looking to purchase 2nd gen gs400
10-16-15, 06:48 PM
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looking to purchase 2nd gen gs400
Hello everyone
Just wanted to say this a a very complete forum with tons and tons of knowledge...
i have owned BMWs for the past 10 years and I'm starting to get tired of the constant maintenance and never being able to fully trust my car. i have a buddy who stars by lexus and their reliability so i figured i would start looking around.
My main question is about a certain car in general.. It's a 2000 GS400 i found at a local dealer.. incredibly low miles for the year and looks to be lowered. If it were a bmw i could easily pick it apart due to my knowledge of them but with lexus I'm a little unsure.
I was hoping that a few of could could follow this link and tell me what you think just based on the For Sale ad before i make the trip to go look at it. Mostly looking at the low miles and the fact that it looks like its been lowered (wanted to make sure its not blown air suspension)
Thank you in advance for any feedback!
http://www.spanosmotors.com/2000-Lex...-32114/5572484
Just wanted to say this a a very complete forum with tons and tons of knowledge...
i have owned BMWs for the past 10 years and I'm starting to get tired of the constant maintenance and never being able to fully trust my car. i have a buddy who stars by lexus and their reliability so i figured i would start looking around.
My main question is about a certain car in general.. It's a 2000 GS400 i found at a local dealer.. incredibly low miles for the year and looks to be lowered. If it were a bmw i could easily pick it apart due to my knowledge of them but with lexus I'm a little unsure.
I was hoping that a few of could could follow this link and tell me what you think just based on the For Sale ad before i make the trip to go look at it. Mostly looking at the low miles and the fact that it looks like its been lowered (wanted to make sure its not blown air suspension)
Thank you in advance for any feedback!
http://www.spanosmotors.com/2000-Lex...-32114/5572484
10-16-15, 07:45 PM
#2
First off, welcome to Club Lexus 
Nice find, very low miles indeed. As for the suspension, theres no factory air on the GS. It is lowered as well as a few mild tasty mods. Those wheels arent factory, the drop obviously, nice set of Supra TT BB upgrade and some amber inner headlights.
Price seems kinda high though for me. Its worth checking out and haggling
Nice find, very low miles indeed. As for the suspension, theres no factory air on the GS. It is lowered as well as a few mild tasty mods. Those wheels arent factory, the drop obviously, nice set of Supra TT BB upgrade and some amber inner headlights.
Price seems kinda high though for me. Its worth checking out and haggling
10-16-15, 07:49 PM
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First off, welcome to Club Lexus
Nice find, very low miles indeed. As for the suspension, theres no factory air on the GS. It is lowered as well as a few mild tasty mods. Those wheels arent factory, the drop obviously, nice set of Supra TT BB upgrade and some amber inner headlights.
Price seems kinda high though for me. Its worth checking out and haggling
Nice find, very low miles indeed. As for the suspension, theres no factory air on the GS. It is lowered as well as a few mild tasty mods. Those wheels arent factory, the drop obviously, nice set of Supra TT BB upgrade and some amber inner headlights.
Price seems kinda high though for me. Its worth checking out and haggling
Yeah i was quite surprised when i saw how many miles were on it.. Also had a feeling about the other mods from looking at pictures of other gs400s..
My main question is can the ECU be reprogrammed to change the miles?
(i know its illegal) but that doesn't stop some dealers.. roughly 2500miles a year for 15 years is kinda unbelievable.. (hoping its a clean one owner car that spent most of its life in a garage)
10-17-15, 01:11 AM
#4
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A carfax should show the vehicle’s history. Often a carfax will give you a rough idea the mileage during some of the registrations or if thr owner moved.
Car has rediculous low miles however I think car may be about 2G too high however that wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker if the car is immaculate.
Car has rediculous low miles however I think car may be about 2G too high however that wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker if the car is immaculate.
10-17-15, 08:41 AM
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Decided to wake up early and go take a look/drive and see if we could work out something..
Car was very nice.. Car fax checked out just fine. Two owner history.. First was an elderly lady that barely drove it and had it serviced by Lexus in Orlando FL. Second was a 27year old male with not too many records(guessing that's where the mods came from) Rode pretty well for being lowered although they would not put it on a lift for me to inspect what type of suspension ect..
Decided I wanted it and had about a 2 hour spree of negioations with the sales manager.. Car was listed at $12,995... They would not come off of it more than 500$ no matter what cash offer I threw at them. If it would have been in totally stock form I may have purchased it from them.. Since it was modified and they would barely work with me at all I decided to pass..
Will be looking for another low miles 2nd gen gs400 in the future...
Thank everyone for the help!
Car was very nice.. Car fax checked out just fine. Two owner history.. First was an elderly lady that barely drove it and had it serviced by Lexus in Orlando FL. Second was a 27year old male with not too many records(guessing that's where the mods came from) Rode pretty well for being lowered although they would not put it on a lift for me to inspect what type of suspension ect..
Decided I wanted it and had about a 2 hour spree of negioations with the sales manager.. Car was listed at $12,995... They would not come off of it more than 500$ no matter what cash offer I threw at them. If it would have been in totally stock form I may have purchased it from them.. Since it was modified and they would barely work with me at all I decided to pass..
Will be looking for another low miles 2nd gen gs400 in the future...
Thank everyone for the help!
10-17-15, 09:07 AM
#6
I dont blame you. Buying a modded car from someone who doesnt want you to inspect how it was modded is sketchy. Modded can also mean abused... And them not budging 
They must be into it too much, must have been screwed with the trade in or action purchase LoL
BTW, paying "cash" doesn't do anything for a deal. If you finance, they still get cash from the bank by the next day
They must be into it too much, must have been screwed with the trade in or action purchase LoLBTW, paying "cash" doesn't do anything for a deal. If you finance, they still get cash from the bank by the next day
10-17-15, 11:37 AM
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I dont blame you. Buying a modded car from someone who doesnt want you to inspect how it was modded is sketchy. Modded can also mean abused... And them not budging They must be into it too much, must have been screwed with the trade in or action purchase LoL
BTW, paying "cash" doesn't do anything for a deal. If you finance, they still get cash from the bank by the next day
They must be into it too much, must have been screwed with the trade in or action purchase LoLBTW, paying "cash" doesn't do anything for a deal. If you finance, they still get cash from the bank by the next day
Yeah I have been into the car Scene long enough to know when something was fishy.. Had 3 bays open and wouldn't put it on a lift so right off the bat I knew it was no good.. Oh well though... Was truely suprised they wouldn't work with me at all.. Oh well.. Always another one..
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10-17-15, 01:46 PM
#8
Can't think of anything that would make me dump that car with that low mileage which makes me wonder why its on the lot there. Them not allowing you to give it a thorough ppi would make me want to run the other way too! After chasing a ghost in my suspension I was very close to dumping my GS for something else but while shopping other cars I kepts gravitating back to my GS. They're great cars, even with the LBJ, bushing, tie rods, rack n pinion - they're great 10-17 year old cars toyota reliability and still easy on the eyes. My last two cars were E Class Benzs and I love my GS! Keep shopping around and happy trails!
Last edited by nelson09; 10-17-15 at 01:55 PM.
10-17-15, 05:11 PM
#9
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If they came off the price would you have purchased?
Id keep my eyes on the car and see if it sits awhile. Maybe theyll budge once it sits. There are a few GS400 that ive seen on autotrader for 30+ days near me. 1 of them has 270 K miles so I understand that one but another 120K car in houston has been listed for awhile too.
Id keep my eyes on the car and see if it sits awhile. Maybe theyll budge once it sits. There are a few GS400 that ive seen on autotrader for 30+ days near me. 1 of them has 270 K miles so I understand that one but another 120K car in houston has been listed for awhile too.
10-17-15, 05:45 PM
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If they came off the price would you have purchased?
Id keep my eyes on the car and see if it sits awhile. Maybe theyll budge once it sits. There are a few GS400 that ive seen on autotrader for 30+ days near me. 1 of them has 270 K miles so I understand that one but another 120K car in houston has been listed for awhile too.
Id keep my eyes on the car and see if it sits awhile. Maybe theyll budge once it sits. There are a few GS400 that ive seen on autotrader for 30+ days near me. 1 of them has 270 K miles so I understand that one but another 120K car in houston has been listed for awhile too.
I'll just keep my eye out.. For the price I may try to find a Sub 100k gs350 3rdgen for under 18k.. Time will tell..
10-17-15, 08:04 PM
#11
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Welcome to CL. The GS400/430 will be a treat if you do find one. Not as crisp as your BMW's but not too bad either.
I'm a Bimmer fan myself but of course stay well away from them because the issues you describe.
I see you already posted about the 3GS: I thought the price is way too high because you are into 3GS territory here.
I'm surprised they won't bargain. At $10K you would have an awesome deal but who's gonna pay them what they're asking? They must be ready to wait it out for the right buyer. But then again, time might be on your side too. It would be a sweet low miler ride
I'm a Bimmer fan myself but of course stay well away from them because the issues you describe.
I see you already posted about the 3GS: I thought the price is way too high because you are into 3GS territory here.
I'm surprised they won't bargain. At $10K you would have an awesome deal but who's gonna pay them what they're asking? They must be ready to wait it out for the right buyer. But then again, time might be on your side too. It would be a sweet low miler ride
10-17-15, 08:19 PM
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Welcome to CL. The GS400/430 will be a treat if you do find one. Not as crisp as your BMW's but not too bad either.
I'm a Bimmer fan myself but of course stay well away from them because the issues you describe.
I see you already posted about the 3GS: I thought the price is way too high because you are into 3GS territory here.
I'm surprised they won't bargain. At $10K you would have an awesome deal but who's gonna pay them what they're asking? They must be ready to wait it out for the right buyer. But then again, time might be on your side too. It would be a sweet low miler ride
I'm a Bimmer fan myself but of course stay well away from them because the issues you describe.
I see you already posted about the 3GS: I thought the price is way too high because you are into 3GS territory here.
I'm surprised they won't bargain. At $10K you would have an awesome deal but who's gonna pay them what they're asking? They must be ready to wait it out for the right buyer. But then again, time might be on your side too. It would be a sweet low miler ride
I do love BMWs... I actually got into them by buying run down 3 series cars and fixing a few things and re selling.. Since I have gotten a bit older I want something a bit more supple and reliable..
10-17-15, 08:23 PM
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Welcome to CL. The GS400/430 will be a treat if you do find one. Not as crisp as your BMW's but not too bad either.
I'm a Bimmer fan myself but of course stay well away from them because the issues you describe.
I see you already posted about the 3GS: I thought the price is way too high because you are into 3GS territory here.
I'm surprised they won't bargain. At $10K you would have an awesome deal but who's gonna pay them what they're asking? They must be ready to wait it out for the right buyer. But then again, time might be on your side too. It would be a sweet low miler ride
I'm a Bimmer fan myself but of course stay well away from them because the issues you describe.
I see you already posted about the 3GS: I thought the price is way too high because you are into 3GS territory here.
I'm surprised they won't bargain. At $10K you would have an awesome deal but who's gonna pay them what they're asking? They must be ready to wait it out for the right buyer. But then again, time might be on your side too. It would be a sweet low miler ride
I do love BMWs... I actually got into them by buying run down 3 series cars and fixing a few things and re selling.. Since I have gotten a bit older I want something a bit more supple and reliable.. I'm getting tired of breaking my knuckles and things getting more expensive as I desire more comfort.. I'm currently in a e39 540i 6 speed that I'm absolutely over dumping money into.. Trying to get out of it before I have to do the timing chain/valley pan gasket.. Which is $$$ if I don't do it myself. The book calls for 22 hours labor for an A+ BMW tech.. I would have a week in it after I find tools to borrow.
I hear excellent things about Lexus so I figure I'm going to give it a shot.. Not liking the little bit of bad things I hear about the drive train in the 3rd gen GS.. But it's all in how you take care of things.. I previously held a dealers license so I know how the industry works somewhat..
10-17-15, 08:46 PM
#14
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The one thing that is on your side is you know how to turn a wrench and that's what I do on my 2GS430 too. I drooled over the E39 but researched it: online BMW forums, Edmunds etc told me it wasn't worth it.
Instead what you will be able to do is drop a GS4 slightly and put some nice shocks/tires on it. Great ride and corner carving ability. I can basically rocket around corners and go ballistic in 2nd and 3rd gear in my 430. And this is an unmodified ride. There's one ticked off BMW 535xi owner who tried me in my neighborhood
The car is so ridiculously reliable in terms of the basics. HVAC (ice cold AC when I want it, have to turn it down), heat (-30C and too much heat, have to turn it down). And if you have time, research the 1UZFE/3UZFE.
You can do most of the basic work on it yourself. No cooling system replacements, no vanos nonsense etc.
Car will run and run like a Toyota but you know that it won't have the cachet of a Bimmer though, not such a bad thing.
Instead what you will be able to do is drop a GS4 slightly and put some nice shocks/tires on it. Great ride and corner carving ability. I can basically rocket around corners and go ballistic in 2nd and 3rd gear in my 430. And this is an unmodified ride. There's one ticked off BMW 535xi owner who tried me in my neighborhood
The car is so ridiculously reliable in terms of the basics. HVAC (ice cold AC when I want it, have to turn it down), heat (-30C and too much heat, have to turn it down). And if you have time, research the 1UZFE/3UZFE.
You can do most of the basic work on it yourself. No cooling system replacements, no vanos nonsense etc.
Car will run and run like a Toyota but you know that it won't have the cachet of a Bimmer though, not such a bad thing.
10-17-15, 09:51 PM
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The one thing that is on your side is you know how to turn a wrench and that's what I do on my 2GS430 too. I drooled over the E39 but researched it: online BMW forums, Edmunds etc told me it wasn't worth it.
Instead what you will be able to do is drop a GS4 slightly and put some nice shocks/tires on it. Great ride and corner carving ability. I can basically rocket around corners and go ballistic in 2nd and 3rd gear in my 430. And this is an unmodified ride. There's one ticked off BMW 535xi owner who tried me in my neighborhood
The car is so ridiculously reliable in terms of the basics. HVAC (ice cold AC when I want it, have to turn it down), heat (-30C and too much heat, have to turn it down). And if you have time, research the 1UZFE/3UZFE.
You can do most of the basic work on it yourself. No cooling system replacements, no vanos nonsense etc.
Car will run and run like a Toyota but you know that it won't have the cachet of a Bimmer though, not such a bad thing.
Instead what you will be able to do is drop a GS4 slightly and put some nice shocks/tires on it. Great ride and corner carving ability. I can basically rocket around corners and go ballistic in 2nd and 3rd gear in my 430. And this is an unmodified ride. There's one ticked off BMW 535xi owner who tried me in my neighborhood
The car is so ridiculously reliable in terms of the basics. HVAC (ice cold AC when I want it, have to turn it down), heat (-30C and too much heat, have to turn it down). And if you have time, research the 1UZFE/3UZFE.
You can do most of the basic work on it yourself. No cooling system replacements, no vanos nonsense etc.
Car will run and run like a Toyota but you know that it won't have the cachet of a Bimmer though, not such a bad thing.
But if I find a dependable daily I can get my project back on the road.. I do know a good bit about older Toyota motors including the 1UZ... I previously swaped a 7mgte/R154 into a older e30 I had and it was a blast.. The current project is a 1jz 318is I have my in my buddies shop.. Needs a real standalone and better mounts and its road worthy so that's always an outlet to live my hood rat dreams..
I figure I will be alright with whatever I purchase be it a 2/3rd gen as long as I don't inherite a massive project.. Hopefully my years of horse trading BMWs will aid in my inspection of cars.. It's all rubber and internal combustion nonsense haha..
I am very happy about finding such a good forum for Lexus.. Especially everyone being quite friendly so far.. Bimmerforums and R3v/e30tech aren't the most friendly places for somone looking for feedback and learning heh..