SteadyEddy

iTrader: (1)

Get a temp license from the state that you are buying it from and do the CT. paper work when you get home. Should have all necessary paper work for the paper work in your state. Might have to put out more for sales tax but you should be able to get one of the states taxes back when you apply in Ct. Then you would be "legal" driving it back to Ct. and not using a plate from another car. Plus I don't think that leaving a car at a dealers would be any problem. If you think that there would be, then I would say don't buy it there anyway cause he has already put the screws to you.

Scott R

Yeah, I wasn't worried about that if I was buying from a dealer. I'm just worried about leaving it behind if I bought it from a private party.

Regarding the upcoming IS-series convertible...yeah, I saw that, and thought a little bit about it, but that's probably a good deal about the price range I want to stay within. I also prefer the look of the SC430, even though part of what I like about the looks is the shorter length, which obviously translates to less rear seat room / cargo space.

For those of you with red 2002's (or whatever year, so long as it's the same shade of red as in 2002 - I think it was called Absolute Red), I'd be curious which of these photos more accurately depicts the way it looks:

a) The one from this old Motor Trend article (I think it looks great here):
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ive/index.html

b) The photos from this current for-sale ad (I think it looks too orangey for my tastes):
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...paId=137337223

Or maybe both are accurate and the 2nd one is the result of 7 years of fading?

tfischer

I think the first photo is more accurate, each computer monitor is different.
The '02 SC had a stunning red, which I think was called Absolutely Red (Absolute Red sounds like strawberry vodka); clearly it is what people had in mind when coining the term "Arrest Me Red."
Once you pick it up, get rid of any oxidation and swirl marks, then top if off with a good polymer sealant (like Zaino) and you will really have something that will turn heads.

rcpeters

I got a good laugh from the comments regarding the back seat. I like the little back seat, maybe because my prior Jaguar XJS convertible and Fiat Spider convertibles I used to drive were like that.

I would say feel free to buy from other states, either the plates go with the car or the state you are in will give you a temporary sticker to drive it out of the state. You don't have to pay taxes or registration fees if you are planning to license the car in another state. You just surrender the title to CT and they issue a new one with your plates. Sales taxes??

I bought my SC430 in PA, drove it down the road with a paper plate from PA and registered it in DE; however DE charged me several hundred dollars in fees for not buying it in DE, but no sales tax. Annual registration in DE is only 20 bucks.

Scott R

I may as well at this point start asking about opinions on what a fair price would be, etc.

That red one I linked to is one of the closest ones to me (just under 2 hours away). It's a used car dealer. 2002, red w/light tan interior, 55k miles, $23k. As I mentioned, I'm not sure if that color is right for me, plus even if it looks great, I'm a little worried about it getting too much attention from the ticket-writers.

Here's a black one w/light tan interior. 2002 also, 74k miles, only $20k. It appears to be a new car dealer (Dodge). I like this color combo quite a bit. Judging by the photos, it looks like the leather may be extra worn, but hopefully that could be brought back with some leather cleaner/conditioner.
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...paId=288783880

There's also a 2005 certified SC430 at a Lexus dealer close by. It's dark blue w/light tan interior, 36k miles, and they want $36k for it. That's well over what I'd want to spend, but I'm curious how much they're padding the price and would be willing to come down to.

This one looks tempting...It's a 2003, pearl white w/orangy tan interior (I really like that color interior), 66k miles, and they want $25k. But it's a Toyota dealer, so maybe they'd come down a bit more and/or give me more for my trade. And they're just over the border of southwestern part of CT (looks like they're in the Long Island area).
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...paId=307797136

mhoepfin

Concerning the back seats, I have a 7 and 9 year old. The 9 year old is 4'9" tall, so tall enough to sit up front. My 7 year old is fine in the back with the 9 year old in the passenger seat and the seat a bit forward.

So, I'd say the 430 is a wonderful 3 person car. When the 4 of us go in it, it's tight..

Kids hate the back seat wind so it's usually just two of us with top down, or three of us with the top up.

It's our third car so it's not something we are forced to take if we don't want to.

Scott R

I'm not crazy about black leather (I like the way they look, but don't like the idea of them getting so hot from the sun), but here's a silver 2002. 86k miles, so it's on the high side, but it's only $18k:
http://www.walpolemitsubishi.com/use...seHistory=true

And now for another question...I see a lot of people recommending non-run-flat tires for better road feel. For those of you who have done that, are you now carrying around a spare tire, or do you not bother? My '07 Mazda RX-8 didn't have run flats or come with a spare. Instead, they gave you a roadside assistance kit, which consisted of a spray can which could somehow seal puncture from the inside, and a cigarette lighter powered air pump.

Scott R

OK, one more car for sale. This one's also a pearl white similar to the other one, but a 2002 (vs 2003). A little bit lower miles at 63k, a few thousand less at $22k. It's also got some aftermarket wheels. Downsides are that it's a smaller used car dealership and farther away.
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...paId=137339469

I'll try not to post any more links of cars for sale, but I'd be interested in hearing feedback on the ones I've already posted. If any of them look especially good, or if you can provide opinions as to how much I should realistically be able to negotiate them down to, that would be much appreciated.

TooCoolSC

Here's a pic of Absolute Red that is about as accurate as it gets. It's what you think of when you think of a "red" car. In the old days, they called it "Lipstick Red". This red was on models 2002 through 2005 and has always been one of my favorites. Other people choose it as their LEAST favorite color. To each his own, I guess. I love it with the ecru (white) interior.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/4273363-post27.html

If you want the smoothest ride, you need to go with non-run flats and find a spare to stick in the trunk or in the back seat only on long trips. Those cans don't do you any good if your tire's shredded.

tfischer

If by "light tan" you mean the "ecru," then I like that with the colors you mention. It's simply called white by most people, although it is probably an eggshell or off-white. It's hard to keep clean unless you really know what you are doing.
The "orange-tan" is called "saddle," and it was not too popular because of all the orange.
As for the black interior, it's this years hot color, and will just have to do until something darker comes along.

Scott R

Yeah, sorry, I wasn't sure of the official names for the interior colors. The Ecru looks light tan to me (tanner than off-white) and, based on the pictures I've seen, actually looks identical to what I have in my '99 Lexus RX300, but maybe it's lighter than that. If so, I can imagine that will be tough to keep clean.

TooCoolSC

Exactly what are y'all DOING in your cars?

xenonrider

make sure to check all the panels for VIN numbers to make sure that they have not been repainted/replaced. when I was shopping for my car, I was quite surprised at how many "Clean CARFAX" cars had repainted pannels.

SteadyEddy

iTrader: (1)

We have a white pearl/ saddle interior SC. Bought it last June, went in to look at a dark blue and a black one. The white one was in the showroom, we loved it at first sight. And forgot about the other two that we had gone to see. As far as what color it depends on what "you like". Red (also called arrest me red) I have had police almost break their necks looking at a red GTO convertible that I had years ago. As far black vs. white, the white SC can be dirty and not look to bad, also can take to the car wash and hose it off and it looks good. The black ES looks bad when dirty, plus it's hand wash and then hand try, everytime, to make it look nice. They both look good when clean. All a matter of taste. To me the white is less work, same with silver. My opinion.

Scott R

I've heard that white and silver are the best colors in terms of resisting fading after a number of years. How does the pearl coating on the white hold up over time? I believe these types of finishes usually involve an undercoat of white, followed by a specialized layer (for the pearl effect), followed by a clear coat. I would imagine that perhaps the clear coat, then the pearl coat, would oxidize first and you might lose at least some of that pearl effect after a number of years. BTW, in trying to be accurate in how I refer to the color finishes, I believe the correct name for the pearl white is "White Gold Crystal."