For Sale SF Bay Area: 1997 Lexus LX 450

UPDATE: This car has been sold. Not sure what protocol is for deleting or updating ads; if something needs doing please let me know.



63.5K Miles!!! Used for car-camping trips, hikes, dog parks, and visiting family between East Bay and LA. No off-road.

Factory front/rear lockers. Fully loaded -- see photo of the original 1997 Monroney Sticker for all the options. 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, always in our family, never been in a road-accident although it's been bumped in parking lots and shows it.

Price is low because it needs $3k~$4k exterior cosmetic work and another near $1k interior. Photos show the biggest problems besides the front seats, which need re-upholstering or replacing.

EDIT: Thanks for the input everyone. I'll take some new photos, get more documentation on the history, and repost a new ad soon. In the meantime feel free to weigh in. Much appreciated!

 

[satchel]

I think most people will assume that since it is in rough shape exterior/interior, that the rest of the vehicle will be in the same shape maintenance wise. If this were a truck that had the appearance and maintenance of a 65k truck you could get into the high teens I'm sure, but I would think in the shape you have here, you would be at tops of around 11k but I may be way off. Either way, need to have a price to be listing in this area, so if you are looking to get feedback on what others think it is worth, I believe that would be in the tech area.

No harm leaving it here for 19k and waiting/lowering to gauge interest.

 

[HannahM]

I think most people will assume that since it is in rough shape exterior/interior, that the rest of the vehicle will be in the same shape maintenance wise. If this were a truck that had the appearance and maintenance of a 65k truck you could get into the high teens I'm sure, but I would think in the shape you have here, you would be at tops of around 11k but I may be way off. Either way, need to have a price to be listing in this area, so if you are looking to get feedback on what others think it is worth, I believe that would be in the tech area.

No harm leaving it here for 19k and waiting/lowering to gauge interest.

Thanks for the prompt response! We have gotten conflicting advice on the appearance -- told that we might spend $3k making it look better but that it might not be the way the buyer wants anyway, so better just to drop the price. But you are right that people may judge based on the appearance. Hm.... Anyway, I'll add a price ASAP. Much obliged!

 

[mcgaskins]

Since you explicitly asked for advice, I would say your price of $18k is way, way too high considering the work it needs cosmetically and mechanically (I see oil leaks and imagine the axles need servicing too). It looks like it has 300k+ miles on it, so regardless of what the odometer says it's going to be extremely hard to sell for a 5 digit price. I'd also be worried to see what the Carfax looks like and how many accidents and owners are on the report. I know you said clean history, but does all the body damage show on the Carfax?

 

[HannahM]

Since you explicitly asked for advice, I would say your price of $18k is way, way too high considering the work it needs cosmetically and mechanically (I see oil leaks and imagine the axles need servicing too). It looks like it has 300k+ miles on it, so regardless of what the odometer says it's going to be extremely hard to sell for a 5 digit price. I'd also be worried to see what the Carfax looks like and how many accidents and owners are on the report. I know you said clean history, but does all the body damage show on the Carfax?

Thanks for the healthy perspective. Only two owners, my dad and me, and the body damage was pretty much shrubbery plus parking lots. Never hit or been hit while driving on roads. But your points are super valid, and how will buyers know this is true besides the Carfax? Definitely something to think about. The 18k is just there as a placeholder waiting for helpful comments like yours.

 

[PAFJ]

This rig has seen a hard 63k miles!! I agree with what others have said, in that, based on the pics provided, this is not a $18k rig. Low miles isn’t the only factor that makes a vehicle valuable, a rig with twice the mileage, but clean in appearance and well documented maintenance history would be a much better buy in my opinion. As far as price I would say 8-10k. Look through the for sale threads here and see what others have sold for, it will give you a better idea of price. Hope this helps, just trying to give you a realistic opinion.