sjc2467

I just inherited a '93 SC400 with roughly 26,000 miles (yes, really). The timing belt was replaced last year and it has had regular oil changes (and whatever other service the dealer would have recommended). It has always been garage kept.

I know these are great cars, and I would love to keep it, but with it's lack of practicality (limited cargo capacity, useless in snow, and poor gas mileage), it's a tough decision. For what it's probably worth, I could purchase a much newer, more practical vehicle. If I kept it, I would be using it as my daily driver, and using my current vehicle in the winter when the roads are bad, or when I need to carry stuff that won't fit in the SC's trunk. Thoughts?

Does anyone have any idea how much it would be worth (in New York)? (And how hard it would be to find a buyer willing to pay that much?) It will probably need a new battery (run down and jump started every two months). It has a minor crease and scratch down one side, and a few minor chips and scratches on the other. To get it to look good, it would need at least both sides repainted, after the necessary body work to fix the crease. (Ideally, the entire car would be repainted.)

The interior is virtually like new.

KBB says it's worth $10,125. Yahoo says $2,093; NADA: $4,387; Edmonds: $3,080. They can't all be right...

Also, what kind of gas mileage can one get with mostly highway driving at reasonable speeds (never more than 65mph, mostly 55-60mph). I know gas mileage has been discussed many times, but I think most people drive considerably faster than me, so their results may be different... My guess is roughly 22-24 mpg. Is that accurate? (Sorry for the vastly off topic question; didn't think it was worth a second thread.)

Thanks for your input!

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

Sell it off to someone who will keep it preserved inside a barn in the middle of nowhere where it is kept away from the elements and sees nothing but sunshine and beautiful prairies....



At least that's what I would do.

GQD_GS4

After body work, probably worth $5-6k

99rx

iTrader: (6)

If I recall, I just saw a 93 on eBay go for $9-10k that had 36k miles.

1KhpWrx

iTrader: (7)

I'd expect to see the car on eBay for 10k

scguy

fix it and then u probley get realistly 5-6 k after all it is a 93, if any1 was gona pay more they would by a 97-00 which in sc world is idealy what every body wants, it does have low mileage but still i guess give it a shot at what u would like tosee , and see hwere it goes u can always drop price, and or trade it idk u inherited the car so any $$ u get 4 it is a plus

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

5-6 k with 26000 miles?

You should not sell this car for less then $8000 or close to it, if u dont find the right buyer dont sell it (unlss you have too)

im noticing the price of these cars has been much higher in the past year or two (at least in my country) and for 5 grand you be extremely lucky to find one with 100 000miles.

leonsup

iTrader: (2)

Most people on this forum are nuts about these cars. SC's are rare and a timeless design inside & out. I spend at least an hour everyday on autotrader looking for cars such as yours. Color is somewhat important....green,gold & silver move a little slower than black,red or blue. Ask 9995 for it & it will be gone in 2 weeks

glex4

If the car is how you describe it, then you should be able to pull in close to $9500-$10000 for this car due to the mileage on it. The "year" doesn't really matter in this case. I do agree that color is an important factor. Do you know why the timing belt was changed when the car only has 26K miles?

sjc2467

The timing belt (and water pump, I think) was changed at the recommendation of the dealer (as preventative maintenance). They certainly weren't worn out yet, but with the belt being 20 years old, it may not have been such a bad idea to replace it. It sounds like these are not interference engines, but it's still no fun to get stranded somewhere.

I figured it might be worth almost $10k, if the exterior were in better shape. Don't get me wrong--it doesn't look bad: from 50 feet away it looks as good as new, but with a scratch and slight crease on most of the driver's side, and a few small scratches on the other side, it will need some significant work to make it look good. It's been garage kept, so the paint probably isn't very faded, but at this age, I suspect it would need at least both sides completely painted (if not the top, as well).

To match OE quality, that will cost something like $2-4k. It wouldn't raise the value enough to make it worth it for me to have the work done, would it? (Typically you don't get nearly as much out of repair work like that as it costs...)

While there is some appeal to preserving the car with such low mileage, it seems like a waste of a really nice car not to drive it. Perhaps it could be worth something to a collector in 30 or so years, but I think it's equally if not more likely that it will be worth very little, with gasoline being either insanely expensive, or not available at all.

The color is gray/graphite.

One more question: how prone are these cars to rusting, when driven in the northeast (New York)? I would have no trouble taking care of surface rust on the bottom, before it becomes significant, but when panels and even frames start rusting through from the inside, it becomes much more of a problem...

Thanks for all the suggestions!

leonsup

iTrader: (2)

I assume the interior is gray as well?

V8drummer

iTrader: (5)

lol at people saying 5-6k.

I've seen low mile SC's on ebay as well. Around 10k is what it should bring.