Just got a sc300 last week.... and now I regret
03-02-11, 12:13 PM
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Just got a sc300 last week.... and now I regret
Hello everyone..
I got a sc300 last week at the President's day, $3900 for a red 1993 sc300 stick-shift... The price wasn't cheap but I was told by the seller that it has a rebuilt engine last year with ~20000miles only. That's why I bought it.
After I've bought it, the more I drove it, the more problems I've found out. Bad idle, problem with the o2 sensor, overheating engine etc..
Hence I brought it to an auto repair shop and had a checking on it. The answer is that it has a blown head gasket... and the repair guy told me that I was being lied and the engine wasn't rebuilt... and it has 230,000 miles on it now. He quoted me ~$4k for an engine rebuilding as he said just replacing the blown head gasket can't help much.. I bought the car with my own savings and how can a poor student like me being able to pay that 4k
I know it's my fault that I shouldn't have trusted the seller easily... anyway do you guys know what can I do? Do you think I can sue the seller for providing fake information on the car!? Is there any laws protecting private selling like these?
Thanks for reading everyone...
I got a sc300 last week at the President's day, $3900 for a red 1993 sc300 stick-shift... The price wasn't cheap but I was told by the seller that it has a rebuilt engine last year with ~20000miles only. That's why I bought it.
After I've bought it, the more I drove it, the more problems I've found out. Bad idle, problem with the o2 sensor, overheating engine etc..
Hence I brought it to an auto repair shop and had a checking on it. The answer is that it has a blown head gasket... and the repair guy told me that I was being lied and the engine wasn't rebuilt... and it has 230,000 miles on it now. He quoted me ~$4k for an engine rebuilding as he said just replacing the blown head gasket can't help much.. I bought the car with my own savings and how can a poor student like me being able to pay that 4k
I know it's my fault that I shouldn't have trusted the seller easily... anyway do you guys know what can I do? Do you think I can sue the seller for providing fake information on the car!? Is there any laws protecting private selling like these?
Thanks for reading everyone...
03-02-11, 12:23 PM
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The only law in private seller is "AS-IS" it is all you, you have to do all the checking and stuff before you buy. Unless you got it document saying it is rebuild and etc... Any evidence then you might have a chance. With 4k, might as well buy a 2jzgtte.
03-02-11, 12:26 PM
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Anything under $5k .. goes to small claims court.. You could sue but its an amount thats not worth the extra court fees. At the same time it is also your fault for not getting the car checked out first before buying it. This goes with any car not just an sc300. Im sorry you had a bad experiance with the car.
I would go back to the seller and demand him to take a look at the car "IF" HE picks up his calls or you know where he lives. Maybe he is reasonable to work with you, but if was looking to scam you I think your screwed. You didnt test drive the car? Shouldnt you have noticed a weird idle and stuff like that?
Again sorry for your bad experiance. I hope it works out for you.
I would go back to the seller and demand him to take a look at the car "IF" HE picks up his calls or you know where he lives. Maybe he is reasonable to work with you, but if was looking to scam you I think your screwed. You didnt test drive the car? Shouldnt you have noticed a weird idle and stuff like that?
Again sorry for your bad experiance. I hope it works out for you.
03-02-11, 12:28 PM
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even if the seller provided false information?
I also asked about swapping engine but the guy told me he said that would involve a lot of risks.. as I can't be sure about the quality of the engine
I also asked about swapping engine but the guy told me he said that would involve a lot of risks.. as I can't be sure about the quality of the engine
03-02-11, 12:29 PM
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This is tax time and everyone will be swapping their ge out for gte you can pick up a nice ge for a good deal.
Don't let the mechanic tell you to rebuild it, just swap the motor and be done with it i know it's cheaper, at 230k miles even if he rebuild the head and replace the HG the block still has 230k miles the botton end will also need to be tighten up just like the top end.
Don't let the mechanic tell you to rebuild it, just swap the motor and be done with it i know it's cheaper, at 230k miles even if he rebuild the head and replace the HG the block still has 230k miles the botton end will also need to be tighten up just like the top end.
03-02-11, 12:34 PM
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Anything under $5k .. goes to small claims court.. You could sue but its an amount thats not worth the extra court fees. At the same time it is also your fault for not getting the car checked out first before buying it. This goes with any car not just an sc300. Im sorry you had a bad experiance with the car.
I would go back to the seller and demand him to take a look at the car "IF" HE picks up his calls or you know where he lives. Maybe he is reasonable to work with you, but if was looking to scam you I think your screwed. You didnt test drive the car? Shouldnt you have noticed a weird idle and stuff like that?
Again sorry for your bad experiance. I hope it works out for you.
I would go back to the seller and demand him to take a look at the car "IF" HE picks up his calls or you know where he lives. Maybe he is reasonable to work with you, but if was looking to scam you I think your screwed. You didnt test drive the car? Shouldnt you have noticed a weird idle and stuff like that?
Again sorry for your bad experiance. I hope it works out for you.
when I and my friend test drove the car we didn't find out any problems... and the car could travel on freeway for an hour without the overheating problem when we were coming back home... then the problems occurred once I got it back here
yea I still like the sc300 a lot, I know this **** can happen on every cars.
How much would the court fee be?
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03-02-11, 12:35 PM
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Ok to be all honest, sounds like you bought a used car...regardless if the seller was completely honest or not, a used car is going to have some issues, and from what your describing, is NOT $4k to repair. Yes small claims court is an option, but you need to be-able to prove that you were told the engine was rebuilt, and if you were given a bill of sale that states "sold as is", your up a creek.
You can find a decent mileage 2JZ-GE for about $500, spend another $150 for a hoist, swap it yourself. Or at worst, a 1JZ swap is always an option and is still less than $4k with having the JDM turbo's rebuilt or replaced.
Bottom line is dont get discouraged, and dont listen and hang on every word your "mechanic" says, cause frankly he will say anything to make a buck. You have several options at this point, and I can think of 5 that would cost 1/2 of what you were quoted.
Do some research, buy some tools and get your hands dirty.
You can find a decent mileage 2JZ-GE for about $500, spend another $150 for a hoist, swap it yourself. Or at worst, a 1JZ swap is always an option and is still less than $4k with having the JDM turbo's rebuilt or replaced.
Bottom line is dont get discouraged, and dont listen and hang on every word your "mechanic" says, cause frankly he will say anything to make a buck. You have several options at this point, and I can think of 5 that would cost 1/2 of what you were quoted.
Do some research, buy some tools and get your hands dirty.
03-02-11, 12:36 PM
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I'm indeed quite touched by everyone's quick replies... thanks guys.
03-02-11, 12:37 PM
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sell your current motor to quickGS300, it's exactly what he wants 
But it is up to you, the seller, to look at the vehicle first before buying. I understand that you are young, and this is a lesson you will learn over time. But if you are going to make a purchase of thousands of dollars, get it inspected first. You can also rebuild that engine for a lot cheaper than $4k if you get a friend or two and do the work yourself. Not to mention you will appreciate the hard work you've done yourself. Remember, it's a machine that's built with bolts, washers, and nuts. Since the motor is already crap, you can probably learn a lot in the process after fixing it. Best of luck my friend. I'm not sure what part of California you're from, but there are tons of SC owners on the West Coast that can probably help you out.
But it is up to you, the seller, to look at the vehicle first before buying. I understand that you are young, and this is a lesson you will learn over time. But if you are going to make a purchase of thousands of dollars, get it inspected first. You can also rebuild that engine for a lot cheaper than $4k if you get a friend or two and do the work yourself. Not to mention you will appreciate the hard work you've done yourself. Remember, it's a machine that's built with bolts, washers, and nuts. Since the motor is already crap, you can probably learn a lot in the process after fixing it. Best of luck my friend. I'm not sure what part of California you're from, but there are tons of SC owners on the West Coast that can probably help you out.
03-02-11, 12:47 PM
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Ok to be all honest, sounds like you bought a used car...regardless if the seller was completely honest or not, a used car is going to have some issues, and from what your describing, is NOT $4k to repair. Yes small claims court is an option, but you need to be-able to prove that you were told the engine was rebuilt, and if you were given a bill of sale that states "sold as is", your up a creek.
You can find a decent mileage 2JZ-GE for about $500, spend another $150 for a hoist, swap it yourself. Or at worst, a 1JZ swap is always an option and is still less than $4k with having the JDM turbo's rebuilt or replaced.
Bottom line is dont get discouraged, and dont listen and hang on every word your "mechanic" says, cause frankly he will say anything to make a buck. You have several options at this point, and I can think of 5 that would cost 1/2 of what you were quoted.
Do some research, buy some tools and get your hands dirty.
You can find a decent mileage 2JZ-GE for about $500, spend another $150 for a hoist, swap it yourself. Or at worst, a 1JZ swap is always an option and is still less than $4k with having the JDM turbo's rebuilt or replaced.
Bottom line is dont get discouraged, and dont listen and hang on every word your "mechanic" says, cause frankly he will say anything to make a buck. You have several options at this point, and I can think of 5 that would cost 1/2 of what you were quoted.
Do some research, buy some tools and get your hands dirty.
After this bad experience I'm not gonna trust my mechanic that easily too. I guess I'll drive it back and let's see..
So swapping sounds much cheaper?
