I'm pretty new to the lexus forums, and I was wondering if you guys could give me a few pointers on what I should do for maintenance of my car and other things.

My car is a 1993 SC400

Problems with my car include: paint is fading and has sunspots, there's a dent where a car rear ended me (long story), and my interior is pretty torn apart. For the record, I obtained this car very used (free from my aunt).
The car has about 285k miles. The seat cushions are torn and ripped with piece of the leather missing. Also, the armrest in the middle of the car is pretty beat up.

As for the engine, the only problem I had with it was that it would shut off mid drive when I would be breaking. What's causing this?

Now here's where I'm asking for help. What should I do about the paint and the dent? The dent looks to be upward of 800-1k for repairs to be quiet honest. What about the seats? Should I just get new seats or look into seat covers? If seat covers, which seat covers are the best for the drivers, passengers, and backseats? Is there an armrest out there that I can use to replace the one I have?

Considering how it has 285k miles on it, is any of this really worth it?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

You can't do anything about fading paint. In some cases you can buff it for a better outcome but if the clear is peeling it's over.

Interior is everywhere. Check your local listings and junkyards.

Go to all your local body shops for quotes

285k is fairly high but that's nothing a new 1uz can't solve when it does go.

 

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you want your car to look good for cheap Maaco does have a cheap paint job. I've seen some in person and for the money it's a good deal. Again, you need to be willing to work on the car a bit yourself. If you can repair the dent yourself, a cheap $500 paint job can make it look great again without breaking the bank. Regarding the car shutting off...could be a few things. Loose battery terminal gave me the same problem, bad ground good too I think. Interior is cheap and easy to find especially if it's tan. Junkyards are your friend.

 

speaking of Maaco paintjobs, if I tell them to just respray my car black, but I do all the sanding and stuff, would it hold up and would it look "good"? (i know black is hard to **** up but ya never know)
do you have any firsthand experience with maaco? i'm good about keeping the paint clean, waxed and in the shade, it's just a matter of how good the materials they use are.

 

Most Maaco's are independent so some will let you do the bodywork others will refuse to paint it unless they do the bodywork too. Call ahead and find out first.

Also, black isn't any harder or easier to lay down than other colors but it will show any imperfections in your bodywork. It is much less forgiving than other colors in this regard.

 

Like others have said, paint can be polished and buffed to look better but if your clear coat is peeling you're done short of re-painting. Body work costs what bodywork costs. What exactly is dinged up? If it's just the bumper you can probably source one easy enough. May be much cheaper to just replace it rather than fix it.

Interior pieces can be sourced easy enough as well from junkyards, CL, forums, eBay, etc. If you decide to keep the car this is what I would do. In the meantime I'd just grab some cheapo seat covers.

Your braking problem is probably related to clogged Idle Air Control Valve or a leaking Brake Booster. I'd check these first.

Is it all worth it? Guess that's up to you. There are plenty of 1UZ motored cars with lots more miles than you have. These are some of the best production motors ever built and can run for a million miles when properly maintained (no joke). I'd figure out how much it's going to cost you to get the car where you're happy with it then see what's on the used market for the same price as your estimate. Pick which one you like better.

 

Consider that mint and low mileage SC400's usually won't bring more than around $5k (if you're lucky in my opinion). With the expensive cosmetic issues at hand, you'd be spending quite a lot to get it to perfect. Are you wanting to sell? Do you just want a clean car? Think about the end goal. If I were you I would resolve the mechanical issues and enjoy your extremely reliable (albeit beat) vehicle. Your car has plenty of life left!

 

Not to burst your bubble, but your aunt's "gift" will be a time and financial commitment depending on your aspirations for the car.

The mileage is not too worrisome depending on how well the car was mechanically maintained. At that mileage, you will have a long list of items to assess if your plan is to keep the car as a daily driver. Normally the SCs are rock solid but if neglected can rack up some substantial repairs.

The interior condition is cause for concern if you are the "pristine" type of personality; finding junk yard parts is becoming a huge challenge but there are plenty of threads in this forum you can learn from and there are some really impressive full restorations and conversions to review. Time consuming and can be pricey depending on your tastes.

Body and paint options vary too great to get into; so many ways to go.

Welcome to the club and be prepared to "catch the fever" that these cars develop.......