Looking for those with the experience to chime in with personal experience.

Been trying to sell my 3G WDP for whatever I can. At 200k mi, it needs head gasket repair. It is burning and smoking, different smoke etc.

Started at 1800 now $800. Many ask briefly, can't say many were serious. Best offer is guy that kept lowball me, there was back and forth then I finally agreed 750, then 700. Then he tried to go lower again.

Had other guys ask about single wheel, hood swap etc. I wasn't ready at the time.

I know I can get around 500 just to rid of it now. Wondering if it might be worth parting out. Its sitting in the driveway. Pretty much everything removable on the exterior is in great shape. Fenders, trunk, doors, mirrors hood, grille etc.

Would there by any demands for 04 base WDP parts here?

I want to also know, how stripped down can a car and still be able to donate / scrap it.

 

You for sure can make more parting it out. All a matter of how much time and effort you want to dedicate to it....as well as do you really want a partially stripped car sitting in your driveway for several months? Not everyone lives in a place that allows that.

For me...too much hassle, I'd probably just dump it and be done. If you are willing to let it sit, set your price and wait. Ignore the low ball offers. All comes down to how bad do you want the money and how bad does the buyer want the parts car.

 

+1 on this. Not saying it's a bad idea, but you definitely need to have the space and the time to do it. You will often be spending money shipping stuff as well. And spending time trying to figure out the logistics of shipping some parts. Again, you can come out on top, but it's one of those "is it worth my time and the effort involved" type of things.

If you're not in a rush, leave it listed for the price you want. Offers come and go. You may get what you're looking for if you wait it out.

Otherwise, I had an Oldsmobile sitting in my barn that I didn't want to fix - I used one of those "immediate cash for cars" ads on craigslist. A pick-n-pull a few hours north of me sent a tow truck, driver with cash to my door. It couldn't have been easier (price is guaranteed beforehand based on your description).

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the input.

You have a great point about the appearance, once some visual pieces of exterior start to go, it can be a big eye sore. If I choose that route. I'd buy a cheap cover.

Another idea is to part big pieces and stash in my gardening shed. My initial idea was to find a damaged donor car. But that route seems to require lot extra leg work.

I do have the luxury of keeping it around for months on the driveway. But the longer it stays around the longer its keeping me from other projects.

At this very time cars 97-2004 are so affordable. Every make, model, trim. But now there are so many good different options to choose from that wasn't available before because of cost.

Lexus GS, LS, MB: E, S, C, BMW: 3,5,7, convertibles. These are all very affordable in 4-7k range even less in some cases. I see so much value in these older cars, especially the ones that were too overpriced then. Nowadays cars look boring and all the same. They all look like jelly beans.

 

if you're parting out the TL because of a simple head gasket, please do not buy a '97-2004 euro car.
you will simply run into the same issue and waste lots of time and money.

i'd rather you spend the time and money to replace the head gasket on the TL and keep it for an additional 10-20 years.
it'll save you headache from a used Euro car

 

I already have a GLK for family time. I probably would not look Euro unless I really wanted convertible. Looking for an all day rider. Potentially Uber-friendly so luxury sedan. Or something I can use as other non-passenger Courier services, so something not necessarily fast, but responsive and handles.

I like the GS and LS. From what I hear about Lexus rumors and what I read. These vehicles don't seem to change hands excessively like other cars. There is never an abundance of them for sale. Does that mean people are keeping them longer?

 

 

uber has year requirement on cars. for a large city like mine; it's 15 year old car...meaning '97-2004 is out. cant use those. and the luxury versions need to be 6 years or younger
also, a courier car, why does it have to be responsive and handles? if you're carrying deliveries, you wouldnt want to carve canyons with it

 

Wish you were in my backyard, I'd take that thing on.

 

How are the bumpers? I’d be interested possibly….plus some other stuff. I think it’d be smart to part with the larger stuff, and then scrap it. Or like Justin said. Fix the head gasket, and ride it out. Especially if you owe nothing on it….

 

Donate that puppy to charity and take the $500 deduction on your taxes.

 

As for why should the car be handles and responsive?
I love driving in general. If I was doing it all day or large portion, I want to enjoy it and feel safe too.
I don't fast usually. Sometimes I'm late, in a hurry sometimes I'm people watching and or just cruising.
A much bigger point is and its just my opinion. A responsive/ handling car is the biggest ticket to avoid a would-be accident. I am very instinctive reflexive driver. Just fits my style I guess. In a clunkier /bigger, what I can do to avoid or minimalizing the contact is very limited without becoming threat to more drivers.

I would do the gasket thing. Few things keeping me back. One common rust spot is pretty bad.
For not much more I would auction a crashed low miles, with easy swap damage. And expand mech skills and end up younger car. Just still hunting
Also at 200k miles. After a couple overheats, felt like it never had the same umph.

I can convince myself to save for my unicorn car. WDP typeS.
Anyways, I saw one at auction but the airbags have been deployed. Are they really 800-1500 like google says?

 

@enzyme I parted my 05 TL when the transmission went and nobody wanted to buy the car.

If you have the time it is totally worth it! You just need the space to do it because I will tell you it takes awhile to sell the parts. I had pretty much stripped my 05 to a shell and had a salvage yard come grab it for it free since there was nothing left.

Here is what it looked like before and after. I could have kept the doors but didn't have room to store them.





I am not too far from you and may be interested in it. Post some pictures of your car and I can let you know if you haven't sold it yet. Have been wanting to do it again. It was fun!