Hi Guys, Im New!

[Daverb]

Hi guys, :winky:

I live in Fife, Scotland! Just got a new H reg 1990 Lexus Soarer 4ltr V8 for a crazy price! - £100 :duh:

The guy that sold it thought it was totally screwed - the gearbox was all over the place and you couldnt get reverse! It wasnt starting and the car was way down on power - like it was hitting a rev limiter a 3 thousand revs!

So I come along pay my £100 stick in a new Battery and it starts first time every time, the gearbox is fine now and the engine revs all the way to the redline and is an absolute rocket!

Im happy! However on the down side its not charging so I think it must be the old power steering fluid leaking into the alternator problem! The front bushes look perised and the brake lines could do with being replaced over the next year! The owner also kept the stereo - no doubt so he could flog it for £50 or so!

Bit of a bargain I dare say cause its mint inside and out!

Good to find some fellow enthusiasts though, we must be a rare breed!

Dave.

[Fidgits]

Welcome to the club...

Steve (Admin) has just got a Soarer.. so im sure you two will get along like a house on fire...

[Claire G]

Welcome to the Club, I'd love to see some photos - post them for all to see !

[djanderso]

Nice one!

I take it the guy you bought it from was a bit of a numpty then?!! :D

[Steve]

man.. that is the best deal i have ever heard!

you should invest and get it fixed.. they are worth a few grand!

or keep it... very fine motors indeed!

[UKPulse]

£100? :o Remind me to invite you along next time I buy a car! :P I just paid £200 for a 91 Astra to use as a "Tesco Car"

Back to the Soarer - followed one (an SC300) the other day, fabulous looking motor! Can't wait to see some pics :) B)

...and welcome to the club!

PS - Spotted this in Exchange & Mart today - 1991 (H) Lexus SC 430 Lexus Soarer 4.0 V8 Limited, metallic green, 85,000 miles, grey leather, Auto, touch screen TV, Nav, 12 CD, Immobiliser, adjustable air suspension (height and firmness), original light alloys, new tyres and brake pads, private number plate, £6,000. .... you got a bargain!!

[ColinBarber]

Welcome,

What a deal!

[Steve]

i'll give you £200 for it :P

I have had Is200s on loan before and people never used to give it much attention

but i am not kidding you.. everyday i get a good comment about the soarer... i was parking up yestarday and I had the windows down.. guy walks buy with his wife and i heard him say "thats a nice motor"

Outside the solicitors yesterday and they decorators said "leave us ya keys mate... we wanna take it for a spin"

Gave a young lass a ride home .. she says "nice car steve"... i drop diwn.. turbos kick in.. she now says " I looooove this car.. i want it.. I want it... you could certainly pull me steve"

I of course licked my eyebrow!

Worth keeping mate.. spend some money on it.. they are amazing cars!

[UKPulse]

Just out of interest, which is quicker - the 2.5 TT or the 4.0 V8

(In terms of acceleration as opposed to top speed)

[Monster-Mat]

2.5 tt

[Steve]

the TT is only half second quicker apparently

V8 with the right exhaust sounds like a beast! Although i really love the note of the standard TT.. but then it sounds better on a manual

[UKPulse]

S'funny... I was toying with the idea of a 91/92 MR2 T-Bar as a 3rd car & a bit of fun (as the IS300 is a bit stodgey), and these fetch about £3,500. Now looking in E&M I see this ->

1991 LEXUS SOARER 2.5 twin turbo, 70000 miles, £3,495, Metallic Green, Automatic, Turbo, Sunroof, Cruise Control, Air Conditioning, Stereo, Electric Windows, Alarm, Central Locking, Power Assisted Steering, Alloy Wheels, Warranty, Remote Central Locking, Electric Mirrors, Immobiliser, Excellent Condition, Travel forces Sale, Rear Boot Spoiler. Private Plate.

Am I talking myself out of the MR2 ? :duh:

Sorry.... I've gone really

[Steve]

i reckon the soarer TT handles very well for its size... eats my brothers MR2 and he knows it! I doubt it will have the Turbo version MR2.. but no way does the MR2 get the looks as what the soarer does!

providing you have the right tyres it handles like its on rails as the suspension stiffens when cornering (electronic suspension) and also stiffens on braking hard

One good thing is that you can adjust the suspension to stay on Track mode.. the suspension will be very hard and the steering will be alot stiffer... if you like alot of corners then this car does it very well. Uou can leave it like this but i find the suspension stiff enough not to make the ride horrible.

Remember most soarers have auto boxes... I sometimes wish i had this to be honest.. but thats because i am lazy.. i have lots of fun playing with the manual version... but manuals are hard to come by.

I suggest you have a play in one... get to take it out and mate... when you get a clear straight road and its safe.. stick your foot to the floor! love it!

[Steve]

common problems with soarers as London Bill recommends lookut for;

Common Issues; Worn/smokey turbos, Nackered air suspension struts on the V8, leaking PAS pump, Worn lower arm & steering rack bushes, Blinkydash, Non working Air-Con, leaking rad top tank, yellowed h/lamps.

[rhaines]

...but no way does the MR2 get the looks as what the soarer does!

ooh.. have to disagree

[Steve]

shut it rag head!! :P :P :P

Mr2's are as common as BM's lately

ouch ouch stop hitting me.. ouch! :P

[Daverb]

To be honest guys im a bit of a trackday fan!

The whole purpose of buying this car was to be a cheap but fun track car! I have a fiesta 1.9 turbo for the track too but it isnt going to well at the moment!

So it was going to get stripped to the max, couple of buckets and harnesses in it, a sporty steering wheel and good tyres!

However I really dont know if I could do this now, knowing that I have stumbled across a bit of a find! So do I go ahead and have some fun with it or do I clean it all up and sell it on for a profit! To me, money isnt all important, fun is! :D

Dave.

[Steve]

oooohhh thats criminal to track that car mate

do it up.. sell it and buy something more suited which you can strip out.

Such beauty stripped would be criminal!

[UKPulse]

common problems with soarers

Common Issues; Worn/smokey turbos, Nackered air suspension struts on the V8, leaking PAS pump, Worn lower arm & steering rack bushes, Blinkydash, Non working Air-Con, leaking rad top tank, yellowed h/lamps.

I'm guessing dodgey turbos and aircon will be easy to spot on a test drive (and are expensive to fix). What about the other stuff - any arm & a leg costs there?

[Steve]

dont worry about turbos fella.. you would not need to pay much for them... if you have the right people in the right place

just listen out for really whiney tubos.. you will be able to hear the turbos when they kick in and will sound great.. but if she really screams and kicks out smoke then they are knackered

PAS should be quiet.. similar to your IS

The top of the rad.. if it looks all crackled then its gone brittle.. prolly £200 (dealers charge about £350)

fogged up lights are where the sun has dis coloured them.. a bit of Tcut and some elbow grease will get them back new.

Aircon .. easy to spot.. listen to the engine surging...

apart from that.. make sure its had a cam belt at 60K

and regular oil changes for those turbos will help. You can change the oil in these every 3K miles but only change the oil filter every 6k.. but its just a precaution... thats up to you.

[Steve]

ask fidgets what he thinks too..

i just wished we had a better road to test on when showing ian... horible windy country lanes

[Fidgits]

mmmmmmmmm Soarer.... :D

And those roads are great Steve... just unfotunate it was full of sunday drivers...

I have to say, Steve's Soarer really surprised me, not only is it like a rocket in a straight line, it stuck through the bends very well.... and it could go from a screaming sports car, to a comfy crusier at the drop of a hat...

What insurance group are they???

[javadude]

Hmm silly question probably but are they 2 or 4 seater?

[UKPulse]

Just seen the picture of the convertible Soarer in the gallery. I'm a sucker for convertibles, and that's a b-e-e-e-yooty! Can't make out if it's LH or RH drive, but I'll bet they're rare as hens teeth anyway.

Going to look at this MR2 tonight, feel obliged to as I'd already promised the guy I'd have a look, and it is just round the corner from where I work. Think I've already talked myself out of it though, and think I'll be giving the guy selling his 2.5TT a call today.

I'm doing about 24K miles a year in the IS, and so want to split that between 2 cars. Thought an MR2 would be a bit of fun compared to the IS300's "waftiness", but now I'm thinking that the novelty of 90 mile round trips to Portsmouth in an MR2 would eventually wear off and become a chore! Hadn't realized that the Soarer offers such a mix of belting performance and luxury wafting in a single package, and at such a reasonable price.

If I get one, I can see the IS sitting in the garage and not getting used :winky:

[Fidgits]

Hmm silly question probably but are they 2 or 4 seater?

They're a 2+2, back seats look an okay size though... and its bloody comfy!!