j stuff

iTrader: (5)

myles stop beating a dead horse.

Sure you could do that but then youd end up just fixing crap as it happens, youll end up fixing so many things in so short a time that you might as well have a car payment. TRUST ME. Like i said if u wanna chat with me on this then pm me. You sound like u really like the car, i know how u feel, trust me. Ive gone through the same thing. Dont.

Also im pretty sure the guy bought the car in the $300-450 price range and is flipping it for 800. Just dont think its worth it at all. Ill tally all my expenses for u if u want then im sure youd reconsider. I would have!

Just look at the first page of this section, there are 11 threads about PROBLEMS! I wonder how many are behind it? All of them are similar issues we all get due to age and wear/tear. ive fixed way more than 11 things

5ofakind

that dead horse has one hoof in at the glue factory......pass on it......look for another one that is reasonable....

Bill Dowd

These guys above are giving you sound advice run don't walk away from the car that car will cost you a bundle just to get it running correctly pick up a older camary for now till you get a job so you can support your wife oops i mean lexus later when you get a head with money you can buy a good lexus don't walk into this money pit it will be the worst nightmare for a long time to come.

amcdonal86

Oh come on, let the guy have his fun. I bought a $300 car that wasn't running, put $300 into it, decided it wasn't worth it 2 weeks later, and sold it for $600 to a single mom who needed cheap transportation!

j stuff

iTrader: (5)

amc even if he bought it for 300, spent 300 on it would not be worth the hassle. You're lucky yours was running. i bet the single mom is in maintenance hell now.

Asia-H.T.

iTrader: (9)

I wouldn't do it. too many reasons for it to write down here

midwest2

Aftermarket keyless locking system? That can unleash all kinds of electrical gremlins. Been there/done that.

I think when you said you were willing to spend up to 1k to fix this car said it all. Get yourself a 10yr old civic or accord and concentrate on getting through college. After that, upgrade to a newer better condition unit.

Thermactor

iTrader: (1)

You could buy it, and fix it up, sure. Look around local junkyards and get lines on a few donor LS400s that you can pull parts from. The thing is, you have to be mechanically inclined. Are you proficient enough to change a timing belt in one of these cars? Without breaking anything? If you can do it, we can help you through it. We're warning you away because any car this age will have issues, and these cars aren't cheap to maintain. That said, if you have the will, there is a way.

Acidic

iTrader: (1)

Don't buy it! Fixing mechanical things increases it's value to a point but it's body is JACKED and fixing that is more expensive than it's worth value wise... Plus it can get expensive to fix these up. Take it from me.. I bought 215k mile one for $1900... it looked and drove great! That was 2 months ago and I've done the following to get it in reasonable DD condition:

Upper/lower ball joints ($320)
Tie Rod Ends ($100)
Tire Balance ($25)
Thermostat & Coolant temp sensor ($50)
Front brakes (fronzen caliper, and stpid ebay slotted/drilled rotors) ($200)
Timing Belt, WP, Plgs Wires cap/rotor ($500)
Cleaning chems galore (smoker car) ($50)
Fluids oil change etc ($100)
Alignment ($75)
Labor on stuff I didn't do ($180)

and I'm prob forgetting things... this $800 car prob has many more issues than mine

Thermactor

iTrader: (1)

Good post Acidic. I have a few points to respectfully submit.
The body on the car doesn't look that bad to me.. to my untrained eye it looks like it needs a dent or two pulled and the front/rear bumpers repainted, and a detailing job.
The timing belt, water pump, plugs, wires, caps and rotors should not come up to more than $225-250 if you use aftermarket parts. At this age of the car, reasonable quality aftermarket parts will last the life of the time you'll use it.
Lower ball joints on a 1st gen LS can be found for less than $75/pair on eBay. Tie rod ends, about $30 for the pair as well. Upper ball joints are $200/pair from Arnott with the complete upper A-arm, but we don't know if that beige nightmare needs that steering work done.
Brakes can be cheaply bought and fixed up - between AutoZone, RockAuto, reman calipers on closeout or caliper rebuild kits, you could have all-fresh front brakes for less.


It really, really depends on the person buying it. If he's got a toolbox, the brains to use the stuff in the toolbox, and the will, he can do well with the car.

However, for not a lot more, I think he can find an old used LS400 that's been better taken care of, and has a service history. That will cut down on necessary repairs.

sexul29

No,dont buy it i would just keep looking,you will thank us later

Legionofon

i would definitely try to get it cheaper... maybe even dirt cheap 200-300... then just have fun with it... its a V8 RWD car... learn to drift or something... its past saving anyway might as well send it to the giant junkyard in the sky

AzHotLS

iTrader: (1)

Going on the assumption you're near LV, here's one right in the middle of your price range:

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/1627712046.html


Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

AzHotLS

iTrader: (1)

But seriously....

How much did your friend pay for it? I said earlier to not do it, but if your friend paid less and he's a good friend, he'll let you have it for maybe $20 bucks more than he paid for it. A processing/delivery fee if you will.

The tires look good (even if the back one shown in the pic is different from the front) so they'll be good for two years. Maybe less since the car pulls.

If you have the space to park it and have the time to part it out when it dies, I might reluctantly say go for it. But even if you have the space to park it, the effort to part it out will be huge and time consuming. Then you'll have to pay to have the carcass towed to a junk yard after all the parts are spent.

You've gotten good advice here to make an informed decision. Good Luck.

amcdonal86

Even if she only got 3000 miles out of it, it was still a good deal on her end. She could probably sell it in non-running condition for $200-300, meaning she only had to pay about $0.10-0.20 per mile on the cost of the car, plus gas (maybe $0.06/mile) for a total of maybe $0.25/mile. Maybe $0.30/mile if you think about insurance.

Still much less than most cars, and has much lower initial capital required!

The kicker was that it had a valid state inspection for about 6 months.