I drove 2 hours to inspect it. 155K 3rd owner car. Outside is in great shape with the exception of some fading on the trunk and spoiler. No dings or dents, though..

Interior is surprisingly good given how old the car is. Driver seat is not ripped, but is worn some. There is a slight tear on the driver's door upper area that will have to be addressed. The PO pulled the Nak unit and put in an aftermarket unit - so I need a used Nak. Anybody got one they're willing to part with?

Car drives well, although I know it will need some suspension work to make it good and tight again. This car originally came from Florida, so it doesn't have heated seats. This is definitely something I will have to fix. Gotta have it for the winter here in north Huntsville for those occasional cold days.

1st gear is whiny - I don't like that and the transmission fluid looks like its never been changed, so I will need to address this.

Not sure about the timing belt. I called the Lexus dealer - they tell me it was done 2 years ago, but I don't see any sticker on the cam cover and the PO doesn't know himself.

I do have an immediate issue I need your help with. The radiator reservoir is leaking. There was no fluid in it before I test drove it, so I added some water before driving it. When I came back there is a sensor (?) that is leaking on the top of the reservoir. What is this and how do I fix it? I need to fix it before I drive it back to my house on Sunday - which is a 2 hour drive.

BTW - I purchased it for $3K..

Much appreciated for the help. Here are some pictures……

 

gratz on your car it looks clean indeed
most Nak systems has been replaced because of the AMP who died out , i had the same on my 92
another common problem is the reservoir , ppl tried to fix it with glue or plastic weld but the real option is to replace it with a new one or a good one from the salvage yard , mind you that the creak is almost impossible to see when it starts creaking so the best advice i buying a new one

have fun and welcome

 

Thanks for the feedback. Trying to locate and expansion tank NOW. The local salvage yards have none, so I tried Sewell Lexus parts. They list it as discontinued. I have sent them an email inquiring anyway.

How safe or unsafe is it to drive it this way for 100 miles? I can't just stop every few miles or so and add coolant because these year models - the expansion tank (coolant tank) is pressurized.

 

Good find. She seems to be in really good condition. Also I would suggest changing out the timing belt since there is no documented date of when it was last change. If its possible I would tow the vehicle to avoid any unnecessary wear or damage to the engine.

 

With regards to the timing belt, yours is a non-interference motor, so the risk is moderately low of a severely costly breakdown. If the dealership thinks it was done 2 years ago (you can set up an account on Lexus' website and view all the dealer maintenance records for the VIN), I would just take one of the plastic cam covers off (the driver's side is much easier, as the pass. side requires removing the air intake) and do a visual inspection. If the belt looks fresh with no cracks, it probably was done fairly recently like they said.

Very nice pick up, BTW. That looks like great value for what you paid.

 

Your car is the same as mine, but yours is cleaner. Hope your needles in your gauges stay lit.

 

Welcome. Your SC looks great!

 

Theres a guy on here that sells used parts. Algia

 

Aliga

 

Thanks for the info guys!

The instrument needles have all been repaired, so I don't have to worry about that. I'm sure I've got lots of other stuff I need to address anyway. One impact from having the instrument needles repaired is that the airbag light is now on. When I asked the PO about it, he indicated that when he re-installed the cluster, the airbag light came on. I figure he may have left off a connector or failed to disconnect the battery before doing the work. I'll have plenty of time to fix this, among all the other things I'm sure I will need to address.

I am really thankful you guys are all willing to come forward with suggestions on how I can fix these things...

 

100 miles should be duable but don't wait to long with the repair , i tried to order one from the Toyota dealer overhere in Holland and yes they seems to be discontinued but they made a upgrade for it , make a copy of sewell's diagram with the part numbers and they should know what to look for , they are not cheap !
but you can take the risk by buying one from a member here or ebay like i did , not a waterproof garanti but worth trying

mine is still leakfree

 

After sleeping on it I have decided to have it towed home. Cost me $300, but that is cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned.

I called around yesterday about getting a new coolant tank. The local Lexus dealer quoted me $250.

I found I can get it out of Lexus of Atlanta for $175. Guess which one I'm going to go with?

 

If you haven't ordered it already, just post a Wanted To Buy here in the classifieds. I imagine someone can provide you one for under $50.

 

Thanks. I'll give it a shot..

 

In fact...

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...gte-parts.html

$20 + s/h, but you'll have to PM him as the thread is locked (max number of bumps).