1997 Mk1 Lexus Gs300 Sport - To Buy Or Not To Buy?

[aw_09]

Hi everyone. Ive just joined due to considering purchasing my first lexus after owning a prelude vti which wasn't practical enough and then a 99 e39 523i, lovely car but was too sluggish compared to the prelude.

A friend of mine has a 97 gs300 sport mk1 for sale in black with gold badges, the wider rear wheels (which need refurbishing) which he has owned it for the past 4 years or so. Its done 167,000 miles with full service history, 3mths mot left has a couple of issues which are are a cracked rear light, quite a big scrape on the rear bumper and hole in one of the backboxes from what already seen. He is asking for £650. Wheel Refurbishing and bodywork isn't a problem as im in the trade :)

I have a couple of questions for you mk1 owners or anyone with knowledge in purchasing one of these...

1.Exhaust avalibility - Do the standard gs300 and sport share the same exhaust?

2.Common issues to look out for before buying?

3.Fuel consumption due to mileage? Im aware the lexus will be thirstier than my previous cars but with 167k on the clock what sort of economy should i expect as ive been told he gets 70-80 miles locally on £20 which sounds a bit too good to be true.

4.Comparision to the E39 523I Auto and 97 Honda Prelude Vti Auto if possible? Comfort? Power? Handling?

5. Previous owner maintained the car well and only really used on motorway BUT i know for a fact it has been driven hard during his ownership. Is this something to worry about on a GS?

Sorry for such a long first post but if all seems good im hoping to buy it this weekend and get started working on the issues the car has and bring it back to its former glory

Any advice would be appreciated

[TigerFish]

Welcome to LOC B)

1.Exhaust avalibility - Do the standard gs300 and sport share the same exhaust?

Yes, the exhaust is the same. The back boxes do appear on eBay for around £100 per side from time to time. Failing that, a custom made cat back system can be bought for £300-£400.

2.Common issues to look out for before buying?

Suspension ball joints and bushes. These can turn costly from Lexus, some aftermarket ones are ok, some are rubbish quality. Some of the bushes are available seperately aftermarket to overhaul the arms, rather than having to buy the whole arm (Lexus only do complete arms). There is a link in my signature to a tutorial I did for changing the front top wishbones.

Sticking caliper and/or slide pins. Very common on many of the older Lexus models, not just the GS. There are a couple of my tutorials in my sig around the the calipers and slide pins.

Sticking solenoid on starter motor. Again, quite common on a lot of older models. Again, a tutorial in my sig for overhauling the starter. Actually getting the starter off is a pig (lack of space), but if you are in the trade, I guess that isn't a concern.

The 10" rear wheels are prone to cracking the inner rim. They can be welded, but just an added expense on top of a refurb price. Two out of the three sets I have needed welding (3 out of the 6 rears)

Rear crank oil seal. A common'ish problem on the 2JZ-GE engine. Gearbox off job to rectify so can be costly, but helped for sure if you are in the trade.

3.Fuel consumption due to mileage? Im aware the lexus will be thirstier than my previous cars but with 167k on the clock what sort of economy should i expect as ive been told he gets 70-80 miles locally on £20 which sounds a bit too good to be true.

On a long steady run on the motorway, mine used to get 32 to the gallon. Around town I averaged low-mid twenties, if you are a bit enthusiastic, then mid to high teens.

4.Comparision to the E39 523I Auto and 97 Honda Prelude Vti Auto if possible? Comfort? Power? Handling?

No idea on comparisons. Power is good, expect it a teeny weeny bit down on the book figures as the big sport wheels look the business, but do add to the unsprung wieght a bit. Plenty of get up and go regardless though. Comfort is great (not as great as the later mk2's, but still great). Handling is OK, but I would expect the handling of your other two to have been better (my only BMW experience was my old E36 £25 Coupe - whose handling was fantastic).

5. Previous owner maintained the car well and only really used on motorway BUT i know for a fact it has been driven hard during his ownership. Is this something to worry about on a GS?

As long as it has been maintained well, you shouldn't have any problems. The 2JZ-GE engine is a very strong unit.

Sorry for such a long first post but if all seems good im hoping to buy it this weekend and get started working on the issues the car has and bring it back to its former glory

Any advice would be appreciated

Good luck if you decide to go for it. With the 10" rears, they take some beating for looks and stance.

[aw_09]

Thanks for such a speedy reply, i've given the car a good looking over and it seems pretty solid. I shall be picking it up sunday evening. The tutorials will definatly come in handy as im sure i will come into small issues somewhere along the line. I will soon add pictures along with my progress of how it gets on :D

[rich1068]

Assume these are off the second gen GS and not the first gen referenced in the title? I might be interested if the price is right. Let me know.