Myshawrona

Hi Guys,

New, not-so-car-savvy member here. I'm trying to find out if there is any hope for selling my 2000 GS300 to a very determined Enthusiast or if I should just sell certain parts or scrap it for whatever I can get and move on. This car has been through the ringer. As of right now a battery that was left in the back seat has destroyed most of the leather on the passenger side rear seat, the car was in a fender bender and the front hood got smashed which we ended up being able to keep shut with a tie down, the headlight is busted, it's leaking clear fluid occasionally, and as of this week the car will not drive more than a mile without shutting off and the engine is knocking from low oil. mechanic said we are looking at a new engine and a new alternator and a new battery not to mention the body work. I am on a single mom budget and looking for the most cost-efficient way to handle this car and get a new one. Thoughts?

RamAirRckt

It sounds like car has seen better days. With decent driveable cars showing up in the 2500-5000 range, in that shape getting anything at all might be tough. parting it out would get what sort of good parts? And the time and labor to do it.

So body is beat, engine is knocking, trans might be ok? But with the rest in bad shape it has probably been abused too.

Sorry to sound negative on it, but I don't think it is worth much. Doesn't sound reliable for a single mom.

kevin3344

I know properly maintained these cars will run forever, mine has over 200,000 miles. However, like any car it needs TLC. The body and battery issues can be repaired, but my concern is the engine. If you feel this one is past the point of being cost effective to repair, I would get another older Lexus or Toyota vehicle in excellent condition (2000-2004). You can find many options available on Autotrader. If something happened to my '99 GS400 I would buy another one in the 1998-2000 range.

dreamcar88

iTrader: (1)

pics or ban hehe

kevin3344

If it were me I would fix it. At a minimum you need a battery and alternator, the rest can wait. Oh and engine oil. Speaking of, you will need to pay extra close attention to the fluid and oil levels on these cars as seals and gaskets wear out over time. One particular area of concern is the power steering pump leak...that is probably what took out your alternator. Check your hoses around the power steering reservoir for leaks.

As far as the engine, put some oil in it and monitor the level weekly. That goes for any older car really. The valve cover gaskets are prone to leak after 100,000 miles. But as long as it runs you may be able to nurse it for a while.

You said you're on a budget...that being said the most cost effective thing you can do is maintain the car you currently own.

mic575

kevin3344 makes a good point. The reality is the car is not worth much of anything in terms of real dollars. However, a car like this may be worth something to you because you can get around in it. If you or someone you know can assess it and do a few cheap things to get 6 months out of it for the $400 it might take to get the alternator fixed and you also have to fix the headlight and latch the hood or you will be unsafe and get tickets that will cost you more $. To get anything in driveable condition that will lat a year or more you are probably looking at 3-5k. But you can probably find a good $3k toyota, lexus or honda that will go for another 5 years or longer.

Myshawrona

Thanks, guys. I went to pick up my car from the guy who looked at it and he told me not to bother replacing any parts because I need a new engine anyway and to just buy a new car, then he handed me a card with his phone number on it and told me he has a car buying service on the side and to give him a call. I may not be an expert but I am not new either. I managed to grab a new alternator a new hood and a new rear back seat from the pull apart and installed them and now my car is running again. Right now it is only about a quart low on oil but I want to do an oil change anyway. My question at this point is should I use the regular synthetic oil or go with non-synthetic because of the possible gravity leak? Of course when I woke up this morning there was no puddle or drip under my car at all.

kevin3344

Sounds like you've made the right decision. It's hard to kill these motors (and for that matter the transmission). Other than changing my oil regularly that's the only thing that I've ever done to the motor. I'm actually still running on my original spark plugs. Yep, the same ones that came with my vehicle when I bought it 16 years ago. I do check them regularly though - my indy and the local Lexus dealer both said they're fine. These cars will run indefinitely with proper care.

Other than that, I've used Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 Full Synthetic from Jiffy Lube almost exclusively for my GS400 for the last 10 years (after I hit 100,000 miles). It's worked great for me.

ThomasGS4

iTrader: (19)

If you can keep 'er going with cheap and thrifty tactics, by all means keep driving it. It isn't a museum piece and it sure as hell beats a new car payment.

RamAirRckt

Absolutely beats a car payment! I will everything I can to avoid a car payment. My 98 GS400 has 270k miles now. Runs great, take good car of it and it keeps running.

If you are seeing knock in the engine the question is where. Valvetrain or rotating assy. I would go with a heavy weight oil if bottom end knock. Say Rotella T 10w30. Keep the bottom end alive. If not bottom end the thinner 5w30 is OK.
If severe knock. 15w40. Go to car-part.com and see what the parts you need are common with on other cars. You might find the part cheap at a junkyard. They Warranty for a while and are usually essay cheaper than Parts Stores. Your car has used part's now. I've tossed junkyard batteries in a car and lasted 3-4 years. For $20. Alternators probably are 1/3 the cost of a rebuilt Alternator. And if you can find a rebuild shop they can likely rebuild yours for cheap. Look for electric motor shops. They can do it