gleeson

hello, i already introduced myself over on the welcome roll call thread but wanted to start a separate thread to share more details about my research prior to my purchase and how the car has been so far. i did not set out to buy a high mileage sc430. it just turned out that way.

to review, i bought a 2002 with 267,917 miles back in july 2020 becoming the cars 5th owner. i think the body, paint, and interior are amazing (for the mileage). the test drive was quiet, smooth shifting, & powerful. the top open & closed flawlessly. i drove other sc430s with less miles (80s to low 100s) that weren't this clean and tight. all body parts (hood, doors, fenders, lids) had their original matching vin stickers. the headlights weren't yellowed. the seller bought the car in november 2017 and drove less than 3,000 miles in that time. the only sign of high mileage was a crescent-shaped spot worn onto the driver's floor mat where the heel rests between the gas and brake pedals. the seller's service records showed he didn't do much: a new battery, replaced some bulbs, oil change, wiper blades, new bushing on left rear knuckle, transmission fluid flush. how could the car look and drive this good?

combining seller's records with info from carfax and the lexus drivers website told the more complete story:

-4-owner car that's been registered in california it's whole life which i assume means no harsh winters
-owner 1, 15 years, 10 months (04/18/01-02/28/17); 259,784 miles; all service done at dealer and records on lexus drivers website
-owners 2 & 3, combined 9 months (02/28/17-11/29/17), 5,162 miles, no detailed service records for this short time period
-owner 4, 2 years, 8 months (11/29/17-07/17/20); 2,971 miles; service records provided by seller
-no accidents/damage reported
-no open recalls
-clean title

lexus drivers service history was extensive and shows regular maintenance by owner 1 including timing belts & water pumps at 93k and 183k miles.

other service i found of particular interest:

-new brake master cylinder at 22,622 miles done under warranty
-new wiper motor at 61,392 miles
-new ac/heater blower motor at 71,609 miles
-new engine (2) and trans mounts (1) at 128,721 miles
-new lower control arms & ball joints front at 183,365 miles
-new valve cover gaskets at 217,838 miles
-new upper control arms at 234,838 miles
-new lower ball joints again at 239,856 miles
-rear shocks at 239,856 miles
-new radiator & hoses at 247,508 miles
-new power steering pump, reservoir, hose at 247,508 miles
-new o2 sensors at 256,376 miles

so far, i've replaced the 16" honda wheels and tires that were on the car with 18" oem wheels (i replaced the pie plates with star twist) and michelin pilot sport as4 tires. i replaced the cracked foam on the driver's 6x9 speaker, engine & cabin air filters, engine oil & filter, and replaced inner part of fuel filler door so it rests flush against rear panel when closed. i sent car out to independent shop for trans service & filter, alignment after new wheels/tires, and to the independently-owned Toy Shop in SF for timing belt, water pump, adjuster, tensioner, thermostat, plugs, solenoid, and spark plugs.

these threads discussing high mileage cars gave me much to think about and helped me greatly:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...a-refresh.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...ew-issues.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...-reliable.html

these are just a few of the threads i read on the forum in addition to the stickies. i can't list them all, too many! it's safe to say i wouldn't have bought this car if i didn't take the deep dive here. so thanks again to all.

the car is looking, running and sounding great. sorry i've been so verbose. guess i got carried away. i'm ready for the next 90k miles!

Harold57

Thanks for the summary gleeson. Sounds like we have another true fan joining us. Congrats on your research, purchase and updates. Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new purchase.

jparry

Thanks for the write-up. Great research. I'm soon to be a SC 430 owner and appreciate the members of this forum.

gleeson

your welcome. the sheer volume of info i had available from owner 1 and the lexus dealer's website sealed the deal for me. good luck with your search!

it's been just over a year and half since i bought mine and i still look forward to getting in and driving. the latest "repair" was replacement of the foam on the subwoofer and now my music is thumping!

odometer is now at 272,500 and though nothing is screaming for attention right now, i suspect i will need the following at some point in the near future: new front shocks (apparently never done); motor/trans mounts (last changed over 140,000 miles ago).

a couple of shots from pacifica along the coast...

jimisbell

Looks ike you made a great find. I bought mine a few months ago with 180,000 miles and it is running like new. These things seem to be bullet proof if taken care of. I am an old timmer and remember in the 1950s when a car with 50K was considered "high mileage".....LOL

jpv7774

Thanks for the detailed info.....I am looking at an 02 with 220k and its great to know what needed to be replaced by that mi interval. Again many thanks for your efforts!

gleeson

thanks jim. i feel lucky to have stumbled across it. looking at it, sitting in it, and driving it you would never guess how many miles on the odometer. enjoy your ride!

i hope you’re able to find as much info as i did regarding how well the prospective car was maintained, and where it lived throughout its life.

good luck in your search!

Dunnedawg

Hi I am a 66 year old in Canada looking to get rid of my 2005 BMW 325i and looking at purchasing a 2002 SC430 with 205,000 miles in California (pending receipt of clean carfax). Timing belt has been done, new tires, spark plugs shock absorbers, alternator and brake pads. Any advise, thoughts would be appreciated

GmanSC

TB & WP done, when ?

Raven01750

If you can, compile a checklist that are deal breakers and keep going. The car is to use the term FANTASTIC would be about accurate. In my experience with my 2002, I paid 8k in San Diego Ca two years ago. Not in the greatest of shape except the engine, transmission were solid. Timing belt and water pump had just been changed. Body was clean and straight with some minor imperfections.
I first changed every fluid and every vacuum line and water hose myself except for the heater hose. And we know why. That was about 200.Next, 2.4k in new paint due to the paint clear starting to fog on the roof etc. And 120 for new oem floor mats, and 1k for new upholstery. She looks brand new. I just turned over 145k miles last week. I also replaced virtually the entire front and rear suspension. Around 2.5K. No matter what you do, she is a piggie. Very heavy car. Now she rides like a new car. And she has many many years of service left in her. Has she been a problem at times? Oh yea. Her top was a PITA until I figured it out. LOL. I called her a "Tramp" for awhile because she had already had five owners and started in Tx. Our cars come with stories. History. Love, memories of some really good times. Read the postings at the top. Ask questions and you cant go wrong. My take on the best car I have ever owned.

Paul

gleeson

Dunnedawg, did you get the car? i know i'm late to the party, but since this is my thread, i'll add my thoughts.

while you wait for the carfax, review the car's service history on the lexus driver's website using the vin. at a minimum it will show all services performed by lexus dealers. there's no cost though you do need to sign up with an email address. the service history will show how frequently and diligently the car has been serviced. if you turn wrenches like many do-it-yourselfer's here, this may not matter much to you. unfortunately, that’s not in my skill set so knowing the car's service history was important to me.

other than shocks and tires, your list of what's been done doesn't include any suspension work. given the mileage of your prospective purchase, i'd be looking for some record of suspension work or maybe be prepared to need it after purchase? mine certainly had some suspension work done by the time it had that kind of mileage.

good luck with your search and purchase.

gleeson

just testing a link to a video i made.

feel free to ignore.


cool! now i know how to upload vids.

SCowner88

did you do the speaker repair and how was it?

Raven01750

I have personally done it on every speaker in my car. Sitting at the table with a bourbon 🥃 and some nice music makes it an enjoyable experience. 😁

But even more surprising was how great the system sounds. I was blown away the first time I got to listen to it all put together. 👼

Paul

gleeson

i bought the kit from Simply Speakers that includes new foam for the two door woofers, the two rear speakers, and the single subwoofer behind the rear seat.
only the driver’s door and rear subwoofer needed new foam so that's all i did.
i have the new foam and newfound knowledge to do the rest when necessary.

there are many threads on speaker repair/replacement. these were the most helpful to me with my foam replacements.

this thread

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...utorial-2.html

taught me how to remove the door panel to get to the door speakers. unfortunately, during the process i broke the switch panel cover while removing the driver’s door panel. replacement was easy and the part was readily available at the dealer. had i been more careful, i could have avoided that mishap.

this thread post #6 with a pic shows the part i'm talking about and how to safely remove without breakage.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...nks-zgone.html

for the subwoofer behind the rear seat, this thread taught me how to access the subwoofer. thankfully, i had no issues or mishaps.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...er-access.html

as far as the speaker repair itself, that was incredibly easy. there is more work involved accessing and removing the speaker than actually replacing the foam. just take your time and don’t damage the paper cone. the Simply Speakers vid shows how it’s done.

https://www.simplyspeakers.com/speaker-repair-foam-edge-replacement-instructions.html

like paul, i am totally satisfied with the results and sound of the oem speakers and amp paired with updated pioneer receiver and beatsonic adapter, especially at lower volumes. i can still feel the thump of bass at lower volume.

unlike paul, i only replaced the foam on the speakers that were buzzing because i'm lazy!