The Magpie's Warble

Unfortunately, this lead has gone cold and the person is not even returning phone calls after a few days and leaving a voicemail... lame.

Yeah, I'll have to get a feel for how consistently this car was driven. Or if it was left for years at a time without even being started. Would love to get a mechanic to look at it for sure, so he can tell me if repair cost will be as much as the car itself straight up front.

Hmm.. true. I have it in my mind now that this is something I would consider sprucing up and then re-selling.. because I don't think this car is really great for me and my driving habits (commuting to work downtown.) I need something more like a Honda or Toyota... something with good gas mileage. I'm 23, and don't need the Lexus luxury.. it'd be nice don't get me wrong. But it's not something I really need.

This is pretty much my line of thinking. I just feel like I cannot pass up this deal. I may be looking at it sometime next week, and I'll try to bring it to a mechanic (or have a mobile come out and see it) and get the diagnosis. Buy it or I will B) Talked to some guys at a Lexus dealership the other day.. just getting their opinion on this whole situation in terms of maintenance estimates, and things to expect. Their eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when I told them what year it was and the mileage. They said "if you don't get it... tell us, because we'd be interested." Do yourself a favor, keep it a far away from a Lexus dealership as possible. The thing you're going to face with the car, is the suspension bushings. They're all soft rubber, and are more effected by age then mileage. You'll probably be replacing the motor mounts (2), the transmisison mount (1) and a control arm or two within the first year or so of ownership. THIS is going to be the main area of cost for the car. The dealership knows this, and will ring your clock on it. There is a reason why they're called Stealerships. www.parts.com get to know it along with an indi mechanic, and save yourself thousands of dollars!! Sure, sure. So... what do you estimate the cost of repairs/maintenance to be after all is said and done? How much should I expect to pay? More than 2,000?

This is pretty much my line of thinking. I just feel like I cannot pass up this deal. I may be looking at it sometime next week, and I'll try to bring it to a mechanic (or have a mobile come out and see it) and get the diagnosis. Buy it or I will B) Talked to some guys at a Lexus dealership the other day.. just getting their opinion on this whole situation in terms of maintenance estimates, and things to expect. Their eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when I told them what year it was and the mileage. They said "if you don't get it... tell us, because we'd be interested."

This is pretty much my line of thinking. I just feel like I cannot pass up this deal. I may be looking at it sometime next week, and I'll try to bring it to a mechanic (or have a mobile come out and see it) and get the diagnosis.

Just curious... if I bought this car, and did all repairs/maintenance necessary to get it up and running healthy. How much would it sell for at that point?

I had in mind a budget of about $2,000 on top of whatever I pay. Even then, I'm slightly hesitant to get in over my head here. I checked out the carfax, and it has a perfect record... although there aren't any records of maintenance being done. Just title and registration issues all the way up to 2003... and then there are no records after 2003. That says to me, that there has been no recent maintenance? Does carfax capture ALL maintenance records? (besides maintenance done privately, of course.) The car is pretty fully equipped, leather interior, heated seats, moon roof, power windows, 6 disc cd changer, etc. etc. I'm not sure about that air suspension? Keep in mind I'm not a car guy at all.. very casual knowledge. How would I be able to tell if it had air suspension when I go look at it? I'll ask how the car was stored and also test the AC. I really appreciate your response!

Hello! New to the forums here... so go easy on me! :) Through my parent's neighbors, I was connected with this old couple who owns about 5 cars and they are good friends with my neighbors. One of those cars is a Black 1991 Lexus LS400 with only 18,000 miles and two owners (I think it stayed within the family though.) It was driven.. very, very moderately by this couple (obviously...) They are wanting to part with it for about $4,500. I've done some reading here and researching prices online, and from what I can gather... this is a pretty good opportunity. Is that correct? I am going to check it out today and probably will be buying it as long as there is nothing majorly wrong with it. What kind of things should I be looking at specifically with a car that is this old with this low of miles? What can I expect to be wrong with it? How much should this car be actually selling for? Any other advice you can give? I appreciate all your help! Thank you!