Need Help Deciding On A 93 Ls400

[93LSOwner]

What’s up Lexus Owner club members?

I need help on deciding whether or not to buy this Lexus.

LS 400

#Owners: 2

Model: 1993

Mileage: 146000

Color: Brown or dark walnut

Condition: The car is in great condition. It has been maintained by big dealers. The car only had two owners. And it seems like they took real good care of the car. The climate control/Clock LCD is fading out. And there is not damage to the seats except for on the back seat. Top of the middle back seat got damaged when a basketball pole fell on the back windshield. Other than that I did not observe any other damages.

The car drives like new and has no transmission problems.

Price asking: $6,500

But willing to give it at: $5,800

Should I get it or not?

[monarch]

Depends on the preventive maintenance history of the car. If the service records reveal the former owners just changed the engine oil on schedule but not the coolant, transmission oil, air filter and spark plugs then the car could have moderate to severe mechanical wear by now. Also, if the car has been outfitted with aftermarket wheels and tires then it could be a sign that the car has been

driven hard and aggressively which is also bad from a mechanical wear standpoint.

[93LSOwner]

Thank you that helped.

[obergc]

Best advice I can give you is to get the VIN and take it to the nearest Lexus Dealership and ask for them to search their records for maintenance. I purchased a 93 LS last April that had 99K miles on it and found out that it had a new timing belt, water pump, alternator, powersteering pump, and ball joints installed at 86K miles. I didn't hesisitate to pay the $7400 asking price and haven't been sorry. Most expensive problem I have had was that I had an a/c compressor failure soon after I purchased it but I did all the a/c repair work myself and it has been a GREAT car. You can expect to have some nit noy minor electrical problems but I have had no majoy problems. I think the engine and transmission are about as bullet proof as you will find out there for that vintage auto.

Curt

[1990LS400]

Does the current owner happen to have the all the maintenance and repair records and has the maintenance book been stamped and dated by a dealer or repair shop that you can check with? Really thorough owners pass all the records on the the next buyer. If a Lexus dealer does not find a maintenance record base on the VIN, that does not mean the car was not maintained properly. I had my 90 LS serviced by a Lexus dealer only during the first four years. After the warranty expired, it was serviced by two independent repair shops ran by former Lexus dealership employees.

You might want to check the title history to make sure there was never a "salvage title" that indicates a serious crash or flood damage.

Even check to see how worn the pedals are or if they are new which might indicate a mileage rollback.

And can you contact the first owner to verify how many miles he drove before selling to see if it correlates to what the 2nd owner is telling you?

Good luck.

Jim

[UCF3]

I'd also have the car checked out by Lexus or a very trusty Mechanic.

If you go with Lexus, have them do a pre-certification check-up. They do a pretty through job, and costs about $150-250. Well spent piece of mind.

[93LSOwner]

Thanks for the feedback EVERYONE.

I went and bought the car for $5,800.

[90LS400Lexus]

That sounds like a good deal to me. I paid $3900 + tax for my 1-owner, 1990 LS400 and it had 224K miles on it and was/is in very good condition. Interior still almost like new, but exterior has some scrapes and dings, but paint is still shiny. The engine and transmission are in still in perfect working order, as is the instrument cluster lighting and LCD in the climate control panel (knock on wood) :D . The seller was firm on the price, as it had just went through a lot of service. New tires, brakes, belts, complete tune-up, rear struts (which I replaced again with Toyota struts). According to KBB value- I got a good price on it. They showed me the KBB print-out that showed that the high retail was still $9500, but I know that no car is worth high retail. It was still priced well below KBB private party value in good condition. I think private party value on my car is $4300. My only complaints with my car, is that I have an occasional thumping sound in the front suspension over bumps and my A/C evaporator is bad. I just checked KBB on your car and it shows the value to be $5875. I think that if you do not pay OVER private party value for a car- that you did OK, if the car is in good shape. I actually have my 98 Taurus for sale at $1500. below KBB- but with the high mileage on it (246,000) most people are leary of buying it. Good luck with your new car.