My 1991 Lexus ES250 - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Bee-Rad · 10-24-2011, 12:13 PM

Hey, I'm a new member here, and I picked up this car last week for $900, which is a steal in my opinion for such a well-taken cared of car.

It's a 189K Lexus ES250, and as far as I know, had every original option except for the CD player (original radio was replaced by the previous owner, but a CD deck isn't listed in the window sticker.)

Which reminds me this car also came with the inspection certificate and window sticker, topping out at over $24k!

As for mods, I plan to keep it simple and tasteful (including some OEM Toyota rims, and a more muscular sounding exhaust, as well as a small drop.)

Enough gab, let me show you some pictures!

71Corolla · 10-24-2011, 03:12 PM

You lucky bastard! I love the ES250, wanna sell it?

Nice score, and I like the colour you don't see many in the dark blue, not that you see many ES250's in the first place. Post some pics of the interior if you can.

Bee-Rad · 10-24-2011, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 71Corolla

You lucky bastard! I love the ES250, wanna sell it?

Nice score, and I like the colour you don't see many in the dark blue, not that you see many ES250's in the first place. Post some pics of the interior if you can.

Thanks! The car is actually black, but my phone's camera may have made it look blue.

The interior is almost as nice as the exterior, except for some cracking on the dash and tears on the driver's seat.

Also, I'm not sure if this also affects the Camry, but the door outside door handles don't work on the front anymore, and I'm not sure how to go about fixing it. I was able to take apart an ES250 at the junkyard today and say that the rod seems disconnected from the handle, but I don;t know how they attach in the first place.

71Corolla · 10-24-2011, 08:37 PM

On the door handles, the plastic clips often break, probably what happened to your car. They break because the latch itself gets stiff with age, what helps is to spray the mechanism with silicone spray. On the 1990 Camry I'm working with now, both drivers and passengers side front latches were really stiff, the door handles still worked but an intermediate clip broke which made the handle really hard to move. I replaced the drivers one because spraying it with lube didn't help much. I just go through each car in the yard and pull on the handle and get the one that moves the easiest.

I have never seen an ES250 in black, that's even better. Great cars, really under rated IMO, and parts are easy to come by because it's about as close to a Camry as a Lexus ever got. Does your car have ABS? ABS was rare on the generation 2 Camry, just wondering if all the ES250's had it.

Bee-Rad · 10-24-2011, 10:26 PM

I see. I deal with it by leaving the driver's window open enough to reach in and open it from the inside, or open the rear door to reach into the front. I also cannot lock the doors since the key I have doesnt unlock the doors, it only locks them. I actually was locked out of the car less than two hours after buying it!

As far as I know, ABS was standard on all the ES250's, since the manual doesn't list it as optional, and mine is equipped with it. I'm pretty sure these, besides the LF-A, are the rarest Lexus models!

71Corolla · 10-24-2011, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bee-Rad

I'm pretty sure these, besides the LF-A, are the rarest Lexus models!

Could very well be! The price new was just too much for most people to accept, I doubt the car sold well at all. And the body lines are very similar to a Camry, plus when the car came out not many people knew much about Lexus, they didn't have the name recognition or reputation.

One thing I don't like about the car is the trunk hinge design, what were they thinking? Yours looks to be okay, but most of them fail and the trunk sits too high and leaks, not to mention looks stupid. Dumb, dumb design.

BTW, consider putting in a keyless entry system, well worth it.

Grego 92 · 10-24-2011, 11:16 PM

That's really nice! I see a few in the yards every now and then, but it doesn't look like you need anything for yours!

Bee-Rad · 10-24-2011, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 71Corolla

Could very well be! The price new was just too much for most people to accept, I doubt the car sold well at all. And the body lines are very similar to a Camry, plus when the car came out not many people knew much about Lexus, they didn't have the name recognition or reputation.

One thing I don't like about the car is the trunk hinge design, what were they thinking? Yours looks to be okay, but most of them fail and the trunk sits too high and leaks, not to mention looks stupid. Dumb, dumb design.

BTW, consider putting in a keyless entry system, well worth it.

I agree, this was the closest to bear a resemblance to the Camry, although I do believe the subtle differences have let the ES age better with time than the average Camry. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a nice LE G2, but most of the one's I see are base/DX models that are starting to look very dated. The trunk is a little difficult to use, but thankfully mine hasn't broken yet, and I kind of like the trunklid design since it leaves the taillights uninterrupted.

I'm thinking of a remote system, it just still makes me wince to modify the wiring on this car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grego 92

That's really nice! I see a few in the yards every now and then, but it doesn't look like you need anything for yours!

Thanks! I rarely see them in yards here, although I once saw a gray/gray one with - get this - 52K miles. I had no idea why it was there, but it pained me to see it.

I'm currently sourcing LED bulbs to update the lighting in the car after I found four of them at the yard.

71Corolla · 10-25-2011, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bee-Rad

I'm thinking of a remote system, it just still makes me wince to modify the wiring on this car.

I put in a simple keyless system into my (soon not to be) 1990 Camry. There is enough room above the drivers kick panel for a small box. The wiring was not that intrusive, everything you need to tie into is either in the kick panel area or the steering column. With some patience you can do a clean (and easily removable) system. Does the ES250 have an electric trunk release? I rigged one up in the '90 Camry that ties into the remote, I am pretty sure I am the only person with a gen2 Camry that has a wireless trunk release.

I agree that the ES250 aged well, nice lines. The Gen2 Camry's are looking somewhat dated I'd agree with that.

'88 All-Trac · 10-25-2011, 12:43 AM

The ES250 is, for all intents and purposes, a Gen 2. It is a renamed Toyota Camry Prominent, a JDM/foreign-market Camry. Someone here on the forum in I believe Jamaica has a Prominent, if memory serves.

The ES250 was released alongside the LS400, so that Lexus would not launch with a single model for the lineup. The ES250 didn't sell well because it was obviously a variant of the Gen 2 Camry and people thought they were supposed to be a new platform- one that didn't get proper development time.

I need to source an ES250 front clip for my All-Trac, I have decided. The broken headlight and crapped out fenders are driving me crazy. I have a new headlight but the bucket itself is also broken...

71Corolla · 10-25-2011, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '88 All-Trac

I need to source an ES250 front clip for my All-Trac, I have decided. The broken headlight and crapped out fenders are driving me crazy. I have a new headlight but the bucket itself is also broken...

Too bad you don't live here, there is a real beater for sale near me. Car is a mess, been sitting for years. Amateur body work on the left quarter panel, peeling paint, water in the trunk, smells like death inside. But the front clip is sound, runs fine as well. The guy will part with it for $300 or less, I am tempted but it's just too far gone unless a project like you have in mind.

Bee-Rad · 10-25-2011, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 71Corolla

I put in a simple keyless system into my (soon not to be) 1990 Camry. There is enough room above the drivers kick panel for a small box. The wiring was not that intrusive, everything you need to tie into is either in the kick panel area or the steering column. With some patience you can do a clean (and easily removable) system. Does the ES250 have an electric trunk release? I rigged one up in the '90 Camry that ties into the remote, I am pretty sure I am the only person with a gen2 Camry that has a wireless trunk release.

I agree that the ES250 aged well, nice lines. The Gen2 Camry's are looking somewhat dated I'd agree with that.

The ES has the same mechanical release as the Camry.. the interiors are identical except for the dash/center console, tweeters and I believe the forward part of the headliner. I'm planning to get one installed when I have the money to do so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by '88 All-Trac

The ES250 is, for all intents and purposes, a Gen 2. It is a renamed Toyota Camry Prominent, a JDM/foreign-market Camry. Someone here on the forum in I believe Jamaica has a Prominent, if memory serves.

The ES250 was released alongside the LS400, so that Lexus would not launch with a single model for the lineup. The ES250 didn't sell well because it was obviously a variant of the Gen 2 Camry and people thought they were supposed to be a new platform- one that didn't get proper development time.

I thought the ES250 was based on the Toyota Vista, although I'm pretty sure it was the same as the Prominent.

I know the suspension is different from the Camry, but I'm not sure if it's different from the JDM version? I'm wondering if anything was ever Lexus-specific besides the steering wheel, grill and emblems. AFAIK the JDM versions were I4 only.

'88 All-Trac · 10-25-2011, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 71Corolla

Too bad you don't live here, there is a real beater for sale near me. Car is a mess, been sitting for years. Amateur body work on the left quarter panel, peeling paint, water in the trunk, smells like death inside. But the front clip is sound, runs fine as well. The guy will part with it for $300 or less, I am tempted but it's just too far gone unless a project like you have in mind.

Much as I hate to say it, I'd probably part it out... Engine alone could cover the cost. Damn shame it's up in Canada-land...

Sturdavj · 10-25-2011, 10:51 AM

“ 71 Corolla” let’s see a DIY on the keyless entry system

Bee-Rad · 10-26-2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sturdavj

“ 71 Corolla” let’s see a DIY on the keyless entry system

+1 lol.

Also, It's pretty interesting to be on this side of the Camry spectrum. My family used to have a 1989 V6 Camry in base form a few years ago. It was practically a junker, with a bad exhaust and I believe a rod knock. Anyway, it had some of the most uncomfortable cloth seats I can remember, and some pretty bad paint.