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I'm new here and just bought a 1991 es 250 5spd manual with 116xxx original miles on it. I picked it up for under $1500 and it's almost flawless. Come to find out i paid waaayy under its blue book. Starting to hear these cars are becoming rare. Im looking for some insight on what i got! Thanks!
That is a rare bird not many ES250's were sold in general, the amount that were fitted with the 5-speed had to have been very low. How does the transmission shift? The E52's are known to have weak synchros. I have a Camry with ES interior bits it is also a 5-speed so I know a fair bit about these cars.
That is a rare bird not many ES250's were sold in general, the amount that were fitted with the 5-speed had to have been very low. How does the transmission shift? The E52's are known to have weak synchros. I have a Camry with ES interior bits it is also a 5-speed so I know a fair bit about these cars.
it shifts great actually but that's good to know thank you
I don't know what you're talking about here push/pull cables? But there is no issue of freezing cables on these cars.
When you pull your ebrake, a cable runs from the ebrake to the rear calipers.
The steel ebrake cable is cover by rubber sleeves.
Over time, the rubber sleeves dry out and develop cracks. Water moisture gets in. Cable can rust. Water can freeze. You get the idea.
I have an old vehicles and worked on a few older vehicles....common among older vehicles.
When you pull your ebrake, a cable runs from the ebrake to the rear calipers.
The steel ebrake cable is cover by rubber sleeves.
Over time, the rubber sleeves dry out and develop cracks. Water moisture gets in. Cable can rust. Water can freeze. You get the idea.
I have an old vehicles and worked on a few older vehicles....common among older vehicles.
good to know but i do live in a warm climate never really drops below freezing.
I'm new here and just bought a 1991 es 250 5spd manual with 116xxx original miles on it. I picked it up for under $1500 and it's almost flawless. Come to find out i paid waaayy under its blue book. Starting to hear these cars are becoming rare. Im looking for some insight on what i got! Thanks!
Wow.. All I can say is that I really, really want your car. Or I at least want to take a photo with yours side-by-side with my 1991 LS.
As others have said, you found a very rare example indeed. A 5-speed with low mileage and a cloth interior is just unheard of, let alone the fact that it's an ES250. Is your car also a standard hardtop, or is it fitted with a moonroof? I don't have the numbers, but non-moonroof ES models seem to be rarer in general.
As a side note, my family had a 1989 Camry V6 4-speed auto in the past, which is more or less the same car. Both the ES250 and Camry of that era suffer from rust around the rear wheel arches. If yours hasn't started rusting yet, I would suggest treating the area with fluid film all around the inside of the arch before any winter driving.
Wow.. All I can say is that I really, really want your car. Or I at least want to take a photo with yours side-by-side with my 1991 LS.
As others have said, you found a very rare example indeed. A 5-speed with low mileage and a cloth interior is just unheard of, let alone the fact that it's an ES250. Is your car also a standard hardtop, or is it fitted with a moonroof? I don't have the numbers, but non-moonroof ES models seem to be rarer in general.
As a side note, my family had a 1989 Camry V6 4-speed auto in the past, which is more or less the same car. Both the ES250 and Camry of that era suffer from rust around the rear wheel arches. If yours hasn't started rusting yet, I would suggest treating the area with fluid film all around the inside of the arch before any winter driving.
Thank you it is indeed a solid hard top and it has literally no rust I'll definitely take your advice though. I want to do everything i can to continue to preserve it. I'll post some more pictures of it on here a little later today so you can really see it. But she's in amazing shape none of the wheels even have curb rash haha.
The body has many rubber plugs pull them all and fill with Fluid Film especially the rocker panels. I've always wondered does the ES250 have factory keyless entry?
The body has many rubber plugs pull them all and fill with Fluid Film especially the rocker panels. I've always wondered does the ES250 have factory keyless entry?
mine doesn't although i wish it did its got power locks and anti-theft system. Oh btw thanks again for all those links some very good info!
Some quirks about the ES versus the Camry. No tilt wheel but has drivers side airbag which means the car didn't have automatic seat belts in the U.S. market. The wood treatment is real and done using the same process as the LS400, Lexus uses the same basic procedure today. The car has heated mirrors (option?) the Camry did not. The Camry did have the option of leather interior but it is very rare. The ES has factory fog lights. The front aka LH valve cover is physically different versus the Camry which means it uses unique spark plug wires. The standard ABS system in the ES was optional on the Camry, the ABS pump has a plastic vanity cover on the ES the Camry does not. You cannot put the cover on the Camry because the pump body lacks the mounting points.
Many people assume the ES250 is nothing more than a dressed up Camry this is true to an extent but the car is substantially different. It shares no body panels with the Camry, all the glass is unique. The alloy wheels are directional like the LS400. The lower dash panels on the ES are the same as the U.S. market Camry. The Canadian, Australian, German etc. markets for the generation2 Camry did not have the nicer soft touch interior panels. The upper dash, center stack and console are unique to the ES250 as is the instrument cluster. You cannot swap the back seats into the Camry they don't fit.
I'm sure there are other details I've forgotten about.
Some quirks about the ES versus the Camry. No tilt wheel but has drivers side airbag which means the car didn't have automatic seat belts in the U.S. market. The wood treatment is real and done using the same process as the LS400, Lexus uses the same basic procedure today. The car has heated mirrors (option?) the Camry did not. The Camry did have the option of leather interior but it is very rare. The ES has factory fog lights. The front aka LH valve cover is physically different versus the Camry which means it uses unique spark plug wires. The standard ABS system in the ES was optional on the Camry, the ABS pump has a plastic vanity cover on the ES the Camry does not. You cannot put the cover on the Camry because the pump body lacks the mounting points.
Many people assume the ES250 is nothing more than a dressed up Camry this is true to an extent but the car is substantially different. It shares no body panels with the Camry, all the glass is unique. The alloy wheels are directional like the LS400. The lower dash panels on the ES are the same as the U.S. market Camry. The Canadian, Australian, German etc. markets for the generation2 Camry did not have the nicer soft touch interior panels. The upper dash, center stack and console are unique to the ES250 as is the instrument cluster. You cannot swap the back seats into the Camry they don't fit.
I'm sure there are other details I've forgotten about.
👆 this guy knows what the deal is lol the dash bothers the hell out of me. I want to replace it ASAP.
03-22-18, 10:00 PM
Just bought my first lexus!
Or I at least want to take a photo with yours side-by-side with my 1991 LS.
