For Sale 1993 LS 400 49,060 Original Miles

[TheSilverTip]

Hi,

I'm selling a 1993 LS 400. We call it “The Ceremonial Car".  This was my mother-in-law’s car.  My wife inherited it in 2002 with approximately 32,000 miles.  It lived covered in our garage and was used for special occasions.  In 2008 my wife retired and subsequently lost the use of the company car. It still lives in the garage just not covered.  Today we hit 49,060 miles on the odometer.  The interior is pristine and the exterior is in excellent condition.  It has almost new tires, hoses and belt.  This car also had a Diamond Coating put on the paint that has kept in looking great.  It has spent its entire life in the San Francisco bay area. The only problems are as follows.  The AM radio doesn't work (FM does).  The CD tape Player works but the sound on one side is weaker than the other side.  The radio antenna won't go up or down.  The speedometer light is dark on the dash.  Everything else works great!  Now for the $50,000 question.  I could use some help getting a realistic sale value.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  

Thanks,  

Chuck

[sha4000]

This borders on a for sale ad which you are not permitted to do since your a new member without the required post count and no one to vouch for you. I'm going to leave it for now.

 

[TheSilverTip]

Sorry if there's been a misconception. I've been a member of this forum since March 2012 and have learned how to change my antenna and work on the dash among other things. I've never had a need to post so perhaps that is why it looks like I'm a new member.   I'm planning on selling the car locally.  I was just trying to get an idea of the car's worth from the members.  Thanks.  Chuck

Edited May 6, 2017 by TheSilverTip
Found date of membership

[sha4000]

Ok I checked and you have been a member a while. My apologies.

[Exhaustgases]

Need pictures, need to know what kind of options, what color, is the body and paint pristine etc.

An old car, or for that matter any car will depend on what someone will pay for it.

The smart thing would have been to not drive it and keep the ultra low miles it had. Even so its still nice low miles and that's a good thing. I'd guess at about 8K to start.

[jbtvt]

Does it have air suspension? (Was that even a thing in 93?) I was considering a comparable car with comparable miles here in the northeast (no rust) years ago, that was mint except for some clear coat beginning to wear through, they were asking ~$4k if I recall correctly. It didn't last long. I wouldn't pay anywhere near $8k but you might find someone who would if you sit on it for long enough.

[The Wrench]

1.

2. 9.5/10 cars are hard to come by. sadly for you. the LS400 is the greatest car you can buy on a budget. meaning you can hope to get 4k cash for it.

that doesn't mean they get no love. as you can see, a portion of the car community views them as the greatest saloon car ever massed produced.

3. A car like that really does belong with the right owner. an enthusiast. whether an obvious car guy, or the low income Dad who wants to have something special. somebody who will respect it as you do. but maybe enjoy it more often.

 

you have a genuine hard to find car on your hands. set a fair price. choose the buyer. give it to the right home.

my 2 cents.

[billydpowell]

just my 2 cents also... being a mechanic and also a garage owner, (40+years),  I have never been interested in "low mileage"  autos.... all that have been brought to me for repairs, all had their own set of problems ( I retired in 96, so we never had a Lexus in our shop)  I dont want to fill this space up with a bunch of useless words.. so: to each his own. I have owned 13 LS400's, (2 at a time for me & wife, 94-97 +5 99's) until last year, we went to one car.. never below 100k.. currently 211+

I said all that to say everybody is not "hunting" low miles.. some shun them..

[Exhaustgases]

Billy I have to disagree. The lower the miles the better. Old cars are old cars, yes a very low mileage car may need some work. But as long as it spent its life inside, it can't be beat for paint and interior condition. The things it will need compared to a high miles car is nothing, even if the low mile car needs every engine and transmission seal replaced, so would the high miles car plus so much more.  I would much rather an old car with 3 miles on it than the same thing with 250K or more. There is just way more value to it especially when it becomes collectable the beat and road tattered high miles job loses the value with all the road grime and salt and what ever else has banged the bottom or top and started a corrosion spot here or there.

[jbtvt]

I like low miles too, to a point but he's right that it does come with problems. You can bet this car has significant ethanol varnish deposits throughout the system from old fuel sitting and is going to need filters changed, lines flushed, and injectors serviced, which one that ran more wouldn't need.

Cooling system is another area where old fluid, especially the green stuff that's probably still in this car, can start to rust things and deposit this rust in the block. I had one mint low mile 4Runner I bought years ago that I assumed just needed a tune up and wound up needing the engine torn down to the block for this reason.

Of course it will also probably need seals replaced as you mentioned, definitely a timing belt job, and probably the ECU caps in addition to the fluid flushes. Several grand in maintenance right off the bat if taken to a mechanic.

I prefer cars under 120k miles if they're automatic mostly because even many dealers that perform transmission fluid changes when they're supposed to only do a drain and refill, leaving 80% of the old fluid in.

[billydpowell]

like I said, "all that were brought to me"  I'm sure there are pluses and minuses  on both sides, and as I said "I dont want to fill this space up with a bunch of useless words." I have seen some horror stories.. and the owners walked away and left them with me instead of paying

[sha4000]

1 hour ago, billydpowell said:

like I said, "all that were brought to me"  I'm sure there are pluses and minuses  on both sides, and as I said "I dont want to fill this space up with a bunch of useless words." I have seen some horror stories.. and the owners walked away and left them with me instead of paying

Dicer , I mean Exhaustgases just likes what he likes so to each his own.

[The Wrench]

i'm going to just come in and tell you all that you are wrong.

 

Each car should be judged on its merits and faults. with all the information available.

granted, a thorough inspection is also of equal importance. Including service and registration history, service intervals, and comprehensive mechanical inspection.

- A low kilometer car can still be driven often enough to keep it fresh. having tires/filters/fluids changed as per usual. These are the cars to find. however. they might suffer from sun fade, spiders,corrosion, and bad seals (including doors and trunk) if left by the wayside.

-A high kilometer car can be maintained to an impeccable standard. and will still need attention. like drivers seat wear. and parts that tend to wear out with use. (brakes,clutch,etc) even drive shafts and suspension.

No matter what car you buy. it will need something. any car guy worth their License will:

Change the oil,coolant,plugs,filters,trans oil,diff oil,brake pads,brake fluid,check the light bulbs,detail inside and out. - on ANY car they buy. factoring in the cost to do so. regardless of the car, and the results of your pre-purchase inspection.

A well preserved example of a car. using this way of thinking, can present with the better buy. having fresh interiors, and less body damage, including rust.

the more used car, having it's own benefits, will often need paint correction, and interior parts replaced.

how do i know this?   apart from being a wrench. i have purchased 2 cars in the last 3 months. at opposite ends of the spectrum. judging each car as an individual.

case 1. - the low mile car. a Subaru Forester St/B Sti.   2001, 27,000 kilometers

physically? interior smells like a new car. engine bay had never been cleaned.zero rust. all i had to do was polish the lights and change the bulbs.

after purchase servicing will have this performing like the new car it really is.

Case 2: the high kilometer car.  a 1997 Toyota Celsior (LS400) 144,000 kilometers.

it has service history, inspection was good,has no rust. but? it will need a complete respray. due to years of parking lot dings, a previous bad detail,and a mismatched rear door respray. needs a front bumper, and a trunklid/trunk seal. had an issue with the suspension that was a cheap fix.and the interior needs some stuff sorted out.

A handsome car. with plenty of life left in it. but the wear and tear is obvious. i would have paid double for this car with half the wear and tear on it. without flinching. i am happy with it. and will enjoy the repair work.

- if you are not a wrench?

i recommend the low mile car. or at least know what a car's faults are. and decide on what imperfections you can live with. Cars, new or used, will ALWAYS cost money to meet your satisfaction. unless you buy somebody's personal car fully sorted. (Rare)

be diligent. be educated in your purchase. prepare for what it needs.

 

the car for sale in this thread? i would buy it. knowing it needs 1.5k of maintenance after purchase. a stellar example of the breed.

if the seller understands this, and wants it to go to a good home, for a fair price? a great buy.

-Dave the Wrench.

[lenore]

Wow that Celsior is gorgous...

[The Wrench]

Thank you sir.

wait until it meets my satisfaction. .

[billydpowell]

already meets my satisfaction. but at 212k mine aint bad