Did I Buy The Worst Lexus SC400 In The World?

[@madfiat8932]

Honestly, if you could get the parts secondhand from a boneyard, that looks like it would be a pretty straightforward repair job. The unibody looks solid.

[@johnlehman2535]

getting those bolts off looks like real fun

[@bhew7409]

I would be ready to drill and tap tbh

[@zerocool2352]

torch / drill & tap

[@fillowtree5505]

Not worth the effort. That car drove through every snow storm in NJ (twice) and it was parked on top of the Parkway's salt stockpile. Great videos and would love to see you take a tour of our beloved Elizabeth.

[@eric3o7]

Fillow Tree lol!!! I remember seeing those stock piles when I lived in Edison and always wondered what would happen if you parked a car on or near them. I guess this is the answer.

[@daredevil7442AUTOMOTIVE]

That's a nice car, I would hose down all the rust with WD40 and let it sit over night and the next day do the same and when you look at it on the 3rd day the bottom of the car will look almost new with all the rust gone and a nice blackish looking underside. I've done this a million times and it worked every time.....even on a 1970 rust bucket Bronco with see through floors. You could find that frame probably cheap and replace, buy a new exhaust and you have a sweet cruiser. A lexus like that will get to 400K easily if you maintain it. Oh, forgot to mention after the car sits for about a week, the oil will start to dry out, hit everything up with black paint and she'll look good as new and rust gone! good luck and hope you keep the car....

[@Jursaw]

I wouldn't even buy that and I bought your 3000GT VR4. Speaking of that car, where is my shout out?

[@kfanciulli]

This is another perfect example of why Tavarish should not be posting car-buying advice.

[@ouch2288]

You just bought a lift and suddenly find one of your cars needs repairs that you could only reasonably do with a lift. I don't know, seems kinda like destiny to fix it doesn't it? I would at least see if you could locate parts for it.

[@Jim-tn1hg]

No inspection in Florida means most people would close their eyes and sell it on Craigslist. Thanks for not being that guy.

[@VanisleNSX]

Most 18 year old cars from New Jersey have undercarriages that look like that. If you want a clean car you need one from out West or the south.

[@cec4]

saccut11 TX for the win

[@Drsivric]

cec4video Shhhhh...I want a clean ONE

[@gregorytimmons4777]

VanisleNSX Northwest cars are good too. It rains a lot but most cars are rust free as it's not really like acid rain. Pickups don't fare quite as well. A lot of older ones have rusted out lower corners and doors but they don't salt the roads in the Northwest so most look good on the underside.

[@joedpl]

I'm going to go with the post cat O2 sensor being completely absent as the primary source of the exhaust leak (at least appears to be at 2:49) but that's the least of this car's problems.

[@tavarish]

I must've missed that.

[@garageworker]

Saw that too, almost looked snapped off.

[@pauladams5986]

Tavarish please let me know

[@andrewg7261]

There's a missing sensor in the passenger side catalytic converter

[@tavarish]

So...who wants it?

[@trouxa952]

Tavarish meh can't be assed to finish my current project car.

[@DuckDroid]

Tavarish il take it.... 0$??

[@Politica1unify]

im afraid that rust can attack my other car hahaha, so thank you but no thanks. keep the good videos coming!! thanks

[@nickrulez809765]

how much?

[@FriENTlyFire]

ill give you 40 bucks for it :^)

[@ahmad182s]

Hi Tavarish, ive been watching a few of your videos from london england, and i think this is a prime example of you overloading yourself with work. i think you have great content and i can see your channel going far, however i think you should finish off a project before starting new ones. like your Mercedes s500, i really wanted you to finish that project however i think it was due to not being able to find some parts you put that project on hold, and in my opinion i reckon you should get the project completed at all costs even if you have to pay over the odds for a piece of body trim. end of the day its your channel and good luck with it, keep on with making your incredible videos =]

[@TheStoneReport]

Pull a CarFax on it. 10-1 it was in a flood.

[@tavarish]

I did. I wasn't.

[@eric3o7]

Paul Stone I no longer trust Carfax. In 2010 I leased a Nissan Altima. The car had been wrecked prior to delivery to the dealer. I found out a year later when I got into an accident and the body shop found the entire passenger side 1/4 was already replaced once. We ran a Carfax and it came back clean. Nissan told the shop it's possible it happened during shipping and was repaired before the dealer accepted delivery but never reported.

[@isaacmain1410]

What about a hurricane? Sandy?

[@Otterplus]

euric1 I'll second that unreliable carfax info. I had a caravan and personally got in 2 accidents with it. Neither one showed on the carfax and all channels were properly used.

[@Otterplus]

euric1 I'll second that unreliable carfax info. I had a caravan and personally got in 2 accidents with it. Neither one showed on the carfax and all channels were properly used.

[@Phos9]

To be honest you'll probably get the most out of it by parting it out. It doesn't look worth fixing, but the parts that are still ok might be worth something.

[@tristanblock]

Aside from that part that's rusted out, the rest of the car is clean, underside looks good. Definitely worth fixing.. I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[@miniman203]

damn Tavarish, hate to see you sell it, especially since the 99's are the quickest Ones, and you've got the black interior and the Nakamichi system,

[@baloneyjusticecheezedog]

That looks like salt damage. It's pretty tell tail that any part that was wax coated ends up rusting while the painted uni-body parts manage to look fine. you should try to check what the condition the body is under the rusty parts are but be prepared to never be able to put the bolt back in place when you do that.

[@eric3o7]

Wow. Looks like a possible hurricane Sandy car. Might have been sitting in sea water up to the bottom of the doors for a few days but not deep enough to get water in and ruin the interior. That's way more rust then any 99 should have regardless of where it spends it's winters.

[@tavarish]

Not a Sandy car.

[@eric3o7]

Tavarish maybe it was a southern car that was brought up north. I've never seen such a level of rust on a 99 anything. Can some spray on rust eater & converter be used to try and save the rest of the parts?

[@Drsivric]

euric1 Look for one on the Southside of Chicago or ANYWHERE in the Rust belt and this is common for a vehicle just takes a chip of missing paint to START...

[@ajs7108]

Freddie, that looks unsafe to drive. There is more than just the rusted crossmember. The unibody is rusted through in numerous places at the rear of structure. The exhaust system is almost completely rusted out and probably needs complete replacement. I'm late to the party but didn't you inspect the underside of the car before you bought it? You seem to have excellent mechanical skills but a Lexus SC400 may not need to be saved. BTW how many miles does this car have?

[@KuriaKinyanjui]

Between 1999 - 2001 ish, Toyota screwed around with the frames. I had a 2000 Tundra (in Fl) that was chalked full of subframe and frame rust. There was even a recall, I bet they stocked their Lexus line with parts from the same supplier

[@kgisabeast]

Man I used to have a 99 GS300 and i daily drove that in Minnesota in the winter, sold with 230k and didn't have any rust or problems with it. Getting carwashes definitely helps in the winter.

[@huntboyrufus]

Also, most Northern cars suffer rust problems like this from salt roads from winter conditions.

[@sharedknowledge6640]

You say it's weird the bushings are in decent shape. That's because they're rubber which isn't trashed by the salt that has nearly destroyed the underbody steel parts of this car. Toyota and Lexus seem to not care about under body corrosion. Just look at all the Toyota trucks that literally bend in the middle from frame rust. Despite being a huge problem for decades Toyota doesn't seem to ever really fix the problems. I'd never own a Toyota or Lexus vehicle in the rust belt that was more than 5 years old. They just rot out.

[@cbh148]

Carfax Report: "Vehicle was involved in an iceberg collision in November 1999, where she sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic until being raised 4 years ago."

[@JamesCilia73]

It's probably the high humidity, the wet weather, maybe salt too in Jersey and Florida that caused all that rust on the car. Vehicles in dryer climates definitely don't rust like that, even Chris Fix said that about his Mustang, I believe, that was from California.

[@britneytimberlake11]

Tavarish, if you really want to sell the car then use "peddle" if you have one around your area. They buy crap cars for pretty decent money. I sold a 1994 Toyota pickup to them and it had a blown head gasket & they gave me $1,050 cash !

[@jojos7040]

U never fail to disappoint me with the captions

[@johnbozic9920]

Better off as a parts car my friend... given the condition of the underside (frame) of the car. Maybe make tons more going that route than selling it off as a whole.

[@edwardbrearey6413]

Looks like it sat in a garage flooded by hurricane Sandy.

[@Dstreet370]

I bought my first car yesterday. It was a manual 97 sc300. It's the best one I've seen for sale yet and it's immaculate.

[@All_handson_deck]

You have a knack for buying vehicles with hidden problems. haha

[@michobebemckawi]

According to the Top Gear boys, you "almost" bought THE WORST CAR IN THE WORLD (SC430) hahhaa

[@KarinoChan182]

michobebemckawi I think you're talking about the generation after this not this one

[@cec4]

YasinAdor1999 I've owned one, they could have been ok but toyota stuck there shit v8 in it and also it was plauged with electrical problems depending on the year.

[@KarinoChan182]

The 1UZ? That's weird,I've never heard anything about it being unrealiable

[@joelb08]

Anyone that thinks this car was in a flood clearly doesn't live in the rust belt. This is a not so rare sight up here in the north.

[@mattwilliams2709]

Let me guess, You've had it sitting on top of grass that was tall enough to touch the bottom of the car for a long while? Thats what rots the bottom of a car quick.

[@totszwai]

Why the heck did you buy a car like that? You can see those just by crawling on the side...

[@louisbarningham]

The exhaust leak is not bad cause it makes it louder lol

[@prettydecentgarage6294]

Just tunning it. Damn there's alot of rust on that thing...

[@michaelbeerbados3291]

I hAve a 95 in western Canada and we rarely salt.. I repaired some rust above the back wheel wells and she is minty again !! same colour as yours.. my fave car ever

[@josephesposito70]

I own a 1995 sc400 with under 55k on it and it too had same type of rust. I was lucky to find a parts car that had a upgraded exhaust and I was able to use the subframe front and back to replace my rusty one.

[@CarPhonix]

That car is toast buddy, you'd end up putting more into it fixing it then what it's worth...and good luck finding the parts for it. I'd sell it as is, some guys like those cars, especially if they have lower mileage.. speaking of which how many miles are on it?

[@TitaniumCountess]

I'm astonished at that level of decay - I've seen derelicts abandoned in fields that are 70 years old in better condition. I really do wonder what happened to that thing...

[@gregorywills2231]

This is why getting an inspection done before buying is a good idea.

[@KujGaming]

i had a 92 LS400 and it was literally spotless underneath. And i'm from Michigan where everything rots to the ground. Your SC probably rotted from sitting and not being washed. Sitting in grass also rots everything.

[@DannysGarage]

BMW has similar exhaust setups on their V8's, it's a pretty common system I guess. My X5 4.6 is exactly the same- two cats go into one resonator when then goes into two mufflers.

[@youtune9997]

I would just go full aftermarket on the suspension 👍🏻 exhaust can de a nice true dual with an x pipe. And just replace all the hard lines. I mean it's not a couple of hour job but it's still worth it👍🏻 how good are you at fabricating critical components?

[@seankurth4371]

It's a 1999. It's 18 years old and likely worth next to nothing even perfectly clean unless it's unusually low mileage. If it's anything less than absolutely perfect, whoever you sell it to will either sell it for scrap, drive it into the ground without so much as an oil change, part it out on eBay, or use it as a parts car. If you would like this thing to stay on the road (I would, it's essentially an MK4 Supra with weird headlights, a softer suspension, and nicer leather), and for its new owner to care enough to ensure that, you need to fix it as much as you can. It's a Lexus in rust-free Florida, it will run forever in the hands of the sort of person who would look for a perfectly clean example of a relatively obscure 18 year old car. If you can't get rid of 100% of the rust, just fix the stuff that's bad enough to get worse, then sand and paint the inconsequential stuff.

[@rustyjeep2469]

Sean Kurth Absolutely not worth fixing. Even the body tub has a cancer spot and all of the subframes, crossmembers, and suspension components would need to be replaced. A '99 SC400 isn't particularly rare. This is a parts car, unless you had a lot of free time and another SC400 with a clean undercarriage to donate all of the needed parts.

[@bmwmsport11]

All it really takes is just pressure washing the underbody a few times during the winter and 2-3 times from spring-fall and you won't have a car like this.

[@Drsivric]

bmwmsport11 YOU NEVER spent the winter in the Northern U.S. HAHA

[@gearheadvr4]

Need an update on this one. I had an SC400 and was a fun cruiser.

[@fishsquishguy1833]

I know this vid is older but you said it sat a while on the side of your house? A car will rust if it sits over dirt. The moisture comes out of the ground and just collects under it in the North East anyway. I've seen this happen in only a couple years too. Bummer.

[@neoanderson7]

That thing is riddled with Cancer. Take more time and effort than what the car is worth. Hopefully you find someone who wants this thing...

[@gaspasser]

Did you look at the bottom of that car before you bought it?

[@briantracy1324]

I'd get a new crossmember from a junkyard and fix it ... looks pretty easy but you may have to weld it in as the bolt holes are probably trashed... the rest of the rust looks like scaly surface rust ,, a needle scaler followed by a waxy or asphalt based sealer would stop it where it's at. my guess is that the transporter put a tie down hook where the piece is missing.

[@NickNorman13b]

At 3:06 I can clearly see what looks to be a hole where an O2 sensor or something is supposed to go. That'll make a hell of a racket.

[@marilynmonbro35]

About to go look at one of these in Minnesota using this as a buyers guide to know when to walk away

[@patrickmorrissey2271]

Looks pretty typical of the rust you see on a daily driver in the Milwaukee Chicago area... Lots of snow, lots of salt.... Lots of rust.... For someone (You) who did an engine swap in a Nissan years ago.... And now you have a lift.... That's not a bad repair... Florida junkyards are full of parts that are not 90% rust.... Could be some fun content for you..."Hello, I am Tavarish, welcome to LKQ Pick your part in Tampa...." ;)

[@dominik7841]

Haha, come to Europe and look at a c-class from 99. You will be shocked how rusty things could get 😂

[@fkloh3289]

scrapped the car. it's not worth to fix it.

[@davetravels9273]

Ugh, so sorry. I live in Germany and rust is still a major problem for Toyota and Lexus here, even on their new cars. They are super reliable, but don't hold up to winter and the salt sprayed roads. However, aftermarket rust proofing applied when new, can mitigate a lot of this. Still, you don't want most Toyota's / Lexus products after 10 years in a winter environment. Maybe this one is worse because it wasn't washed regularly or sat on grass or something. If you can find one from a southern state, then they are pretty clean, but no way in NJ.

[@Drsivric]

Dave Travels What is this "Sitting on GRASS"? Morning Dew aka moisture is ALL I can think of...

[@kidistight]

Car must have been parked in a pond or something DAMN. I am loving my 97 SC400, bought it two years ago. I wish I had bought one sooner.

[@TheFiremonkeyman]

tavarish... this is the typical condition of 90s cars north of the Mason-Dixon... I had a 00 car that I bought for parts, and I was able to push my finger through the un rails... The front doghouse frame was eventually just yanked off the cabin.

[@silumansulingiblis]

With all those rust, you can do a magic while you drift... ''Hello everyone, want to see body and chasis separate on drifting?''

[@akangas]

Is that an empty hole for an oxygen censor in the passenger side cat? That might make some noise...

[@yousefkhalil8665]

Is there a way you could have spotted the rust when you initially inspected it before buying? Or is it really only visible when it's on a lift?

[@IndependenceCityMotoring]

Just buy a used replacement part for that rusted out piece, swap it, and you're good to go.

[@hmoob704]

I have the exact year and color, not the prefect car but I love it. BTW your's missing a o2 sensor so that can be why is also louder.

[@jamespatrick6939]

seems to have flood damage, perhaps some parts are salvage but I think someone didnt tell you the full story when you bought it

[@huntboyrufus]

Put a new sub frame on the front. Change out the exhaust. Sand blast the undercarriage and hit it with rattle cans. Sell it as " Good condition"

[@ItsTimePictures]

I'd bet billions this is a Sandy car

[@OTwinSnakesO]

Nice car but with all that rust you might aswell get rid while you can as it's just gonna get expensive

[@dinhscot]

I think the car under-frame is submerged in salt water.. for some times. Flood damage?

[@randolphcirilo4800]

If that car came from Jersey, it's salt damage. I had an f250 that was sold up east and used until it was brought down south and let me tell you, it was falling apart underneath! I took a loss on that truck.

[@rodneypeterson1807]

Yes looks like the car was in a flood! Being from NJ do you think it was caught in super storm Sandy?

[@rustyjeep2469]

Sorry to say, but that is a parts car unless you have another parts car to donate all of the necessary pieces. So many rusty parts that you'd probably spend what you paid for the car itself to try and buy them individually. Find an SC with a wrecked body or a shot motor but a clean chassis, and then maybe you could put the two together to make one good car- maybe. The determining factor being that the area where the front subframe bolts into the unibody (which you pointed out around 3:51) looks extremely rusty as well. That area is basically just reinforced sheet metal and if you have cancer in there too the whole unibody is basically f*cked and the car is not safe to drive nor worth the labor expense to repair. I wouldn't even drive the car until you figure that out. Most people would tell you it's not worth the trouble/expense to fix it even if it is doable, though, just find a better SC to start with and you'd be miles ahead. This one would be better left as a parts car if the drivetrain and interior are good.

[@frankyszini9353]

that's not that bad man I had a sc300 that the rear subframe literally broke in half with me driving fix it up man I wanna see this v12 project man sounds awesome I might get another sc300 as well DONT SELL IT

[@zerocool2352]

Strip/keep the engine/trans/ecu parts; sell the airbags & wheels; sell the scrap to the junkyard for a few bucks ... or gets some credit ... repurpose the engine/trans/ecu into a project car like an old Bronco/Range Rover/Land Cruiser/Classic Pickup/Dune Buggy.

[@mitch5589]

Was this a flood damaged car?

[@milamcade]

Seriously interested. I would love to have this for a project car. If you could PM on here with a price, I would be thrilled to negotiate. I would come and get it, although I would have to drive it 9+ hours just to make it home. Thanks, Tavarish.

[@nickwood8694]

i wouldnt fix that, the whole under side front and back is pretty much rusted out, you should sell it as parts

[@louisbarningham]

Mabe it sat in water while parked deeper water also exhaust leak not bad cause it's louder

[@Schaefft]

The amount of rust on this is literally insane for car that's only 19 years old. Personally I'd stay away from this as far as possible as its simply not worth the time spent on it, even if its an otherwise clean late model SC. There're just too many cleaner examples out there. Parts car, nothing more.

[@kaurkoop]

can you just fix the cars you own, stop turning your home into a junkyard :)

[@hk20000]

looks like it went into a big puddle and sit there for a few years....

[@sneakysnakepie1]

so you buy a car and didn't look at the undercarriage? well damn I literally crawl under and look. because sometimes people like to hide shit like a rusty frame or etc. and that's a northern car never washed. and legally if you sell it knowing that rust and someone wrecks you can be liable if you don't tell them.

[@billygreenhorn9275]

Whats all the drama about?? That part can be changed. The first things I do when I buy a car are change the wheels and put a nice exhaust on it. Put a set of coilovers on it, clean it up and enjoy it man! Wow, you call yourself a car guy? You sound like a lil old lady that thinks she needs to buy a new car because her car is broken haha. I'll come get it next weekend if you don't want it...it would be my fourth sc400 and my sixth Lexus. C'mon man, show us what you can do!

[@milosilic23]

billy greenhorn it's basically a money pit. Im guessing a lot of stuff would break when trying to change the part, sincr its all rusted out. Then the exaust, the control arms... Its a literal money pit, and he said he doesn't have the funds now

[@dogshavecars]

my 99 gs300 i used to have has similar rust on the rear diff, control arms etc but nothing like that subframe hole

[@rickslick730]

I like your channel, I'm a new subscriber And i from New Jersay , so you know i have to support, yeah man keep up the good work 👍

[@BigD1984]

I would totally take it but how much Taravish?

[@tavarish]

Offers accepted!

[@BigD1984]

Tavarish I seriously would restore it like Jursaw is doing to the worst 3000GT vr4 but I don't want to low ball it so throw a number out so I can figure what I can do for the poor thing..

[@BigD1984]

Tavarish I'll give you $200 & come in the next month in March to get it on my & new wife honeymoon...

[@tavarish]

Nah, I'll keep it for that amount.

[@BigD1984]

Tavarish I would keep it just restore it man they're fun and good cars. How under the hood though have you checked?

[@bigmatt503]

I'm glad we don't use salt on the west coast (Portland Oregon).. That shit is horrendous

[@calvingraham7729]

Defiantly looks like flood damage, or the previous owner lived near the ocean in NJ, sucks to see a nice car look like that

[@cec4]

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. that you purchased a Lexus SC 400. I owned one at one point, it was the worst thing I ever did. Now, sc 300 with turbo, that's nice

[@243wayne1]

Mine has 45,000 original miles on the clock. Pristine. It belongs in the Lexus museum.

[@Drsivric]

243wayne1 Somebody has to have an example under 5k flawless in AZ, CA or TX

[@243wayne1]

mate sivric Negative. Mine came from Palm Springs, Ca.

[@Drsivric]

243wayne1 Hopefully it's NOT currently in NJ (or the snow belt) lol. I have an 2004(I took delivery in 2003) Jeep Grand V8 with about 9k with ALL service and original stickers(Yes on motor and suspension with most factory chalk marks) So I know what you mean I just RARELY trust a 2nd owner since they DIDN'T take factory delivery how can know it preformed like that on DAY 1?

[@SuperGodPray]

What happened with the Porsche 944 turbo? We want more of That car! :D

[@lifesbeautiful2285]

That's not safe car to drive. It needs whole front suspension sub frame and front suspension. Border line not worth fixing.

[@haberbo]

I would at least replace the k member. I don't think I could live with myself if I knew it was going to be on the road at all in that condition.

[@IcelanderUSer]

I'll give you 1800 so long as you let me replace that piece on the lift. Otherwise I'd have to pay a garage to do it. And so long as the car doesn't have more than 150k miles. And a clean title. No joke. I've been looking for a nice Lexus coupe.

[@brendanmccreanor1191]

i will be more carful next time, i am bringing my jack. Thanks.

[@Bobbybeb]

Take a propane blow torch and heat the bolts up and removal will be much easier.

[@christophertice7664]

You should stop buying rusty crap. A nice car or two is better than 5 shit boxes.

[@TheStephenspann27]

Hopefully you didn't blame the transport company for the exhaust leak.

[@amanwithaplan4103]

I think you should start parting it out or something to at least get some money back. It looks like the car was in some kind of flood.