1993 LS400 with 3,500 miles (What should I be looking for)

Tubo78 · October 12, 2016

Hello,

This is my first time in the forum and Im writing from Indonesia. I would like to ask what should I watch for if a car has been sitting for a long time. I have had an sc400 before so I know all the possible problems but I need to know what to look for in a car that has not been driven much and also how to tell if the KM has been tempered with. The driver seat looks worn in the usual door side bolster but the everything else is perfect inside. I suspect its at least 10k miles but either way it is low for a 1993 car.

Basically some advice would be great.

The car Vin number is the following: JT153UF100079373

Thank you

TrevC · October 12, 2016

Hi Andrew...welcome to the Forum

Only thing I've really found with cars that have been laid up for a period of time is that the brakes seize, tyres perish and mould tends to grow inside the car....but otherwise if it's been stored in the dry, maybe just a change of fluids would suffice.

Let us know how you get on with it, would be nice to see before and after pictures as well.

Cheers Trevor

Exhaustgases · October 13, 2016

The speedometer sensors or the gauge itself can go bad then the miles can stack up and you don't know how many for sure. The seat wearing is a difficult judge, because I have a car with 300,000 well almost that and one with 137,000 and the driver seats are both worn about the same in that area, so it depends on how the person gets in and out of the car I guess. Still I would think with that wear its at least close to 20,000 and that is still low miles. If the body and paint are perfect then still who knows for sure.

It sounds like a nice condition car. And I agree with everything Trevor said, the brakes system can suffer if there is any moisture in the system I've had vehicles that have corrosion in the wheel cylinders because of it. A low mile car shouldn't have problems like that but you don't know for sure. If it has Trac and then the ABS could have trouble too. You just have to run it and drive it to see how it all is. If the odometer and speedometer work, you likely could be right on the miles, that is if the person selling seems honest. I don't know about people in Indonesia so your the one to figure that out. Good luck and post some pictures and let us know how it goes. And welcome to the website.