stereo for the time being, maybe some nicer mufflers, so nothing that would void a warranty anyone kno where i can aquire one?

Manaray

Well believe it or not, the 5-speeds in my area sell for LESS than the Automatics...most "normal" SC buyers want automatic, not sticks...only a few sickos here want stick!

Also, get BOTH VIN numbers and take it to you nearest Lexus service department and have them look up the Service Record for that car....but be warned, a good service history doesn't mean that the car hasn't been rolled off a cliff and then repaired.

Also get a Carfax report. This too is not 100% accurate. I was looking at a used SC with only 87K miles on and BOTH the CarFax and Lexus Service Record (which showed the last service at 83K miles) came up IMMACULATE. I mean this guy (or gal) hit EVERY service on time or before. CarFaxed showd up with nothing but perfection...

So I go and look at it with two buddies of mine (one owns a body shop and the other is a high end used car dealer...) and BOTH of them, from about 15 feet away said "It's a POS"...upon closer inspection, the entire ROOF was bondo as were BOTH quarter panels. The front fender was fixed on the driver side and they left the original headlight there and you could SEE where the hit was because they caught part of the headlight. Also, the interior was TRASHED. I mean the wood was DELAMINATING (meaning it must have been sitting outside with the windows open in a very moist area...sure enough, the car is from Florida.

It would not suprise me if this was the scenario...the car was sold, in perfect condition at a little over 83K miles...someone bought it and either disconnected to speedo or did a roll back after abusing the car for WHO KNOWS how many miles. The car OBVIOUSLY involved in one or two accidents at the very minimum. In one accident, the car must have flipped over. The car was left sitting at the body shop or whatever (the owner probably didn't have insurance or whatever) where they OBVIOUSLY didn't give two *****s about the car so they left the cabin open (I'm sure the windows were broken in the accident and they probably never covered up the openings to prevent moisture from getting in)...then the car was finally repaired to the BARE MINIMUM and then sold at a auction...

Anyways, just be careful and have some experienced guys take a look at it before you buy. Also, take it to the Lexus dealer and have them do the "full monty" on the car...it's less than $200 for the complete inspection (I think that includes a compression check too).

There are many parts that go bad on older SC's that aren't taken care of...the bushings, seat motors, etc., etc...those two parts are like $500 and $1500 respectively...so you can see why I'd prefer to pay $200 to have it looked it with a full report then to get some sort of POS where you have to dump a ton a cash into it....

But don't let this scare you, the SC (like all Lexus cars) are generally built MUCH BETTER than any other car out there. If you get one that's been taken care of, you should be fine...it's one of my favorite Lexos...

JAC JZS

I don't remember off the top of my head but I will PM you with the names of a few warranty companies that will warranty cars up to 125,000 miles. The Carfax like Manaray said is not always correct. **** they made a mistake on one of my cars Carfax only guarantees if the car has a clean title or not, they do not GUARANTEE there accident records(half the time inaccurate). At least if they screw up on the title you can get $5,000(or 10% of the vehicles value) back from them

lex400sc

Yeah good mechanics will be able to spot a doctored up car easily. Things like stress marks in metal or in plastic trim pieces, misaligned doors, bent or warped brackets and mounts, isolated coats of paint under the hood and in door jambs. A handy art I must learn one of these days.

Bean

iTrader: (1)

FYI, you're lucky if you find a 95 SC3 5-speed for $10k

most sell for around $13k to $14k

and JAC JZS, yup you're pretty cheap

$13.5 is a steal; ask $13k

i bought my 95 for $13k with 112k miles on it; and it was a GOOD price... nada book (which is accurate) priced the car at $17k
and my friend who works at a lexus dealership said the car would go for maybe $20k on the lot

my opinion? Get the 95, the 97 is ODBII and an auto. A waste of money if you wanna go turbo or be fast in general; the 5-speed is so much faster than the auto its silly.

VQT

Easy, look at your car carefully. If you wash/wax your car, you can tell every little things that's wrong with the car because you are looking at it close up. You can tell the misalignment of fenders, doors, paint mismatch, crack paint on the bumper, stress mark. All cars have these thing when age. Stop by the used car dealer from time to time. Look at a car that you like, look at the body alignment close up, I mean very close. You can tell if the car has been repainted by looking at the edge of the rubber thingy that are impossible to take off when painting the car. If there are any paint on the rubber, the car has been repaint (accident...). There are always imperfection on the body work, look parrallel with the body. If the body surface seem not smooth, the car has been in an accident and a very bad paint job. Even with a very good body shop, you still can tell small difference on the body. Be very **** about it, that way I know the car is in good shape or not before talking about the price.

Engine, the dirtier the better that way you can tell of any leaks. A clean engine mean the owner been washing it too much OR he trying to hide the oil leaks...Look under the carriage for any dent (car has been run over something hard), oil leaks from the oil pan, trans. oil pan, differential... You can alway wash it when it is yours. A clean engine from a used car dealship scare me

Yes, I am cheap. I'll look for a very good car and try to negotiate the price WAYYY down. I can wait for the right one came along if I can't get it this time...

Ex: there was a 92 LS400 100K mi. on the classified last week for $7200, this week it was down to $6500. If I want it and it still in good shape, I may bring it down to $5.5K to $6K. That's just me. Seen some good deal on SC lately too, but nothing below $10K

JAC JZS

Very good info, if you can get the car on a lift. Aside from a Certified Lexus inspection if you can take it to a good bodyshop they should be able to tell you what, if any framework/welding/ etc... has been done.

I as well will always try to get the best deal I can on a car. I will always try to get the dealer/seller to come down at least $1 or $2k or more if I can. Bean, I don't call that cheap I call that smart, and I think it is stupid not to negotiate prices. Like VQT mentioned you can always wait for the perfect car to come around. It's just foolish to jump at the first thing you see and lose money when you could have saved money through waiting/researching and negotiations. I don't really deal with Dealers anymore though because I only pay Wholesale(Auction/Dealer) prices (my close friend owns a Dealership) for my cars.

99YellowStang

does anyone have carfax? if so id like to start from at least there, because if it has a dirty title no point in going on anymore about it:

JT8CD32Z4V0038173

Thanks

Toog4me

is the 97 sc you looked at a light blue? I saw one just like it for 11.9 the other day on autotrader.


BTW, the sc3 5 speed isnt that much faster than the sc400 in fact, the times are almost the same, but ive been told the sc4 IS faster.

lex400sc

Hey I saw a '97+ SC400 the other day with a motorized antenna. I thought they changed that to a window print in '96? Or was that just an option? Does anyone know or have a '96+ SC400 with a motorized antenna?

This brings up another consideration between the '95 and '97 models: all the revisions they made between those years...

Multifunction remote entry system with audible signal, car finder, trunk release and "panic mode".
Rear-window glass-imprinted antenna.
Pre-tensioners added to front seatbelts
Adoption of electrochromic mirrors
Moonroof adoption of one-touch open slide function.
Flush foglamps.
New upper/lower grille.
Color-keyed side skirts.
Redesigned rear spoiler, bumper and taillamps.
Lexus chrome-plated wheels.

99YellowStang

yeah thats probably the one, they say its silver, i hope its not the light blue color because i really dont like that color at all, i did a carfax and that came back clean