1997 ES300 needs new engine or should I sell it
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1997 ES300 needs new engine or should I sell it
Hi everyone. I'm a newbie to this forum but have enjoyed the wealth of information found here over the years about my model Lexus. Recently, while I was recovering from a serious illness and major surgery, my car's engine died due to several factors out of my control. It sat in the garage for weeks and was only started up every few days by my brother. I later discovered that that does not charge the battery but rather drains it. So the battery died and we had AAA jump it for us and my brother drove it around for a while. The red engine light apparently was on and off intermittently while he drove it but he thought that meant it needed oil. When he called me to tell me he was going to check the oil level and the red light was on, I told him to stop driving the car, get a tow truck and get it back to the garage. Well, he drove it back home. I sent it to the mechanic the next day who thought it might be the oil sensor and he replaced that first. The light stayed off but within a few days the engine threw a rod and that was the end of it. Long story to bring you to my questions:
Is there any point in putting a used engine in the car for about $3500? Or should I sell it to someone who will fix it up for himself but is only offering me $650 for the car?
My engine has 178K miles on it so rebuilding it is not a great idea, I'm told. The body and interior are in great shape. It has all the extras one could buy in 1997.. and it's my baby. I love the car. It has been relatively low maintenance over these many years and I am sad to say goodbye to it. I've spoken to a couple of other independent Lexus certified mechanics who both told me to get rid of it.. and that $500 is about all I could get for it without a running engine. I thought before I make the final decision, I would ask Club Lexus. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you!
Is there any point in putting a used engine in the car for about $3500? Or should I sell it to someone who will fix it up for himself but is only offering me $650 for the car?
My engine has 178K miles on it so rebuilding it is not a great idea, I'm told. The body and interior are in great shape. It has all the extras one could buy in 1997.. and it's my baby. I love the car. It has been relatively low maintenance over these many years and I am sad to say goodbye to it. I've spoken to a couple of other independent Lexus certified mechanics who both told me to get rid of it.. and that $500 is about all I could get for it without a running engine. I thought before I make the final decision, I would ask Club Lexus. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you!
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Is $650 about all I can get for the car as is? I feel like I'm giving it away. It has a brand new battery that I put in just before I got sick which cost $120. Thank you for your reply.
#4
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If you could find another ES300 or Camry V6 or Avalon that has a decent used engine, you could get a shop to do a simple swap (rather than put in a rebuilt or new one in) and get it back on the road since you say the rest of it is in good shape.
$3500 is a lot of money and can more than buy you another ES300.
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Thanks for your reply. Not sure how to find a decent used engine without my mechanic doing the legwork. I imagine any used engine from 1997 is going to have pretty high mileage on it and be hard to find. My mechanic would charge around $3K to find and replace the engine, which is pretty low compared to what another shop would charge. I checked with two other Lexus independent mechanics and they quoted me closer to $4K to $4.5K to do the work. It feels like it's time to say goodbye to the car, as much as I love it but I really hate the thought of getting so little money for it. I have no way to swap the battery or tires/wheels and no place to store them, so the guy would be getting items that are worth the $650 he'd be paying for the whole car. It's a shame that this happened but I guess that's the way things sometimes go. Thanks again for your input.
Last edited by rikkistein; 08-28-14 at 11:57 AM. Reason: misspelled a word
#6
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You've been through some huge changes, and big events there. I think this is another one. Let the car go. It served you well that's over now. Look forward to finding something newer, and nicer.
Once of my cousins once put $3,000 into a $2000 car, .. when it came time to sell it, it was still a $2000 car, even if it did have a $3,000 engine and paint job.
Once of my cousins once put $3,000 into a $2000 car, .. when it came time to sell it, it was still a $2000 car, even if it did have a $3,000 engine and paint job.
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#8
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I know how you feel. My '97 ES300 just reached 250K miles and still runs like a champion. I had it since college when it was at 151K miles in 2006. I thought about getting another ES300 all the time, but I just can't because it's been with me for so long, I cannot let it go for some reason. Some weird chemistry there.
But in your situation, I would definitely let it go since going through an engine swap will cost you almost as much as another ES300. I've seen some similar clean ES300s for $4000 easily with 130K miles. If you can swap it yourself, then that will be another story.
But in your situation, I would definitely let it go since going through an engine swap will cost you almost as much as another ES300. I've seen some similar clean ES300s for $4000 easily with 130K miles. If you can swap it yourself, then that will be another story.
#10
I would not put anymore money into it. Seems like it may have been neglected or abused to have issues all come up like that. Sitting for 3 weeks should not cause any issues unless you had a bad battery to start with.
Sometimes, you have to walk away from a car as it makes no financial sense to keep putting money into it.
Sometimes, you have to walk away from a car as it makes no financial sense to keep putting money into it.
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You've been through some huge changes, and big events there. I think this is another one. Let the car go. It served you well that's over now. Look forward to finding something newer, and nicer.
Once of my cousins once put $3,000 into a $2000 car, .. when it came time to sell it, it was still a $2000 car, even if it did have a $3,000 engine and paint job.
Once of my cousins once put $3,000 into a $2000 car, .. when it came time to sell it, it was still a $2000 car, even if it did have a $3,000 engine and paint job.
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My opine, cut it loose. But getting a bit nostalgic..What is it about the ES300s that owners don't want to give up or part ways with them. However rhetorical that may sound, there must be some aspect of soul or simply mystique. Is it the smooth turbine or cushy seats or just a well worn companion? My sister has one and just put in a super high repair bill on her Es300. Maybe she also weighed the same factors and decided to keep. The L badge must shine hard on them at the very least. Maybe you should keep it for sentimental value?
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I would not put anymore money into it. Seems like it may have been neglected or abused to have issues all come up like that. Sitting for 3 weeks should not cause any issues unless you had a bad battery to start with.
Sometimes, you have to walk away from a car as it makes no financial sense to keep putting money into it.
Sometimes, you have to walk away from a car as it makes no financial sense to keep putting money into it.
#15
I would say if you have the time and patience, part it out, you'll get at least $650 if it is in as good shape as you say and possibly more. I hate to see you get cheated out of such a nice ride.