Advice Request On Prospective Purchase Of Is300

[micker35]

Hi Folks,

Although I've spent many a lunchtime reading through the forum, this is my first post. The thing is that I'm not a Lexus owner (yet) and have been looking for either an IS200 or IS300 for a little while. I've spotted a 51 plate IS300 that's up at £4500. It's got 96K on the clock (which I know is a bit high) and the service history is Lexus stamped for the first seven services and then subsequent services have been carried out by independents. The car seems to be generally in pretty good (but not immaculate) condition. Although the 96K doesn't worry me at all, what does concern me is that it hasn't had a cam belt change. So I reckon that if I did buy the car, I'd drive it straight from the vendor's address to the garage to get the cam belt, pulleys, tensioner's and water pump replaced. Also, on the front discs, there's are rim (for want of a better description) showing about 2mm of wear so I'm guessing that the discs and pads will need replacing soon. Naturally, I don't fancy buying a car and then immediately having to spend money on it so I'll be looking for some king of reduction on the asking price.

So, my question is this. Although the asking price is £4500, bearing in mind the work that I think will need doing, what would be a sensible price to pay. I'm guessing that a cam belt job has got to be around £300 (at an independent) but I have no idea how much to allow for new front discs and pads.

Anyway, if there's any buying advise (either to do with what I've mentioned or anything else) that anyone can offer then I'd be really grateful.

Cheers,

Mick.

[Parthiban]

Welcome to LOC Mick :)

There is a buyers guide in the Knowledgebase, but generally these cars are pretty good so if well serviced and maintained all should be fine. You're right to pick up on the cambelt, it's a few hundred pounds work as you've said even from an independent so make sure the price takes that into account.

IS300s are fairly rare, so hard to guage price, but there is a member on here with quite a nice IS300 looking to sell for similar money I think so might be worth taking a look at that too............

[sol12]

Hi Folks,

Although I've spent many a lunchtime reading through the forum, this is my first post. The thing is that I'm not a Lexus owner (yet) and have been looking for either an IS200 or IS300 for a little while. I've spotted a 51 plate IS300 that's up at £4500. It's got 96K on the clock (which I know is a bit high) and the service history is Lexus stamped for the first seven services and then subsequent services have been carried out by independents. The car seems to be generally in pretty good (but not immaculate) condition. Although the 96K doesn't worry me at all, what does concern me is that it hasn't had a cam belt change. So I reckon that if I did buy the car, I'd drive it straight from the vendor's address to the garage to get the cam belt, pulleys, tensioner's and water pump replaced. Also, on the front discs, there's are rim (for want of a better description) showing about 2mm of wear so I'm guessing that the discs and pads will need replacing soon. Naturally, I don't fancy buying a car and then immediately having to spend money on it so I'll be looking for some king of reduction on the asking price.

So, my question is this. Although the asking price is £4500, bearing in mind the work that I think will need doing, what would be a sensible price to pay. I'm guessing that a cam belt job has got to be around £300 (at an independent) but I have no idea how much to allow for new front discs and pads.

Anyway, if there's any buying advise (either to do with what I've mentioned or anything else) that anyone can offer then I'd be really grateful.

Cheers,

Mick.

FRONT DISCS AND PADS ARE ABOUT £85.00 IF YOU BUT THEM OFF eBay GT THE MINTEX ONES AS THESE LET OFF LITTLE DUST AND ARE A GREAT MAKE , TIMING BELT KIT IS £130 GENUINE ONE OFF eBay INCLUDES CAM BELT TENSIONER AND IDLER , ALSO CHANGE THE ALTERNATOR BELT AND POWER STREERING BELT... THE IS300 IS A VERY VERY JUICY CAR BUT IT IS A FAST FAST MOTOR

[Greedy80]

FRONT DISCS AND PADS ARE ABOUT £85.00 IF YOU BUT THEM OFF eBay GT THE MINTEX ONES AS THESE LET OFF LITTLE DUST AND ARE A GREAT MAKE , TIMING BELT KIT IS £130 GENUINE ONE OFF eBay INCLUDES CAM BELT TENSIONER AND IDLER , ALSO CHANGE THE ALTERNATOR BELT AND POWER STREERING BELT... THE IS300 IS A VERY VERY JUICY CAR BUT IT IS A FAST FAST MOTOR

Hey mate, I don't mean to hijack the thread at all but where on eBay (an eBay number would be great) is this timing belt kit with idler and tensioner? I have found this one but it doesn't include the idler for £74.99. Does the one I've found look any good? I want to make sure I get original manufacturer parts. Also where can I get well priced official lexus power steering belt and alternator belt. Are there any other belts that need doing? Once again sorry for taking over here a little.

Thanks in advance Greedy

[kam05]

Greedy,

Click me

[Greedy80]

Greedy,

Click me

Thanks very much mate! Any ideas on getting the power steering belt and alternator belt at good prices? Also are there any other belts to be changed?

[kam05]

Thanks very much mate! Any ideas on getting the power steering belt and alternator belt at good prices? Also are there any other belts to be changed?

Go to Lexus for the aux belts- they are cheaper enough.

[russelllinn]

Hi Folks,

Although I've spent many a lunchtime reading through the forum, this is my first post. The thing is that I'm not a Lexus owner (yet) and have been looking for either an IS200 or IS300 for a little while. I've spotted a 51 plate IS300 that's up at £4500. It's got 96K on the clock (which I know is a bit high) and the service history is Lexus stamped for the first seven services and then subsequent services have been carried out by independents. The car seems to be generally in pretty good (but not immaculate) condition. Although the 96K doesn't worry me at all, what does concern me is that it hasn't had a cam belt change. So I reckon that if I did buy the car, I'd drive it straight from the vendor's address to the garage to get the cam belt, pulleys, tensioner's and water pump replaced. Also, on the front discs, there's are rim (for want of a better description) showing about 2mm of wear so I'm guessing that the discs and pads will need replacing soon. Naturally, I don't fancy buying a car and then immediately having to spend money on it so I'll be looking for some king of reduction on the asking price.

So, my question is this. Although the asking price is £4500, bearing in mind the work that I think will need doing, what would be a sensible price to pay. I'm guessing that a cam belt job has got to be around £300 (at an independent) but I have no idea how much to allow for new front discs and pads.

Anyway, if there's any buying advise (either to do with what I've mentioned or anything else) that anyone can offer then I'd be really grateful.

Cheers,

Mick.

It does depend on what model it is i.e. navigator, styling kit but there is only a couple of hundred pounds difference, if you look at parkers guide put in the details it can give you an indication.

Front discs and pads on eBay click £60 inc P&P.

brembo front Discs click me £120 inc P&P

The crux of the matter is that the IS300 is quite rare and so to get hold of one is good going I would suggest taking off the cost of the work to be done and then a bit more and see what they say, I always like to go in a little bit rude with a low price as some people surprise you with what they'll take. I did offering £1000 under the asking price and got £700 off, on a private sale :D

The Lexus straight sixes are pretty bullet proof so having service history is good. I would check the cam-belt hasn't been done as they revised the cam-belt service from 100k it to 60k at some stage not sure when though. I checked mine the other day and it looked pretty new and mine is the same as the one you're looking at including miles, so must have been done.

It is a very good car and the power is not to be sniffed at, IMO it is a very fun and enjoyable car and worth getting your hands on.

Russ

[Hando]

AFAIK they revised the cam belt change from 100k to 60k on the 200 only. The 300 is still recommended at 100k. So the fact that it hasn't been done yet is perfectly fine.

[Parthiban]

AFAIK they revised the cam belt change from 100k to 60k on the 200 only. The 300 is still recommended at 100k. So the fact that it hasn't been done yet is perfectly fine.

Ahh right, I wasn't sure if they changed it on both or just the 200 - it's still 6 years though isn't it? So if it's a 51 plate should already have been done anyway?

[si_is300]

go for it!

Ive had my 300 ltd a year and i've only ever seen one other in the town where i live (scunthorpe) and that is a sportcross.

you get the knowing glances from the other IS drivers when they see its a 300 and not a 200.

it is a bit thirsty if you like to put your foot down a bit, dont expect much more than 20mpg if yo cant turn a traffic light grand prix down!

definitely worth it tho when she's freshly polished/waxed and looking pretty!

[Ian M]

I agree, the 300's a great car. As I recall, the water pump issue is specific to the 200, so you probably don't need to worry about that job whilst the belt's being done.

[sol12]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GENUINE-LEXUS-IS200-...alenotsupported

thats the link and lexus main dealer sell power steering belt £13 AND ALTERANATOR BELT FOR 10 GENUINE + VAT

[micker35]

Hi Folks,

First of all, thanks very much to anyone who's contributed to this thread and thanks very much for your advise.

I rang the garage that I've been using for many a long year to get a price for the cam belt etc. job and also to get a price to have the discs and pads done. They're a small-ish independent garage who aren't too cheap or too expensive. They quoted £216.85 to replace the cam belt with assosiated parts and they quoted £327.28 to replace the discs & pads (although the guy did say that the discs may be skimmable if they're not too thin). I don't know if these are Lexus parts or not but I'm guessing that they're not. So, that leaves me with a dilemma, should I plump for this 300 or hang on for one that's had all the work done. Although this car is in good condition and maybe you could say (at a push) it's in very good condition, it's nowhere near a neat as this one that's on eBay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEXUS-IS300-BLACK-SA...93%3A1|294%3A50 for the same asking price. I can't imagine ever buying a car off eBay but it does go to show that you can get an awful lot for your money if you're prepared to wait and watch.

Cheers,

Mick.

[is300_dino]

i've had mine a year now and given me no major problems at all, only a new oxygen sensor in the exhaust due to it being sat in a showroom for 6+ months and iv'e heard of a few others with the sensor fault due to a period of time not being used. got new sensor for £70 so i cant complain at all, on the rareness side of things my 300's finally met another 300 which belongs a matey living in the same block of flats as my mate does. mines red the other ones white and they look good together lol.

my running costs since i had the 300 are...

2 new rear tyres £125 each

o2 sensor £70

30000mile service £225 @ lexus reading

mot £45

insurance about £1000 just above last year, just below for this years with all mods declared.

cleaning products, lots of Meguiars probably £100-£200 a year.

other mods like dash leds replacement horn and things about £100

Petrol £40-£50 per week to 10 days do about 15 miles a day in stop start town traffic.

Done a quick add up and with those figures with 2 years insurance 52 weeks of petrol and the rest worked out at a yearly running cost of...

£4970.

I cant think of anything else that i've had to pay out on the car in the last year so that should give you a rough run down on what to sort of expect mate

I was lucky with mine as most of the modification had been done by previous owners so i didn't have to fork out £7500 (got reciepts) on Hks suspension and exhaust, ice installs etc, and other things, so you can also see how much you could end up spending if the mod bug hits you it can tally up to thousands like with any car.

but i absolutely love mine, i know its quick but just dont try racing against anything with more than 300bhp, oh how i would love a charger lol.

nearly forgot the goode olde roady tax which is £215 a year so bump that final price up a couple of hundred.

[russelllinn]

Hi Folks,

First of all, thanks very much to anyone who's contributed to this thread and thanks very much for your advise.

I rang the garage that I've been using for many a long year to get a price for the cam belt etc. job and also to get a price to have the discs and pads done. They're a small-ish independent garage who aren't too cheap or too expensive. They quoted £216.85 to replace the cam belt with assosiated parts and they quoted £327.28 to replace the discs & pads (although the guy did say that the discs may be skimmable if they're not too thin). I don't know if these are Lexus parts or not but I'm guessing that they're not. So, that leaves me with a dilemma, should I plump for this 300 or hang on for one that's had all the work done. Although this car is in good condition and maybe you could say (at a push) it's in very good condition, it's nowhere near a neat as this one that's on Ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEXUS-IS300-BLACK-SA...93%3A1|294%3A50 for the same asking price. I can't imagine ever buying a car off Ebay but it does go to show that you can get an awful lot for your money if you're prepared to wait and watch.

Cheers,

Mick.

Cam-belt seems a fair price although the front discs seem excessive, I would expect to pay around £200? It sounds like a good buy overall with the service history, as the one on eBay doesn't say?]

I would say that have a look at another one if you're unsure about whether you're getting one that's in good nick to compare?

I get the feeling you like this one so knock em down on the price and get it, they don't come round too often, you could even do the discs yourself to save some cash getting the ones I showed in the link for £60?

[micker35]

Hi Y'all,

Once again, thanks for all the replies.

russelllinn; you're right, I do fancy this car but all the same I'm going to wait for one that's got a few less miles on it and that's in a bit better nick(I'm really looking for a minter). As far as the one that's on eBay goes, the vendor Emailed me with the service history. It's got 5 Lexus stamps and one that was carried out at a Lotus specialist. The last service was carried out in November 2007 so I guess that it's well due for one. He doesn't say how far he's done since the last service so it might be that he's not traveled far enough to warrant a service. Anyway, it's not really an issue to me as I can't imagine buying a car I've never seen in real life.

And so the quest continues!!! I live in Bury (which is about 8 miles North of Manchester) and as luck would have it, there's an 02 plated IS300 with 79K on it at a garage just round the corner from where I work. It's a bit too pricey for me at £6000 but they claim it in excellent condition so (like you said, russellinn) it's overall condition will serve as a benchmark.

Cheers,

Mick.

[biffobear]

Hi there,

Got my 300 Ltd Edition in October 07 only problem was an intermittent fault on the Headlight leveling sensor a week or so after I collected it, which meant the HID headlights did not self level correctly all the time, sometimes stayed too high - dazzling other drivers .

Mine had been standing a few months before I got it so might have stiffened / seized up. as there is a mechanical link from the sensors to a part of the suspension.

To check, switch on lights first then turn on ignition ~ you will see the headlight beams rise and settle at a (non-dazzling) level; there is also a warning light on display

Other than that, no problems, and 22 - 23mpg around town on short commutes

[Rory]

Hi Folks,

First of all, thanks very much to anyone who's contributed to this thread and thanks very much for your advise.

I rang the garage that I've been using for many a long year to get a price for the cam belt etc. job and also to get a price to have the discs and pads done. They're a small-ish independent garage who aren't too cheap or too expensive. They quoted £216.85 to replace the cam belt with assosiated parts and they quoted £327.28 to replace the discs & pads (although the guy did say that the discs may be skimmable if they're not too thin). I don't know if these are Lexus parts or not but I'm guessing that they're not. So, that leaves me with a dilemma, should I plump for this 300 or hang on for one that's had all the work done. Although this car is in good condition and maybe you could say (at a push) it's in very good condition, it's nowhere near a neat as this one that's on Ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEXUS-IS300-BLACK-SA...93%3A1|294%3A50 for the same asking price. I can't imagine ever buying a car off Ebay but it does go to show that you can get an awful lot for your money if you're prepared to wait and watch.

Cheers,

Mick.

The one you have linked is a member on here, if the one u've mentioned in your first post is the one in the wigan area, i'd choose the black one over it in a heart beat, and I too would normally not buy off eBay, but its different if you know who's car it is

if you get discount on a car and pay to have the work done after you have bought it, it gives you piece of mind once its done, you don't have to worry about it

[micker35]

Hi Rory,

I think the 300 that you mention (that's up for sale in the Wigan area) is the one at Globe car sales in Atherton. It's up on autotrader and I had a look at it last weekend. Unfortunately, it didn't stand out as the minter I'm holding out for. Like you, I think the Black one on eBay with the cream interior looks great. I wondered if the owner was on here but I couldn't find him in the list of members (top-lex is his name on Ebay). I agree with what you were saying about using a discount to pay for work to be done. Like you say; at least I would know that the work's been done but, like I said earlier, I'd rather hang on for one with less mileage and, more importantly, better condition (preferably cream leather ahhhh-yeahhhh baby).

Cheers,

Mick.

[russelllinn]

If you really like the one on eBay i live in weston super mare and can give an initial impression of it to look at as it does have the cream interior after all plus if it's a member it's always nice!!

[Rory]

I looked at that one at Globe also and agree theres better out there, i'm just down the road from atherton, but theres another which I thought you meant which was a private seller, I contacted and left a message asking for more details and they never replied, silver has never been my favourite colour though

the black one on eBay belongs to Ladies_Love_Lex, in my opinion definitely worth a look and that price is very good, personally never been a fan of the TTE front bumper and wheels, but they are easy to change and easy to sell on as others do like them a lot

I need to sell my 200 first before I can get one or i'd be considering his already

[micker35]

Hi again folks,

Rory, thanks for the "ladies_love_lex" pointer. Many apologies to her for always referring to her as a bloke.

Russelllin, thanks very much for the offer, your a complete gent. However, incredibly tempting as it is, I still can't imagine buying a car that I've not sat in so I won't be putting a bid in on it. I'll be very interested to see what it goes for though. It seems to me that the "buy it now" price may be a little low.

Anyway, thanks again to all who've helped me out and when I do see one that ticks all the boxes I'll be back on here.

Cheers,

Mick.

[russelllinn]

Hi again folks,

Rory, thanks for the "ladies_love_lex" pointer. Many apologies to her for always referring to her as a bloke.

Russelllin, thanks very much for the offer, your a complete gent. However, incredibly tempting as it is, I still can't imagine buying a car that I've not sat in so I won't be putting a bid in on it. I'll be very interested to see what it goes for though. It seems to me that the "buy it now" price may be a little low.

Anyway, thanks again to all who've helped me out and when I do see one that ticks all the boxes I'll be back on here.

Cheers,

Mick.

No worries, happy hunting and hear from you in the future no doubt!