I’m planning to sell my Lexus Sc400 and need help pricing it. It’s an automatic, red, 98’ with 136k miles. New brakes, new alternator, battery, and tires. Ac blows cold and runs perfect. Leather seats are cracking and interior a little dirty. Body is in good condition with minor scratches here and there. If any one could help with an estimate about how much i could sell it on the streets lmk. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

I had a guy wanting to buy my '98 SC400 with close to 200k miles for $10-12k, even though I told him repeatedly it wasn't for sale. He looked all over the region and couldn't find another one for sale, eventually settling on a $13k AMG.

Without pictures of how worn the interior is, it's difficult to say how much of a hit you'll take on condition. (Not to brag, but everyone who looks at mine in person says it's the cleanest SC they've ever seen.) Cleaning yours up could be the difference between a $3-5k and $10k+ car. So many SCs have ratty interiors, it really hurts the perceived value unless one really pops.

 

Here’s the interior

 

I got mine with 165k and relatively clean interior and exterior, clean title, for only 2200. It was also the ONLY SC available in my state at the time. I'm not sure the guy knew exactly what he had. sure, 165k is up there, but for a 1uz that's nothing to shy away from. it will need a starter eventually though (ugh)


it all depends what they're going for in your area. just look up your "competition" as it were, and price it fairly. I've sold over a dozen cars private party. Just have a realistic expectation for what it's worth and be up front about the condition of the vehicle, take high quality photos and just do business.

10k t2d2??? when?? nowadays that's ridiculous.

I'd say the OP's vehicle is a 5k or less sale nowadays. but as always there's too many factors. Car's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

Not many are for sale in my area. I’ve come across one that isn’t running going for $650, and another 93’ not as clean as mine with needing a new radiator and 200+k miles going for $1700

 

I would’ve ripped his arm off and beat him with the money stack I got from the bank when walking out

 

to the OP: why not just keep it? looks pretty clean! I've owned tons of cars and the SC is something special. I think I'm enjoying my sc4 more than my sc3 back in the day. and that had a 5 speed swap, too. I can now say sc400 with a 5 speed is my dream car.

 

Yea I’m really debating if I should sell it or not...it runs perfect. I was just thinking bout saving money on insurance every month plus having a few extra cash.

 

Less than two years ago.

When you start adding up how much you put into a clean example, finding all the best interior pieces around, personalizing, $10k+ begins to sound ho-hum for putting into an alternative vehicle and starting all over.

$2-3k buys you a pre-'97 in below average condition. $3-5k for good condition, and upwards from there for NA-T setups and the rarer models. The guy in question was looking at my old SC for sale. He knew the market.

 

It's an older car. You put too much into it expecting a return that’s a you thing, the market will not respond. Too many examples out there to fetch for half. If you’re keeping it forever sink as much dead money in it as you want, just don’t expect anyone else will make the same mistake when the bank won't loan on it and the people have literally millions of choices. So for 10k, his arm would still be hanging where he stuck it out if someone wanted to pay me $1 towards what i had in it over value. It’s hard to be in the 1% on clean cars in any market.

 

I would counter that your mindset, as often shared, is to dump the platform when the opportunity arises. Not all of us think that way. I'm not expecting a return. It's not for sale. The guy asked me what it would take to let it go and I gave him two numbers: sub-$10k I wouldn't be able to, and $12k I'd have to give it some thought. He agreed with those numbers.

That's different than saying I have that much invested in it. Value isn't all $$$.

 

Same for me.

My 93 SC300 is not for sale and it actually might never be considering some prices I see. It is worth far more to me than the dollar value I can get for it and that has been true for a long time now.

The money I spend on it is to keep it in top condition, even though it is almost 26 years old. I can just gas it up and head to the east coast or west coast without any serious concerns and that is how I keep it - not as an investment but as a reliable car that makes me smile every time that I drive it.

Tomorrow i will be putting my new wheels and tires on it and they cost as much as a fair quality used SC, but why should that matter to me? What matters to me is that it is paid for and I don't really spend a lot to keep it running, especially compared to what I would buy to replace it in today's market.

Back to the OP's original question - what is his car worth? turns out that it depends on the condition of the car, who is looking and how much he wants or needs to sell it for. Pick a price and put it up for sale and see what kind of interest you get, but from what your pictures show I would not expect a huge amount of cash for it.

 

Yes! I feel you! Today I detailed my sc and fell in love with it and now have second thoughts on selling it. The question I’m dealing with now is, do i keep it bone stock? As it is so reliable and Easy to drive Or do some simple mods like a drop, rims, and sounds??? Lol either way the sentimental value> the $$ its worth on the market

 

I don't think anyones is trying to diss your car or how much you've put into it man. Just simply that the point of this thread was for a stock sc400 in good(ish) condition. And then without much explanation you chime in with "mines worth 10k with 200k miles bruh" as if that's a good indication of what the Original poster should expect.

not exactly productive, right??

Anyways.
I'd still say under 5k for sure if you want to actually sell it within a year. Start there and work your way down. Realistically in my area it would probably go for $3700 or so

But then again I also still say: just keep it!

 

OP - You will be lucky to get $4k for your car with 136k miles. If I owned the car and was selling it , I will grab the $4k if someone offered me that amount . I have owned 18 SCs in the past 10 years (all years from 1992 - 2000 , non vvti and vvti , SC300s and SC400s, 5 speeds and automatics, stock and fully built drive trains / power trains .. you name it ) and have monitored these cars for a very long time. Those who do not do their homework searching for cheaper SCs nationwide might pay more but for those who do their homework , $4k will probably be the most they will pay for your car in it's current condition. I will be honest with you , knowing a lot more about these cars now and where to source them and where to look for good parts, I won't and that was not meant to offend you but giving you my personal opinion as someone who have been following these cars in the last 20 years. The most I will pay will be $3k if I even will be interested in the car. That is just me of course.

The SC crowd , no offense meant to anyone , in general is a cheap crowd . What I mean is majority will not pay a premium. The truth hurts but it is what it is. I can show you countless proof of it not only here on clublexus but on the different SC groups on facebook. Just observing the marketplaces and threads of their comments , their offers for cars and parts and so on. Consider this , 68% of SC owners based on the survey we have done here are aged 27 years old and below. Around 55% of SC owners are 25 years old and below. who are either not done with their school or are not stable in their careers. That shows what age group are grabbing these Lexus SCs. They are young people who are not in a good position financially to pay a premium for the car that is old and expensive to maintain. Most owners do not even wrench on their cars. People buy the car cheap , then they find out how expensive it is to maintain and run the car till it falls apart and then sell it cheap. How many SC cars have you seen whose interior was properly maintained meaning every original interior part is in good shape ? Some interior parts are pricey so they won't replace raggedy interior parts with original parts !

Heck I am not young , am in my mid 50s and I know I can pay for one regardless of the price as long as it is worth it to me. But the truth is I am not paying a premium for the simple reason that I know where I can get them cheap and restore them without spending so much. So when I say SC crowd being cheap , that includes me. It hurts to know that our crowd is a cheap crowd cause am part of it but it is what it is. Another reason why I am not paying a premium is I know I can never recover what I invest in an SC so to start with an expensive car and then spend a lot to restore it is not just gonna happen for me.

At any rate , good luck selling your car.