C-Ro

I plan on selling my '93 SC 400 after tax season (pretty busy right now) and was hoping you guys could offer me some insight as to how much I should be looking for for this guy. There are mechanical issues with the car, as well as an upgraded sound system. 1993 135k miles white May need lower control arm replaced (or just bushings?) - one of the wheels gets shaky/creaks going over bumps Starting issue when the engine is warmed up (Some have addressed this as an IACV issue?). I can overcome this issue by revving the engine a bit (2k rpms) for a couple of seconds, but this will lower the value of the car. Injen Intake put in 6 months ago All speakers have been upgraded, primary nakamichi amp upgraded to a California 1000W amp. 10" sub box in the trunk w/ a 1200W California amp. Sirius receiver installed Exterior is in decent condition. We've had the sides repainted, but the front still has quite a few chips in the paint layers. Rear has some webbing near the license plates. I've been figuring around $4,000 for the car..do you guys think this is too low/high? Any advice would be appreciated. thanks!

Thanks for the info. After tax season (i'm an accountant & don't have much free time right now), I plan on taking the car to my buddy's brother who just got his own shop. I figure putting $2,000 into the car wouldn't be too bad, because it only cost me 2,000 to buy. If I can fix the starting issue I can probably sell the car for a much higher price. I'm a little cautious though because several people told me to stay away from putting into it. With it being an old car with a lot of technology there is room for many things to go wrong, but I am willing to risk it if I can get another year or two out of the car. The longer I can make it last without spending, the more I can save up for a newer car.

I currently have 2 cars. My daily commuter is a 1998 Infiniti QX4 (70k miles), with my second car being a 1993 SC 400 (134k miles). I purchased the Lexus from my brother a year ago for a deep, deep discounted price of $2,000. I love driving the car, however, I am trying to gauge whether or not this car is financially worth holding onto. I was hoping this community would be able to offer some advice/guidance on this. The SC 400 has a few modifications, but nothing spectacular. *Sound System: Completely upgraded. All speakers upgraded, I killed the Nakamichi Premium Amp when a cooler in the trunk leaked and had it replaced with a California 1000W. There is also a 10" custom box in the trunk powered by a 1200W California AMP. Sirius Satellite is installed as well. *Injen Intake installed about 6 months ago There are a few issues as well. Some are a minor annoyance, although there are several that make me curious as to how long this car will last. *It sounds like one of the front wheels creak when I go over a bump. Bumps also tend to make the steering slightly erratic as well for a moment. Research on these forums point to bushings or a lower control arm that needs replacement. (Between $300 & $1000?) *When the engine has been warmed up the car has issues starting. It tends to stall out, however, I can prevent this 95% of the time by quickly revving the engine to about 2k RPMs. Research on these forums point to a IACV issue. I've had this car at different mechanics (Non-Lexus) who hadn't been able to solve this issue. Have replaced spark plugs/cold start ignitor. Afraid this may only get worse in the future.. ($400 - $900?) *Passenger Window moves veeerry slowly (regulator?) Not that big of a deal *Tires and Brakes will need to be replaced in the spring *134,000 miles *Coolant and AC fluid leak I'm wondering if it would be worth it to fix this up and hold onto it, or if I should sell it and save up for my next whip. I love the features this car has and fear that, even with a brand spanking new $35,000 car, I won't get the same quality as found in the Lexus SC 400 (It was a $55,000 car at the time). At the same time, however, I don't want to pump money into something that is only going to have more problems further down the line. Any suggestions/advice? Any help would be appreciated! What I am considering as options down the line: Keep both cars Sell both and get an All-wheel drive sports car (in 2009) Sell both and get a used wrangler and used RWD coupe (in 2009) Sell the lexus only and save up for a new RWD coupe. (in 2009)

I went to a ballgame with a cooler in my trunk. Unfortunately, the cooler leaked and busted my factory Nakamichi units in the back. Apparantley there are two of them (one for sub?) and my sound guy said it would be about $800 to replace, although he is checking ebay and such to see if he can find a better deal. Any suggestions on where I can replace this? It's a '93 SC 400

The evolution and Origin kits look really nice and still stay pretty classy. I'm curious about finding a rear replacement that is less aggressive than most of these kits offer. What do you guys recommend for a rear skirt that doesn't look like it requires massive cannon-like exhausts :)

Well I guess I could scratch all that for the time being. Turns out the restarting problem hasn't been fixed and it'll be going back to the mechanic. I think I'm going to have to resort to the Lexus Dealership....God help us all. I think I may have a connection though but I hope something can be done. After reading all the recommendations here, I'll make sure to check the fuel pump and IACV. Fingers crossed....

I just purchased a '92 SC 400 from my brother and have this problem as well (only had the car for 2 days). Anyone know the worst-case scenario cost this would run us(me)? GOtta see what kind of funding I can pull from my budget. Since I got the car from my brother dirt-cheap, I don't really mind investing into it. It is such a great car and I want it to last as long as possible!

Hey guys, I just recently purchased a '93 Lexus SC 400 from my brother. It has 123,000 miles and he turned down $7k offers to give it to me for $2k as long as I don't sell the car :) Anyway, I first purchased the car in early January and it had been in the shop until about 2 days ago. There was a problem with restarting the engine after it was warmed up. After several mechanics one guy was able to rig something up and, although my TRAC light stays on, the car runs oh so sweet. I had some other little problems that I was curious about and maybe you all could help me with: *My heat seems to be really screwy. I've read someone else's post about his "low-rpm no heat" problems and he mentioned a resevoir for coolant... Where would I find this to check *I have a strange, rather loud "creaking" noise by/on one of my wheels when going over speed bumps and such (I have to go over about 5 to get to/from my house). I can try later to upload a sound of it when I'm off from work if it would be helpful. Would this be a faulty shock, bushings, or simply a lack of lubricant? Any help would be appreciated. *I've also caught symptoms of what you guys mention may be a problem with my "rack bushings" where, at random times, the car will quickly drift without warning. Would this be linked with my "creaking" noise? *Passenger window fails to move the window more than an inch. I've read about this on the forums and was curious on pricing for this if it is a busted regulator. *As far as an intake/exhaust goes, I've heard that the SC 400's are extremely sensitive to changes and was wondering what your recommendations would be for these two items. I've read a lot of you like the Magnaflows....is this a good setup that can still keep the car "Lexus Quiet" during idle? Again, any suggestions/comments would be appreciated. I'll post a pic of the car tonight :)