ONI92SC400

Ive owned my 92sc400 for over a decade and have driven it less then a 1000 miles a year during that time mainly due to the fact that no matter what i do the battery keeps dying leaving the car useless.



The problems with it started shortly after i bought it when i was 22. I am 32 now. During the time frame i have been unable to leave my home and enter town due to it being too great a distance to walk, and it has prevented me from living the past 10 years of my life that are gone due to this damn car.

What i am wondering is would i be a fool to trade it in towards a 2015 lexus ct200h? I fear that in 20 years the car will have skyrocketed in value and i'll be kicking myself in the *** like my father has been for all the years since he sold his 73 cuda.

I've recently had new battery terminals, 02 sensors installed and the inside of the gas tank resurfaced. The gauges tach&spedo no long function 100% of the time. In fact the spedo wont move past the 20mph mark, even while actually doing atleast 60 mph.

Now i have a live hate relationship with this car and can't decide what to do. I really don't want to get rid of it sue to the sound system and headlights that i had installed.








If anyone is interested in buying it i am asking 10,500 firm for it. The price is so high due to the low mileage and monies put into the vehicle recently. I've spent 5,000 in the past few months to make it driveable again and it runs perfectly.

oldManTan

does the battery drain when the car isn't on or while driving the battery just dies? with that low of mileage it's probably something easily fixable.

ONI92SC400

It drains randomly. It will work for about a month and then be dead or it could be a matter of days.

oldManTan

does it have any other problems? you have some electrical gremlins, check the ECU first, could be a problem there. have you replaced your battery? you said you changed the terminals, but what about the actual battery?
and BTW 10k is way too much for it, it would have to be absolutely mint, and just judging from those pictures, you have a dent in your fender and your interior is ok. keep looking on the forums to figure out your issue. search for SC400 electrical gremlins or battery draining, you'll figure it out and hopefully put some miles on the car.

sunny416

i too was having random battery drains till the past month. decided to get a new battery and it hasnt died on me yet. i too agree with oldmantan 10k is too steep. just because you spent 5k in the car wont really make the car value go up 5k but just my .02 cents. just out of curiosity did everyone buy a beige/grey interior back then? did black only become popular in the new millennium?

TXMAG

iTrader: (1)

Without getting to much into the fact that you blame a car for "preventing you from living the last 10 years of your life", I would think that would be enough reason to unload it. If you're that unhappy with it and have the means to purchase a $30,000+ car why are you still keeping this? If you're truly worried about kicking yourself incase this becomes a collector car someday, well, I wouldn't worry to much about that. There is nothing that was/is groundbreaking or revolutionary about an SC400 and they exist in multiple markets around the world. If any of the similar models is going to become collectible it will probably be the JDM Soarer as they're factory turbo, better tranny, yada yada yada. But probably not even them as there really is only an enthusiast following for the SC/Soarer. I also agree with the others that 10K is WAY to high for what you have. $5,000 invested does not mean $5,000 return. My typical rule of thumb is to expect about 50% return on parts cost and 0% on labor. This is assuming you used good parts and things are installed correctly.


Now, all that being said, I'd guess that your power drain is related to your stereo install. Did you install it shortly before you started noticing issues? Are you running any amps or just an aftermarket head unit? If you're confident in your stereo install here is a good article to help you start chasing down the source of your parasitic battery drain: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...attery-drains/

ONI92SC400

It was draining before the system was installed. The battery has been replaced several times. Each replacement battery has ended up with a dead cell.

I realize 10,500 is alot to ask. When i bought the car it cost me 8,500. Plus the 5,000 that was put into it. The interior in mint execpt for the small amount of leather rot that the backseat is experiencing.

Also, i came to the price of 10,500 due to how rare it is to find inewith this few miles on it. Second, recouping my "investment" is what matters. So i feel that given its condition, rarity and invested time and money fixing all thr major problems it is, while steep a reasonable price.

On a side note, i am poor as dirt. Haven't had a job in 10 years. Don't know Anyone in my town and 199 a month to lease a brand new car is the best deal i've been able to find. Even buying a 3 yo civic will cost more monthly.

ONI92SC400

The system is comprisedof the headunit, 2 12 inchs subs. Amp and 7 clarion interior speakers. Side note, the system is so loud it sets off car alarms in parking lots when i drive into one.

Studiogeek

iTrader: (6)

Fix that car and drive it man. 10 years on a shelf is an eternity for a young man. Get it to where it will take you to work so you can get back into the game.
Sorry man, you likely won't get half that for your car. There are GTE swapped manuals out there for 5-6K. You can buy a 700hp meticulously built monster for 10.5K. Maybe sell that system thats setting off alarms and buy some labor to fix the car so you can work man.
I feel for you! Good luck!

eknine9

iTrader: (8)

Hate to burst your bubble, but in the 10 years since you bought the car it hasn't appreciated in value. That mileage on a mint SC4 can maybe pull $4,500 right now. This isn't going to turn into a 72 cuda, and more importantly, if this car has been an anchor weighing you down for the past 10 years, do you really want to hold on to it for another 20? It's not going to turn into a lottery ticket. The 98-2000 SC400 might, but not a 92. What you've invested in the car isn't coming back.

Now, I'm not telling you to stop selling it at that price. You can post it everywhere for $10,500 but it'll still be listed a year later, there's no demand for these cars at that price. I think one with 15k miles sold for $10k 2 years ago, but it actually was perfectly mint. If you don't believe me check around our classifieds for SC's that have sold and look at the sale price, and condition. Check for closed auctions on eBay, look at whats available on other vehicle sales sites. There's simply too many better/comparable examples of the same car for much less than you are offering yours for.

ONI92SC400

Thanks for all the advice. I'll take the 6,000 in trade and get a 2015 lexus ct200h. I'm not looking for hp anymore so the 136 hp? In the ct200 should be enough. Anyone have first hand experience with that spacific model?

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

You can't expect to unload a car with problems AND get top dollar. You need to either fix the issues or lower your asking price by 50%. Do you really think the car is worth $2k more now than when you bought it 10 years ago, when it's given you nothing but trouble in between? It would actually be worth more to most people if you put the stock stereo back in.

Edit: Rather redundant post, given the last two immediately above while I was reading other threads.

eknine9

iTrader: (8)

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-200h-model-233/

Kris9884

iTrader: (7)

Everything I want to say has been mentioned. You must really know someone at a dealership to give you such a high trade value. I hope the next steps in your life are positive and put you in a place where you can make some money and be happy man..

lexsc3

I think you are making the right choice with trading in the car. The dealership will most likely figure out the problem (if you disclosed it or not) fairly quickly. There is a thread about figuring out electrical gremlins but if the car has cause problems with your life and you havent tried tackling them yourself yet, then its best to let it go.