Help for the Clueless: we just inherited a 1997 Lexus LX450....

[HannahM]

UPDATE: Hey everyone, thanks for all the input. The car sold today for 11k to a buyer who's going to enjoy the heck out of it. You are a great community and I really appreciated the range of opinions, depth of knowledge, and thoughtfulness you all brought to this question from an outsider. Much obliged!

Original post below:

We were hoping for expert opinions. On one hand, it is mechanically in excellent shape.

Just 63.7K Miles!!! Used for camping trips, hikes, dog parks, and visiting family between East Bay and LA.

Factory front/rear lockers, ancient cell phone, everything all intact. I've attached a photo of the original 1997 Monroney Sticker that shows all the features and options -- it's pretty much fully loaded. The car has been regularly maintained, had brakes replaced and new tires put on within the past two years. Runs beautifully, clean history besides a stolen cat converter years ago and stolen parts a week after it was purchased. It's always been in our family (two owners total), never been in an accident. To my amateur eye there doesn't seem to be much rust either but please look at the photo and let me know.

On the other hand, it needs considerable TLC: 1) Exterior: lots of scrapes, dings, rear fenders have been bumped, and a sizable dent (shown in photo). 2) Interior: the bottoms of the front seats are split badly. The console is well-scratched and the dashboard has some split-lines from sun damage as well.

We have heard recommendations, after explaining the restoration work needed, from $11k to $20k on pricing, but that's a huge difference. So we were directed to you excellent folk for guidance. Can you help us figure out the value of the car and a good price to offer it at?

 

[slow95z]

i know i am the wrong one here to ask but because its an LX i would say maybe 10k.

sure the miles are low but the parts that give issues are age related. its going to need most of the same stuff a 250K truck will need. the lockers are nice but the LX body cladding is a major turn off to me. give me an unlocked cruiser over a locked LX any day.

 

[rbdave]

To get max price out of it, I would consider posting on Bring a Trailer .com. I think it will fetch about $11,000

 

[flintknapper]

Honestly, the interior is going to weigh heavily on the final pricing. If you could provide some pics of the seats, carpet and dash it would be helpful.

Low mileage is desirable but really only adds value with respect to certain mechanical components. AGE related issues (rubber mounts, bushings, engine seals, etc)...will be present regardless the mileage.

Being 'triple locked' is in your favor. But most folks will take a 'clean' open diff 80 series over a rougher 'locked' one just about every time, since lockers can always be added.

Hard at this point (without additional) pics and service documents to say if it a diamond in the rough, or just a low mileage vehicle that sat more than it was driven.

 

[HannahM]

Honestly, the interior is going to weigh heavily on the final pricing. If you could provide some pics of the seats, carpet and dash it would be helpful.

Low mileage is desirable but really only adds value with respect to certain mechanical components. AGE related issues (rubber mounts, bushings, engine seals, etc)...will be present regardless the mileage.

Being 'triple locked' is in your favor. But most folks will take a 'clean' open diff 80 series over a rougher 'locked' one just about every time, since lockers can always be added.

Hard at this point (without additional) pics and service documents to say if it a diamond in the rough, or just a low mileage vehicle that sat more than it was driven.

I'll try to gather records and see how far back our mechanic's copies go. I'm only allowed to post five images here so I guess I'll try to create a page somewhere else and link. Thanks for the great advice.

 

[allan man]

Can you post a full picture of the drivers seat and steering wheel?

 

[cme4lyt]

Just sent you a PM...

 

[Kernal]

If it were pristine, always garage kept, no dents, scrapes, dog or sun damage, it would be worth $20,000, maybe more. But it isn't that vehicle.

The cosmetic damage will be expensive to fix; interior leather, installed,
figure $2000, new dash pad, figure minimum $2000, mostly labor.
new carpet, $1000 installed, fix the dents and scratches and then paint it correctly, minimum $8000-10,000, really.

So just fixing the cosmetic issues could easily run $13,000-15,000.

Then the routine mechanical things that will need attention and servicing, add another $2000-3000 assuming nothing is broken.

All together anyone who buys this vehicle is looking at minimum $15,000-18,000 to get it back in shape, So in my humble opinion, most buyers would be more likely not to fix it and drive it as is, then it's value may be in the ballpark of $10,000, tops.

You (the current owner) should not spend any money on it getting it ready
to sell, as long as it runs, maybe check the fluid levels, but sell it as is, where is.

Good luck.

 

[Bludozer]

Low miles are awesome but like other folks have said, at 22 years old, it will likely have most of the same issues the higher mile trucks have. Additionally it has some condition issues (how does the interior look) and unfortunately it is a pretty undesirable color. That said, it is a solid truck and if you clean it up, list it right and be patient for the right buyer you will get someone in the range you are looking for. Everyone here will offer you half that though.

 

[gsi18867]

Low miles are awesome but like other folks have said, at 22 years old, it will likely have most of the same issues the higher mile trucks have. Additionally it has some condition issues (how does the interior look) and unfortunately it is a pretty undesirable color. That said, it is a solid truck and if you clean it up, list it right and be patient for the right buyer you will get someone in the range you are looking for. Everyone here will offer you half that though.

Don't listen to him, Gold is the best color, doesn't show scratches or dust well. It's also missing the rear wing but I don't see any holes in the rear hatch. May have been a port option.

 

[flintknapper]

delete

 

[Bludozer]

Don't listen to him, Gold is the best color, doesn't show scratches or dust well. It's also missing the rear wing but I don't see any holes in the rear hatch. May have been a port option.

That may be your opinion, but that doesn't change the market's desire for it and since he is trying to sell that is all that matters. It is an unpopular color no matter if you like it or not. And yes, wing was a port option so this very easily could have come without it.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

$10K!? I paid 60% of that a year ago for mine, granted it isn't locked, but it doesn't have any dents either.
Like the other's have said, all the rubber bits under the hood are 20+ and need to changed.

 

[BILT4ME]

If you read on my signature line, I reference dis-use on a vehicle.

This is classic dis-use that turned into abuse by other people running into it, hitting things, and not getting it repaired.

Unfortunately, this truck will wear very quickly because it has not been heat cycled much and as soon as it hits the road, the rubber components will come apart faster than those that have been on the road the whole time.

That said, I wouldn't mind buying it, returning the rubbers parts, polishing the paint, and bringing it back to life. However, I would not go over about $6000, but that's me, and I'm looking for a deal.

Shall I get my plane ticket ready?

 

[Kernal]

Agree, I may have been a bit generous in my estimate. If it were white
and a FZJ80 with less damage, maybe then it would get close to 10k, in Cali, but as we all know, trying to estimate the value of something from thousands of miles away is very difficult. Someone will go look at it and make the seller an offer, and sounds like they will take cash to unload it quickly.

Can't tell you how many I've looked at where the photos look good from a distance, but once you're up next to the vehicle, inside, crawling underneath, looking at the leaks, body damage, interior damage, half fixes, it all changes.

During my own search, after looking at a bunch that were rode hard and put up wet, I found a white 97, unmolested and lady driven, which was what sold me on it. Clean as a whistle inside, smelled like her hand lotion (which she left in the center console, but better than some others that smelled like wet hunting dogs, animal feed, or Barbecue sauce). 200K miles, unlocked, no rust, Southern US, $5000.

The one above will definitely be someone's project vehicle, someone who has the time to fix things in steps.

 

[eastoak]

It’s going to take some good coin to get that low mileage truck into shape. I too would give $6-7000 for something like that.

 

[HannahM]

Hey folks. It sold today for $11k. Thanks for all the input.

 

[rex in bama]

Lol - not surprised by that at all. Interior was the question mark for me. Re: the exterior, PDR does wonders and painting bumpers is cheap. A triple locked example with 69k is a very rare bird.

 

[BILT4ME]

Hey folks. It sold today for $11k. Thanks for all the input.

Damn.... I guess I'll cancel my flight.......

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Well done. Congratulations on your good fortune!