tom woolner

But, the saying is true - the purchase price of an old MB is just thefirst repair bill. Because they have such great body integrity (even a 20 yo Benz can feel like a new car) it sieasy to be lulled into thefeeling that it will last forever. well, any car will last forever, depending how how much you want to replace. Unfortunately, the 500E had some design flaws - there was not enough room in the engine compartment of all that engine, and electronic parts tended to cook. I replaced a throttle body, a $1200 part, three times, and it had been replaced onece before I bought it. I know the early GS 300s were marketed in Japan as a Toyota - are parts available from Toyota, and if not, does Lexus charge a premium for comparable parts? Tom

Actually, my 300E wasn't too bad. it was the 500E that put me in the poor house. $20,000 in repairs over a three year period. Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I will get it checked out, since it has no history. What sort of mileage can one expect with this GS300 version? Tom

I'm interested in a 93 gs300, 90,000 miles. It has no service records, so I'm assuming I will have to do a timing belt/water pump. How much should that cost in Northern Cal, and what else should I look out for in a car that old? How do I avoid a money pit? I had a Mercedes 500e that cost me more money than i car to relate. Also, anyone recommend a mechanic in the Bay Area? And what is the deal with interference and non-interference engines? Thanks Tom