zzobeyyzz

I just want to start off my introducing my self. My name is Christian and I've been now eyeing a sc300 for my first car. I'm 18 years old and working part-time. I have roughly $2,300 saved and was wondering if anybody in these forums can give me a sense of direction.
I live in Anaheim, ca and have looked on Craigslist for a sc300. One guy bailed on me and just need some advice and where to look for a sc and were you guys found yours.

Thanks for viewing and would be greatly appreciated if I can get any help ! Thanks

TheAzn

iTrader: (2)

I found mines from Craigslist... you can use ebay as well and contact the seller directly.

zzobeyyzz

I never thought of eBay. The car you currently own is that your first ?

TheAzn

iTrader: (2)

Technically, yes. The SC is the first car I bought, first car insured in my name and first car registered in my name. My other cars were an '87 Nissan Sentra which me and my parents agreed to get rid off basically it was stupid.... and I still have my moms' car which is an '88 Toyota Corolla sedan still registered and insured in my parents name, just need to finish the motor swap and get it back on the roads.

I suggest saving up more money. For up to $2300, you may mostly find beat up SC's for that price range. Not saying you will not find good ones for that price, lucky individuals have found cheaper SC's in greatest conditions. I say at least $4000 - $5000, gives you more room. And look on the bright side, if you manage to get a good condition SC for $2000 or something, you'll have extra money

And do use CarFax. It may be free/ provided by the seller or dealer. It comes in handy to tell you the history of the car before you buy it. Lessens the risk of you getting a lemon for thousands of dollars. Test drive the car, look for any signs of leaks, puddles, moist areas, listen for sounds... if something doesn't seem right or even if it does, ask questions, tons of it. Ask about maintenance, how it was driven, been in accidents (even minor ones), etc. Then, negotiate the price. My SC was listed for $5000, I negotiated $2500. Two days later, settled at $4000, I had the $5000, saved me $1000 You'll never know. I can part my SC out and get more out of it with all the parts that has already been installed.

Also, if you find a modded SC, in my own personal opinion, I don't like to buy a car that has been worked on under the hood and/or has an aftermarket alarm installed. Simple intake, etc is ok. But anything dealing with the motor specifically, how it runs, internals, I don't go for it unless I know for sure it's not going to fail soon. Luckily my SC has only been modded on the exteriors, suspension, brakes, exhaust and intake, nothing more.

Good luck !

trufanatic

First off, welcome. Try autotrader, modifiedcartrader and craigslist. There are a few currently listed on ebay but they are a bit pricey because they're in great condition from what the pics show. If you can't find any close and you really want a SC, trying other parts of your state. I would like to stress, if you find one that's beat to hell, hold out until the right one comes along.

ASTERiSK

I know that the SC is cool and I have embraced it as my first car, but unless you have a ton of money and intend of fixing it up (to a decent car) then I think you should find a way to get money for a 98+ SC. It's just a ton of work to make the car decent since these are so old, most of the time you're gonna find cheap 92-96 SC's that need to be fixed. This car is far from practical compared to other cars, or at least the 92-96 SC's are. 98+ SC's just have a lot more features that make it a considerably solid car to standards today, not to mention it has the 97+ parts that make it nicer (a majority of SC owners want their SC's to look like a 97+ SC, 92-96 just looks pretty outdated and unappealing).

Just my 2 cents as an owner for the past 3 years trying to figure out what to do about all these problems

mikevandam

iTrader: (3)

I agree with ASTERiSK. Most 92 - 96 SC's are beat up and usually can find them at a relatively low price, BUT they do need work to them depending on the condition. Craigslist is your best friend when looking at SC's with a few modification done by the owner. Most of the time, dealerships have SC's that are completely stock but in mint condition. I got mine for $2000 and the only big issue when I got it was the starter went out a few months later. Mods can be very expensive and finding OEM parts can sometimes be the hardest thing. But stick around the forums, A LOT of people can help ya.

MDSC

iTrader: (3)

you got 2-3 grand to spend buy a corolla, 5-6 now youre talking i would suggest GS over an SC any day just a better car overall but you cant go wrong with SC either.

zzobeyyzz

Thanks for the reply, I understand I should save more money. Maybe I'm trying to jump into it very quick
Thanks for the advice. And if I do purchase one il make sure to post pictures ! Thanks once again bro

zzobeyyzz

The 1998 sc300 a very clean. Saw one for saw with coil overs , ets turbo, and some other mods for 8k. He's a family friend but its out of my budget

93Gotjuice

iTrader: (6)

Try to low ball them. That's what i did when i bought my sc300 off Craig's. Just make sure to do that when your looking at the car in person. There alot in the oc area!
Welcome to club Lexus.

zzobeyyzz

How much did u find yours for 93gotjuice ?

LameSC300

what direction do you plan on taking the sc in? Do you want a car that you can slam and put some crazy aggressive wheels on? Do you want to drift, or do you just want a clean daily?

I bought my sc when I was 19, it's a 92 factory 5 speed, and it's been the best thing I've ever purchased. If you have the time and money then you'll have no problem having an amazing car. I bought my car with full intentions of one day having it fully built to drift and slowly but surely I'm getting there.

I got lucky and found mine at a dealership near my house for a little over 3k, it was mint besides the driver seat having tears in the leather. I searched craigslist constantly, I looked up to 500 miles away from where I lived to find one. If you keep searching you'll find what you want.

good luck man

93Gotjuice

iTrader: (6)

Im in the same area as you. I got mine for 3,000

zzobeyyzz

I want a clean sc for a daily driver. I would the horsepower but want the reliability as well. That's my goal

I will be looking maybe at a dealership. I just don't want to be tied with payments.