Liquid_force

I'm a long way from an expert, but that sounds like a classic blown head gasket to me.

Thanks for the tips. Seller says TB and WP were done a few thousand miles (2-3 I believe) back. Seems out of line with typical maintenance schedule - it either went past by several thousand or he's not being honest. Is the 3.0L an interference engine? Front brake pads appear pretty new, braking was strong and smooth. I'm trying to get ahold of the seller to line up a pre-purchase check out. I want to take it for another test drive. From what I've read they're known to have cooling issues. It's cool out today, but maybe a good dose of stop and go traffic might get it heated up a bit if there's a problem. Where should the gauge normally run? Less than 1/2? My other concern is the a/c. I realized being a '93 it would have been an r12 system. I hope it's been converted.

Hi everyone - FTP'er Looking to replace my old beater/commuter ('88 Tbird turbo coupe) which gave me 283k miles, performed well, and was comfortable. Came across a '93 ES300, 130k mi and the price seems right. Some exterior issues, mainly just minor stuff - scuffs and scratches. Clear coat starting to flake on the trunk. Front leather seats in bad shape. It's a high schooler's car, but the kid seems fairly responsibe. No mechanic, but aware of some costly maintenance items that have been recently taken care of (timing belt, wp). I noticed subtle ticking at idle with the hood up, "characteristic" maybe? The car ran well and drove very smooth. I test drove 3 other cars within a couple hours of the Lexus (Ford, Pontiac, Chrysler, 117-140k). None felt CLOSE to as "solid" as the Lexus. Also noticed a small amount of red fluid (trans?) on the fins that run around the perimeter of the air filter housing. Probably no more than an ounce or two. It seemed that could be a spot where a spill might collect if someone were trying to add fluid, but the owner wasn't aware of anyone trying to add fluid. Cause for concern? At 130k, and assuming average maintenance what other things might I want to take a closer look at before making an offer? Thanks for the help.