Don't be like me. Don't be an idiot. Also, don't forget to let me know what you think I should do with this car! And what is the actual plural of Lexus? Lexus'? Lexusus? Lexusususes?
@@richardj.4810 yeah, everything JDM went up in the past 2 years. You can still find Aristos in the 10-12k range but they’re getting rarer. Mine was 12. The only one for sale locally is $22,000…super low mileage though
@@jordanseay216 Where do you live that $5K for that is ascreaming deal? Not even sarcasm. Most here if it runs, drives and stops are going to be about $2K...maybe $2500. Now, parting it out will net you more than he has in it, but a driver...rare, not valuable.
@@michaelkrenzer3296 well, I know those Toyota/Lexus products can easily go 500k miles with the proper maintenance. So 5k or even a bit more than that for a car like this is a fantastic deal.
Get a big, rad, super outrun Hello Road vinyl for the hood and sell it on CarsandBids as basically a big piece of merch and use that towards your next 90’stastic purchase. Still holding out you find one of 2 door Rav4s
Welcome to the Broken Lexus Club, my IS with the 2JZ smokes too! Considering how good the cosmetic condition yours is in, it could be an interesting candidate for a unique engine swap but if not, it has a ton of valuable parts for the dozens of other GS owners out there...
Why would you wanna dump a 2jz? Hell the block and crank are worth more than the price he paid for. And yes it maybe a a NA with a distributor, but the engines are bullet proof. Honestly I'd pull the motor and strip it down and make your money back.
@@alienlifeformindustries1078 did you try cleaning the feel injectors? It might be adding fuel because your injectors are dirty. Get some cleaner and dump it into the gas tank, then drive it a few hundred miles and see if that helps.
I have not tried cleaning them when i rebuilt the engine and changed the valve seals so i will definitely give that a try and test it out. When we got it 2 years ago everything was original on the car even the injectors. I thank you so much for your comment and help
@@alienlifeformindustries1078 np! Next time, if a problem arises, try the cheapest and most obvious option. It could save you a lot of head ache and money.
New option. Pull the engine and sell it separate from the rest of the car. There's always someone looking for a 2JZ. Then clean the rest of the car up and sell it as a roller. Best chance to get your money back.
If he has to do all that then he might as well fix the valve seals at that point. How are you going to sell a longblock that has bad seals? Yeah im sure someone would buy it but same thing could be said for the entire car itself.
Way late but the random stalling is likely a fuel pump control module issue, bypassing is the permanent fix, even if 3 cylinders were smoked it’s still run without stalling
I am a used car dealer/car enthusiast...not a good combination. I like these 1st gen GS. The money you spent on it you didn't need to these cars are built prove. It seems like the mechanics played the guessing game. The car might not need valve seals have someone with more experience. I've sold many of these 1st gen GS, with almost 300k and still running great. I have 2 of my own. SO I SAY FIX IT.
It’s so hard to find a very clean 1st gen GS300. Most look like complete crap and the leather is shredded like crazy. I would either keep it, build the 2jz or give it to someone that’s appreciates this generation. It’s def a car your don’t see done up and it has so much potential! Don’t let the crusher get it!!!!
This hit so close to home with my multiple projects. Particularly with my 1983 Mazda B2200 dually semi. Your channel and Radwood is why I am determined to fix them. Keep up the great work!
There's gotta be someone out there that would invest the rest of the money to finish this thing right. I'm with you...I would have done the same thing. If I was closer I'd come get it tomorrow. I work at a shop and could probably do it myself. All the money you put into would be a total loss unless you get something for it beyond stock. I think the extra $ to finish it is worth it so you could recover some of the rest of the investment. Whether that's you or the next person (me?) it just doesn't make sense to dump it. Of course this is all dependant on how accurate the diagnosis is. 👍
I tell you these cars are as reliable as the sun but they do require proper maintenance on a regular basis. People think that because it has Toyota DNA you don't have to do much maintenance. Mine is a 1995 and is treated like gold....Mileage is 289k miles or 444000 km.....no smoking never had to touch the head still pulls strong on the highway. But it gets a steady diet of premium gas, and high mileage oil. Unfortunately this example was abused.
I picked up my JZS160 GS300 (2nd Gen) for £800 in May 2020. I was told it would fail the safety test on ABS, VSC, Exhaust Leaks and Engine Lights from dead 02 sensors. I worked for Lexus as a service collection driver in the early 2000's when these cars were brand new. The GS needed a lot of work done as the previous owner seemed to have only done minimal maintenance. One Spring had fallen through the Damper Stops and was resting on the wishbone! I won't lie, even with connections to the motor trade and a fully trained toyota mechanic for a brother it still cost me *A LOT* to get all the work done, but i went beyond what was required and now the Car is Solid! OEM Spec & New parts fitted: All 4 suspension Dampers & all 4 Springs, Full Exhaust System, All 02 Sensors, ABS & Speed sensor, front wishbones on both sides, upper control arms on both sides, New Brake Discs & pads all 4 corners, New Wheels & Tires all 4 corners, full engine service (new plugs, rocker cover gasket, all fluids, all filters) All in we are £4500 deep. Some say that was too much, but I never had all that money at once. My argument was simple, if i bought a lower mileage example for around £3000 (the market price) I would still have to replace the exhaust, brakes, suspension parts in both cases. Worth it.
Just realized I didn't have notifications on. Made sure to change that. I love you're channel man keep it up. You will seriously blow up. Your video quality is amazing. You just need to wait till more people discover you. RUclips is definitely gonna work out in the end. Keep up the great work
Years and years ago I had a 93 gs300. Huge mistake. I thought because it was a Toyota that it would be a reliable, nice car. That was the most difficult and expensive car I’ve ever tried to keep running. It never ran right, and it was slow as could be. Tune up after tune up, distributors, timing belt, I eventually gave up and dumped it off on a crack head for a giant loss.
Ethan, Thanks for sharing your pain. Your video perfectly illustrated the absolute necessity of a comprehensive mechanical inspection BEFORE the purchase of any used car. At least your mistake is a tax write-off.
Ugh, i think you should give it away, although 24 rubber seals on the valves is not that difficult. A 2JZ shouldn't be that hard. I mean, maybe 30 bucks in seals and change the timing belt while you are there!!
If he just swapped the head from a gte. Put a a cheaper turbo kit on it, like a cxracing. Maybe while he has half the motor apart, re-seal the bottom end. Get it tuned. Boom now you have 500hp.
Fix the seals, enjoy it for a while, and get back some of the sunk costs by offering it for sale to one of your subscribers! I think there are wins across the board!
I recently bout a 1994 gs300 myself drove 400 miles to get it and drove it back home. It was misfiring and acting all weird, so replaced the ecu and cleared up all the little issues. Theses 90s toyota ecus are notorious for leaking capacitors. I did a tune up and ran some injector cleaner and shes been good to me with 280,500 miles on it. Transmission shift solenoid is going out but if I start in Low and go through 2 and drive it does well.
Your problem probably is; and always was - piston rings and cylinder bores. Have you checked for compression? Also, the 2JZ motor needs 5w30 fully synthetic oil and Lexus dedicated oil and air filters. MAF Sensor will need cleaning with a properly dedicated spray cleaner. Likewise the throttle body air inlet. (Leave for 30 minutes to disperse) Do NOT flush the engine! Once this work has been done; the engine should run better. Now, replace the spark plugs, add 250 ml of "Militec 1" to the new oil. Drive the car for 50 miles. Do not exceed 60mph. If this relatively inexpensive remedy has little or no effect; you're going to need a new or quality recon engine. It's a potentially fabulous car, so it's well worth getting it right. I have a 2006 Lexus GS300 - my 7th Lexus. I wouldn't drive anything else.
If you keep running it like that you'll take out the catalytic converter to. Who knows what that'll cost for a lexus. But yeah a good running 2JZ long block would've been the best route. You would've saved a bunch of money and had a solid running car.
The challenge in saving old cars is being able/willing to wrench on them yourself. I am going through something similar with an 03 Subaru Forester XS that needs a head gasket amongst other things. You'd be better off repairing the valve seals and trying to recoup some of your investment. Donating it to charity is a one way ticket to the salvage yard.
For the pole: I’d love this thing because I am learning how to fix cars and once working, it’s going to be very reliable. But if you do want to get rid of it, get those seals fixed and sell it on. You’ll get more money for it if it’s running well. But this car is super cool and I’ve never seen one irl. It could be cool!
If your cars wouldn't have any issues there wouldn't be much to show in your channel. "This is my Lexus and it drives fine, without any issues" provides material for one video only. So the most logical option is to go on with your projects and fix the cars step by step, this will provide you with enough content for the near future.
Sell it to a mechanic for $1000, they’ll replace the valve seals themselves and they’ll have a sweet, reliable daily driver that’ll last for another 3 decades.
Tricky situation. If the valve seals are all that's really the issue here, fixing them is not the worst idea in the world, as much as you may not want to hear that. Or sell it to a friend with some mechanical knowledge or pockets who loves the car and can save it. Finally, one piece of advice - buy cars you truly love. You're one person, and you can't save every classic from the crusher.
At this point this is the ideal car to improve your mechanics skills on - if you try to do the valve seals yourself and mess it up, it gets crushed and you've still learned something along the way for minimal additional outlay. If you manage to actually fix the car, you've got a 1994 Lexus that works!!
Btw, it's not as expensive to replace valve seals. And it's quite quick job. Did it myself on 3sge without any issues. Just take a bit of rope, put in cylinder and off you go
When I get a project I get the service manual like how I have the service manual for an 86 mr2. I had a smoke problem but was bad piston rings on the 3rd cylinder.
Valve sales are absolutely necessary and you can always find somebody to replace that with that kind of motor or not a lot of money and you can do it without taking the motor apart most believe it or not every car has a valve seals connected to the top of a rod loosely bottom of its slightly wider and held on by a metal ring and in time while the valves go up and down and all the hundreds of thousands of miles those things start to rise up attaching himself to the valve rod basically you could go in and push them back down with your fingers they may not hold take the valve cover off and do a visual inspection if you take anything off the valve to the spring disconnect all the wires turn the motor so the Piston can hold the valve in place without falling all the way down in the cylinder while you're detaching the top and removing the other stuff and gently putting a new valve seal on top of it like I said people Overlook them the one thing nobody wants to fix my dad was all in on that stuff I learned how easy it was to fix if you're daring take the valve cover off and go look yourself determine where the valves are the valves should have a plastic grommet connected to the head of the motor and allowing the rod to slide up and down anyways if they're not fast in place he'll be up in the air not attach the motor but looking like they're attached to the valve self like I said just push them down your fingers maybe you can get them to stick use clean oil change oil all the time get the grit out those Motors should last 400,000 miles remember Fast and Furious Fast and Furious and plus my car goes 147 miles an hour that's what it says in the manual in the glove box and I have a 300 straight six it's a lot of fun 98 when I got us a throttle body was bad and it ran around at idle because one side of the electric throttle control was bad fly by wire keep that thing or find someone who really wants you will you'll find somebody coming out of the woodwork to buy that thing and put a big motor in it put a turbo in it that motor's better suited for Turbo then a 2JZ mine has an advanced timing yours doesn't yours has stronger piston rods and rings and pistons and sustain more than 300 horsepower and without the timing Advance if it's better to a turbo and a wrist new intake on the right side Turbo with a new exhaust on the left side and you'll be going 150 miles an hour and it's comfortable and quiet don't change the exhaust either don't get a ticket use it for Cannonball Run just don't get rid of it too quickly it's the gym it is a collectible I'll let someone tell you different
It’s just a day to do valve seals. Remove intake, valve covers, and cams. Use a valve stem remover and retainer/keepers installer. It’s like 60$ all and all to fix and takes 4 hours.
I’ve litterly replaced the entire head on an is300 and it only took an afternoon. Valve seals are super easy to fix. Don’t forget to put a rope inside the cylinder to prevent the valve from falling/hitting the cylinder.
I think option 6 would make an interesting video, you could do a break down on what you spent and what you recouped when you part it out! You can make so many more Lexus survive
I feel your pain. At this moment plan to boost it, if you fix it. You'll make easily 8k off selling it once it's boosted. Your motor has the strong internals as well. the non-vvti 2j is able to hold 700-800hp. You can use first gen aristo parts like ecu, etc on the cheap. No worries on expensive stand alone, and tuning. I'd love to own a 1st gen gs300. i own a 2nd gen, and my buddy owns 2 1st gens.
Omg, I had a black on 17 years ago. It still looks good. It was my first car. Fix it dude! It’s a buttery smooth Engine and transmission. You will be happy.
I just had my valve seals done on my 96 GS300, had them done while replacing my head gasket, cost $300. If you do the labor of pulling the head yourself, with shop labor and gaskets, should only cost you $500 at most.
Honestly, I'm sure if you fix it now, in a few years you'll absolutely get a profit considering the condition it's in otherwise, on top of all the fixing/restoring of the internals you've done already... ...however, if you're that sick of it at this point that you really don't want to look at it for another second, a giveaway or charity is the best idea. You've already convinced the majority of your viewers that it probably only needs about 1k to 2k to run well at this point. If somebody is able to get this for free or an extremely low price, this would be extremely worth it to fix and turn into a daily, or work on further for a project.
I have this same car currently I’ll take it off your hands for parts like the interior the passenger window regulator motor and most importantly the study and the science of it all that i absolutely love I’ve Put 1,000 and 1,000 of hours studying every inch of this car sense I bought kinda the same way you got this “Aristo” but didn’t let all the long list of problems stop me from putting more and more time and money into my Gen 1 sense .... about the being of 2014 -2015 I’m still trying to order parts for mine but not a fan of throwing parts at a project that I just don’t need to get the car back running properly and like you every real mechanic wants nothing to do with helping troubleshoot my problem/problems so I took to diy and that’s how I stubbed acoss this video at 2:40am this morning when I have to be up at about 7 but you gotta do what you have to do when you want to succeed badd as you want to breath
Fix it, I think that car is worth saving from the crusher (it's unique and honestly it's a rare car) and it will have more value if you sell it afterwards compared to selling it now. The 2jz is iconic and you might as well see it through. Maybe do a head swap?
i betcha you could make over 1k selling parts from that engine as "Pristine OEM original 2JZ parts" or just fix the engine and sell it to some young drifter who wants to put it in his rusty s13
5!!! an EV would be cool, but im sure finding parts will be costly. i wonder how good it would be with a used Nissan leaf or chevy Volt powertrain. Tesla is obviously way out of budget lol
Junk it. I got rid of my 2002 LS430 a couple of years ago when the outstanding repairs cost more than what it was worth. It served me well for years, but I got sick of the "What else is going to break NOW?!?" surprises. No regrets.
I would get the seals fixed. These vehicles are becoming more desirable. I guarantee you there are a ton of people that would love to own that Lexus including myself.
I would honestly say at this point you may as well fix it, or give it away to someone who will. With all the new parts in it, it doesn't make sense to junk it and donating it would mean it goes to auction, which likely means the next step is the scrap yard. Parting it out would only go so far I think, since there aren't many of this gen GS300 left so the parts are very "ass for the seat"- you'd be sitting on them awhile.
None of the above options. Its running now so sell it and get rid of it while you can. Not saying rip someone off but get some of your money back while you can. Thanks for sharing so we dont fall into the same hole.
Lexus hold value, if you do the valve seal job, youll easily make the money back you spent on the valve seal job and recoup some of the cost overall. better to get some money back than 0.
totally fix it!!! love my gs soo much i literally dread driving other vehicles. 3k for that baby wont be too bad in the long run! good luck homie! LEXUSNATION
Fix the valve and clean that baby up! Then resale to recoup or enjoy! BTW nice GTP back there, i'll check if you have a vid about it, use to loooooove those in 1990 and still do....something about 1990's pontiac brings joy to me....
Nice camera quality. Love the video. I love sunk cost theory. We should meet up no homo. I had a 88 nova. Sunk cost actually works both ways. Basically you forgot what you put into and do what would make you the most money moving forward. So if you put another $1k, and will increase the value by $1.5k, then you do it. I’m not saying it will though.
Dude, I would totally take that off of your hands, messed up and all haha. LOVE this generation GS. And ofc I'd say to donate 😂 used to ride in one of these every morning to school in the 90s, was black on black.
Do the seals. U have gone this far. Its an inline engine, even if u have to pull the head its not a big deal. Also worthy of note and what i have found through the years is when they say "u win some and u lose some". What that translates to is the wins are the cars that were mechanically cared for, the lose are the cars that were driven until they couldnt be driven anymore. Most times u just never know what ur gonna get.
Fix it! I’d sell it after enjoying for a bit and then you could recoup your cost. People love the 2J’s. Also lets hope it’s not super high milage otherwise it might not be super worth repairing and then you could donate it to someone who’d just fix the problem themselves
Don't be like me. Don't be an idiot.
Also, don't forget to let me know what you think I should do with this car!
And what is the actual plural of Lexus? Lexus'? Lexusus? Lexusususes?
Lexusususes
Google says the plural of lexus is lexus. Lolol
The plural of Lexus is Lexi similar to the plural of fungus is fungi.
#1Giveaway...#2donate for a tax write-off
First of all,fix it. Then Modify it to ultimate sleeper car)) or swap 2jZ into it))
I'd say give it to someone who wants to fix it, these cars are getting more and more rare, and not many are in nice shape
I think it won’t be much longer until there are more imported Aristos in the US than USDM 1st gen GS’s.
(I’m one of those imported Aristo owners)
@@interstate366 they went up alot tho use to see them for 11-12k now I seen them for 17-19k
@@richardj.4810 yeah, everything JDM went up in the past 2 years. You can still find Aristos in the 10-12k range but they’re getting rarer. Mine was 12. The only one for sale locally is $22,000…super low mileage though
I would get those seals fixed bc a good running Lexus for 3k is a really good deal!
3k is the repair cost alone though. When you tack on what he actually paid to buy the car, I'd say it's not worth sinking more money into it
@@damieg82 even for 5k, it’s still a screaming deal!
@@jordanseay216 Where do you live that $5K for that is ascreaming deal? Not even sarcasm. Most here if it runs, drives and stops are going to be about $2K...maybe $2500. Now, parting it out will net you more than he has in it, but a driver...rare, not valuable.
@@michaelkrenzer3296 well, I know those Toyota/Lexus products can easily go 500k miles with the proper maintenance. So 5k or even a bit more than that for a car like this is a fantastic deal.
@@michaelkrenzer3296 also, I live in Wisconsin
Fix the seal and you will have a great car for $3k.
You can get an whole other engine for $800-1,100.
Keep the car and do the valve seals yourself when you have time.
Get a big, rad, super outrun Hello Road vinyl for the hood and sell it on CarsandBids as basically a big piece of merch and use that towards your next 90’stastic purchase. Still holding out you find one of 2 door Rav4s
Sunk Cost Fallacy is literally every car enthusiast’s biggest mistake
Welcome to the Broken Lexus Club, my IS with the 2JZ smokes too! Considering how good the cosmetic condition yours is in, it could be an interesting candidate for a unique engine swap but if not, it has a ton of valuable parts for the dozens of other GS owners out there...
Why would you wanna dump a 2jz? Hell the block and crank are worth more than the price he paid for. And yes it maybe a a NA with a distributor, but the engines are bullet proof. Honestly I'd pull the motor and strip it down and make your money back.
Accurate these two videos plus these comments ig im not alone
Get that Ford Probe fixed already. My Probista heart is aching everytime I see you wasting ressources on any junk but the Probe. :-/
New Probe video coming soon! Valve cover gasket just done! :)
I second that, big ford probe fan.
FIX IT!!!!! Then you can get money back! Or I’ll bring it to Texas and fix it 😁
It’s Tennessee now
I have a 95 gs300 in crosby tx it doesnt stall are anything its just eating alot of gas and dunping it into the engine can anyone help me with it
@@alienlifeformindustries1078 did you try cleaning the feel injectors? It might be adding fuel because your injectors are dirty. Get some cleaner and dump it into the gas tank, then drive it a few hundred miles and see if that helps.
I have not tried cleaning them when i rebuilt the engine and changed the valve seals so i will definitely give that a try and test it out. When we got it 2 years ago everything was original on the car even the injectors. I thank you so much for your comment and help
@@alienlifeformindustries1078 np! Next time, if a problem arises, try the cheapest and most obvious option. It could save you a lot of head ache and money.
New option. Pull the engine and sell it separate from the rest of the car. There's always someone looking for a 2JZ. Then clean the rest of the car up and sell it as a roller. Best chance to get your money back.
I think that's still technically, "part it out"
If he has to do all that then he might as well fix the valve seals at that point. How are you going to sell a longblock that has bad seals? Yeah im sure someone would buy it but same thing could be said for the entire car itself.
Way late but the random stalling is likely a fuel pump control module issue, bypassing is the permanent fix, even if 3 cylinders were smoked it’s still run without stalling
Fix that thing, enjoy it for some while and someone will buy it from you later, most likely for MORE than you invested in it
I am a used car dealer/car enthusiast...not a good combination. I like these 1st gen GS. The money you spent on it you didn't need to these cars are built prove. It seems like the mechanics played the guessing game. The car might not need valve seals have someone with more experience. I've sold many of these 1st gen GS, with almost 300k and still running great. I have 2 of my own. SO I SAY FIX IT.
True, these cars were designed to last a long time.
It’s so hard to find a very clean 1st gen GS300. Most look like complete crap and the leather is shredded like crazy. I would either keep it, build the 2jz or give it to someone that’s appreciates this generation. It’s def a car your don’t see done up and it has so much potential! Don’t let the crusher get it!!!!
This hit so close to home with my multiple projects. Particularly with my 1983 Mazda B2200 dually semi. Your channel and Radwood is why I am determined to fix them. Keep up the great work!
I have the same vehicle and did the same thing and got running smooth I love it
There's gotta be someone out there that would invest the rest of the money to finish this thing right. I'm with you...I would have done the same thing. If I was closer I'd come get it tomorrow. I work at a shop and could probably do it myself. All the money you put into would be a total loss unless you get something for it beyond stock. I think the extra $ to finish it is worth it so you could recover some of the rest of the investment. Whether that's you or the next person (me?) it just doesn't make sense to dump it. Of course this is all dependant on how accurate the diagnosis is. 👍
I tell you these cars are as reliable as the sun but they do require proper maintenance on a regular basis. People think that because it has Toyota DNA you don't have to do much maintenance. Mine is a 1995 and is treated like gold....Mileage is 289k miles or 444000 km.....no smoking never had to touch the head still pulls strong on the highway. But it gets a steady diet of premium gas, and high mileage oil. Unfortunately this example was abused.
I picked up my JZS160 GS300 (2nd Gen) for £800 in May 2020. I was told it would fail the safety test on ABS, VSC, Exhaust Leaks and Engine Lights from dead 02 sensors.
I worked for Lexus as a service collection driver in the early 2000's when these cars were brand new. The GS needed a lot of work done as the previous owner seemed to have only done minimal maintenance. One Spring had fallen through the Damper Stops and was resting on the wishbone! I won't lie, even with connections to the motor trade and a fully trained toyota mechanic for a brother it still cost me *A LOT* to get all the work done, but i went beyond what was required and now the Car is Solid!
OEM Spec & New parts fitted: All 4 suspension Dampers & all 4 Springs, Full Exhaust System, All 02 Sensors, ABS & Speed sensor, front wishbones on both sides, upper control arms on both sides, New Brake Discs & pads all 4 corners, New Wheels & Tires all 4 corners, full engine service (new plugs, rocker cover gasket, all fluids, all filters)
All in we are £4500 deep. Some say that was too much, but I never had all that money at once. My argument was simple, if i bought a lower mileage example for around £3000 (the market price) I would still have to replace the exhaust, brakes, suspension parts in both cases.
Worth it.
Just realized I didn't have notifications on. Made sure to change that. I love you're channel man keep it up. You will seriously blow up. Your video quality is amazing. You just need to wait till more people discover you. RUclips is definitely gonna work out in the end. Keep up the great work
Do a 2jz gte head swap like how tavarish did with his Supra
I like the charity option. Can't go wrong doing something good.
Years and years ago I had a 93 gs300. Huge mistake. I thought because it was a Toyota that it would be a reliable, nice car. That was the most difficult and expensive car I’ve ever tried to keep running. It never ran right, and it was slow as could be. Tune up after tune up, distributors, timing belt, I eventually gave up and dumped it off on a crack head for a giant loss.
Fix it up, or do a swap 1jzgte or 2JZGTE. If you fix it up do a turbo swap for viewers
Ethan, Thanks for sharing your pain. Your video perfectly illustrated the absolute necessity of a comprehensive mechanical inspection BEFORE the purchase of any used car. At least your mistake is a tax write-off.
Ugh, i think you should give it away, although 24 rubber seals on the valves is not that difficult. A 2JZ shouldn't be that hard. I mean, maybe 30 bucks in seals and change the timing belt while you are there!!
Option 4. The car has value otherwise besides the engine. A used engine will give this vehicle another chance.
If he just swapped the head from a gte. Put a a cheaper turbo kit on it, like a cxracing. Maybe while he has half the motor apart, re-seal the bottom end. Get it tuned. Boom now you have 500hp.
Fix the seals, enjoy it for a while, and get back some of the sunk costs by offering it for sale to one of your subscribers! I think there are wins across the board!
I've got a 2JZ I can put in it. I'll be happy to take it. This is my favorite generation of the GS always wanted one of these.
Make sure the ECU isn’t bad either. Common issue on older Toyota products and may be the source of these issues.
Give it away, I’d take it in a heartbeat
I recently bout a 1994 gs300 myself drove 400 miles to get it and drove it back home. It was misfiring and acting all weird, so replaced the ecu and cleared up all the little issues. Theses 90s toyota ecus are notorious for leaking capacitors. I did a tune up and ran some injector cleaner and shes been good to me with 280,500 miles on it. Transmission shift solenoid is going out but if I start in Low and go through 2 and drive it does well.
I love these cars. Not sure what you did with it, but wish I had seen this long ago.
Fix it! It’s worth it in the long run!
Your problem probably is; and always was - piston rings and cylinder bores.
Have you checked for compression? Also, the 2JZ motor needs 5w30 fully synthetic oil and Lexus dedicated oil and air filters. MAF Sensor will need cleaning with a properly dedicated spray cleaner. Likewise the throttle body air inlet. (Leave for 30 minutes to disperse) Do NOT flush the engine!
Once this work has been done; the engine should run better. Now, replace the spark plugs, add 250 ml of "Militec 1" to the new oil. Drive the car for 50 miles. Do not exceed 60mph.
If this relatively inexpensive remedy has little or no effect; you're going to need a new or quality recon engine. It's a potentially fabulous car, so it's well worth getting it right.
I have a 2006 Lexus GS300 - my 7th Lexus. I wouldn't drive anything else.
If you keep running it like that you'll take out the catalytic converter to. Who knows what that'll cost for a lexus.
But yeah a good running 2JZ long block would've been the best route. You would've saved a bunch of money and had a solid running car.
Awesome video! Love the shirt too, Sunn amps are pretty neat vintage equipment! Also, I pick option 2, to donate it to charity
The challenge in saving old cars is being able/willing to wrench on them yourself. I am going through something similar with an 03 Subaru Forester XS that needs a head gasket amongst other things. You'd be better off repairing the valve seals and trying to recoup some of your investment. Donating it to charity is a one way ticket to the salvage yard.
For the pole: I’d love this thing because I am learning how to fix cars and once working, it’s going to be very reliable. But if you do want to get rid of it, get those seals fixed and sell it on. You’ll get more money for it if it’s running well. But this car is super cool and I’ve never seen one irl. It could be cool!
Not trying to be selfish or anything.
If your cars wouldn't have any issues there wouldn't be much to show in your channel. "This is my Lexus and it drives fine, without any issues" provides material for one video only. So the most logical option is to go on with your projects and fix the cars step by step, this will provide you with enough content for the near future.
I replaced my ecu and such a wonderful difference
Fix and drive for a few years. The value might goes up and you can make a small profit.
Noooope, it won't... GS300 are far too common to go up.
I would totally take this GS as a project!
Sell it to a mechanic for $1000, they’ll replace the valve seals themselves and they’ll have a sweet, reliable daily driver that’ll last for another 3 decades.
Tricky situation. If the valve seals are all that's really the issue here, fixing them is not the worst idea in the world, as much as you may not want to hear that. Or sell it to a friend with some mechanical knowledge or pockets who loves the car and can save it. Finally, one piece of advice - buy cars you truly love. You're one person, and you can't save every classic from the crusher.
At this point this is the ideal car to improve your mechanics skills on - if you try to do the valve seals yourself and mess it up, it gets crushed and you've still learned something along the way for minimal additional outlay. If you manage to actually fix the car, you've got a 1994 Lexus that works!!
they are nice comfy daily drivers with a good power plant, drive it out of the neighborhood to not smoke out the neighbors and try some seafoam
Btw, it's not as expensive to replace valve seals. And it's quite quick job. Did it myself on 3sge without any issues. Just take a bit of rope, put in cylinder and off you go
When I get a project I get the service manual like how I have the service manual for an 86 mr2. I had a smoke problem but was bad piston rings on the 3rd cylinder.
Valve sales are absolutely necessary and you can always find somebody to replace that with that kind of motor or not a lot of money and you can do it without taking the motor apart most believe it or not every car has a valve seals connected to the top of a rod loosely bottom of its slightly wider and held on by a metal ring and in time while the valves go up and down and all the hundreds of thousands of miles those things start to rise up attaching himself to the valve rod basically you could go in and push them back down with your fingers they may not hold take the valve cover off and do a visual inspection if you take anything off the valve to the spring disconnect all the wires turn the motor so the Piston can hold the valve in place without falling all the way down in the cylinder while you're detaching the top and removing the other stuff and gently putting a new valve seal on top of it like I said people Overlook them the one thing nobody wants to fix my dad was all in on that stuff I learned how easy it was to fix if you're daring take the valve cover off and go look yourself determine where the valves are the valves should have a plastic grommet connected to the head of the motor and allowing the rod to slide up and down anyways if they're not fast in place he'll be up in the air not attach the motor but looking like they're attached to the valve self like I said just push them down your fingers maybe you can get them to stick use clean oil change oil all the time get the grit out those Motors should last 400,000 miles remember Fast and Furious Fast and Furious and plus my car goes 147 miles an hour that's what it says in the manual in the glove box and I have a 300 straight six it's a lot of fun 98 when I got us a throttle body was bad and it ran around at idle because one side of the electric throttle control was bad fly by wire keep that thing or find someone who really wants you will you'll find somebody coming out of the woodwork to buy that thing and put a big motor in it put a turbo in it that motor's better suited for Turbo then a 2JZ mine has an advanced timing yours doesn't yours has stronger piston rods and rings and pistons and sustain more than 300 horsepower and without the timing Advance if it's better to a turbo and a wrist new intake on the right side Turbo with a new exhaust on the left side and you'll be going 150 miles an hour and it's comfortable and quiet don't change the exhaust either don't get a ticket use it for Cannonball Run just don't get rid of it too quickly it's the gym it is a collectible I'll let someone tell you different
Dump it. It's just not worth it. I appreciate your honesty. YES! A youtuber with complete honesty!
Option number 7: Sell it on Cars and Bids as a project car.
It’s just a day to do valve seals. Remove intake, valve covers, and cams. Use a valve stem remover and retainer/keepers installer. It’s like 60$ all and all to fix and takes 4 hours.
I’ve litterly replaced the entire head on an is300 and it only took an afternoon. Valve seals are super easy to fix. Don’t forget to put a rope inside the cylinder to prevent the valve from falling/hitting the cylinder.
I think option 6 would make an interesting video, you could do a break down on what you spent and what you recouped when you part it out! You can make so many more Lexus survive
option #4
what you should've done....
unless you find a worthy tuner/hoon that has the resources to do the wrench time and build it out.
Part out! My 1992 4Runner would LOVE those front seats, for example.
I feel your pain. At this moment plan to boost it, if you fix it. You'll make easily 8k off selling it once it's boosted. Your motor has the strong internals as well. the non-vvti 2j is able to hold 700-800hp. You can use first gen aristo parts like ecu, etc on the cheap. No worries on expensive stand alone, and tuning. I'd love to own a 1st gen gs300. i own a 2nd gen, and my buddy owns 2 1st gens.
Omg, I had a black on 17 years ago. It still looks good. It was my first car. Fix it dude! It’s a buttery smooth Engine and transmission. You will be happy.
Option #7, swap in a JDM 2JZ-GTE engine and build-your-own Aristo
I just had my valve seals done on my 96 GS300, had them done while replacing my head gasket, cost $300. If you do the labor of pulling the head yourself, with shop labor and gaskets, should only cost you $500 at most.
Honestly, I'm sure if you fix it now, in a few years you'll absolutely get a profit considering the condition it's in otherwise, on top of all the fixing/restoring of the internals you've done already...
...however, if you're that sick of it at this point that you really don't want to look at it for another second, a giveaway or charity is the best idea. You've already convinced the majority of your viewers that it probably only needs about 1k to 2k to run well at this point. If somebody is able to get this for free or an extremely low price, this would be extremely worth it to fix and turn into a daily, or work on further for a project.
Option # 3 sounds good !
Donate or give away. Give it another chance with someone else's wallet.
Do #4. That way you can enjoying and then be able to sell it on.
I got the same car all stock in great shape runs like it was built yesterday
Love love those older GSes
I have this same car currently I’ll take it off your hands for parts like the interior the passenger window regulator motor and most importantly the study and the science of it all that i absolutely love I’ve Put 1,000 and 1,000 of hours studying every inch of this car sense I bought kinda the same way you got this “Aristo” but didn’t let all the long list of problems stop me from putting more and more time and money into my Gen 1 sense ....
about the being of 2014 -2015 I’m still trying to order parts for mine but not a fan of throwing parts at a project that I just don’t need to get the car back running properly and like you every real mechanic wants nothing to do with helping troubleshoot my problem/problems so I took to diy and that’s how I stubbed acoss this video at 2:40am this morning when I have to be up at about 7 but you gotta do what you have to do when you want to succeed badd as you want to breath
Fix it, I think that car is worth saving from the crusher (it's unique and honestly it's a rare car) and it will have more value if you sell it afterwards compared to selling it now. The 2jz is iconic and you might as well see it through. Maybe do a head swap?
But it's a 2JZ I would 100% Fix it because everyone is doing 2JZ and LS Swaps
i betcha you could make over 1k selling parts from that engine as "Pristine OEM original 2JZ parts" or just fix the engine and sell it to some young drifter who wants to put it in his rusty s13
Yep, I've learned that once I have a certain amount into a car I just stop. Don't put more than it's worth
Option #1 fix the seals
5!!! an EV would be cool, but im sure finding parts will be costly. i wonder how good it would be with a used Nissan leaf or chevy Volt powertrain. Tesla is obviously way out of budget lol
Junk it. I got rid of my 2002 LS430 a couple of years ago when the outstanding repairs cost more than what it was worth. It served me well for years, but I got sick of the "What else is going to break NOW?!?" surprises. No regrets.
I can easily say on one of those with any kind of problems I wouldn't even care as long as it's in a reasonable price I would still buy it
Option #1. I will buy a shirt.
You know it would be really nice to see it fixed and then do a road test review...
I would get the seals fixed. These vehicles are becoming more desirable. I guarantee you there are a ton of people that would love to own that Lexus including myself.
I would honestly say at this point you may as well fix it, or give it away to someone who will. With all the new parts in it, it doesn't make sense to junk it and donating it would mean it goes to auction, which likely means the next step is the scrap yard. Parting it out would only go so far I think, since there aren't many of this gen GS300 left so the parts are very "ass for the seat"- you'd be sitting on them awhile.
None of the above options. Its running now so sell it and get rid of it while you can. Not saying rip someone off but get some of your money back while you can. Thanks for sharing so we dont fall into the same hole.
i bought a 2003 lexus gs300 for $300 after my first car was crushed, best car ever owned so far and runs great for 230k miles
Lexus hold value, if you do the valve seal job, youll easily make the money back you spent on the valve seal job and recoup some of the cost overall. better to get some money back than 0.
totally fix it!!! love my gs soo much i literally dread driving other vehicles. 3k for that baby wont be too bad in the long run! good luck homie! LEXUSNATION
Fix the valve and clean that baby up! Then resale to recoup or enjoy! BTW nice GTP back there, i'll check if you have a vid about it, use to loooooove those in 1990 and still do....something about 1990's pontiac brings joy to me....
1. FIT IT, DUDE! lol. Love the videos, keep up the great work Ethan.
Nice camera quality. Love the video. I love sunk cost theory. We should meet up no homo. I had a 88 nova.
Sunk cost actually works both ways. Basically you forgot what you put into and do what would make you the most money moving forward. So if you put another $1k, and will increase the value by $1.5k, then you do it. I’m not saying it will though.
Option #6. The money you make can go into the Ford Probe or the Porsche 944.
I think fixing the Lexus would be good video content, the car cosmetically is in great shape,IMO those old Lexus's are worth fixing.
Drive with high mileage oil with seal swellers. Sometimes it will work out.
Dude, I would totally take that off of your hands, messed up and all haha. LOVE this generation GS. And ofc I'd say to donate 😂 used to ride in one of these every morning to school in the 90s, was black on black.
Do the seals. U have gone this far. Its an inline engine, even if u have to pull the head its not a big deal. Also worthy of note and what i have found through the years is when they say "u win some and u lose some". What that translates to is the wins are the cars that were mechanically cared for, the lose are the cars that were driven until they couldnt be driven anymore. Most times u just never know what ur gonna get.
Fix it or motor swap it. Thats looks like a good car and in good condition.
You can part it out the S147 chassis doesn’t get as much as love as the S160 2 Gen GS chassis.
Try using some Marvel Mystery Oil! It is a mystery why it works so well. Try Marvel Mystery Oil!
Keep the Gold Trim, junk the rest. Gotta stop the bleeding, and its safe to say you have too many cars currently.
i say granted you have found the actual issue you may as well go through with it. would be a damn shame to see such a clean car go to waste
Love the Sunn shirt. Oh, and the Lexus.
Fix it! I’d sell it after enjoying for a bit and then you could recoup your cost. People love the 2J’s. Also lets hope it’s not super high milage otherwise it might not be super worth repairing and then you could donate it to someone who’d just fix the problem themselves
This is going to sound crazy but sometimes these will stall if you're low on transmission fluid