I actually took it to another mechanic because my brother (mechanic at UPS)said the same thing and since I had 3 mechanic look at it before I left Omaha; the AZ mechanic was suspect :)
No emotional attachment, it's a second car, I have a 05 Honda that is just fine. I only paid 1K for the Lexus and the repairs I had put into until now have been about $500. Since the car is known to last a long time and I wanted a second car to have it seemed like a good idea to fix it up. That is why I said I'll worry about the inside and outside later. Plus there are a few other minor errors I'm not worried about. I just want a solid second vehicle.
But to answer your question, no, no off road, so again I'm not sure what the guy is talking about regarding all of these leaks and such. I literally drove it and parked it. Drove it once a weekend to the store just to keep it running. Then the oil leak started. Yes, the oil is in my driveway. The other mechanics did agree on the rack because they said that was obivous, but what was not, was the other leaks the first mechanic claimed.
I've found a rack and pinion for $200 and someone that reparis hoses for about $10. The labor for the rack ranges from 200 - 500 total. Some mechanics use one book that claims its a 2 hour job and other mechanics use a different book and it says 4 hours. If I replace the powersteering hose, I want to find one on ebay or aftermarket or something because that hose cost me over $200 the first time I replaced it, assuming the guy can't repair it for me.
And thank you for respondin :)