Wanted! SC430

[Venetian Lucy]

Hi!  Have had a lot of very helpful advice from you all, but still haven't found what I'm looking for.....

 

Basically would like a SC430, not silver or black and not a black or red leather interior, with a mileage not much more than 80k - am I asking for the moon?

 

Your thoughts and help once more greatly appreciated!

[The-Acre]

29 minutes ago, Venetian Lucy said:

Hi!  Have had a lot of very helpful advice from you all, but still haven't found what I'm looking for.....

 

Basically would like a SC430, not silver or black and not a black or red leather interior, with a mileage not much more than 80k - am I asking for the moon?

 

Your thoughts and help once more greatly appreciated!

I think with some patience you'll find what you're looking for.  Generally it seems that convertibles have lower mileage clocked up.  Also the SC isn't a super rare car, they do keep cropping up. Have you considered a Toyota Soarer, it's the same car but an import, it'll be in amazing condition. A few on eBay but in Middlesbrough.

 

[Malc]

now's the time of year when convertibles historically start to come to market .........  all this summer weather

and needy people perhaps realising some cash from a spare car rarely used too

you should be fortunate to find what you're after

Malc

[royoftherovers]

You are Lucille.

Instead of asking for the Moon, try asking for the Galaxy and relax your critieria a little, although unusually (lol) there is a lot of sense in what Phil and Malc have said above.

[Neil E]

Just had a quick look through the usual channels and there does seem to be an absence of decent SC430 models.

@Bob King  Bob (aka unclebob) is the man in the know for SC430 models on sale. I'm sure he will be along shortly.  

[royoftherovers]

4 hours ago, Venetian Lucy said:

Hi!  Have had a lot of very helpful advice from you all, but still haven't found what I'm looking for.....

 

Basically would like a SC430, not silver or black and not a black or red leather interior, with a mileage not much more than 80k - am I asking for the moon?

 

Your thoughts and help once more greatly appreciated!

If you have not done so, take a look here and register your interest Lucy.

https://forum.lexusownersclub.com/forums/lexusmans-car-sales.36/

[Bob King]

Hi Lucille, I watch all the SC430’s for sale on Auto Trader some have been up for more than a year ! Sadly not much about if you don’t want silver or black. My favourite colours are blue or red in a facelift model but not seen one for many months. There was a gold one at Lexus Sidcup Kent, a rare colour and does look very striking ....update ..that sold over the last week 🙁

[Venetian Lucy]

Thank you......  I think patience is the answer!

[Bob King]

This one has possibilities.....

https://www.acesautomall.co.uk/email.php?book_test_drive=2703368

sorry dead link ..look up their  Lexus cars .
 

plus side is it’s a 55 reg and will be the cheaper road tax think it’s £320 but sc430’s after March 2006 changed band to £555 !

downside ..colour of the wheels, headlamps are heavily faded and going yellow at the top and the rear exhaust chrome tailpipes have corroded off .

   The grey was a colour I looked at before buying my blue one and looks nice with the Ivory interior and dark wood.

chrome tailpipes are several hundred pound each and to replace the headlamps like I recently did with my car and cost almost £1200.00 ! But could all be bargaining power 👍🏻

 

[royoftherovers]

7 minutes ago, Bob King said:

This one has possibilities.....

https://www.acesautomall.co.uk/email.php?book_test_drive=2703368

sorry dead link ..look up their  Lexus cars .
 

plus side is it’s a 55 reg and will be the cheaper road tax think it’s £320 but sc430’s after March 2006 changed band to £555 !

downside ..colour of the wheels, headlamps are heavily faded and going yellow at the top and the rear exhaust chrome tailpipes have corroded off .

   The grey was a colour I looked at before buying my blue one and looks nice with the Ivory interior and dark wood.

chrome tailpipes are several hundred pound each and to replace the headlamps like I recently did with my car and cost almost £1200.00 ! But could all be bargaining power 👍🏻

 

Great, helpful post Bob.

[royoftherovers]

27 minutes ago, Venetian Lucy said:

Thank you......  I think patience is the answer!

Patience is indeed required.

Don`t jump, seek advice here first--I am not an expert on the subject,but there are others who will be very supportive

[Venetian Lucy]

Right!   Have found this SC430 on Gumtree and am not jumping as per advice!  What should I be looking out for?

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/lexus/lexus-sc430-convertible-4.3-petrol-v8-sc-430-/1368275633

[Venetian Lucy]

And thank you for the info re the grey SC430 Bob.... I'd already rung up the day before - they had the car on hold whilst a prospective buyer was sorting finance.... they were going to ring back on Wednesday but haven't so far.

 

Regards,

 

Lucy

[royoftherovers]

12 minutes ago, Venetian Lucy said:

Right!   Have found this SC430 on Gumtree and am not jumping as per advice!  What should I be looking out for?

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/lexus/lexus-sc430-convertible-4.3-petrol-v8-sc-430-/1368275633

Bob and Neil are the key players on the SC model.Await their contribution.

So far I have gleaned;

*MOT history is pretty sound with minor problems over the years due to lack of real attention (mot-service-gov.uk)

*There is one recall due on this vehicle-Lexus UK will tell you what it is

*Has only covered 600 miles since April 2019

* Car is taxed until March 2021

 

Good luck. Keep us all posted please.

 

 

[Venetian Lucy]

Thank you John.... it's so good to have all this expertise and support... will await to hear from Bob and Neil.

 

Regards

 

Lucy

[Bob King]

Roy has done the basics available for free on line, good mot history in that no advises or fails over the years, so somebody has looked after it .

  Unusual colour which is a plus , Ivory interior looks ok for the mileage , headlamp don’t appear faded from the photos .

questions to ask is if the timing belt on the engine has been replaced, if no paperwork to say its been done, that is a priority job.

should be no lights on the dashboard once started .

sat/nav works ...although they were never that good when new !

roof should be smooth in operation .

boot carpets have no stains from the photos so that’s a positive.

check tyres for condition and see if the disc brakes look corroded.

handbrake should hold the car on a hill.

play the radio/cd player at fair volume as the front speakers disintegrate with age and sound terrible.

Air/con should be very cold if set on 16degs.

check every switch and button in the car including the folding mirrors, if the glass is broken they are over £350 each ..just glass !

under the bonnet....

Oil is a nice Golden colour, no stains of coolant loss, pas and brake master cylinder topped up.

in boot....

full tool kit under the mat .

on road test .......

should be quite and smooth with no knocks from the suspension over rough surfaces, steering shouldn’t pull to the left or to the right when driving or breaking, gearbox kick down should be very good in "power mode" that’s the little switch on the Silver centre consul by the gear knob.

Can’t think of much else for now, service history would be nice .

let us know how you get on ...price could be cheaper but on the other had is and unusual colour and with a SC history and colour command good money👍🏻👍🏻

[royoftherovers]

Another great post Bob. Thanks.

I will put you into my World X1 to play Mars.

[Venetian Lucy]

Thanks Bob.... have asked for more details - fingers crossed.

[Bob King]

...and do an HPI before parting with any money , dealer may already have done one but is £20 well spent for piece of mind.

[Venetian Lucy]

Will do Bob!

[Neil E]

Yeah agree with everything Bob said. Looks pretty good on the face of it but I would hope to get the newer version for that price.

If possible, try a few to see how they compare.  £7-8k should buy a face-lift model. 

[The-Acre]

20 minutes ago, Neil E said:

Yeah agree with everything Bob said. Looks pretty good on the face of it but I would hope to get the newer version for that price.

If possible, try a few to see how they compare.  £7-8k should buy a face-lift model. 

Neil, what were the changes made on the facelift model?

[ColinBarber]

33 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

Neil, what were the changes made on the facelift model?

Biggest change was the introduction of the 6-speed transmission rather than 5. Other changes were adaptive front lights, cosmetic changes to the front and a different wheel design.

[The-Acre]

10 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Biggest change was the introduction of the 6-speed transmission rather than 5. Other changes were adaptive front lights, cosmetic changes to the front and a different wheel design.

Ta, just like the LS430 then.  I must say the 6 speed transmission is very nice and does improve MPG a smidgen.

[ColinBarber]

3 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

Ta, just like the LS430 then. 

Yes, the LS, GS and SC all shared the same engine and transmission but the introduction of the 6-speed was dependent on new model/face-lift release schedule, so it came to the LS first, then GS and finally the SC.